Beginning the Assistant Principalship

John C. Daresh is professor of educational leadership at the University of Texas at El Paso. Over the years, he has held faculty or administrative appointments at the University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University, the University of Northern Colorado, and Illinois State University. He has also worked as a consultant on high school reform and administrator professional development for universities, state departments of education, national and state professional associations, and individual schools and districts across the United States, and also in Barbados, Canada, France, Holland, Israel, Turkey, South Africa, and Taiwan. By far, the bulk of Daresh’s international service has been in the United Kingdom where he served an advisor and trainer for the School Management Task Force that developed and promoted support programs for beginning headteachers, the National College for School Leadership, the Welsh Office of Education, the North West Network for Diploma Development in Cheshire, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Lincoln, the University of Hull, CREATE Consultancies, and literally dozens of Local Education Authorities and individual schools across England and Wales.Daresh recently completed three years of service as the lead consultant on principal mentoring programs for the Chicago Public Schools as that megadistrict was faced with the challenge of bringing in mostly inexperienced principals to serve in nearly of the school system’s elementary and high schools.

• AcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorDedication1. Neither Fish Nor FowlProblem with DefinitionThe Invisibility FactorSo Why Do the Job?Plan for the BookReferencesAdditional Suggested Readings2. It Begins With ValuesCase Study: Because I Believe It′s the Right Thing to DoBuilding a PlatformWhat Do You Do With the Platform?Your Personal PlanReferencesAdditional Suggested Readings3. A Personal Leadership ChecklistLeadership SkillsAnother Approach to Leadership AnalysisSo What Is Educational Leadership?Your Personal PlanReferencesAdditional Suggested Readings4. Carrying Out Your Management SkillsApparent ContradictionsFormal RequirementsInformal TasksThroughout the YearPlanning for the School YearBefore the Year BeginsAfter the Year StartsToward the End of the YearBuilding a Personal Plan5. Cool Your EgoMaintaining Balance and Your PerspectiveTalk With Your PrincipalCount to Ten ... Again and AgainClosing ThoughtsSummarizing the Chapter6. Assist the PrincipalKnow Your JobCommunication is the KeyDeveloping an Action PlanSummarizing the Chapter7. Reflect Before Talking and ActingWhy?Why Not?Tips for Effective DisagreementSummarizing the Chapter8. Listen, Listen ... Then Listen Some MoreListen Before DecidingCan You Listen Too Much?A Few TipsSummarizing the Chapter9. Ask to do MoreBuilding Your Profile as a LeaderWhere Do You Begin? Volunteering to do MoreSummarizing the Chapter10. Stay Alive ProfessionallyRead, Read, ReadSummarizing the Chapter11. Stay PositivePositive Attitude is a Career BuilderFinal ObservationsIndex