"I wish I'd had this useful desktop guide to help me through the challenges of my early years and as a reference guide for the later years. The authors have done a remarkable job of anticipating the daily needs of principals and offering practical suggestions that can be used within minutes! This book is eminently useful, up-to-date, and full of rich professional perspectives."
-Ella Reiss Urdang, Elementary Principal
Tenafly, NJ Public Schools
"The school leader's position is often the loneliest position in any school, but this excellent resource is the equivalent of having a mentor 24/7. This book should accompany all newly appointed school leaders into their new positions."
-Neil MacNeill, Principal
Ellenbrook Primary School, WA, Australia
Creative, real-world approaches for responding to the fast-changing demands of school leadership!
Designed for the busy administrator, The Survival Kit for the Elementary School Principal addresses daily challenges faced by all elementary school principals and offers expert solutions for virtually any leadership or administrative issue.
Based on the authors' extensive experiences in public and private schools, this easy-to-use kit includes time-saving forms, sample letters, charts, and checklists for successful day-to-day school administration. The book is a complete desktop reference with solutions for immediate problems or challenges. The authors' pragmatic, tested strategies assist readers with:
Systems thinking
Negotiating the maze of NCLB requirements
Using data to inform practice
Understanding the key role that new technologies play in schools
Succeeding as leaders, arbitrators, evaluators, disciplinarians, and more
Gathering support through positive parent and community relations
Suitable for diverse settings and school sizes, this comprehensive resource is a virtual library of essential information and support for effective elementary school leadership.
All forms, letters, and checklists available online upon publication.
Author Biography:
Abby Barry Bergman has been involved in the field of education for over 40 years, in both private and public educational settings. Initially a kindergarten teacher, he has taught at the university level and has filled a variety of positions in school administration. Since 2002, he has served as the Regional Science Coordinator for Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES, a service organization for a consortium of school districts in New York State. Previously, he was principal of the Ralph S. Maugham School in Tenafly, New Jersey, for over 20 years—an elementary school in a nationally reputed “lighthouse” school district.
Having received his bachelor of arts degree from Hunter College of the City University of New York, he went on to engage in graduate study, earning the master of arts, master of education, and doctor of education degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University. In 1996, Bergman received the Administrative Excellence Award presented by the Bergen County Administrators Association.
Bergman has also served as an independent consultant in educational product development and evaluation. He has authored books in the field of science education and written several professional articles, pamphlets, and curriculum guides.
Having earned degrees at both Barnard College and Teachers College, Columbia University, Judy Powers began her career teaching at the elementary level for 10 years. As both a teacher and a policy board chair of a New York State Teacher Center, Judy conducted professional development courses in the areas of mathematics and classroom management. During her 16 years as an elementary school principal, Judy continued to conduct district- and building-based training and led schools based on a continuous improvement model. While a teacher, principal, and interim assistant superintendent, Judy consistently worked to build strong connections between school and community stakeholders. She led several regional workshops on teacher evaluation, supervision, and staff development. Judy now is a consultant to educational organizations. She has coordinated a mentorship program and now coordinates regional professional development, oversees curriculum development, coaches elementary administrators, and conducts staff development in the areas of leadership and curriculum development in both public and private schools. Michael L. Pullen currently works as an elementary school principal in upstate New York—a capacity he has served in for the past six years. Prior to becoming an elementary principal, his teaching career saw him work in urban, suburban, and rural districts in upstate New York. As a principal, Michael has led several district curriculum initiatives and had made regional presentations about science curriculum development. Under his leadership, his buildings have been recognized by the state education department as either high-performing or gap-closing schools four times. Michael received his B.A. from St. John Fisher College, his M.S. from Nazareth College, and his Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) from the State University of New York at Oswego.
