Nov 4

Written by: Bret Rachlin
11/4/2009 9:35 AM

Last Tuesday I participated in the 10th annual “Principal for a Day” event, shadowing Principal Peter McKnight at the South Atlanta School of Law and Social Justice. Over 160 business leaders followed principals around for the day across Atlanta Public Schools, so that we could learn and appreciate the level of effort principals put forth during a typical day. Moreover, the program enables community business leaders to initiate and build relationships with their school counterparts, providing insight from the business world, while also gaining perspective from observing the similarities and differences that exist in school environments as compared to normal businesses.

The South Atlanta School of Law and Social Justice offers unique courses in law, social justice, and forensic science, as well as traditional core courses, such as math, science, English, and social studies. Founded in 2006 within South Atlanta High School, the school is one of the first high schools in the Atlanta Public Schools district to participate in the High School Transformation Initiative. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supports this initiative with its goal of transforming all the high schools in Atlanta Public Schools into campuses of small schools or small learning communities.

Principal McKnight met me at the front school entrance at 7:45 am and my day began quickly, as we greeted many of the students arriving for a busy day of learning. Immediately, it became apparent just how much of a juggle a principal’s day is. Simultaneously, Principal McKnight introduced me to students, took a mobile phone call, unlocked doors for teacher and staff, asked students to find their proper school uniforms, and conversed with me about what I hoped to learn over the next few hours while he took me on a school tour.

While I wanted to have a more thorough understanding of how principals conduct their day, I also wished to learn how principals view their roles from a safety and security perspective. Although educating the students is clearly the number one priority, safety and security are also at the forefront of Principal McKnight’s mind, as he knows that education suffers if the students do not have a safe learning environment. With only 315 students, Principal McKnight knows every student, which significantly helps him maintain a secure school. Carrying a mini-laptop computer, he and I popped in and out of several classes, as well as participated in a roundtable forum with students from ninth through twelfth grades, discussing their college aspirations and career goals.

By spending a great deal of time out of his office (Overall, between 7:45 am and 12 pm, the principal spent less than fifteen minutes in his office.), he practices “natural surveillance,” as the students know that he could be anywhere in the school at anytime, and he’s able to observe the students often. In between classes, Principal McKnight visits with students on their way to their next class, asking them about their day and if he can assist them in any way. Additionally, the school is kept meticulously clean, showing the pride students and staff have for their school, which helps reduce the number of security events. Of course, the school also has video surveillance and access control solutions, but technology definitely is a complement to the principal’s security initiatives, not the sole solution.

Ultimately, the keys to being a successful principal are akin to being a successful business executive, as it’s imperative to be out of the office among students and staff, helping to solve problems and learning how to affect positive change. Certainly, this strategy leads to longer days, as desk work must get done, but without the constant interaction, neither principals nor executives can have the pulse of their organizations.

Does your district invite community members into schools for a “Principal for a Day” program? Does natural surveillance help your district maintain safe learning environments?

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