The Principals’ Public Relations Network is producing a series of television public-service announcements on the importance of school administrators.
The spots, which are scheduled to air this spring on television stations across the nation, will highlight how essential principals and assistant principals are in setting high expectations and in inspiring students to achieve.
The network, a consortium of the National Association of Secondary School Principals and its 43 state affiliates, decided at its annual meeting in November to add television to the media campaign it launched two years ago with radio spots.
In addition to the public-service announcements, the network plans to develop a sample speech that principals can deliver to civic groups, business leaders, and parents in their communities.
Principals and teachers in Osceola County, Fla., have found a better way to cooperate on teacher assessment.
Five members of the Osceola Classroom Teachers’ Association, concerned with the traditional, 30-minute performance evaluation conducted by principals, formed a committee with five school administrators to examine how the assessment could be restructured.
The committee developed a personnel-performance plan, which has been tested in four schools in the county.
The system assesses teachers with less than four years of experience under the standards of the state’s performance-measurement system, rating them “effective,’' “ineffective,’' or “growth shown.’'
Veteran teachers with more experience, who have demonstrated effective teaching during previous evaluations, can participate in the Educators’ Growth Plan, which brings principals and teachers together to review ideas and develop goals.
According to teachers in pilot schools, the new system has encouraged school faculty members to collaborate on innovative teaching techniques.
A survey of 12 industries sponsored by Human Synergistics International of Plymouth, Mich., found that jobs in educational administration were among the least stressful.
According to respondents, jobs in government and chemical processing were also relatively stress free.
Stress was worst in telecommunications, financial services, and nonprofit organizations, the survey found. Adding job responsibilities and not rewarding employees for their work were among the top ways bosses cause stress in the workplace.--J.R.
