When a school’s morale is low, discipline referrals are high, and teacher burnout shadows every staff meeting, it is tempting to reach for the latest program or packaged solution.
True transformation does not begin with a product; it begins with people. Through years of experience being an educator in various roles, I have learned that every thriving school rests on three interconnected forces: parents, teachers, and students.
As a turnaround principal—a leader appointed to a low-performing or underachieving school to implement urgent, strategic, and measurable changes within a short, defined time frame—I came to define these interconnected forces as “The Power 3.”
In this biweekly column, principals and other authorities on school leadership—including researchers, education professors, district administrators, and assistant principals—offer timely and timeless advice for their peers.
Understanding this framework can reignite connection, restore trust, and rebuild school culture—one conversation, one classroom, and one act of collaboration at a time.
1. Build bridges with parents, not barriers.
Parent engagement is often mistaken for signing permission slips or attending parent-teacher meetings. But parents want to feel seen and valued, not only contacted when something goes wrong. Schools that thrive create space for families to share ideas, learn alongside their children, and co-own the school’s mission.
When I served as a turnaround principal at one elementary school, the leadership team and I collaborated to launch a parent advisory board that soon evolved into a parent university. Monthly Empowering Families workshops focused on everything from helping with homework to understanding classroom technology and instructional outcomes. Parents also joined classroom walk-throughs to experience teaching and learning firsthand.
The result? Parent attendance in the workshops tripled within two months, and parents began leading sessions themselves. With translation tools and interpreters, every family felt included. One key tool was a headset that translated the meeting delivered in English in real-time to the parent’s home language.
Soon, that approach inspired a spin-off group dedicated to engaging the men in the school community specifically. A team of male staff members regularly convened fathers, older brothers, uncles, grandfathers, and male guardians to discuss what’s happening, conduct their own instructional and school climate walk-throughs, plan friendly father-son soccer games and reading days, and more.
When families are invited to the table, schools stop reacting and start collaborating. One father told me, “I finally feel like part of my child’s success, not a bystander.”
2. Lead teachers with trust and renewal.
Teachers are the main architects of school culture. When they feel empowered, classrooms thrive. When they feel unheard, culture fractures. Turning a school around requires more than professional development, it demands authentic connection and renewal.
About nine years ago, my first step as a new principal was to conduct what I called a “listening tour.” I met individually with every staff member and asked four simple questions:
- What do you love most about teaching here?
- What frustrates you most?
- What would make your job more rewarding?
- What do you wish the principal knew?
The patterns were clear: Teachers did not just want resources, they wanted to be heard. Together as a school, we reimagined professional learning communities as innovation labs rather than compliance meetings. Teachers led professional-growth sessions, mentored peers, took ownership as “grade-level CEOs” instead of traditional chairpersons, and launched monthly “reset days” focused on wellness, team building, and renewal.
As part of our growth culture, we read leadership coach Jon Gordon’s books The Energy Bus (2012) and The Power of Positive Leadership (2017). These texts infused our building with optimism, accountability, and collective energy. During the school’s annual book character parade, I even dressed as Joy, the upbeat bus driver from The Energy Bus, reminding everyone that positive energy, like leadership, is contagious.
During an informal check-in, one teacher shared, “I finally feel like my voice always matters.” That one shift of simply listening changed the tone of our entire building.
We earned a Family Friendly School award from the state, which came with a visible symbol of our pride: a red carpet rolled across the main foyer. Every morning, parents, teachers, and students walked that carpet like stars. It transformed mindsets the moment anyone stepped inside.
3. Inspire student voice, agency, and ownership.
Students do not need more rules, they need more reasons. When students understand their voice matters, motivation transforms from compliance to commitment. Together, I worked alongside students to establish a student-leadership council, affectionately called The Princi-PALS. Each grade elected representatives who met monthly to share student perspectives, propose ideas, and collaborate with the leadership team.
At first, their suggestions were simple: cleaner hallways, themed spirit weeks, and (yes) soda in the water fountains! Soon, they evolved into collaborating on schoolwide service projects, instructional walk-throughs, and presentations to the district leadership.
We fostered student leadership around The 7 Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey through annual schoolwide book studies. Students learned to “begin with the end in mind” and “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” These principles became the backbone of our student-empowerment model, shaping classroom behavior and developing life-ready leaders.
One 4th grader told me, “I feel like I actually help make school better—you’re a really cool principal.”
This Power 3 mindset does not require a consultant, a grant, or a new platform. It begins with three daily questions every leader should ask:
- Have I connected with my teachers in a meaningful way today?
- Have I created space for parents to be partners, not guests?
- Have I empowered students to shape their own learning journey?
Your call to action? Start with one connection. When these three forces align—parents who feel valued, teachers who feel trusted, and students who feel heard—schools shift from surviving to thriving.
