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Principal Mentoring
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Bestseller!

Principal Mentoring
A Safe, Simple, and Supportive Approach

Foreword by John C. Daresh



December 2008 | 128 pages | Corwin

"Weingartner practices what he preaches. He shares lessons learned from his many years of running one of the most successful principal mentoring programs in the nation. His practical and straightforward approach is grounded in the day-to-day realities and exigencies of the school principal."
—Lois J. Zachary, President
Leadership Development Services

Develop a principal mentoring program that produces effective leaders and high retention rates!

Responding to a critical shortage of school leaders, this timely and invaluable resource offers a mentoring approach that supports new principals' professional development while helping reduce the stress-and-burnout pattern that is common for many school administrators.

Based on years of successful experience, Carl J. Weingartner shows school and district leaders how to design a sustainable, adaptable principal mentoring program for urban, suburban, and rural schools—without a lot of extra costs, paperwork, or time. This book offers guidelines for recruiting, supporting, and retaining effective principals and methods for helping novice principals achieve success in areas such as improving curriculum and student achievement. The book also covers:

  • Developing supportive mentoring relationships
  • Assisting new administrators with individual professional growth plans
  • Advising on district mandates, operational/funding issues, and standards
  • Fostering effective time management, communication, and self-evaluation skills

Offering a total support system for new principals, this mentoring guide provides a proven road map for a principal mentoring plan that builds strong schoolwide leadership.


 
Foreword by John C. Daresh
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
Introduction
 
1. Advocating for the Beginning Principal
Why Mentoring in Our District?

 
The Anatomy of a Beginning Principal

 
Professional Organizations

 
Scenario: Sharing the Wealth

 
Key Points

 
Recommended Reading

 
 
2. The Beginning of a Mentor Program
APS District Demographics

 
The Birth of the Albuquerque Mentor Program

 
Budget Justification

 
Selecting a Coordinator

 
Key Points

 
Recommended Readings

 
 
3. A Work in Process
The First Stages of Development

 
Vision and Mission Statements

 
Program Guidelines

 
Job Descriptions

 
Program Process

 
A Total Support System for New Principals

 
Key Points

 
Recommended Readings

 
 
4. Program Implementation
Step 1. The Process Begins

 
Step 2. The Initial Coordinator-Mentee Meeting

 
Step 3. Conferring With the Mentor

 
Step 4. The Planning Session

 
Step 5. The Other 5 Percent

 
Key Points

 
Recommended Readings

 
 
5. Simple Program Enhancements Make a Difference
Congratulate

 
Celebrate

 
Communicate

 
Appreciate

 
The Morale Factor

 
Scenarios: Extra Support for Supporters

 
Key Points

 
Recommended Readings

 
 
6. Applying the Mentoring Concept to Small School Districts
Organize a Study Committee

 
Purpose of the Study Committee

 
Scenario: A Simple Form of Mentoring

 
Key Points

 
Recommended Reading

 
 
7. The Accountability Factor
End-of-the-Year Evaluations

 
Alternative Assessments

 
Program Evaluations

 
ESP Ten-Year Program Assessment (1995-2005)

 
Key Points

 
Recommended Readings

 
 
8. The Art of Mentoring the Beginning Principal
Concepts for Effective Mentoring

 
Establishing the Mentor Pool

 
Suggestions for Mentors Working With Mentees

 
Mentoring Versus Coaching

 
A Coaching Concept

 
Simplicity

 
Level-to-Level Mentoring

 
Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

 
Scenario: A Mentor's Wisdom

 
Key Points

 
Recommended Readings

 
 
9. Finding Time to Become an Instructional Leader
It's a Matter of Time

 
Time Management Suggestions

 
The Importance of Strong Instructional Leadership

 
Demographic Data for Instructional Implementation

 
The Evaluation Process

 
Scenario: Reciprocal Mentoring

 
Key Points

 
References and Recommended Readings

 
 
10. Caution, Pitfalls Ahead!
It's About Time

 
The Funding Dilemma

 
Plan, Plan, Plan

 
Do Not Take Stress and Burnout Lightly

 
Scenario: A Heavy Load

 
Superintendents and Upper-Level Administration

 
Scenario: Solve the Problem

 
Key Points

 
References and Recommended Readings

 
 
11. Reflections
 
References
 
Index

"Carl Weingartner is one of the leaders in the field of mentoring programs for new principals. He shares his thinking about mentoring, materials he used in his program for over 10 years, and stories of mentoring that exemplify the ideas he discusses.”

Susan Villani, Senior Program/Research Associate
Learning Innovations at WestEd

"Weingartner practices what he preaches, and in this volume he shares lessons learned from his many years of running one of the most successful principal mentoring programs in the nation. His practical and straightforward approach is grounded in the day-to-day realities and exigencies of the school principal.”

Lois J. Zachary, President
Leadership Development Services

"Weingartner has been an outstanding professional for over 30 years, and he has done an exemplary job in developing and implementing this mentoring program. I would have liked to have had a program such as this in the beginning years of my experience as a principal."

John B. Mondragón, Professor Emeritus
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

"Provides a rich description of the ins and outs of developing, delivering, and monitoring mentoring programs for beginning principals. Not only will these insights assist staff developers in improving their programs, but beginning principals will learn how to better manage their time, become more involved in curriculum and instruction, and reduce their stress and tendency to burn out from the hectic pace of the job.”

Bruce Barnett, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
University of Texas at San Antonio

adopted the book - "The Portable Mentor" which was a better alignment

Mr Jim Bagniewski
School Of Education, Viterbo University
January 4, 2010
Key features
  • Focuses on mentoring with chapter-by-chapter summaries
  • Features recruitment and retention as key themes
  • Includes case scenarios
  • Incorporates charts, graphics and points of interest in the pedagogy

Sample Materials & Chapters

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1


Purchasing options

For large school/district orders, volume discounts, availability and shipping times contact customer service at 800-233-9936
or order@corwin.com.

contact corwin

Please select a format:

ISBN: 9781412965972
CAD$ 41.95
ISBN: 9781412965965
CAD$ 100.95

For large school/district orders, volume discounts, availability and shipping times contact customer service at 800-233-9936
or order@corwin.com.

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