Local Leaders Act as Principal for a Day at Dozens of HISD Campuses
Participants consider ways to support schools in the wake of recent state budget cuts
October 25, 2011
October 25, 2011
More than 850 members of the greater Houston community have stepped into the shoes of HISD campus administrators each fall since the district launched its Principal for a Day initiative in 2004.
This year, just over 200 local leaders took part in the annual event, sponsored by Capital One Bank, and the topic on many of their minds was the recent cuts made to public education funding.
“We all know the State of Texas has cut the budget enormously for schools,” said independent Certified Public Accountant Tom Wier, who served as the temporary leader of Pin Oak Middle School on October 21. “It was really surprising how well all of the teachers and the administrative staff carried on (with) their jobs.”
Fellow participant and Greater Houston Partnership Director Lori Vetters, who noted that 92 percent of students in the greater Houston area attend public schools, said she was encouraged by her experience at Pin Oak. “I think it reinforced what I already believed, which is (that) a really great school depends on the effectiveness of the principal and of the leadership team, and that filters down to the effectiveness of the teacher and the culture and what is expected.”
Pin Oak Principal Susan Monaghan said that inviting citizens to see the inner workings of public schools it often rewarding for both parties. “There are so many components to our job and there is so much complexity,” she explained. “There are a lot of things that (visitors) don’t know—that once they see, it also opens the door for them to say, ‘What can we do?’ It’s a great, great connection.”