One district helps community leaders see what it is like to be a school leader: Principal for a Day

Curious what it’s like to walk in the shoes of a school principal?

Each year on May 1, we celebrate National School Principals Day. It’s an opportunity to lift up the important role principals play in the lives of their students and educators as well as in the communities they serve. It’s an opportunity for us to thank them for their leadership, dedication, commitment, and spirit.

Earlier this year, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in partnership with Greater Winston-Salem Inc. invited community leaders to take part in an immersive “Principal for a Day” experience.

Leaders spent a day shadowing a principal in a local public school to gain firsthand insights into the challenges, responsibilities, and decisions of school leadership. This unique opportunity not only allowed participants to learn about the complexities of leading a school but also to share their own expertise and perspectives.

“Having an effective educational system is everybody’s work,” Superintendent Tricia McManus said. “The job is complex. The job is exhausting. It takes leaders that are student centered.”

“That school leadership is really where the magic happens,” McManus said.

Bringing community leaders in to the school building disrupts the perception that principals sit in their office all day, allows them to see the overlap shared in leadership principles, and helps community leaders imagine how they can support schools leaders, schools, and students.

Local leaders who signed up for the experience came from all industry sectors, including bankers, journalists, and philanthropists, as well as faith, government, and nonprofit leaders.

Kenny Beck is a news anchor at WXII. His “Principal for a Day” experience at Frank Morgan Elementary School in Clemmons kicked off with playing Rihanna at 7:30 a.m. in the carpool drop off.

“We are the ones who pump them up,” said Principal Lisa Davis, noting that how students are greeted matters — knowing their names, giving them a high five. “Everyone wants to feel noticed when they get to a place.”

“Budget cuts are hard,” Davis said. “They hit us in a place that people don’t understand until you are walking the halls.”

Joy Vermillion Heinsohn, the executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, is a public school parent, which takes her into school buildings often.

She said being principal for a day gave her the “opportunity to view our local public schools through a different lens.”

Vermillion Heinsohn shadowed Principal Katie McGregor at Jefferson Elementary School, and Ricky Hurtado, a program officer at the foundation, shadowed Principal Jessica Gillespie Johnson at Jefferson Middle School.

“What we saw made it clear that our public schools are doing amazing work to prepare our children to live, work, and lead in North Carolina,” Vermillion Heinsohn said. “… I asked every teacher I met what they’d change about public education in our state. Overwhelmingly, they mentioned: increase teacher pay, trust teachers to do their job, invest in universal pre-K, and reduce the emphasis on testing.”

“These changes would make our public schools stronger, which benefits all North Carolinians,” Vermillion Heinsohn continued. “But to make them happen, our government must ensure our public schools and teachers get the resources they need.”

The day concluded with a collaborative luncheon, featuring dynamic table discussions on ways to strengthen the connection between the business community and local education.

This district believes that together with local leaders, they can build stronger schools and a brighter future for our students.

Resources

We invite you to replicate the “Principal for a Day” immersive experience in your district. Other districts, including Guilford County Schools, have also seen success using this model.

Here is the flyer WSFCS used to spread the word about the opportunity.

The opportunity to serve as “Principal for a Day” also served as a fundraiser for the district.

Editor’s Note: The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation supports the work of EdNC.