A View from the Now-Retired Principal's Seat

I'm a school principal.  After ensuring my school is safe for everyone, my #1 priority is to make sure students learn.  It's no secret I love my job, but I do occasionally get frustrated when the "system" hyperfocuses on test scores, school rankings, or a narrow-minded view of what kids should be learning. I'm not saying schools should not be accountable for teaching to high academic standards.  I don't shy away from that accountability, but what about the myriad of other--extremely important--measures of progress? I consider it progress when: A child learns to solve his or her problems with other children with words rather than pushing or shoving A group of kids decide to pick-up trash on the playground to keep our school cleaner A student volunteers to welcome a new student to our school even though that may mean not being able to play with his or her friends at recess A student who is selectively mute enthusiastically helps with morning announceme

Do the little things matter? I sure hope so! The school where I am principal is a busy place--even in the summer.  Kids and families use the playground.  Teams use our front field for soccer practice.  Our classrooms are used for camps and  music classes.  With all of this use, I probably shouldn't be surprised that our parking lot occasionally has litter on it.  This morning I discovered a very dirty sock, a used coffee cup, and a water bottle on the ground.  While it's not a big deal, I just put these items in the garbage can by our front door. I don't share this to brag about picking up trash.  Rather, I am convinced that a clean school is harder to get dirty.  In other words, it's also easy to not pick up trash you may have dropped if you see other trash around the area.  Keeping a tidy school becomes a habit, and I would have it no other way. What scares me is what habits our young people are learning when other seemingly little things also become habits.