Do you remember hearing the theme song from the TV sitcom,
Sanford and Son? As the theme music played, the camera panned the property of
Fred Sanford. In your opinion, all you saw was trash and insignificance. To
Fred, he would not have traded for the world what he had on that property. What
Fred understood was, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” Confession- 2
As a new principal in a building you are unfamiliar with,
nothing is trash yet. I know you have the desire to beautify your new office
and give it your personal flare. However, you don’t know what gems are hidden
and buried in your predecessor’s piles of “trash.”
I remember searching for a Title I document that was past due. I
was not sure if I previously sent the document, drafted the document, or had
not begun to formulate the information needed. After missing the deadline and
making that dreaded phone call to the Title I department, I was relieved to
hear on the other end, that the material I was desperately searching for was
part of a previous year proposal and only my signature was needed on the old
document.
This is a small example of the treasures that are buried in your
new office. Remember, success or failure, your predecessor had experience,
events, agendas, letters, referrals, recommendations, grants, business
partners, and more that are now at your disposal. This information can assist
you in formulating and outlining reports, instead of pulling from thin air and
relying on your creativity.
Additionally, you don’t
want to throw out the baby with the bath water.
Often times, their is not
a smooth transition of the principalship due to the complexities that arise will
vacancies exist. There is rarely an opportunity to sit with the former
principal, discuss staff, budgets, goals, etc. With this in mind, don’t go into
a new building an clean house. Meaning, you don’t know what staff members will
become beneficial to your administrative goals.
The strategies I have
used include surveys (individual/ electronic*)and staff goal forms. The most
effective tool I have used, informal/formal individual meetings with staff.
This is were they will tell you everything you need to
know (and a little of what you don’t want to know). Though his
can become time consuming, it allows you the opportunity to hear directly from
your current staff. From these conversations, you can formulate your own
opinions regarding the staff of the building.
Sometimes, the
information you receive from previous administration can be tainted and the
administrator might have a part to play in the staff members low performance.
In not getting a feel for the staff yourself, you may in haste get rid of someone
else’s trash that could end up being a treasure for you.
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