What is the best plan of support for Principal Clark ?

Principal Clark

Principal Clark was very excited and confident in his ability to lead. He had been an assistant principal for 2 years and showed lots of promise. Truthfully, this young leader could have used a couple of more years to develop his craft. A few months on the job, Principal Clark quickly and silently realized that he had the sole responsibility of creating a safe-caring learning environment with strong instructional practices; retaining and growing teacher expertise and cultivating a community where students, teacher, parents and leaders are all excited about their school. While also managing a budget, maintaining the facilities and developing his assistant principals into instructional leaders.

Principal Clark was assigned to an inner-city middle school. He was greeted with 15 teacher vacancies, a one-size fits all model for instruction, discipline concerns and very little parental involvement. The school was located in a high poverty area that was plagued with criminal activities. This middle school had 1150 amazing students of which 35% received Special Education services, for 15% of the students English was not their first language.  100% of the students received subsidized support from the lunch program. The school experienced a 42% mobility rate with an 80% daily average attendance. Teacher retention was a major concern with turnover rates of 40%. Although the students yearly average of 525 discipline referrals and the school grade history for the past three years were C, D, D. Principal Clark had two assistant principals, one seasoned (10 years) and the other brand new to the position and to the school.

Principal Clark struggled conceptualizing all he had been tasked with but did not want to admit that he was overwhelmed and under-trained.  The first year, he barely managed to maintain the ‘D’ school grade, but was very grateful that school grade did not drop to an ‘F’.