Develop the mindset, skills, and confidence to lead schools where every student thrives An engaged principal plays a major role in a school's success, yet many educational leaders take the position without enough of the practical tools to turn their ideas into action. The Purposeful Principal provides the on-the-ground guidance leaders need to close the knowing-doing gap and foster an "Every Single Student Mindset." Based on twenty-seven leadership competencies, this essential guide moves beyond theory to offer job-embedded resources and real-world practice opportunities. It addresses the urgent need for leaders to challenge inequity, dismantle outdated systems, and build new pathways that lead to joyful and successful learning environments for every student. This book will help you: Develop an "Every Single Student Mindset" by focusing on five core learning conditions: affirming student identities, creating supportive and collaborative learning environments, fostering caring educators, implementing responsive teaching practices, and building equitable systems Engage in deep self-reflection to confront systemic biases and take courageous, "audacious actions" to dismantle inequitable practices Cultivate relational trust with students, staff, and the community to create a positive school culture where all students feel valued and affirmed Move from belief to action with concrete examples and practical exercises designed for immediate application in your school The Purposeful Principal is not an intellectual exercise; it is a practical resource for leaders ready to do the hard work of disrupting the status quo. By learning while doing, you will cultivate the vision, courage, and skills to create a school where every single student can experience joy and success.
Jamie Almanzan is a teacher, leadership coach, and partner at APC Leadership Collaborative. Prior to leading APC, he taught every grade level K-12. He went on to be the Director of Learning and Teaching at Pacific Educational Group in San Francisco and then a Senior Coach at the National Equity Project, a national non-profit. Both organizations were focused on shifting the conversation in schools to address historical academic and experiential gaps for students. He has focused his career on working to assure the promise of public education by supporting schools to serve every student. At APC Leadership Collaborative, he leads professional learning and coaches educational leaders to create more equitable learning environments incorporating observation, collaboration, and changing instruction to best meet the needs of all students. Aaron Johnson is a writer-researcher-practitioner. In 2014, he started Archetype Consulting with the purpose to inspire educators to design schools that inspire academic excellence. He is the author of the 2018 Teachers College Press book, A Walk in Their Kicks: Literacy, Identity, and the Schooling of Young Black Males, the dissertation, Understanding the In-School Literacies of African American Males through a Sociocultural Paradigm: Implications for Teacher Professional Development, and several articles in peer-reviewed journals. His current work includes research projects on literacy proficiency, curriculum writing, and co-designing the instructional infrastructure of a school in the Metro Detroit area. Aaron's past experiences include being a teacher, principal, central office administrator, and higher education faculty, and those experiences aided in the writing of this book. His expertise and passion have taken him across the country and to Ghana to promote literacy proficiency and education cohesion. Aaron's consulting organization, Archetype Consulting, partners with organizations to facilitate professional learning, coaching, research projects, and parent engagement activities. You can find it at www.archetypeconsultingllc.com. Graig Meyer is a social worker, educator, youth development specialist, coach and partner in APC Leadership Collaborative. His work at APC specializes in coaching education and non-profit leaders through complex change efforts, including those that have political elements. Meyer is the co-creator of the Students Six, a process for turning students into professional developers for their own teachers, which is now used by schools across the country. For sixteen years, he led the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate program, which was nationally recognized for sending 97.5% of its students to college. Meyer also served as the Director of Student Equity and Volunteer Services for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro (NC) City Schools. He is also a member of the North Carolina Senate.
Acknowledgments About the Authors Introduction: Leading Joyful, Successful Schools 1. The Purposeful Principal Every Student Succeeds Mindset 2. The Adaptive Principal Building Trust Dialogue & Inquiry Communication Judgment Conflict Management 3. The Service-Oriented Principal Visionary Systems Thinking Change Management Time Management Delegation Organizational Ability 4. Inclusive Leadership and the Community Customer Focus Results Orientation Responsiveness Environmental Awareness Global Perspective Creative Thinking 5. The Self-Reflective Principal Personal Responsibility for Performance Personal Ethics & Values Self-Reflection Sensitivity 6. Instructional Leadership for Every Single Student Learning Theory Alignment & Structures for Adult Learning Taking a Coaching Stance Student Centered Learning Environments 7. The Audacious Principal Becoming Audacious Index
"This book offers a timely and practical roadmap for equity-centered leadership. Grounded in research and enriched by reflective exercises and real-world application, it equips school leaders-at every level-with the tools and insight needed to navigate today's challenges and build inclusive, student-centered learning environments. A valuable resource for any educator committed to lasting change." -- Rodney Trice * Superintendent, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, NC * "The most effective school leaders understand that their role is to create the conditions in which great teaching and deep learning can thrive. This book illustrates that truth beautifully. Where there is joy, there is engagement. Where there is teacher support, there is strong morale. Where there is collaboration in learning, there is community. And where there are clear priorities, there are focused practices for allocating resources. The authors show how leaders-through focused instructional dialogue, intentional climate-building, authentic collaboration, and strategic use of people and time-can cultivate schools that are not only high-performing, but deeply human." -- Jordy Sparks "Principals matter. Research shows, other than teachers, principals are responsible for over 25% of school effects on student learning. Therefore, developing principals to be culturally responsive, equity driven leaders is essential. It is essential to interrupt the interlocking systems of oppression, that is a part of the history of public education. The Purposeful Principal is the practical guide every principal needs to read. Readers will immediately be able to gain knowledge and implement the strategies that serve students furthest from justice. This book is a testament to what is possible in our schools and is a must read for principals." -- Melissa Sonnek "What does it look like when a school leader truly believes that every student matters? The Purposeful Principal: Practices for Leading Joyful, Successful Schools answers this question with clarity and heart. It shows how leaders can affirm who students are, build classrooms where collaboration and care flourish, and create environments where both teaching and learning respond to the real needs of children. What I found most powerful is the authors' call to embrace the both/and imperative. Leadership is not a choice between high expectations or compassion, identity or community. It is the art of holding both at once. In doing so, principals are reminded of their highest calling, which is to humanize students who have too often been overlooked. Their desire to be a human-centered leader is reinforced. Equally inspiring is their insistence on shared leadership: to give work back to the people, trusting that the best solutions emerge when communities shape them together. The Purposeful Principal is filled with concrete examples and practical exercises that help leaders move from belief to action, offering a roadmap for those determined to reconceptualize the system itself." -- Peter Stiepleman "The Purposeful Principal delivers a powerful, job-embedded framework that transcends mere theory to offer concrete, actionable guidance for cultivating an "Every Student Succeeds Mindset". It masterfully blends adaptive leadership and deep self-reflection, directly challenging leaders to confront systemic biases and courageously dismantle inequitable practices through "audacious actions". This essential guide cultivates the relational trust vital for fostering truly joyful, inclusive learning environments, ensuring every student's identity is profoundly affirmed and valued. For leaders prepared to courageously navigate education's complex, ever-changing landscape, The Purposeful Principal is an indispensable partner in driving lasting, transformative change" -- Tracy McPhail * Secondary School Principal, Simcoe County District School Board, Canada * "The Purposeful Principal is extremely relevant, allows for great reflection and dialogue, and has a practical structure that allows readers to turn ideas into action with great scaffolding." -- Will Remmert * High School Principal, Mankato Area Public School Mankato, MN * "The Purposeful Principal is a comprehensive compilation of information, principles, & practices that prompts the principal practitioner to intentionally & intelligently self-reflect. For the principal, as a critical thinker, decision-maker, problem solver, & visionary, this manual is meaningful, mission-minded, and designed for professional maturation and immediate application, while rooted in the context of equity, diversity, & inclusion. Kudos to the authors." -- Nelson A. Henry "This book grounded in historical and contemporary understandings will help principals navigate the complex and multi-faceted terrain of being an equity-minded principal with competence and care." -- Alfred Tatum "The Purposeful Principal is an essential resource for both prospective and current school leaders. It provides a well-articulated collection of competencies, resources, and activities that together offer a comprehensive and practical leadership development program specifically designed to help principals become effective school leaders. The book guides school leaders through real-world situations and everyday practice to help them pursue student-centered and success-driven approaches. Inspirational and practical at the same time, it provides school leaders with the vision, courage, knowledge, and skills to challenge inequity, build new systems, and promote equity and humanity in our schools. It can help every school leader create schools that are places where all students experience their full human potential." -- Sheldon Berman "Principal leadership is more challenging now than ever. In The Purposeful Principal we have a practical guidebook to leading joyful schools where all students are supported on their journey toward success. The authors understand the intense demand on the time of principals and the importance of focusing on the practices that have the greatest impact on student success. The structure and practical guidance make this useful for new and veteran principals alike." -- Scott Menzel "The Purposeful Principal is a framework for meaningful job embedded professional learning for current or aspiring school leaders. With this book in hand, you can design your own year of professional growth to become that principal who solves real problems with audacious action. Filled with models and provocative questions for building leadership competencies, cross cultural connections, and a joyful school environment, this book is your guide to achieving an Every Student Succeeds Mindset." -- Bonnie Davis "A book for practicing and aspiring leaders open to leaning into what they know and committed to improving." -- H. Richard Milner IV
