Congratulations! You are a newly selected principal. Now comes the real question: what things should you do first? What's your plan for learning about your school, your staff, the district, and the community? And yes, you better have a plan if you want to be a successful principal. Entry planning is a more common thing in the business world, and it has slowly migrated into the K-12 education landscape. A good entry plan will:
- Be specific and be made public
- Be developed in consultation with your district-level administration
- Be purposeful and time-bound
- Be focused on your listening and learning
- Conclude with reporting about what you've learned.