A School Leaders Manual for Opening a New School

How to Plan and Be Ready for the First Day of School

Jane Garraux

• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing Group
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9781641116039
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Didattica
• Subtopic: Amministrazione nella didattica

A School Leader's Manual for Opening a New School is a blueprint for school administrators embarking on the challenge of opening a new school. Opening a new school is one of the most challenging, rewarding adventures any school leader can experience. This book is designed to assist in this endeavor by outlining best practices, while providing administrators the flexibility to adapt each suggestion to the needs of their school communities. Since opening a new school is not a scripted practice and varies with each school district, this book addresses the process from the time school leadership is assigned until the school year begins, providing insights on how to plan and prepare for the first day of school. Gain new understanding of funding, furniture, technology, instructional programs, policies, safety, staffing, professional development, and more! By using the tools presented in this book, school leaders can spend less time planning the minutiae and more time creating innovative programs to make their schools exceptional.

Chapter One:

MISSION/VISION

As mentioned, the starting point of opening a school is an academic framework. The school district most likely has determined the theme and, in some cases, even the mission and vision statements of the school. With that in mind, the planning process begins either with what has been provided or the creation of the mission or vision statements. These statements provide a school with an overview of what professionals want to accomplish and how they hope to meet those expectations. The schools that have been the most successful in addressing the overall academic achievement have benefited from a clear and concise purpose that is developed from a shared set of core values as reflected in the vision and mission (Gabriel and Farmer 2009).

The vision statement of a school is defined as a collective expression of the school’s goals. The mission statement is an overview of the strategies to achieve those goals. The development of these statements should include as many stakeholders as possible. The inclusion of such stakeholders is dependent on the identification of those groups and the timeline for the student enrollment process. Both the vision and mission statements can be created initially with little input; however, it is imperative that once the stakeholders have been identified, these statements are reviewed and modified as needed (Gabriel and Farmer 2009).

The statements vary from school district to school district and from school to school, depending on the age of the student population. Below are a couple of examples of each from the three grade levels: high school, middle school, and elementary school.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Alexander Elementary School—Greenville County Schools, SC

• Vision: The vision of Alexander Elementary is to produce scholars that are successful and empowered to compete globally based upon their own unique talents and interests.
• Mission: The mission of Alexander Elementary is to build a community to Embrace, Engage and Empower, Everyone, Every day!

Wesley Matthews Elementary School—Miami-Dade County Public Schools, FL

• Vision: We are committed to provide educational excellence for all.
• Mission: Our “Universal School,” composed of students, school staff, family members, and business leaders, is committed to the process of educating creative and successful future citizens in an ever evolving, multifaceted community. Each child’s unique intellectual and affective needs are addressed through innovative, dynamic, and relevant approaches to teaching and learning.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

• Southwood Middle School—Miami-Dade County Public Schools, FL
• Vision: Southwood Middle School endeavors to be a warm, creative learning environment where students will develop the strengths to overcome academic and social challenges.
• Mission: Southwood Middle School is committed to preparing today’s student to become a productive, responsible, and self-reliant citizen ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s technological and multicultural society.

Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School—Greenville County Schools, SC

• Vision: The STEAM middle school will provide a continuous pathway of education through opportunities that create STEAM-literate graduates ready to accept the challenges of the curriculum at high school, advanced education, and the needs of tomorrow’s workforce. Innovation is the key to discovering the solutions to the challenges facing the world today and in the future.
• Mission: STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) Education seeks to transform the typical, teacher-centered classroom by encouraging a transdisciplinary curriculum that is driven by problem-solving, discovery, exploratory learning, and an experience that requires each student to actively engage in a situation in order to find its solution. The STEAM curriculum permeates every facet of the school environment from the moment the student steps onto the campus until he or she advances to high school and the postsecondary world.

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS

J. L. Mann High School—Greenville County Schools, SC

• Vision: Making a difference by inspiring, supporting, and preparing students for their next steps in life.
• Mission: We develop opportunities for all students to achieve personal success and become college and career ready in order to become productive, responsible, and engaged citizens.

Center for International Education—Miami-Dade County Public Schools, FL

• Vision: Our vision is to create confident, responsible, reflective, innovative, and engaged learners.
• Mission: The Center for International Education is dedicated to working with all stakeholders in providing the highest levels of education to its learners. Our mission is to deliver a world-class education through the provision of high-quality curricula, assessments, and services. We aim to develop learners who are confident, responsible, reflective, innovative, and engaged. Our graduates will position themselves as models of academic excellence in a global community and will be equipped for success in this fast-changing, modern world.

Mast@Homestead Senior High School—Miami-Dade County Public Schools, FL

• Vision: The Medical Academy for Science and Technology is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of health care professionals through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while increasing the commitment to community service.
• Mission: MAST@Homestead pledges to provide a medical health science high school academy recognized by its formation of students seeking careers in health care and science research through a challenging curriculum that exposes them to critical thinking, engineering, technology, mathematics, science, field studies, projects, competitions, and scientific research. MAST@ Homestead is committed to forge individuals who will become leaders in the medical field, be dedicated to public service and social responsibility, and facilitate the health care needs of our ever-changing, global community.

The vision and mission of a school create the school culture from the onset. It is essential to have a well-defined purpose that expresses an idea for future success and achievement of all students as you plan. The blueprint must be concise, clear, and outline the necessary strategies that are to be utilized by and for all stakeholders. These strategies are developed through collaboration and achieved as a cohesive group.

Chapter 2

FURNITURE, FIXTURES, AND EQUIPMENT

For the purpose of this manual, the actual building design has been approved by the school board. In most cases, the decisions regarding the interior furniture, fixtures, and technology are to be determined by the principal and/or administrative designees. If this is a new school and not a renovation or new building for an existing school, the starting point for this process is to identify the school colors. It is important for all grade levels but even more essential for secondary schools. The school colors will be tied into the gym colors, athletic uniforms, and, if required, school uniforms. If the stakeholders are not known during the planning process, the administrative designee and/or district representatives will need to temporarily select the school colors and a mascot.

School colors and the mascot should be determined after researching neighboring schools, and they should be unique to your school. School colors and the mascot are instrumental in helping to create school unity and establishing a s...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• Funding
• Chapter 1 Mission/Vision
• Chapter 2 Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment
• Chapter 3 Technology
• Chapter 4 Athletics
• Chapter 5 Media Center
• Chapter 6 Accounting
• Chapter 7 Policies and Procedures
• Chapter 8 Handbooks
• Chapter 9 Safety
• Chapter 10 Schedules
• Chapter 11 Instructional Materials
• Chapter 12 Personnel/Hiring Process and Leadership Positions
• Chapter 13 Business Partnerships
• Chapter 14 Parental Involvement
• Chapter 15 Professional Development
• Chapter 16 Communication
• Epilogue
• Acknowledgments
• References