I am a principal. I knew I wanted to become a principal soon after I began my teaching career almost twenty years ago and I count myself as among the fortunate few who can honestly say they are making a living doing what they always dreamed of being able to do. Seven years ago, when I began this phase of my career, a colleague, herself a retired principal, asked me if I understood the difference between being the principal of the school and every other position in the building. I am sure that I gave her some academic response, to which she simply stated, "Always remember, the lives of every student in the building are in your hands." While I imagine she was including the literal safety of my kids in her comment, I am certain that what she really meant was that my success or failure as a leader would have life-changing implications for the quality of the futures my students would live.
To be successful, a principal must have a clearly defined vision. Mine includes the belief that when children enter the schoolhouse, they deserve adults who believe that all things are truly possible. I have an ethical and moral responsibility to create an environment in which staff has the will, skill, knowledge, and capacity to make the seemingly impossible a reality. I often refer to my teachers as magicians, because when they do what they do well, it is a truly magical thing. But when we fail systemically to create that magic for significant