Principals: Reach Beyond the Walls of Your School — Whole Child Education

Principals: Reach Beyond the Walls of Your School — Whole Child Education:

THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG

Principals: Reach Beyond the Walls of Your School

April 16, 2013 by Ken Endris

For the past five years, Fouke (Ark.) Elementary School has witnessed academic improvement in all six grade levels, K–5. Attendance has also improved over the same time period. These accomplishments have not happened by accident, instead they are the results of the hard work by staff, students, and families. Not I as principal, not one teacher, or not one program alone is responsible for these successes. Instead it is creating a collaborative and positive learning environment for all our stakeholders.

To achieve our essential goals, our school has adopted from the Arkansas Leadership Academy and developed the following five areas where there is spread, depth, ownership, and sustainability.

Creating and Living the Mission, Vision, and Core Beliefs

At Fouke Elementary, our vision, mission, and core beliefs were developed, revised and, modeled everyday by having all stakeholders involved in their adoption. Our core beliefs have become the foundation of the cultural change that moved our school from good to great. The five core beliefs are:

1. Everyone and everything matters.
2. Learn, lead, and achieve.
3. Own it.
4. Whatever it takes.
5. Zero negativity.

When our parents were interviewed by a site visit team on March 11, 2013, the parents were unanimous in