California GEAR UP e-Newsletter

The Principals’ Institute was hosted for the 2006-08 new GEAR UP school principals on June 22, 2006, at the Park Plaza Hotel in Oakland. Twenty-two administrators shared best practices for achieving collaboration towards the development of a college-going culture. The session covered topics including leadership style, management strategies, and coaching with time for reflection.

The primary objectives of the Institute are: To understand the alignment of California GEAR UP with the vision of the school To connect philosophical and education beliefs with leadership style To leverage GEAR UP resources by using the good in people and programs

The theme of the interactive session was perspective, balance and focus with thoughtful discussion of attitudinal changes and the power of formative evaluation. Participants also talked about achieving equity by using the School Self Assessment Rubric (SSAR), a tool that is aligned with the California Professional Standards for School Leaders and promotes systemic change.
An expected outcome was the development of individual stories about “A Day in the Life of a Middle School Principal” from each of the participants. Principals from GEAR UP schools that participated in the Institute included Dr. Harriet Maclean Martin, Dr. William Del Bonta and Rebecca Cheung.