Integrity is paramount. The longer I lead, the more I realize how important it is. A lesson I have had drilled into me repeatedly since becoming a parent is that example is everything. Aristotle said: "We are what we repeatedly do." As a parent, I have learned that my children have a much greater tendency to grab on to my actions as opposed to words. Leading in a school, or anywhere else, is the same. How I act will tell the people I lead what type of person I am, whether I can be trusted, and whether or not it is worth their while to buy in. Being a person of integrity is very important to me in all facets of my life. In order to lead, I must live a life of integrity. John Wooden said, "for me, a good explanation of character is simple: respect for yourself, respect for others, respect of the game, whether it's basketball, business, or anything else." If I respect others and I respect my profession as well as myself then I should lead the life of integrity I crave.

Welcome

OK. This is it? I wanted to create a blog for two reasons. One, all the cool people seem to be doing it (creating a blog). Second, I want to create a forum for people in my field (educational administration) and for those who are interested in going into this field.

Many issues exist today in education. It will take strong leadership to bring schools through this trying time. I hope through this forum, educational leaders will help each other work through these issues.

I am a high school principal at an urban high school. 35% poverty level and all the issues that come with that. In the future I will look to address some of those issues and hopefully get some feedback from you!