Case 24 From Rookie to
Reality
Shoreline Elementary is a small school, with 720 students,
serving kindergarten through ?fth grade. Comparatively
speaking, it has a much smaller student population than the
other 18 schools in the district.
Shoreline opened in 1970 and has maintained a reputation as
one of the most desirable schools in the area. There have
been only a few reported incidences of behavioral problems,
and parents are actively involved in the parent volunteer
program. They take an active role in their childrenàeducation
and are generally supportive of the schoolàvarious
educational programs.
You were hired as an assistant principal at another school in
the district, but because of the illness of Shorelineàprincipal,
you have been asked to assume the role of interim principal
at Shoreline for the remainder of the school year. The district
does not believe that the former principal will return to work.
2011164 – Pearson Education Limited (UK) ”he transition for you has been relatively smooth. You simply
had to accept and adjust to the additional responsibilities of
the job. Your con?dence, in part, comes from the training you
received from Rick King, who is the principal at the school of
your previous employment. He spent a great deal of time with
you and shared the knowledge and skills he learned from
watching other successful administrators in the district.
You are con?dent that the title interim will be removed if you
meet or exceed the superintendentàexpectations. You
concentrate on being highly visible, and your hands-on
approach to problem solving is received well by the staff and
the community. You visit each classroom on a daily basis,
carry a walkie-talkie, welcome students every morning, and
respond quickly to the concerns of the parents and staff.
2011164 – Pearson Education Limited (UK) ‘uestions to Research and
Consider
1. What is the ?rst thing you should do?
2. What criteria, if any, would you use in deciding whether or not to
evacuate the school building?
3. Would you evacuate the entire school or just the buildings closest to
the bomb?
4. List the steps you would take in informing the parents of what
happened at your school.
5. Do you feel that school administrators should be required to receive
training in bomb threat safety?
. What type of follow-up intervention and in-service training should
you provide for your staff?
7. What are the limitations and the liabilities for school administrators
in a situation like this?
. Is there any way that an administrator can reduce the amount of
media coverage for an event like this?
9. What type of report would you be expected to forward to the district
o?ce regarding this incident?
10. When should a site administrator notify the superintendent regarding
problems at the school site? List some examples.
2011164 – Pearson Education Limited (UK) „eveloping Your Leadership Expertise: ISLLC
Standards 3, 4, & 5
Research your school districtàpolicy on how to address
bomb threats and distribute this information to your
colleagues. Conduct a workshop speci?c to safety and
preventative security measures.
2011164 – Pearson Education Limited (UK) ¼br>
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