A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 2, 2023

The advent of social media introduced yet another responsibility into my already packed schedule: digital leadership. As a school administrator, one must be proficient in many different areas, but it's essential to maintain sight of the most crucial aspect of the role: pedagogical leadership.

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A Principal's Reflections

JULY 9, 2014

Today is the day that I formally announce my decision to step down as New Milford High School Principal, a decision that has been most difficult to make. Image credit: [link] Almost ten years ago, I was presented with an opportunity to begin my educational leadership career at NMHS. My last day will be September 3.

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A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 27, 2019

A good deal of the strategies presented came from what we successfully implemented at New Milford High School where I was the former principal. Through the lens of an instructional and leadership coach, I have been able to see firsthand how schools across the country and world are implementing innovative change with this goal in mind.

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A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 27, 2022

When it comes to leadership, there is no one right way or quick fix. From a learning standpoint, this requires a focus on pedagogical leadership , something I learned over time when I was a principal, which required taking a critical lens to my practice if I was going to help my staff do the same.

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A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 2, 2014

Watching the video above is a painful reminder of my lack of leadership at one point. During the early years as a high school principal I worked terribly hard to sustain practices that had been ingrained into the school learning culture. Seth Godin puts this question into context in the video below.

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A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 8, 2014

For many years New Milford High School was just like virtually every other public school in this country defined solely by traditional indicators of success such as standardized test scores, graduation rates, and acceptances to four year colleges. Online courses through the Virtual High School implemented in 2010.

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A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 8, 2023

Inclusion is essential for special education (SPED) because it promotes the social and academic development of students with disabilities, fosters a sense of belonging, and prepares them for life outside of school. Change typically only occurs with effective leadership.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 19, 2020

In the end, flexibility will lead to success and is a hallmark of empathetic leadership. By embracing digital leadership, you can connect with others near and far to find out what has been successful in other districts or schools and also veer away from roadblocks that others have encountered.

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A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 29, 2020

It is nearly impossible to create a culture of learning if there are elements of boredom, inactivity, and lack of relevance. It was at this point about four years ago, where I began to embrace and model the very same strategies that were being used at my high school when I was a principal.

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A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 10, 2013

I am very excited about my upcoming book titled “ Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times ” which will be published by Corwin Press. The entire book looks at leadership through the lens of practitioners in the digital age. I think it is important to first look at the concept of leadership in general.

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A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 21, 2015

This was a natural connection to my work as a high school principal as you will not find an effective leader who is not an effective communicator. So there I was churning out tweets about everything going on at New Milford High School. In the field of education, schools are considered a brand.

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

The summer of 2013 was probably one of the most important hiring years during my seven-year tenure as a high school principal. The hiring process can make or break a school culture. In my opinion great leaders surround themselves by great people.

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A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 21, 2013

This conference is one of my must attend events of the year and I use it as an opportunity to develop new presentations based on my leadership experiences at New Milford High School. Change Leadership New Milford High School Opinion systems thinking'

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A Principal's Reflections

JUNE 22, 2014

It goes without saying that education, schools, and professional practice need to change in order to provide learners with the necessary skill sets to succeed in today’s ever-growing digital world. This is no easy feat, something that I experience each day of my professional life as a high school principal.

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A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 19, 2018

Growing up as a child I played numerous sports recreationally and in high school. Upon entering high school I was not the best athlete by any means, but football was one sport where I excelled more than others, and this led to some time playing in college.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 24, 2014

Image credit: [link] Even if they might see some value they are still convinced that it cannot be used safely in schools as it is a violation of the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA), goes against the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), promote cheating, and are a catalyst for cyberbullying. Simple, yet effective.

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A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 16, 2020

It would be foolish of any speaker or presenter to do so, considering that we don’t really know the people who we are blessed to speak with, let alone the specific culture in which they work. Where I see the most change from my work is when I am fortunate to work with districts and schools on an on-going, long-term basis.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 19, 2011

This was a bittersweet moment for me as I highly valued her commitment to the students of New Milford High School and knew I would have a huge void to fill, but was happy to see that she was at peace with her decision. Regardless of the reasons, excessive micromanagement in education tends to have a negative impact on school culture.

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A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 5, 2023

Authentic leadership is being honest and vulnerable about where you are to help others get to where they need and want to be to succeed. Whether you lead a district, organization, school, or classroom, you should always strive to get better. A standout example of this is Quest Academy Junior High School in Utah.

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A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 21, 2022

A meta-analysis of 213 school-based, universal social and emotional learning (SEL) programs involving 270,034 kindergarten through high school students showed promising results. As this model shows, the impact of rigorous and relevant teaching and learning relies on strong student-educator relationships.

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A Principal's Reflections

JANUARY 7, 2014

After having assumed the duties of both athletic director and vice principal at New Milford High School I became the principal in 2007. It was at this point that I began to take more risks to create a better teaching and learning culture at NMHS. Obviously my journey continues. Talk about a game changing moment!

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A Principal's Reflections

SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

It made me feel very awkward, as my success has only come to fruition as a result of their willingness to embrace change and transform our school culture. education educational leadership Inspiration New Milford High School Opinion Sarah Almeda' ALL OF YOU ARE HAVING AN IMPACT!

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A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 20, 2023

It can also be stated emphatically that I was not looking to leave New Milford High School or was forced out. In short, we vehemently focused on improving teaching, learning, and leadership through a shared vision, clarity of purpose, innovative practices, and clear evidence of impact.

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A Principal's Reflections

APRIL 30, 2012

Control : For technology to be not only integrated effectively, but also embraced, a culture needs to be established where teachers and administrators are no longer fearful of giving up a certain amount of control to students. To truly create an innovative culture of learning we must not fear failure either.

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A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 18, 2024

The above paragraph sets Quest Junior High School apart from many other, if not all, schools across the country and the world. It starts at the top with leadership. Before I highlight one teacher in particular, I must say that we saw exceptional personalized practices occurring throughout the school.

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A Principal's Reflections

AUGUST 15, 2014

This post is my contribution to Leadership Day 2014. As many people know I stepped down as Principal at New Milford High School this past July and my last day will be on September 3. During my tenure I not only worked to improve every facet of the school, but I also became a connected educator in 2009.

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A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 28, 2014

The year began like so many others had in the past with me as Principal of New Milford High School. The best part of this new world were the endless possibilities to improving professional practice and school culture. On July 9, 2014, I officially announced my decision to step down as Principal of New Milford High School.

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A Principal's Reflections

MAY 3, 2013

My tune quickly changed when Julie explained that she requested me specifically because she was so inspired by the Edscape Conference as well as the transformation currently taking place at New Milford High School (NMHS). Individualized Learning New Milford High School OpenCourseWare Personalized Learning student-centered learning'

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A Principal's Reflections

OCTOBER 23, 2022

While I presented the concept in my book, it wasn’t until recently that I saw an exemplary feedback log during a coaching cycle with Quest Academy Junior High School in Utah. I am still in awe of the vision and culture that principal Nicki Slaugh has worked with her staff to create. Goodwin, B. & Miller, K.

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A Principal's Reflections

FEBRUARY 5, 2011

This week we officially unveiled The Academies at New Milford High School to our junior and sophomore students (next week we will roll it out to the freshman and eighth graders). science, technology, engineering, mathematics), and Global Leadership. Change Innovation New Milford High School'

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A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 27, 2014

Speaking of journeys, today I traveled to New Jersey with my middle school principal, Luis Pena (@principalpena) and high school principal, Glen Zakian. We were headed to a place called New Milford High School. When we arrived to New Milford High School, Laura Fleming (@NMHS_LMS) greeted us.

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A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 19, 2023

The dynamism of the world, driven by scientific discoveries, technological innovations, and cultural shifts, ensures that there is always room for improvement. My work with Quest Academy Junior High School (UT) validates why change succeeds or fails.

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A Principal's Reflections

MARCH 10, 2013

Steve visited New Milford High School on Thursday February 28, 2013. NMHS routinely hosts visits from outside educators, schools, and organizations in an effort to provide insights on our initiatives. I reached out to Eric to gain insight into the technologically driven mindset that has encapsulated New Milford High School.

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A Principal's Reflections

NOVEMBER 17, 2010

21st Century Leadership Shift Happens (must see video for any educator unfamiliar with the tends and impacts associated with technology and social media. Sustainable change relies on understanding people, culture, and processes. Check out this tutorial and the page I created for New Milford High School. What did I miss?

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The Hechinger Report

FEBRUARY 4, 2025

Theres a half-billion-dollar federal program that is supposed to help students with disabilities get into the workforce when they leave high school, but most parents and even some school officials dont know it exists. I just wish we could have gotten help while he was still in high school. But he never got that.

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A Principal's Reflections

DECEMBER 21, 2011

With new ideas and strategies in hand, I am now working collaboratively with my staff to transform the teaching and learning culture of my school. tools that could be used to improve my knowledge of educational leadership, effective instructional practices, and technology integration. 21st Century Leadership Social Media'

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ED Surge

MARCH 26, 2025

It was at this school that I saw tracking firsthand, and students knew who was in gifted programs and who was in lower-level classes. Like any other middle school student, I was on a rough journey of self-discovery. This positive ripple effect strengthens families and communities, fostering a culture of achievement and aspiration.

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