Transformative Principal

Dr. Chris Jones has been an educator in Massachusetts for 21 years.  He has just finished his 13th year as a building administrator.  True to his “why” of improving the educational experience for as many people as possible by being purposeful, acting with integrity, and building character, he is currently the Principal of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School in Whitman, Massachusetts. Chris is also an Massachusetts Influence 100 Fellow focused on improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in the educational setting and a Vice President of the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA). Chris is passionate about continuous improvement and the idea that success is not a destination, but a process.  Chris is a teacher centered Principal and his beliefs around the importance of a positive work environment, continuous growth, and a healthy family work life integration can be seen in the presentations/workshops he has given for the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA), Massachusetts Computer Using Educators (MassCUE), Massachusetts Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (MASCD), the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP); and his participation in the Better Leaders Better Schools Mastermind group. Chris, who was recently a finalist for Massachusetts State Principal of the Year, is described by his past Superintendent as being “…wholly invested in the success of the school…a creative problem-solver who is able to deliberate yet be decisive, be creative yet accountable…calm and clear-headed even under the most trying of times…has built a strong collaborative and collegial school culture…he is a positive influence on teachers, teaching, and learning.”  Chris hosts a podcast, regularly appears as a guest on educational leadership podcasts, blogs, is active on Twitter, and vlogs on a weekly basis as a way to reflect on his progress, share his story, and get others to think about different perspectives.  His overarching goal is to positively model continuous improvement in all facets of life by being purposeful, acting with integrity, and building character. Previous episode with Chris. Chris’s New Book: SEEing to Lead: creating a world-class culture through a teacher-centered approach. No matter how many students I see, I can’t have as great an impact as my teachers. Delegating the impact we have on students to our teachers. Supporting teachers in process of growth to impact students. How to help teachers not have Sunday night anxiety. Bring out the reasons why they got into teaching. Belonging, giving them voice and choice in their lives as teachers. Tangible outcomes of what they are doing Tag other people to get them talking. In house conference All I had to do was some math! They need the space as well - you expect them to take risks. We get what we expect and we get what we model How to be a transformative principal? Step back, look at your teachers, create a map and help them get to where they need to go. Sponsors InControl SEL for Middle School In Control created an effortless social and emotional, character development video curriculum for your students that’s ZERO-TEACHER-PREP AND it’s so cool looking- it feels like a Youtube or Netflix Series- and that’s purposeful, they meet students right where they’re at. The videos are 5-6 minutes, kids love them, teachers love them, and you will too. There’s no guesswork in the program because there’s a 21-video progression for each grade level. They’ve thought of everything-- because it’s a group of award winning counselors, teachers, and principals that came up with this thing. It’ll help you save tons of time and headaches. Take it from me, it’s time to check that social-emotional learning box, the empty one that’s been keeping you up at night--and it’s time to do it in a meaningful, measurable, magnetic way. If you go to www.InControlSEL.com/jethro you can check out some of the videos and even receive 20% off if you pre-order for next school year John Catt Today’s Transformative Principal sponsor, John Catt Educational, amplifies world-class voices on timeless topics, with a list of authors recognized globally for their fresh perspectives and proven strategies to drive success in modern schools and classrooms. John Catt’s mission is to support high-quality teaching and learning by ensuring every educator has access to professional development materials that are research-based, practical, and focused on the key topics proven essential in today’s and tomorrow’s schools. Learn more about professional development publications that are easy to implement for your entire faculty, and are both quickly digestible and rigorous, by visiting https://us.johncattbookshop.com/. Learn more about some of the newest titles: - The Coach’s Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov The Feedback Pendulum: A manifesto for enhancing feedback in education by Michael Chiles Putting Staff First: A blueprint for revitalising our schools by John Tomsett and Jonny Uttley 10 Things Schools Get Wrong (And How We Can Get Them Right) by Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott Let’s Talk About Flex: Flipping the flexible working narrative for education by Emma Turner A Parent's Guide to Powerful Teaching by Patrice Bain John Catt is also proud publisher of the new book from Transformative Principal host Jethro Jones: SchoolX: How principals can design a transformative school experience for students, teachers, parents – and themselves Visit this page to learn more about bulk orders and how to bring John Catt’s research-based materials to your school: https://us.johncattbookshop.com/pages/agents-and-distributors