As the tagline for this blog states, it is a device that serves multiple purposes. As the new principal at the Allegheny-Clarion Valley High School, it is important for me to continually think about the decisions and actions I take because the impact upon the students and families of this district can be huge. I would like to use this blog as a tool to communicate my thinking in regards to initiatives, purposes, beliefs and philosophies in the educational realm, as well as build a basis or understanding about the actions I may take in this position.
First let me introduce who I am. My name is Bill Jordan. I have been in administration now going into my fourth year. I previously held the principal’s position at the East Forest School in Marienville, PA. Prior to being a principal, I was a teacher at the Keystone High School. My goal when I went to school at Clarion University was to become a principal from the very beginning. Not that I did not enjoy teaching! I still believe that I am a teacher (teacher of teachers if you like). I really wanted to have an effect on the greatest amount of students possible and the position of principal fills that role. In this position, I am able to support an educational environment that is student centered and focused on unleashing the potentiality of the child. I can share dozens of examples of people that were viewed as losers, do-nothings and who many thought would amount to nothing in high school but who turned their lives around because of a single impetus and became successful. I want to try and uncover that impetus, that one thing that stimulates the mind into action.
If you ever sit down and speak with me about education, you cannot leave the discussion without the term literacy coming up at some point. I think that is why I am a good fit for this district at this time. It is my core philosophical belief that any success in life comes from being able to read, think critically about what you have read, and make informed decisions. As adults we all do this on a regular basis. For example, I enjoy growing things. Besides a garden, like many in this area, I have raspberries, grapes, strawberries, cherry trees, and other various plants and trees. If you have grown anything, you know that they can become diseased easily or have a multitude of things that can impact growth or production. The ability to research, read, comprehend and make critical decisions can result in either fixing the issue or making it much, much worse. The same can be said for any hobby you may undertake, project you may want to do or in support of your employment. Another example: just go out and buy a gas grill and try to put it together without reading AND understanding the instructions. The KTO (Keystones To Opportunity) grant that this district received at the end of last year expounds on the idea of authentic literacy. There are many aspects to authentic literacy that will be a focus of many blogs to come, but know that this will be a major focus of changes in the high school.
I am very excited to work with the students, staff, and families of this district. I see great potential in the children of this area and am ready to build upon the hard work of the administrators and faculty before me. Become a follower of my blog by hitting the tab on this page and help me reflect, rethink, revise, and develop my thinking as principal of this high school.
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