Poverty Alleviation by Education is A Kind of Awakening and Discovery: In Memory of the “Poverty Alleviation War” of a Retired Middle School Principal in Eastern China

The development of education to improve poverty in the region has become an essential direction of the world’s poverty alleviation work. In the poverty alleviation by education work in China, educators who are on the front line of poverty are determined by education and nurturing their wisdom, leading countless children from families out of poverty and toward hope. In 2016, Liqun Chen, the principal who retired from a prestigious high school in eastern China loving the Miao Townships, insisted on combining poverty alleviation with supporting aspirations, using the love and responsibility of a “teacher” to inject new spirit into basic education in ethnic areas. He ignited dreams and hopes for children in frontier regions. This article elaborates on Liqun Chen’s help and aspirations in Taijiang County from the perspectives of students, teachers, and regions.

Dropped into Battle: Transitioning to Middle School

Early adolescence is the beginning of huge changes that eventually move humans from children to adults. One important transition during this time is moving from elementary into middle school. This paper explores my own memories of transitioning from a two-room elementary to a large three-story middle school and the difficulties I encountered. Through the use of the autoethnographical process, I explore my complex relationship as both a middle school student and a middle school principal to this phase of development. Writing the autoethnography allowed for an assessment of my own transition, while also affording the opportunity to reflect these memories against my current professional beliefs. Through this exploration, I found a number of clear connections such as understanding the importance of building relationships with students, making sure the school has a strong monitoring system for student movement, and the creation of a purposeful transition program for incoming 6th grade students. Before this project, I understood the importance of these features, but now I grasp why I have a strong drive and passion to ensure these elements for students.

The Case of a Dysfunctional Administrative Team: Star Player Questions Status Quo

This case study is a combination of real-life events that describe the complexity of dual roles within a small school. The administrators in this case have to determine the consequences in response to a student’s misbehavior, who happens to be the godchild of the superintendent and the daughter of a middle school principal. The child’s high school principal has to choose between following policy guidelines and winning a basketball championship.

Greener on the Other Side

Sustainability practices that lead to greener schools are often overlooked in leadership preparation programs and in school improvement efforts. An urban middle school principal recognizes the potential to build community, foster a healthy learning environment, and redefine her school through focusing on sustainability practices in a collaborative manner.

Principals' Corner

This chapter presents and discusses the fundamentals of the i2Flex teaching methodology from the perspective of the elementary and middle school principals. First, the Elementary School Principal (Ms. Makropoulos) will present how she has set the groundwork for students and faculty to embrace this new paradigm shift in the teaching and learning at American Community Schools (ACS) Athens. Then, the Middle School Principal (Ms. Augoustatos) presents and discusses the two-year implementation process of the i2Flex methodology of instruction.

Principal’s Letter to Parents

In recent years Facebook, MySpace, and other social-networking sites have been blamed for the suicides of teenagers in Missouri, Massachusetts, and New York. Parents complained their children were traumatized by nasty comments posted by cyberbullies on social-networking sites. Schools and districts are taking action in response. According to a T H E Journal survey conducted in 2009, 68 percent of respondents replied that their districts banned social networking sites for students and teachers, 19 respondents replied that they banned social networking sites only for students, and another 12 percent said there was no ban in their districts. In the following case study, which is a true story based on a news report in the Sprint of 2010, a middle school principal calls for parents to yank their children from all social-networking sites after a so-called “Naughty List” was posted on Facebook. Is his extreme measure justifiable?

From the Desk of the Middle School Principal: Leadership Responsive to the Needs of Young Adolescents

Beyond their own walls, middle schools are having a profound effect on the entire range of American schooling, K–12. However, the recent indictments of student achievement at the middle level (TIMSS, NAEP) have increased attention on middle schools in general, and leadership in particular. What are the essential skills and knowledge that are necessary to effectively administer a middle school in the new millennium? The purpose of this research is dedicated to discovering and highlighting the qualities of effective leadership from the perspectives of the principals themselves—“in their own words.” As a result of the data analysis, a model of leadership grounded in the concept of “developmental responsiveness” has emerged. This new paradigm is examined within the context of school improvement and is compared to what the literature and professional organizations identify as necessary characteristics.