Month in Review

May has been a big blogging month for me.  When I started this writing this blog I was unsure of what to write and who, if anyone, would want to read what I did write.

Fortunately,  I'm beginning to find my voice and most of the feedback I've received has been positive and best of all readership has increased greatly since my first post.  (Thank you all!)

Just in case you missed something I'm starting a "Month in Review" feature.  At the end of each month, I'll write a post with links to the month's top articles.

Top Articles for May

Book Review: Shifting the Monkey by Todd Whitaker 

If you haven't added Shifting to your summer reading list yet may I suggest that you do so today.   An excellent book on personnel management that will prove to be an invaluable resource for school administrators.

After the State Test or 5 Ways to Combat the End of the Year

Many of my cyber-colleagues are lucky enough to be out of school already - for the rest of us - well ... Look here for ways to keep your teachers (and students) engaged in instruction through the last day of school.

Gotta Love Drama - 4 Steps to Deal

Isn't drama fun?  Here's 4 ways to lessen your headaches and deal.

Looking Ahead

Two series planned for June:

• Surviving the Hiring Season - Selecting and Interviewing Candidates
• Drive by Documentation - How to Document Employee (Mis)Conduct

Questions?

I'm always looking for questions from my readers (I can't write about my own cases but I'm happy to write about yours) send your questions or situations to ScottAZieglerEdS@gmail.com .


Photo credit: (CC) Judy van der Velden

I'm Calling My Lawyer

I've got writers block.

Well not really block, I have topics to write about I guess its more of a 'want to' block.

You see, I write at my day job.  A lot.

Letters, emails, employment commission responses, EEOC position statements, reprimands, action plans, investigation reports, talking points, executive summaries, and on and on.

Don't get me wrong, I like to write.  It just makes writing at night hard.  Much of my day writing is the result of bad things that other people have done.  They don't agree with the outcome of the bad thing they've done - they get fired, demoted, suspended, placed on probation, something - so they complain.  They complain to government agencies.  Government agencies like written responses.

Here's the thing, I don't mind writing these responses.  It often means that a principal has done his/her job.  It means that a teacher has been held accountable for their misconduct or poor performance.

That's your job.  That's why you sit at the big desk and why you get the only private bathroom in the building.

Teachers will often threaten principals who hold their feet to the fire.  They  say, "if you do X I'm going to file a complaint with government agency Y."  or my favorite, "I'm contacting my lawyer."

Big deal.  Let them call.

As long as you've done your job and documented legitimate conduct and performance concerns, you've got nothing to worry about.

We got your back.



Photo credit: (CC) Foodjungle - Flickr (no real name given)

Friday Distraction: Ode to Joy

If you're a soccer dad - like me - or a soccer mom - like my wife, you'll appreciate this video.

Have a great weekend!