ILA firmly believes that a thriving culture of literacy in a school relies on strong support and dedication from its principals.
We talk a lot about why principals should be leading the charge and how their focus on literacy is critical for establishing this culture. But how do principals become literacy leaders?
What can they do to set the tone in their school and make literacy the foundation for all learning? How can they leverage the talent and expertise of their staff and encourage horizontal leadership? And what if their background isn’t in literacy, reading, or English language arts?
We believe the solution lies in collaboration, which is the focus of our next #ILAchat on Thursday, June 13, at 8:00 p.m. ET: Collaboration Is Key: How Principals Become Literacy Leaders.
Our special guests for the chat include
- Mandy Ellis, principal at Dunlap Grade School in Illinois and author of Lead With Literacy: A Pirate Leader’s Guide to Developing a Culture of Readers (Dave Burgess Consulting). She also writes regularly for her blog, A Principal’s Decree: Reflections and Realities of an Elementary School Principal.
- Toni Faddis, principal at Chula Vista Elementary School District in California and author of The Ethical Line: 10 Leadership Strategies for Effective Decision Making (Corwin). She’s also the lead author of ILA’s latest literacy brief, “Principals as Literacy Leaders,” which was released on June 10.
- Stephen G. Peters, superintendent of Laurens County School District 55 in South Carolina. Peters is a frequent author and presenter on school leadership. His next project is a series of five books, beginning in January 2020, with iLead: Lessons on Leadership and the Impact on Education, Schools, Teachers, Students, and Community. Just last month, Peters, a current ILA Board member, was elected to serve as the next vice president of the Board. His term begins in July.
Follow #ILAchat and @ILAToday this Thursday to join the conversation with Ellis, Faddis, Peters, and ILA about what it takes for principals to become literacy leaders.
Colleen Patrice Clark is the editor of Literacy Today, ILA’s member magazine.