DISCLAIMER
While this site operates with the knowledge and awareness of the Oakland CUSD #5 School Board, the content and opinions posted here may or may not represent their views personally or collectively, nor does it attempt to represent the official viewpoint of Oakland CUSD #5 administrators or employees.
ABOUT
This blog is about school administration. Not the most exciting topic, but it’s all I’ve got.
Oh yea. And a terribly busy wife who teaches and has her own business. And a busier 8 year old daughter. And a new dog named Buddy (check out his WebCam).
From time to time it is also about other stuff. Anything and everything that can happen to a teacher, coach, principal, superintendent, or father.
The blog came about by accident. It was created to get people to visit www.PrincipalsPage.com consistently. Since its creation, much like my career, it has become accidently successful.
How successful? Who knows? But if one person reads it, that is one more than I could have ever imagined.
ME
I am the luckiest person you have never met. In both my personal life and my career.
After graduating from Greenville College, Greenville, Illinois in 1989 with a degree in Business Administration I struggled with finding the right career.
After spending time in sales, including working for an insurance company, I accidently stumbled into education.
It has always struck me as funny that as a kid, I don’t ever recall wanting to be a teacher or work in education. This makes me think people end up in the job that was meant for them.
So for the last 15 years, I have been very fortunate to work in education.
For the first 8 years of my career, I worked as a teacher and a coach. This was an experience I enjoyed thoroughly, but I was given an unexpected opportunity to go into administration 7 years ago.
During the first 4 years I served as a K-12 Principal. In the last 2 of those, I was also given the chance to be an Assistant Superintendent. From there, I have spent the last 3 years as a Superintendent.
Presently, I am a Superintendent in Oakland, Illinois. It is a small rural school in the east central part of the state. I truly believe I have the best job in school administration.
WHY BLOG?
Why not? It is 2009.
My attempt with this blog and the www.PrincipalsPage.com is to provide resources for school administrators from around the country at the low, low price of free.
PrincipalsPage.com is a collection of forms, letters, and surveys that have been cataloged so they are available as needed for principals and superintendents.
Being a school administrator is a big job, so I am simply trying to provide a little help. And possibly a little humor, but how little is for you to decide.
I am not qualified to give advice, but I am qualified to share some of the trials and tribulations that administrators go through on a daily basis.
Secondly, the blog itself is also an experiment to see if a superintendent from a small town can hold worldwide discussions on educational issues. I am pretty sure I may be the only one doing this in my odd little way.
I have no English skills or formal training in writing. The proof is in this blog.
Currently, I have no books published, newspaper columns written, or movies in the works. There have been a couple of people foolish enough to put a couple of the blogs in print, which I greatly appreciate (please check out the Media tab).
My education consists of a B.S. in Business Administration from Greenville College, Greenville, Illinois.
A teaching certificate in Business and Social Studies, a Master’s in Educational Administration, and a Specialist’s Degree from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. These all say that I am qualified to be a school Superintendent.
What it really means is that I had a lot of college loans.
I have spent 15 years in education with the last 7 in school administration (it can seem like more depending on how my day has gone).
Also, I have spent 15 years in marriage (seems like more to my wife) and we have unleashed one child upon the world.
We are hopeful she will grow up and be a positive influence on society, but keep your fingers crossed for us (and society).
I presently live in Tuscola, Illinois, but have big plans to move once I win the lottery.
WHO READS THIS BLOG?
My best guess, the average reader is a convicted felon who is bored and/or being punished.
However, I do know teachers, coaches, principals, assistant principals, deans, superintendents, college professors, and future school administrators visit the blog from time to time.
Let’s not kid ourselves, I will take whomever I can get.
Please feel free to email me with questions or comments at micsmith@principalspage.com
Jim Greenwald
on Mar 27th, 2009
@ 12:40 pm:
Good afternoon wanting to obtain more information about improving as a principal. Thanks Jim Greenwald Principal Granite CIty ILL. HS
Guy c herrmann
on Apr 24th, 2009
@ 9:46 pm:
Join the IASA/AASA. Monthly mag. have great, timely articles
Warren Purdy
on May 13th, 2009
@ 6:22 pm:
Hi there – I’m not a convicted felon (yet) but I am a principal of a New Zealand secondary school (NZ is popularly known to be a state of Australia by most Americans) who also has a blogsite (feel free to visit!). I loved reading your thoughts and have added you to my watch list. I am a fair way from retirement but your column rang true for teachers I know. You sound like a kind of young Robert Fulghum actually but the young bald guy of the picture is maybe you and you’d possibly not know of Fulghum. Seek him out – he’s great. Anyway – enjoyed the blog, will keep coming back! Keep at it!
Michael Smith Reply:
May 13th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
@Warren Purdy, I am glad that you have not yet been convicted.
I must admit, I do think of New Zealand as the baby brother of Australia.
Lastly, I was not familiar with Robert Fulghum but I had heard of his book – “All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten”.
Thanks for the comparison, but I don’t think I am on his level… now or ever.
And yes, the cartoon me is the spitting image of the real me.
Jenny Luca
on Jul 31st, 2009
@ 5:11 am:
Nice to see a Principal blogging. I’ve caught up with a few blogs from Principals this week. I’m a teacher in Australia whose been teaching for 22 years with a stint at Motherhood in between. In fact, that job continues in between work now! It amazes me how quickly the path to high responsibility happens in the States. The process seems longer for teachers here. Not doubting your ability of course; the high engagement factor is apparent in your writing. A very enjoyable read.
Jenny Luca
on Jul 31st, 2009
@ 5:14 am:
Correction: wrong use of ‘whose’ in above comment. Should have been who’s! Hate it when I see a mistake after i’ve pressed submit comment.
Gary Lewis
on Aug 31st, 2009
@ 6:36 pm:
You are always trying to get ahead some how aren’t you. One day, I am going to turn on the TV and find you talking to Matt Lauer on how you went from being the supt at Oakland to Governor of Illinois.
Keep up the good work.
Liberty Rose
on Sep 7th, 2009
@ 12:52 pm:
After spending 18 years in special education in EBDland and alternative education, I became so overwhelmingly frustrated I have taken a one year leave of absence to obtain my license to become a director of special ed/pupil services. I am blogging about this transition.
I so enjoy your blog as you seem to be one of the few administrators who did not abandon IQ points and your humor as you became an administrator. I am hoping I can come out the other side of this with those two things in tact myself.
I am a central Illinois girl at heart…spent many years there, got my ed degree at ISU. I know your territory and I miss it.
I try not to bash administrators, but in my current situation I am surrounded by short sighted leadership with no vision. Special ed is a complicated department and it is only getting more so. I have two special needs kids myself and I want us to get this right.
You give me hope.
John Karnes
on Sep 17th, 2009
@ 10:09 am:
Great blog! I also use PrincipalsPage.com all the time. Thanks for sharing these resources.
sweatherill
on Sep 24th, 2009
@ 10:16 am:
Michael,
I enjoy what you have started and wonder what legacy it has started. I have a question for you and your readers.
Do or should Principals have tenure?
My story http://sweatherill.edublogs.org/
I’m Not Sure I Want to Work for a Magazine That Will Hire Me. | PrincipalsPage The Blog
on Oct 6th, 2009
@ 7:01 pm:
[...] About This Blog [...]
Emil
on Oct 20th, 2009
@ 7:59 am:
Trust me, I’m neither a convicted felon…nor am I reading out of some form of punishment or boredom. I just happened to stumble across your tweets and blogs and such and found it…well…actually fun!
Hosea
on Jan 10th, 2010
@ 9:55 am:
I just couldnt leave your website before saying that I really enjoyed the quality information you offer to your visitors… Will be back often to check up on new stuff you post!
Leoma Cooper
on Feb 2nd, 2010
@ 1:50 am:
Great job, if I wasn’t so busy with my school work I would read your entire site. Good work!
Steve Shanks
on Feb 8th, 2010
@ 1:15 pm:
I like what you are doing. I also like what you are saying about schools teaching subjects that are traditional but outdated. I’m looking for advice, short of closing the entire school — and firing all teachers and then hiring back good ones and new ones — advice in how to move things along with a veteran and somewhat cynical (towards 21st century stuff) faculty.
Farab
on May 19th, 2010
@ 12:09 pm:
Hi there – I’m not a convicted felon (yet) but I am a principal of a New Zealand secondary school (NZ is popularly known to be a state of Australia by most Americans) who also has a blogsite (feel free to visit!). I loved reading your thoughts and have added you to my watch list. I am a fair way from retirement but your column rang true for teachers I know. You sound like a kind of young Robert Fulghum actually but the young bald guy of the picture is maybe you and you’d possibly not know of Fulghum. Seek him out – he’s great. Anyway – enjoyed the blog, will keep coming back! Keep at it!
Joe Cash
on Jun 30th, 2010
@ 11:06 am:
Hello, just want to say I have enjoyed my visit to your site, will check out your principal’s page. I am a principal in Southern California, convincing myself that surfing the web and reading educational blogs is actually work, while avoiding other tasks this morning. Well, back to real work.
Wallace
on Aug 7th, 2010
@ 10:25 pm:
It seems you have a very popular blog! Congrats!
Have a good school year!
Mervin T.
on Sep 4th, 2010
@ 2:07 pm:
I realize this isn’t a very good comment but it makes me smile.
Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.
Jeffrey Leavins
on Sep 5th, 2010
@ 6:40 am:
I really like the blog. Thanks for the good read.