Greetings,

The following list of principles will serve as a comprehensive tool that will help guide
your work for the next six months; however before I began listing them allow me to share
with you some cultural history and make up of the building you will be working in for the
next several months.

Power Middle School is dynamic middle school with a lasting history in the FarmingtonFarmington Hills Community. In existence more than thirty years, Power Middle School
is known across the State of Michigan as a high functioning school within a strong
district. We have an extremely diverse population of students with over 67 spoken
languages. Nearly 65% of our students are Caucasian with the next majority being a
growing African American and Asian population of students. We have 41 staff members
including the ancillary staff who believe in a teamwork philosophy. We offer five world
language and a fine arts program that travels around the states to perform. We maintain a
strong curriculum where relationship and rigor are one in the same.

I have seven principles that if you work to uphold will maximize your experiences as an
up and coming leader, but more importantly continue to foster a culture of learning that
our staff and students value.

Principle 1: Set daily goals for yourself and the organization. Goals should be aligned to
the school vision and have a plan to follow to ensure good stewardship over them. Goals
are set to be attained; however to attain them you must have order. Order comes with

fluid collaboration; continual practice in articulating the vision making sure every step is
toward the desired outcome. It may also be helpful to have your calendar readily
available when writing out goals. (Tip) Never set a goal without your calendar.

Principle 2: Understanding that a strong culture of learning only comes from an

environment that collaborative, trustworthy, and safe. Every conversation, meeting, or
presentation you hold about the learning culture of the building needs to focus on the
positives. All communication should be upward spiraling meaning the content covered is
a productive step taken toward the overall goal.

Principle 3: Work to develop strong working relationships with the staff. Indeed before
you can accurately observe or evaluate them, a measure of trust and comfort must first be
in place. With that being said, develop a strong understanding of the evaluation process.
Understand that the Marzano Model that has been adopted by the district is a model for
learning growth for both the teacher and student. You must develop the capacity to share
in collaboration with the staff member strategies they can employ to strengthen their
practice.

Principle 4: Promote the success of every student. Celebrating the success of our
students provides fuel not only to the student to continue learning at a high level, but also
for the teacher who sees it as confirmation that the hard work they are putting forth is
taking root.

Principle 5: Withhold a great standard of ethics not only for yourself, but also for the
organization. Conduct yourself with integrity and fairness. Seek to understand before
being understood. Assume positive intent and when let down work to find the resolve in
every situation. Provide for the teachers and learners in this organization a voice. Where
you see fit and where relationship is established, help them to develop that voice for it
will be the voice that sends word of the awesome things going on at Power throughout
the community.

Principle 6: When it comes to promoting to the social, academic, economic, legal, and
cultural context of the program understand you are the chief advocate. Advocate for the
students, families and staff. When emerging trends and initiatives are discovered,
advocate for the leadership of the school, that an opportunity be granted to better the
educational experience of all

Principle 7: Maintain a journal with daily journal entries. This will help you immensely
in your opportunity for growth. One of the strongest attributes of a leader is one who is
reflective. Reflect often and when necessary. Dont allow your reflections to stagnate
your growth in leadership, but use it to propel you into greater depths and higher peaks of
understanding the culture of learning and leadership.

Best regards,

Greg Smith
Assistant Principal
Power Middle School