October is National School Principals’ Month. If you know any school principals, take a little time to let them know you appreciate the work they do. The work these men and women do, day in and day out, is critical to the success of teachers and students everywhere.
Those of us from the boomer generation probably only recall school principals as the people you saw if you ever got in trouble.
You seldom saw them out and about in the school, walking the halls, greeting you in the morning, making sure the buses all got there, in the cafeteria every day, and calling you by name. Maybe some of you around my age had principals who did these things, but I don’t conjure up any images of my own school leaders doing any of these.
Good principals today do all this and more, and they know nearly every student by name, eventually.
In addition to being visible, the school principal sets the tone for the whole building. The attitude they project, their assuring smiles, the confident way they walk — you can tell by the look in their eyes that good principals like their jobs and believe in what they’re doing. In the school business, we call it “school culture.” I
t’s when we can get the feeling that a building is a positive, learning place and students and teachers enjoy being there. The place is in good hands.
Like teaching, this quote applies to the work of a school principal: “It’s a very tough job — when you do it right.” I’m fortunate to work with a group of principals who do that tough job every single day. Thank you, school principals!

John Jarpe is the superintendent of Brandywine Community Schools. He can be reached at (269) 684-7150.