Principals typically don't get much recognition, so during the month of October, which is recognized as National Principal's Month, we are going to celebrate the great work that all of us do.

Principals are generally so concerned about everyone else's morale that we don't think about our own. Each week during the month of October MASSP will bring you a special message to acknowledge the hard work and dedication that it takes to be a building level administrator. Kudos to all of you in the field who get up early, stay up late–going above and beyond to get the job done!

As I reflected on the past year over the holiday break, I found myself imagining what it would have been like to attend an education conference in January 2011 that covered major initiatives that school districts should have on their radar during the next 3-5 years. What topics would I have learned about? What impact would they have on my students, staff, programs, and/or operations? As I reflected on these question for the 2011 Year of Education Reformation in our state and nation I started to think about:

I recently watched the movie "Cast Away." In this 2000 film, Tom Hanks plays the role of Chuck Noland a FedEx systems engineer whose personal and professional life are ruled by the clock. His fast-paced career takes him, often at a moment's notice, to far-away locales. Chuck's manic existence abruptly ends when, after a plane crash, he becomes isolated on a remote island - cast away into the most desolate environment imaginable. Stripped of the "conveniences" of everyday life, he first must meet the basic needs of survival: water, food and shelter.