In briefing more than 40 community leaders participating in the district’s upcoming Principal for a Day event on Oct. 13, Angela Farley, senior vice president of education for the Dallas Regional Chamber, noted the similarities between running a business and leading a school campus.
Both the leader of a small business and school campus deal with facility needs, HR issues, and employees reporting to them. Farley told the community leaders at Wednesday’s Principal for a Day training held at Adamson High School to bring their insight from the professional world into the schools.
“Think about your business expertise and how that can apply to the school,” she said. “Your expertise is valuable.”
Principal for a Day, which interim Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said is one of the best things the district does every year, aims to increase awareness and understanding among individuals in the public sector of the strengths and challenges of schools in Dallas ISD. The Dallas Regional Chamber and Capital One help sponsor Principal for a Day, which also looks to form ongoing partnerships between individuals and businesses with Dallas ISD.
Sharon McGowan, executive director of Friends of Wednesday’s Child, a nonprofit that works to improve educational outcomes for foster youth, said she signed up to be Principal for a Day to gain a greater appreciation and understanding for the role a principal plays in a student’s life.
“I’m looking forward to learning a little more about the other side of the desk,” she said.
Gerry Gross, CCO of blur Group Dallas, which is a leading cloud platform for the services market, said the Dallas Regional Chamber encouraged his company to participate in the event.
“We are looking to get to know the high school that is right by to our office and to see if we can help out in the future,” he said.
Jennifer Bowden, director of education for World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, which offers programs on international affairs and foreign policy, is excited about working as Principal for a Day for one particular campus.
“I’m always so impressed by the Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, that I thought I would like to follow them around and see what their secret is,” she said. “They are achieving excellence by design, not by accident.”
For Ashley Berges, a certified life coach and therapist who also hosts a radio show on multiple stations, working as Principal for a Day will allow her to better know her mom.
“My mom was a principal for years, and I use to always go visit her when I was a kid,” she said. “I’m excited to learn more about what her job was really like and to give back to Dallas ISD at the same time.”
Members from the community can still apply to participate in Principal for a Day. Click here to learn more and to apply.
