Manchester Attorney Takes Part In Principal For A Day Program
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NORTH MANCHESTER - Manchester Elementary School Principal Bonnie Ingraham worked through her day Wednesday conducting business as usual.
But the day was a little different for Ingraham. Manchester Attorney Elden Stoops, from Daggett, Schlitt and Stoops, shadowed Ingraham as she went about her normal day as principal.
Manchester Community Schools participated in Principal For A Day Wednesday, a program that allows community business leaders to shadow school principals for a day to see what issues principals face.
This is the first year for the program. On June 16, Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon proclaimed Nov. 15 Principal For A Day Program Recognition Day.
"The major focus of this is the business/education focus," Ingraham said. "It's our business leaders that are setting standards of what the high schools are like."
In North Manchester, members of the Chamber of Commerce, which has about 165 members, were asked to participate.
"I'm kind of excited about it," Ingraham said of the shadowing program. She said she and Stoops already are friends, which meant she didn't have to worry about building a relationship.
Stoops, a North Manchester attorney for 16 years, and Ingraham, in her seventh year as principal at MES, found their professions have a lot in common.
"There's probably a lot of similarities," Stoops said. "It's hectic. There's a lot of problems you have to address and you're constantly busy. You have to take your job home with you at night."
"It requires lots and lots of people skills," Ingraham added about both professions.
Stoops also said that in both professions "you have to try not to prejudge."
"Any conflict you deal with you're going to leave one side unhappy with you," he said. It's important to understand all perspectives when resolving a conflict.
"You don't prejudge. You treat all people the same and you've gotta be able to listen," Stoops said of both professions.
Besides discussing similarities between professions, Ingraham went through a list of duties she had to complete Wednesday. She said she's been working with grade-level standards or benchmarks for reading and language arts.
"The standards are in place because of business leaders and educators working together at the state level," she said. "Our job then is to write the curriculum and decide how we're going to measure it."
Ingraham met with fifth-graders and kindergartners during lunch to discuss standards and also had a post-observation conference. Twice a year, teachers have to be evaluated, she said. The evaluations are enjoyable and "the most powerful part of being a principal," Ingraham said. She sits down with each teacher and discusses teaching strategies and what's going on in the classroom. She said she likes talking to teachers and "I've got strong teachers."
"Our selection process is really powerful," she said. "We usually have conversations about teaching and learning."
On top of evaluations and meeting with classes for standards discussions, Ingraham has several notes on her door of people to call back, an agenda to write for a parent and letters to write to parents. She also views bus videos whenever conflicts arise with students riding the bus. She then has to investigate the conflict, make a decision and talk to the students involved and their parents.
Stoops said these duties are much like what he goes through as an attorney.
"You don't want to overstate your case," he said. "When the parents know you're in control of (the situation) you're OK." Ingraham agreed.
In both professions, Stoops and Ingraham said, when conflicts arise they're left with "trying to get the facts."
"One side is always lying and there's two stories," Stoops said.
"If you invest your time in shaping behavior of younger children when they're young, in kindergarten, grades one and two," Ingraham said, "then we have very few incidents (in upper grade levels)."
The staff has been trained to handle conflicts. "We actually have training videos," she said.
Ingraham also said that each week at MES students, staff and faculty focus on one concept. This week's is, "Falcons never put others down."
Teachers are proud of the kids they have in school when they see them out in the world working or participating in activities in high school, Ingraham said.
"Even as elementary (teachers) you recognize how invested we've become. You have ownership," she said.
"He (Stoops) watches our kids become clients and I watch our kids become parents," Ingraham said.
Both Ingraham and Stoops agreed the shadowing program is a good program that brings business leaders and educators together, which is good for the community. And both said they would participate in the program again.
"It's nice to have the people participate and understand more what's going on (in schools) on a more personal level," Stoops said. [[In-content Ad]]
NORTH MANCHESTER - Manchester Elementary School Principal Bonnie Ingraham worked through her day Wednesday conducting business as usual.
But the day was a little different for Ingraham. Manchester Attorney Elden Stoops, from Daggett, Schlitt and Stoops, shadowed Ingraham as she went about her normal day as principal.
Manchester Community Schools participated in Principal For A Day Wednesday, a program that allows community business leaders to shadow school principals for a day to see what issues principals face.
This is the first year for the program. On June 16, Indiana Gov. Frank O'Bannon proclaimed Nov. 15 Principal For A Day Program Recognition Day.
"The major focus of this is the business/education focus," Ingraham said. "It's our business leaders that are setting standards of what the high schools are like."
In North Manchester, members of the Chamber of Commerce, which has about 165 members, were asked to participate.
"I'm kind of excited about it," Ingraham said of the shadowing program. She said she and Stoops already are friends, which meant she didn't have to worry about building a relationship.
Stoops, a North Manchester attorney for 16 years, and Ingraham, in her seventh year as principal at MES, found their professions have a lot in common.
"There's probably a lot of similarities," Stoops said. "It's hectic. There's a lot of problems you have to address and you're constantly busy. You have to take your job home with you at night."
"It requires lots and lots of people skills," Ingraham added about both professions.
Stoops also said that in both professions "you have to try not to prejudge."
"Any conflict you deal with you're going to leave one side unhappy with you," he said. It's important to understand all perspectives when resolving a conflict.
"You don't prejudge. You treat all people the same and you've gotta be able to listen," Stoops said of both professions.
Besides discussing similarities between professions, Ingraham went through a list of duties she had to complete Wednesday. She said she's been working with grade-level standards or benchmarks for reading and language arts.
"The standards are in place because of business leaders and educators working together at the state level," she said. "Our job then is to write the curriculum and decide how we're going to measure it."
Ingraham met with fifth-graders and kindergartners during lunch to discuss standards and also had a post-observation conference. Twice a year, teachers have to be evaluated, she said. The evaluations are enjoyable and "the most powerful part of being a principal," Ingraham said. She sits down with each teacher and discusses teaching strategies and what's going on in the classroom. She said she likes talking to teachers and "I've got strong teachers."
"Our selection process is really powerful," she said. "We usually have conversations about teaching and learning."
On top of evaluations and meeting with classes for standards discussions, Ingraham has several notes on her door of people to call back, an agenda to write for a parent and letters to write to parents. She also views bus videos whenever conflicts arise with students riding the bus. She then has to investigate the conflict, make a decision and talk to the students involved and their parents.
Stoops said these duties are much like what he goes through as an attorney.
"You don't want to overstate your case," he said. "When the parents know you're in control of (the situation) you're OK." Ingraham agreed.
In both professions, Stoops and Ingraham said, when conflicts arise they're left with "trying to get the facts."
"One side is always lying and there's two stories," Stoops said.
"If you invest your time in shaping behavior of younger children when they're young, in kindergarten, grades one and two," Ingraham said, "then we have very few incidents (in upper grade levels)."
The staff has been trained to handle conflicts. "We actually have training videos," she said.
Ingraham also said that each week at MES students, staff and faculty focus on one concept. This week's is, "Falcons never put others down."
Teachers are proud of the kids they have in school when they see them out in the world working or participating in activities in high school, Ingraham said.
"Even as elementary (teachers) you recognize how invested we've become. You have ownership," she said.
"He (Stoops) watches our kids become clients and I watch our kids become parents," Ingraham said.
Both Ingraham and Stoops agreed the shadowing program is a good program that brings business leaders and educators together, which is good for the community. And both said they would participate in the program again.
"It's nice to have the people participate and understand more what's going on (in schools) on a more personal level," Stoops said. [[In-content Ad]]