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| | | (JENNIE DUNCAN/www.forsythherald.com) Otwell Middle School principal Jeffrey Zoul and assistant principal Laura Link recently published a book entitled, “Cornerstones of Strong Schools: Practices for Purposeful Leadership.”
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November 06, 2007
Effective leadership of any group of people usually begins with the likeability of the leader.
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| | | (JENNIE DUNCAN/www.forsythherald.com) Otwell Middle School principal Jeffrey Zoul and assistant principal Laura Link recently published a book entitled, “Cornerstones of Strong Schools: Practices for Purposeful Leadership.”
(click for larger version) | |
In a middle school full of moody preteens, that can be an especially tricky feat, but for two industrious educators in Forsyth County, being liked is just the beginning of their accomplishments. The Principal and Assistant Principal of Otwell Middle School are a dynamite team in charge of an outstanding middle school, where students feel comfortable and included.
Dr. Jeffrey Zoul and Laura Link have also recently published a book, entitled "Cornerstones of Strong Schools: Practices for Purposeful Leadership".
When quizzed about their inspiration for the book, Dr. Zoul laughed and admitted, "Well, we were both English teachers and we love to write."
Zoul is an experienced educational author, having written "Improving Your School One Week At A Time" and co-authored "Study Guide: What Great Principals Do Differently." He is a seasoned educator with 25 years of school experience under his belt.
Laura Link, a former Forsyth County Teacher of the Year, explained that this book is meant to give practical wisdom to those in leadership positions.
"When we wrote this, we tried to take all the research and translate it into practical advice that school administrators can use to improve leadership of their schools," Link said.
Link is an experienced public speaker who lectures on school leadership, building professional learning environments, and fostering a positive and beneficial school culture. In addition to her position as Assistant Principal at Otwell, she is an author, a speaker, and a mother of two preschoolers.
"Cornerstones of Strong Schools" is a collaborative effort between these two professional educators whose goal is overall improvement of the school environment through nine concepts they illuminate.
Each of the nine "cornerstones" in the book is divided into sections to thoroughly explain. The definition of the leadership responsibility is explained, the core components of the concept are enumerated, and an anecdotal illustration of the term is used to highlight how the cornerstone would be put to use in a school setting.
Impressively, Zoul knows most of the 919 Otwell Middle students by name. Both he and Link exude an affable vibe, an easy charm with the students that is long on friendliness and short on intimidation. Most of the students seem to have a good impression of them. Eighth grader Annie said, "He's really nice and a good principal."
Illustrating Zoul's and Link's concept of leaders being accessible, her friend Brianna likes when Dr. Zoul and Ms. Link come into the classroom.
"They tell us funny stories from when they were students."
Dr.Zoul's daughter Jordyn is an eighth-grader at Otwell. Her view on having her dad as the principal is refreshingly down-to-earth.
"He's pretty cool," she said with a smile. "He's really supportive of me, but he definitely gives me consequences when I do something wrong," said Jordyn.
Zoul said his much of his gratification for co-authoring this book derives from positive feedback from other educators.
"I love when other principals email me and tell me they've used ideas from my books. It's really satisfying when people tell me they've tested these ideas and have noticed a difference in their schools."
According to Link and Zoul, the nine concepts essential to excellent school leadership are: Optimizer, Affirmation, Ideals/Beliefs, Situational Awareness, Visibility, Relationships, Communication, Culture, and Input.
Published by Eye on Education, the book is available on their website (www.eyeoneducation.com) as well as through the online venues of Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Local bookseller Humpus Bumpus carries the book as well.
- www.northfulton.com
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