Baruti K. Kafele - The Aspiring Principal 50: Critical Questions for New and Future School Leaders

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• Is My School a Better School BECAUSE I Lead It?
• The Principal 50: Critical Leadership Questions for Inspiring Schoolwide Excellence
• The Teacher 50: Critical Questions for Inspiring Classroom Excellence
• Closing the Attitude Gap: How to Fire Up Your Students to Strive for Success
• Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School & in Life

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This book is dedicated to Mr. Jerry "Wahoo" Barker. This young man, whom I met on my first day as principal of Newark Tech HS in Newark, New Jersey (from which he'd graduated in 1979) in July 2005, instantly became one of my "right arms" for the six years that I led that school. Though his job title was security officer, he was so much more. He literally did it all, including serving as the head coach of the boys' baseball team. His impact on the teams, and on our students in general, over the years was immeasurable! I left Newark Tech in July 2011 to do the work I'm currently doing, but I maintained my friendship with Mr. Barker.

On October 31, 2018, four days before I began writing this book, Mr. Barker made his transitionhe succumbed to cancer. On November 3, 2018, I began the keynote address at the ASCD Conference on Educational Leadership by talking about my relationship with Mr. Barker, whose picture was displayed for the audience on the four projection screens. On November 9, 2018, I spoke at his funeral while writing this book. Therefore, it is only fitting that I dedicate this book to my friend, Mr. Jerry "Wahoo" Barker. RIP, my brother. You were a true soldier for children.

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After successfully leading three urban middle schools in New Jersey over an eight-year period, I felt I was ready to move on to pursuing the only remaining big goal that I had in lifeto launch my consulting business and to work with educators all over North America. But one day out of nowhere came a call to come to Newark Tech High School in Newark, New Jersey to lead that school. I had no high school experience and was really ready to make my leap into consulting nationally, but representatives of Newark Tech kept calling, and they convinced me that I was needed there, so I took them up on an interview offer and ultimately committed myself to one year. One year became two years, and two years became six years. My "ride" at Newark Tech was absolutely incredible and highlighted with a student body and staff that I unwaveringly adored. I want to thank my entire Newark Tech family for, over those six years, challenging me to be a far better leader than I ever imagined I could bewhich informed the content of this book.

While the principal of Newark Tech, I received the biggest surprise of my professional lifethe prestigious Milken Educator Award, widely considered the "Oscar" of teaching. What an honor and a forever memorable day it was when on December 1, 2009, I received a check in my name for $25,000 and the award in a surprise assembly with my entire Newark Tech family cheering me on. I want to thank Lowell Milken, Michael Milken, Dr. Jane Foley, and the Milken Family Foundation for recognizing me as one of America's great educators. I am forever grateful for the award and the continued support the Milken Family Foundation has given me since that day.

I want to thank ASCD for believing in me from Day 1, beginning with my first-ever national conferencethe ASCD Annual Conference in New Orleans in March 2004. My first-ever proposal to present at a national conference was accepted! What an experience that day was: an early morning, one-hour session in a 300-seat room with standing room only and throngs of people consequently turned away. That day was the start of the work I do today on the national and international stage, and I can therefore truly say that it was a turning point in my professional life. I want to particularly thank ASCD content acquisitions director, Genny Ostertag, who has been a major supporter and influence since my first ASCD book, Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School & in Life (2009). I want to thank ASCD publisher Stefani Roth, who has also been a major supporter and influence since she came on board at ASCD. I want to thank Ernesto Yermoli, who edited my five previous ASCD books and did a phenomenal job on each. Lastly, I want to thank my new editorJoy Scott Resslerthe editor of this book. I cannot say enough about the job she has done as the managing editor of the entire project and as the editor of this book.

I want to thank the hundreds of schools, districts, administrators, state, national, and international education organizations and their directors who have seen fit to invite me to their venues to present and consult. I am grateful for the platform with which they have provided me for the past eight years after leaving my principalship to share my message and strategies with the masses of educators from all over the world. And to my audiences, readers of my books, articles and blogs, viewers of my many videos, and my social media friendsthank you, thank you, and thank you.

Finally, I want to thank my family starting with my best friend, my "ride or die," my wife of 30 years, Kimberly. You've been in my corner supporting me, pushing me, and rooting for me for the past three decades. I want to thank my three children, Baruti, Jabari, and Kibriya, who each represent a dream come true. Although I try to be a role model for them daily, I have truly learned from each of them as well. And I want to thank my mother, Delores Cushnie, who's been supporting me and cheering for me "forever" and continues to do so loudly and boldly at 84 years of age. And to all my family, friends, and colleagues out there who I just don't have the space to mention, you know who you are, and I thank you for all the love and support over the years.

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As I type this introduction, it is November 4, 2018, and I am in a hotel room in downtown historic Jackson, Mississippi. I barely slept last night because I couldn't wait to start writing. I have wanted to write this book for at least 10 years and kept putting other projects ahead of it, but then something interesting happened in April 2017: while in a hotel room, I made a 45-minute YouTube video on assistant principal interviewing techniques entitled Thoughts to Consider for the Assistant Principal Job Interview. As of this writing, the video has more than 41,000 viewswhich let me know that there are educators out there who are "hungry," eager for the information that will get them into school leadership positionsand at least 500 people have contacted me to inform me that they got hired as a result of the information presented in the video. As I monitored the view count and comments on what became a series of eight videos for aspiring assistant principals and aspiring principals, I knew it was time to cease putting this book off and carve out the time to get it done.

So, you want to be a principal? Well, there is much to know toward not only becoming a principal but being an effective one over time. Your desire matters. Your ambition matters. Your vision matters. And for some, even the "calling" matters. But you've got to have information, too. Many who have had very successful teaching careers and feel that they could make a bigger impact at the building leadership level learn, once they are on the job, that teaching success does not necessarily equate to leadership success. School leadership requires a different mindset and a different skill set than does teaching. In reading numerous books, articles, and blogs on school leadership, I have found that, for the most part, they are discussing "leadership." While this book will do the same, what distinguishes it is that I am writing about leadership with the classroom teacher, the school counselor, the assistant principal, and the new principal in mind. In other words, I am writing this book for the educator who is considering making the leap to a leadership position but who is not quite armed with the information required to either make the leap or begin the process of making the leap and for the assistant principal who recently made the leap to a new principalship.