Events: Principal For A Day: Fourth Annual Principal For a Day

Fourth Annual Principal For A Day

Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Thandiwe M. C. Peebles addressed participants.

On April 14, 2005, 42 business and community leaders shadowed Minneapolis School principals in their roles as Principals For A Day.They greeted students, read morning announcements, attended faculty meetings, sat in on budget discussions, and supervised the school lunchroom-—all of the activities that make up a day in the life of a principal in Minneapolis.

They learned that the student population is diverse, polite, and eager to learn. They also learned that principals and staff are very dedicated to their students and committed to ensuring that they are prepared to enter the work force or post-secondary institutions.

As one participant commented, "This is a fantastic opportunity for those who may not have been in a public school for years to truly understand how vital our support is to the public schools."

The Fourth Annual Principal For A Day event was sponsored by Carlson Companies and coordinated by Achieve!Minneapolis, Time Warner Cable, and the Minneapolis Public Schools.

Participants

Principals For A Day Alice Seagren, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Education; Paul Ostrow, President, Minneapolis City Council; Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak; Steve Sviggum, Speaker of the House, Minnesota House of Representatives. Minneapolis Public School Principals and Principals For A Day met for a breakfast kick-off meeting at Olson Middle School. Dwayne Fisher, president of City Wide Student Government, was the emcee for the meeting. Chris Shea, President of the General Mills Foundation, spoke to the participants about the importance of supporting the Minneapolis Public Schools. Brad Madson, Director of Community Relations for the Minnesota Vikings Football Club, shadowed Seward Montessori School Principal Marilyn Levine. Tony Tolliver, Community Relations Manager at Carlson Companies, with Hamilton Community School Principal Barry Murphy. Carlson Companies was the corporate sponsor of Principal For A Day. Dr. C. Ben Wright, president of Dunwoody College of Technology, and Hennepin County District Court Judge Pamela Alexander served as Principals For A Day at Edison High School.