MEET THE PRINCIPAL

Blomstrand recalls the challenges she faced as a first-time principal of an elementary school.

When author Blomstrand was appointed the principal of a California elementary school, she understandably found her duties daunting given that she hadn’t served as a vice principal and was now in charge of more than 700 students and 60 teachers and staff members. On her first day, she was forced to suspend the start of the school year when informed the building had an asbestos contamination. Every day brought new hurdles, and she approached the job in the spirit of a baseball coach, always looking for the best path toward creating a “winning educational environment.” She served as principal for six years and here collects stories that offer an instructive peek into the life of a school administrator and aspects of the job that go “beyond the curriculum.” Blomstrand writes lucidly of the personal dimension of her work and what she sees as “the heart of education”: “It is the importance of positive and caring relationships and respect and how we must incorporate that daily into our academic environment. Students are in school for almost one third of their day, five days a week. That’s a huge part of their lives, which means the kind of culture we provide can impact them in a major way.” Some of the stories are remarkably dramatic: A fifth grade boy threatened to kill three third grade girls and apparently had access to a gun. In another tale, the treasurer of the PTA embezzled thousands of dollars, a predicament that required the involvement of the police. Most of the stories are not as cinematically eventful—the author often deals with routine matters such as angry parents and the fragile egos of those who work for her. Given how mundane some of a principal’s work can be at times, this memoir could have been shorter—readers may begin to tire in the last third. However, Blomstrand supplies a unique perspective on elementary education with impressive clarity and common sense.

A thoughtful reflection on an important and tough job.