Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Chapter 1. Building a Positive Culture Chapter 2. Structured Visibility Chapter 3. From Delegation to Collaboration Chapter 4. From Collaboration to Change Chapter 5. Supporting Students at Risk Chapter 6. Let's Celebrate Chapter 7. Coaching Strategies at Work Chapter 8. Parents Welcome Chapter 9. Where We Are Now References Index
Learn more about Allan Bonilla's PD offerings Dr. Allan R. Bonilla was born in Orlando, FL, a bit before Disney, and was raised in NYC, where he graduated from Forest Hills High School. After a brief stint at Hofstra College in NY, as well as a year and a half at Cal Poly in Pomona, CA, Allan returned to his home state of Florida where he earned his B.A from the University of Miami. Not knowing what career direction to take, he was told that Miami was in great need of teachers, and so there he began a career in education which lasted 40 years. Teaching both English and Spanish at the middle and high school levels, led this educator to a role as a counselor, after earning a Master's at Barry University, and then to an assistant principal position in a half dozen middle schools. Feeling that he had the ideas and beliefs that could lead to creating successful schools, Allan pursued his doctorate in education at Nova University and was appointed principal of one of the largest and most troubled middle schools in the 4th largest school district in the nation. Dr. Bonilla was indeed a "turnaround principal" and was recognized for his school's accomplishments by being selected Principal of the Year out of a field of over 300 K-12 principals. Upon retiring from the Miami-Dade School System, Allan became a mentor to principals in the district and also a trainer with Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). Upon relocating to Austin, TX, Allan became one of the first educators in the state to be trained through Region X111 Education Service Center as a Leadership Coach. He has worked with some 50 educators in assisting them to work through difficult situations, to achieve goals, and to celebrate their accomplishments. In addition to Coaching, Allan is a frequent speaker at state and national conferences including ASCD, NAESP, NASSP, High Schools That Work, National Charters, Texas Charters, and Florida Charters. He is also a faculty member of the National Principals Leadership Institute in NYC. Allan's family includes his wife, two sons and their wives, and three genius grandchildren. Spare time, if any, is taken with reading to keep current with the changes and latest developments in the world of education.
"The theme of visibility presented has already challenged my
thinking and provoked reflection on my current and previous
practice. It has helped me to see gaps and holes that may have been
there. This text would support my work with principals in helping
them to see these as key traits/practices." -- Arnna Graham,
Leadership Coach
"As a professor in the graduate school of education, these
strategies would be an excellent addition to teacher education
courses, school operations, and management." -- Steven Roth,
Professor
"The how-to guide, coupled with practical experience, adds
authority to the author's voice. With essential questions at the
end of the chapters, this work will provide a thoughtful and
compelling read for new and veteran administrators alike." --
Rick Yee, Principal
"I am taken by Allan's approach to learning and leadership. He
recognizes that culture matters - a lot - and he offers specific
strategies to help everyone in a school learn and grow." --
Thomas R. Hoerr, Author, Columnist, and Head of the New City
School
"I'm in the Principal's Seat, Now What? provides a
practical guide for building a school on the vision that each
student matters. Given the right organizational structure and
climate, teachers will take ownership of problems, will implement
proven, practical solutions and will grow from good to great when
they are supported by their principals. Middle grades and high
school principals serving in low-performing, challenging schools
will gain great wisdom and insight for creating a high-touch,
high-performance culture for students and teachers that will result
in improved outcomes in attendance, performance, and student
engagement. This book provides a vision for making parents a
partner in the process, celebrating student and faculty growth
experiences, and building healthy competition." -- Dr. Gene
Bottoms, Founder/Director
"I'm in the Principal's Seat, Now What? by Dr. Allan Bonilla is
the kind of book that appears once in a decade. Bonilla became the
principal of a large, failing school in Dade County, Florida,
succeeded in turning the school into an exemplary school, remained
in that school for fourteen years, and tells his story through
evidence-based examples of team building, school culture, principal
visibility and so much more. This book will appeal to any school
administrator interested in leadership and practical options for
helping a failing school become better to making a gifted school
better and anything in between. It is destined to become a landmark
book." -- Mark F. Goldberg, Ph.D., Education Writer and
Education Book Editor
"I am taken by Allan's approach to learning and leadership. He
recognizes that culture matters - a lot - and he offers specific
strategies to help everyone in a school learn and grow." --
Thomas R. Hoerr, Author, Columnist, and Head of the New City
School
"In this immensely practical and powerful book, Dr. Allan
Bonilla avoids the typical slogans about school culture and instead
provides readers with the hard truths of leadership. Although
Bonilla is a successful turnaround school leader, this book is
valuable for leaders of high-performing schools as well as those in
need of significant change. Moreover, both new and experienced
leaders will benefit from the relentless emphasis on human
connections in these pages. I particularly appreciate the author's
iconoclastic approach to leadership visibility, as he demonstrates
that visibility in the lunchroom, hallways, and sidewalks is as
important as visibility in the classroom. Looking through the eyes
of the student, Bonilla appeals to leaders to make a human
connection, preferring relationships over checklists and impact
over appearances. Finally, this book provides an impressive mandate
for the support of elective subjects, including arts and athletics,
to save students from academic failure. Bonilla poignantly reminds
us that electives are not a competitor for academic achievement,
but a necessary support for them. The "afterthoughts and
reflections" at the end of each chapter make this an ideal book for
faculty book studies. I hope that it will generate vigorous
discussions, constructive controversy, and as the author suggests,
a few tears, all in the pursuit of a better understanding of
helping our students." -- Dr. Douglas Reeves
"This book is sure to be a must-have for every beginning and
experienced principal. With Allan's experience as a successful
principal in a struggling school, combined with his knowledge of
leadership coaching, readers will gain inspiration and solid
strategies to be equally successful." -- Karla Reiss,
President
"As a veteran of twenty-one years in the principalship, I
recommend this work to new and even seasoned principals who wish to
continue to grow professional. This is a thought-provoking work-
one from which we can all learn." -- David G. Daniels,
Principal
"I'm in the Principal's Seat, Now What? provides a
realistic, relevant view of how to be a principal in a changing
environment. The power of the ideas and strategies is seen in the
success of the school! This book is a must read for those studying
to be a principal or newly placed in a principalship." -- Dr.
Elizabeth J. Lolli, Superintendent
"I'm In the Principal's Seat, Now What? is a structured recipe
for what matters most in school turnaround. The significant
strategies are a visual road map for leading change and providing a
quality education and high achievement for all students." --
Suzanne Link Gimenez, Retired School Turnaround Principal
"It has been a privilege and pleasure over the past two years
to listen to Allan as he shared with me his dream of writing a book
that would assist in the transformation of low-performing schools.
I quickly realized how much value this book would be to leaders of
the many low-performing schools I was visiting as a turnaround
consultant. I look forward to recommending this book to all my
clients!" -- Mike Cave, MEd, School Turnaround Specialist and
Certified Educational Leadership Coach
"I'm in the Principal's Seat, Now What? is a practical, yet
powerful book that provides valuable insight into time-tested
principles needed to turnaround any institution of learning. This
back-to-basics book is designed to help school leaders create a
culture of academic excellence." -- Eric Acosta, Ed.S.,
Principal
"As a rookie administrator, I was placed under the supervision of Dr. Bonilla. I quickly learned that creating a positive culture, establishing a mission of academic success, and being visible are essential keys to being an effective school leader.
Dr. Bonilla uses simple and pragmatic approaches to organizational leadership that promotes universal buy-in from all stakeholders. His experience and on-the-job strategies should be a guide for all school and/or district administrators." -- Manuel Ferrer, Ed.D.![]() |
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