Brandon Fisher - Edad 5610 Principals In-Basket Activity

Principals In-Basket Activity

Brandon Fisher
University of North Texas
School Communications and Public Relations
Professor Rich
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Item # 1 - Email From Teacher

Faculty Concerns: Minutes for Faculty Representatives' Meeting
First agenda item is a perennial problem/complaint: the Morning Bulletin. It's too loud
and hokey; kids don't listen to it; it gets them too hyper. Can't this situation be improved?
There is a strong objection by teachers to the crass manner in which our classrooms are
used at night by off-campus groups. Teachers, arriving at work in the morning and
finding their workspace quite disrupted, feel violated, similar to what one feels when
burglarized. Teachers have found their desks rifled through, have found dog hair
trimming throughout the room, stains left on carpets, pens and pencils and paper stolen,
furniture taken from rooms and left elsewhere in the building.
Several teachers have expressed concerns about the state of their classrooms--no chalk,
windows and shades in need of repair, textbooks that never arrived, lack of supplies, and
equipment in disrepair.
Respectfully submitted:
James Ware, Chair of Faculty Rep. Group
* This committee consists of teachers elected by their peers. Its function is to communicate staff
concerns and issues to the principal.
Priority Number: 19
Priority Label: Low Urgency / Low Importance
Precedence: Solving this issue will not make it easier to solve other problems, but it will prevent
further problems from arising for the staff.
Urgency: This email does not come with a firm due date, but it should not be ignored.
Growth: The issues presented from the Chair are currently worsening, and will continue to do so
without attention.
Seriousness: The current situation is affecting the staffs ability and goal to educate the students
at the highest rate possible. The current impact is not severe enough for immediate action above
other pressing matters, but it should be dealt with soon to avoid it becoming more severe.
1st Action: Respond to James Wares Email

Mr. Ware,
Thank you so much for your great work as the Chair of the Faculty Representation Group. It is
apparent by your work, as well as the other members, that this group is a necessity for our
campus, and that is being operated in a productive and effective manner. I will be working to
solve the issues that you have presented to be in a timely manner as soon as possible.
Please contact me with any further questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
bfisher@denisonisd.net
(903) 462 7328
2nd Action: Email ALL Off-Campus Groups Using Facilities
All,
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for being great supporters of our campus. It takes
a village, and you are certainly an important aspect of that.
This is a friendly reminder to please leave classrooms the same as you have found them after
your group meets. Please bring all of your own supplies, and do not use any school supplies or
go through other students or teachers desks. I would also like to make sure that no pets are
brought into the building, and anyone that uses the facilities leaves it clean and tidy and takes out
all trash at the conclusion of the meeting. I would suggest having a designated person from each
group that is in charge of reviewing the state of the facility at the conclusion of each meeting.
Please email me within two weeks the name and contact information for who that person will be
from each group.
Again, I am so glad that we are able to work together to better the education of our students.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
3rd Action: Email Campus Staff
Staff,
There are a few matters that have come to my attention that I would like to address.
First, the Morning Bulletin. It has come to my attention that the Morning Bulletin is too loud
and hokey, and that students do not listen, and instead get hyper. I would like to address this
issue by lowering the volume and speaking in a more calm and serious manner during the
Morning Bulletin. I will address their behavior tomorrow morning as well, and would appreciate
it if you would do a follow up discussion with your students on their expected behavior during
the Morning Bulletin.
Secondly, the evening off-campus groups using facilities. I have received reports that these
groups have not been leaving your workspace in the same manner that they received it. I realize
how frustrating this can be, and how it can infringe on student learning. Please understand that
many off-campus groups rely on our facilities to operate, and that many of them are also some of
our biggest supporters and contributors. I would like to maintain these relationships if at all
possible. I have emailed all of the groups and given them some specific requests to better ensure
that our facilities are left in the same if not better shape than when they arrived.
Finally, I understand that we have some needs to maintain the state of our classrooms. Some
have no chalk, windows and shades in need of repair, textbooks that never arrived, lack of
supplies, and equipment in disrepair. I would like for each teacher to make a list of all of their
needs for their classroom, and put them in priority order. Please find a time two weeks from now
compile these as a team, and send them with your team representative to the Faculty
Representation Group Meeting. From there, Mr. Ware will collect these and bring them to me. I
will review them and see if we can start tackling the list. We will not be able to solve all issues
right away, but having them brought to administrations attention will certainly expedite the
process.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
Item # 2 Email From Teacher

Personal and Confidential
Dear M. Smith
I noticed that on Mr. Johnsons Facebook page, he been interacting with students, and some of
the comments he has made sound flirtatious and a little suggestive. I am worried about what
might happen if this situation goes on.
J. Spellman, Teacher
Priority Number: 3
Priority Label: High Urgency / High Importance
Precedence: Solving this issue will not make it any easier to solve other problems.
Urgency: Given the nature of this accusation, it needs to be addressed and dealt with as soon as
possible to prevent any further accusations and / or instances.
Growth: This issue has the potential to worsen at an exponential rate.
Seriousness: The goal is for all staff to maintain professional ethics. This is a direct accusation
with possible evidence, and should be dealt with before it escalates.
Precursor
Before I acted on anything, I would want to check Facebook myself. As an administrator, I plan
to keep my Facebook for this very reason. Hopefully in this situation I would be able to check it
myself without having to ask J. Spellman to provide me with some type of proof, but I would
need to be prepared to do that if necessary. I am going to respond from here on the basis that I
was able to check into the Facebook posts and comments myself.
1st Action: Respond to J. Spellman

J. Spellman,
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Please know that this will be dealt. I will respect
your confidentiality.
Please contact me if you have any further questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
2nd Action: Conference With Mr. Johnson
I would schedule this Conference by stopping by Mr. Johnsons classroom in the morning and
saying:
Good Morning Mr. Johnson, how are you?
I have some things I would like to go over with you. Will you please stop by my Office during
your Conference Period?
My Objectives for the conference would be as follows:
Present clear concerns of Facebook accusations to Mr. Johnson
Remind Mr. Johnson of the Code of Ethics instated by the District
Advise Mr. Johnson on how to move forward
I want to be very direct in the conversation and would use some of the following statements:
Mr. Johnson, I need you to know that it has come to my attention that you have been interacting
with students on Facebook. Is this true?
Hopefully Mr. Johnson would tell the truth, and then I would continue with, Some of the
comments you have made have come off to others as flirtatious and a little suggestive. I know
you are a great teacher and would never want to jeopardize your career or your students, so what
are some ways you think you could avoid this misrepresentation?
I would remind him of the Code of Ethics that the District uses, and would communicate with
him that he if any employee were to break these in a serious manner, it could result in immediate
termination. I would follow this up with suggesting with him that he please delete any posts
and / or comments that interact with students, to delete any students that may be his friend on
Facebook, and finally, to update his privacy settings to where students will not even be able to
contact him or see his profile page on Facebook.
3rd Action: Documentation
Print off any necessary proof from the Facebook posts and provide specific non-judgmental
documentation of the Conference.
Item #3 Letter From Outside Group

Dear Principal:
Our group would like to hold meetings once a month at your school. The ideal time for us
would be Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. If there is a charge for using your school facilities,
we would be willing to pay, but our budget is limited. Please let us know ASAP because we
would like to begin meeting next week.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Mary Felice
President, National Anti-Abortion League, Local Chapter
Priority Number: 6
Precedence: Solving this problem actually has the potential to causes further problems, no
matter the response.
Urgency: This item is high urgency to the nature of the request. There are bases that need to be
covered first in order to get back with them in a timely manner before they need to use the
school.
Growth: This particular trend of difficulty is worsening no matter the response.
Seriousness: The goal of maintaining positive public relations with external publics is greatly
affected by this item.
1st Action: Check Basis with Superintendent or Other Upper Administration
I would prefer to complete this task with a personal phone call. I would start off the conversation
with,
Hi, Mr. Superintendent! How are you?
I have received a bit of a controversial request that I would like to run by you before I respond.
I have received an email from the President of a Local Chapter of the National Anti-Abortion
League asking if they can use our facility once a month for their meetings. Given that abortion is
a major point of controversy in todays society, I would prefer not to allow them to use our
facility. I think this could be construed from the publics perspective as the district taking a side
on pro-life, and I would hate for us to lose the support from others because of this.
I would of course act in whatever manner the Superintendent or Upper Administration deems
appropriate, but I feel like they would agree with my initial response.
2nd Action: Reply to Initial Email
Dear Mrs. Mary Felice,
Thank you for contacting me regarding your organizations use of our facility.
Unfortunately, due to the nature of your organization, I am going to have to decline your request.
Given that abortion is a very controversial topic in todays society, we do not want the public to
view us as taking a political stance as a school district. I hope you understand our reasoning.
I would suggest checking with a few of our local churches and organizations that may be able to
better accommodate your needs.
Thank you for understanding and please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328

To: M. Smith, Principal
From: Edna Malloy (a first-year teacher)
I need your advice on a few matters:
1
I'm planning to take my students on a field trip in a few weeks. How do I proceed?
I need to order some classroom supplies. Is there a budget for this sort of thing? How do I
go about getting these supplies?
Open House is just around the comer. What are teachers expected to do to get ready for
this event?
Priority Number: 16
Precedence: If I solve this problem, it will become easier for Edna Molloy to solve some of her
own problems.
Urgency: This definitely needs to be responded to in time to allow her to plan for her field trip
and open house in the coming weeks.
Growth: This situation is improving and will likely be a one-time response to this teacher as she
learns and grows as an educator.
Seriousness: The goal that it is tied to this email is professionally developing new teachers. This
is a very important aspect of operating a campus that strives for continuing education.
1st Action: Reply to Initial Email

In my response, I will carbon copy Edna Malloys mentor or team leader for further assistance,
as well as the Campus Secretary.
Good Morning,
I am happy to offer up some advice. I have responded to your questions in red.
1. I'm planning to take my students on a field trip in a few weeks. How do I proceed?
First, please make sure you have set up a meeting with the Assistant Principal or myself
to approve of the field trip.
The students have already completed their travel and medical release forms at the
beginning of the year, so this will not be necessary. Please send an email with an
attached roster of the students you will be taking to the Secretary, Food Services, and the
School Nurse.
Food Services will need to know if they need to prepare sack lunches for the students.
They will also need to know if you make other arrangement for student meal so that they
do not have to plan on feeding them that day.
Check in with the School Nurse, and on the day of the field trip she should have a go bag
prepared for you with any medical items you may need and each students medication.
I would advise that you send a letter home with the students to their parents explaining
the field trip, the educational value in it, and what the appropriate dress and behavior will
be. Also mention what time they will be leaving and returning. I would send a follow
email after this letter is sent.
Finally, on the day of the field trip send an email to the Attendance Clerk with an attached
list of the students that will be out with you for the day. Before you leave, check in with
the Front Office and make sure that you have checked everything that I have already
mentioned above.
2. I need to order some classroom supplies. Is there a budget for this sort of thing? How do I
go about getting these supplies?
You have a budget of $200 for classroom supplies. We order all of our supplies through
Buffalo. You may get your log in information from the Campus Secretary. I have carbon
copied her to this email. Once you have logged in, you will be able to see our Districts
discounted prices. Select what you want to purchase, and then take it to the Front Office
and the Campus Secretary will assist you in filling out a Requisition Form. You will
typically receive the product within two to three weeks after that.
3. Open House is just around the comer. What are teachers expected to do to get ready for
this event?
I would suggest making your classroom very neat and organized in order to show it off to
the parents. Presenting student work is an excellent way to prepare for Open House. On
the evening of Open House I expect all staff members to be professionally dressed and in
their rooms thirty minutes before the start time because some will arrive early. Please
stay in your classroom during the entire Open House and be available to answer questions
and concerns from parents. Please stay very positive and personal and do your best to
introduce yourself to anyone that passes your room.
I have carbon copied your mentor and team leader to this email. They will probably be able to
answer some of these questions more specifically than me. They will also probably have some
great ideas for you for Open House. I have heard great things about the work you have been
doing Keep it up! Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
Item # 5 Email From Parent

Dear Principal:
I would like to have Marie, my daughter, transferred from Mr. Groves' class to another teacher.
She is receiving A's in that class but isn't learning anything. We have high hopes for Marie; she is
extremely bright and needs to be challenged. Mr. Groves' class is a total waste of time. You
should know that I am not the only parent who feels this way. Several other parents are in my
bridge club are also very unhappy about what is happening in that class.
Please let me know what you intend to about this deplorable situation.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Jane Adams
Priority Number: 9
Priority Label: Low Urgency / High Importance
Precedence: If I solve this problem then I will probably improve any evaluations that Mr. Grove
has coming up, and will likely prevent any further negative communication about his class from
parents and students.
Urgency: This would not have to be solved right away, but I would probably want to have Mrs.
Adams daughter removed from the class by the end of the week to prevent further conflict.
Growth: This situation seems to be worsening from the parents perspectives, but if I begin to
work on it, then it will stabilize and eventually begin to improve.
Seriousness: This directly affects our goal as a campus to provide a meaningful and high quality
education to all of our students. It is important that I investigate this situation to ensure that we
can meet this goal.
1st Action: Respond to Parent Email and Carbon Copy Counselor

Dear Mrs. Jane Adams,
I appreciate you bringing your concerns to me. I want you to know that it is our goal to provide
all of our students with a meaningful and high quality education. I can promise you that this
matter will be investigated to ensure that we are doing just that.
In the meantime I have arranged for Marie to be transferred to a different class for the time being
per your request. The Campus Counselor is making arrangements for this as we speak.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
2nd Action: Observe and Discuss with Mr. Groves
I would first want to visit his classroom to see if I can pick up any signs of what the parent may
be talking about. I will document the parents email. Based on what I see when I observe him, I
may make some of the following suggestions to him or requirements through a memoranda:
Peer Observations
Specific Professional Development Courses
Book Study
Additional Follow Up Observations

From: Mrs. Susan Green
Last night, on my way out of the school parking lot, I observed two of our students, one Hispanic
and one white, fighting. Since I was in a hurry to make my doctor's appointment, I didn't stop.
Each boy was threatening the other with a knife. I think the boys' names were Juan Garcia and
James Albenson, but I can't be sure. Jose Santiago was an onlooker, and I know that he can
identify who the two boys were.
Priority Number: 5
Precedence: If I solve this problem I will be able to go about other issues with more ease.
Urgency: This issue is very pressing since it occurred on school grounds. I could very easily be
receiving phone calls from concerned parents soon if this is not dealt with.
Growth: The current situation appears to be stabilized, but it could actually be worsening
without me knowing it.
Seriousness: This affects the campus goal of providing students with a safe learning
environment. This issue needs to be solved and handled so students know that there will be
repercussions with violent acts.
1st Action: Discussion With Jose Santiago
I would call Jose Santiago into my Office to have a personal conversation with him. I would ask
him questions like, Jose, I know you are a good kid and want to do the right thing. There were
two students that had an altercation in the school parking lot last night. I have been told that you
were an eyewitness. Can you please identify the two students for me?
The rest of this conversation would depend on the response that Jose Santiago gave me. I would
try to keep pressuring him into letting me know who the two students were. I would not tell
them that I know that one was white and one was Hispanic, so that I could check what he tells
me with that information.
2nd Action: Reprimand Juan Garcia and James Albenson

The course of action necessary would involve the campus Student Code of Conduct.
Either way, I would need to call the students into my Office separately to discuss what had
happened. It would probably be helpful to start each conversation off with, This can go one of
two ways. You can either be honest with me from the very beginning and the consequences will
reflect your willingness to be truthful, or I will see to it that your punishment and consequences
take into account the time and effort that this is causing. I also want you to know before you tell
me anything, that I have multiple eye witnesses to the event. So, with that being said, what
would you like to tell me about what happened last night in the campus parking lot?
The conversation from there would depend on the students responses. In most cases I would
probably not be able to go strictly off of one students story, so I would have to give both equal
punishment, unless somehow I am able to identify who the knife belonged to. I would suggest
giving each student In School Suspension for 2 weeks at the Alternative Education Campus.
3rd Action: Notify Students Parents
The best method of communicating this to the students parents would be by phone call.
The phone conversation would go as follows:
Hi ___________, this is Mr. Fisher the Campus Principal, how are you today?
Thats good to hear. Well, first I wanted to let you know that your son is not hurt, sick, or
anything like that. I know that can be the first thing that comes to mind sometimes when you
receive a random phone call from the school. Unfortunately, your son was witnessed last night
having an altercation in the campus parking lot with another student, and has admitted to the
altercation. The altercation did involve a knife. Because the altercation was on school grounds
and involved a weapon that is not permissible on school grounds, your son will have to face the
consequences according to the Campus Student Code of Conduct. I will be assigning him 6
weeks of In School Suspension at the Alternative Education Campus. Would you like to speak
with your son?
I have already explained this to your son as well. All of his work will be sent to the Alternative
Education Campus. There is a separate bus that will run to that campus. If you need assistance
with transportation, please call the Transportation Department and we can make arrangements
for him. If he stays on good behavior for the next 6 week and successfully completes all
assigned work, then he will be allowed to return to school like normal. I am sending home a
letter that explains all of the again and the reasoning behind his suspension. Please sign it and
present it to the Alternative Education Campus Principal tomorrow. Do you have any questions
or concerns for me?
4th Action: Mrs. Susan Green

Once I had settled the rest of the situation, I would call Mrs. Susan Green in my Office to have
an in person conversation about how she handled the situation. The main goal of this
conversation would be to help her realize that in the future she will need to be more proactive in
dealing with the situation.
Some of the conversation points would be as follows:
Thank you so much for contacting me about the altercation that you observed in the parking lot
last night. I want to let you know that the situation has been handled.
We are very fortunate that neither student was harmed in the altercation. Knowing how much
you care for your students, what are some ways you think you could have been more proactive in
dealing with this situation last night?
Since you were an eyewitness to the event, you could actually have been held liable if anything
had happened to either of the students, in the same manner that if you witness a car accident. I
know how much you care for your student and how important your career is to you, so I want to
help you and offer some advice on what to do if you ever witness something like this again.
I in no way expect you to solve the matter yourself. I do not want you to be harmed in any way.
I do not even expect you to stay at the scene, but you must notify the proper people immediately.
Frist, notify the police. Second, notify me, or the Assistant Campus Principal if I am
unavailable. Again, thank you so much for letting me know. Luckily, nobody was hurt and we
were able to deal with the matter in a way that will hopefully prevent further alterations from the
two students. Do you have any questions?
5th Action: Documentation
My final step would be to provide documentation on how Mrs. Susan Green handled the
situation, and then how it escalated and was dealt with just in case I need to reference at some
point in the future.
Item # 7 Email From Attendance Office

From: Marjorie Flanks, attendance clerk
Since the beginning of the school year, the following students have been tardy on three different
occasions:
Jose Amada
Maria Soler
Roberto Adalante
James Christoferson
In each instance, the students were late more than 30 minutes. What should I do about these
chronic latecomers?
Priority Number: 18
Precedence: Solving this problem will not solve any of my current problems.
Urgency: There is nothing depending on the solving of this issue, but it does need to be dealt
with eventually to prevent it from reoccurring continuously.
Growth: This problem is worsening, which is why the Campus Secretary has sent me their
names.
Seriousness: This affects our goal of having excellent student attendance, which can also impact
our funding.
1st Action: Reply to Attendance Clerk

I would try to delegate some of my leadership tasks in this particular situation by sending the
following reply with the Campus Secretary and Assistant Principal carbon copied to the email.
Majorie Flanks,
Thank you for bringing this issue to my attention. One of our main goals to be a campus of
excellent standards and status is to have a high attendance rate from our students. We will move
forward with these students in the following manner.
Campus Secretary, please flag these four students. Next time any of them arrive even a minute
late, please send them directly to the Assistant Principal or my Office. Once they are in our
Office we will call their parents and given the specific scenario, possibly give them an after
school detention to make up for the time they have missed due to their tardiness.
Campus Secretary, please send each of these students a letter home with a warning stating that
any further late arrivals could result in an after school detention.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
Item # 8 Email From Superintendent

To: Principals
From: The Office of the Superintendent
1
Employee evaluation-target dates for completion
Collect relevant data
Meet to write and discuss objectives
Develop strategies and assessment methods
Identify resources staff member needs
Discuss with people to whom objectives apply
Begin to implement strategies
First assessment of temporary and probationary

employees' performance*
Assessment of performance of permanent employees who

were given an unsatisfactory overall evaluation the
previous year
10-15
11-1
12-21
Second assessment of temporary and probationary employees'

performance*
a
Third assessment of temporary and probationary

employees' performance*
Notification of intent not to rehire or to dismiss
3-15
5-1
Complete "Summary Form for Evaluation of Performance" and

plan tentative objectives for next year.
*Applies only to probationary and temporary employees.

Note: Teachers with the highest rating are evaluated every other year; if you need
to know which teachers are scheduled this year, please contact the Director of
Personnel.
Meeting dates for Leadership Team Meetings (held 9 to noon in Board Room at the
Central Office):
10-16
2-5
10-30
2-19
11-13
3-5
11-27
3-19
12-11
4-9
1-8
4-23
1-22
5-14
Priority Number: 13
Precedence: This is not an issue necessarily, but it is something that I definitely need to be
aware of as I move forward scheduling events for the campus and my day-to-day activities.
Urgency: This is not very pressing, but should be on my calendar at least before the first date
comes up.
Growth: I would consider this growth to be improving as items on my calendar are become
clearer and more apparent.
Seriousness: This affects my goal to be a well organized and managed leader for my campus.
Personally, I would hold this goal to a very high standard and regard.
1st Action: Forward Email to Campus Secretary and Assistant Principal

Campus Secretary,
Attached from the Superintendent you will find the dates for Leadership Team Meetings that I
need to attend from 9 noon in the Board Room at the Central Office. Please put these on my
calendar in Outlook and schedule a reminder the day before each one. Thank you so much for
your help I could not do it without you!
Assistant Principal,
Please take note of the schedule that the Superintendent sent me for evaluations. We need to
meet to discuss how we would like to organize the evaluations. Would you be free tomorrow for
a lunch meeting? Food is on me!
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
2nd Action: Forward Original Email to Staff

All,
Please take note of the Employee Evaluation Target-Dates sent from the Superintendent. I
wanted to give you all a heads up. Please do not worry or be anxious about this. You are all
excellent teachers, and if you just keep doing what you have been doing, then there is no doubt in
my mind that you will be very successful!
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns and keep up the good work!
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
Item # 9 Email From Superintendent

From: R. Russell, Superintendent
As you know, the district has been having numerous problems with its transportation system for
students. The costs are excessive, the wait time for students before and after school is inordinate,
buses are often late, and many students face a long ride to and from school. We have received
more complaints about transportation than anything else this year. The Board and I decided to
hire a management consultant to look at our system and to make recommendations for improving
the situation.
Based on the report from the consultant, we have decided to make a number of changes to reduce
the problems I've noted. one of these changes that impacts your school. Beginning next semester,
your school will begin 25 minutes earlier (7:45 instead of 8:10) and end 25 minutes earlier (2:30
instead of 2:55). Please do what is necessary on your campus to implement this decision. The
Board and I expect this decision to be implemented with a minimum of disruptions.
Priority Number: 15
Precedence: This problem needs to be solved before specific timing on events can be planned
for the spring semester.
Urgency: This item is low in urgency compared to the other items due to the fact that it does not
need to be fully initiated until the spring semester.
Growth: This item is originally created with the intent to solve an issue on transportation. With
proper planning, this item should definitely be considered improving.
Seriousness: This item is very serious and important due to the fact that it affects every aspect of
the campus function and everyone that interacts with the campus.
1st Action: Email Staff

All,
As you will see from the attached email from the Superintendent, we will have a different start
and end time come the spring semester. I am very excited about this opportunity to try an
innovative approach at solving some issues. I think this is going to be a great initiative as we
move forward to becoming one of the greatest campuses in the district!
I will be creating a committee to help us transition and prepare for this change. The committee
will consist of the Assistant Principal, the Campus Secretary, a few Team Leaders, and myself.
You will be notified by the end of the week if you have been selected to serve on the Committee.
You will also be given a schedule of the meeting times and objectives.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
2nd Action: Committee Agenda
Objective: To thoroughly plan and prepare to transition to a new start and end time for the school
day during the spring semester. We will discuss all areas that need to be covered, and then we
will delegate specific tasks amongst members.
Internal Publics Notifications to Consider:
Campus Email to ALL Staff, Students, and Parents
Letter Sent Home to ALL Staff, Students, and Parents
Letter Mailed Home to ALL Staff, Students, and Parents
Campus Calendar Update
Remind Text Messaging
Campus Newsletter
Campus Marquee Sign
External Publics Notifications to Consider:
Local Newspaper
Local Radio Stations
Local News Station
Operational Adjustments to Consider:

Transportation Services
Food Services
Custodial Services
Staff Work Time Adjustments
Campus Schedule Adjustments
o Bell Schedule
o Thermostat Schedule
Please come prepared to discuss the best method of accomplishing these tasks and think of any
others items that may need to be addressed. I am looking forward to having an awesome
committee as we move forward with this initiative!
Please contact me with any further questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328

From: Rebecca Gould
I'm enrolled for a course at State College this semester. The time the class meets has been
changed because of the change of the instructor. The only time the new instructor is available is
from 3:15-5:15, Tuesdays and Thursdays. This means that I will need to leave school promptly at
2:55 on those two days for the next two months. Is it okay if I leave early on those two days
starting next week?
Priority Number: 7
Priority Label: High Urgency / Low Importance
Precedence: This problem is not currently tied to any of my others items.
Urgency: This teacher will need a response in a timely manner in order to plan accordingly.
Growth: This has the potential of creating other issues, but if it is handled correctly it will
prevent any further issues.
Seriousness: Allowing the teacher to continue on in the course will serve our goal as educators
to be lifelong learners and to continuously learn, grow, and professionally develop ourselves.
1st Action: Reply to Email

Rebecca Gould,
I am thrilled to learn that you are enrolled in a college course. It makes me very happy to hear
when teachers are working on our goal as educators to be lifelong learners, and to continuously
learn, grow, and professionally develop ourselves. I do not want to stand in the way of that at all
if I can help it.
Exactly what duties will you need to miss out on in order to make this work? Please find a team
member of yours that is willing to cover these duties for you. Please send me an email, with this
team member carbon copied, letting me know what duties you will be missing, who will be
covering it, and what the timeline for this arrangement will be. Please have the email sent by the
end of this week.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
Item # 11- Email From Assistant Principal

You asked me to remind you to schedule a meeting of the Instructional Leadership Team to
review this years progress on the Campus Improvement Plan. Do you have a date in mind? Do
you want me to develop the agenda and notify the members?
Priority Number: 20
Precedence: This item currently will not help me solve any of the other items.
Urgency: This item is not urgent as it is simply to review this years performance in order to
enhance next years performance.
Growth: This item is currently stabilized and has the potential to improve.
Seriousness: Our goal of having a successful Campus Improvement Plan is not threatened b y
this item yet.
1st Action: Reply to Email
Thank you so much for remind me about this. Honestly, it has completely slipped my mind.
I am afraid that if I keep it on my to do list, then it will end up being pushed even further beyond
on the back burner. Do you mind taking the lead on this? I would absolutely love for you to
develop an agenda and notify the members. I have attached last years meetings agenda as well
as this years Campus Improvement Plan to further assist you.
I do not currently have a specific date in mind, and will leave that up to you. Lets schedule
towards the end of the spring semester. Please keep in mind the schedule change that we will be
initiating in the spring semester. Please check the date and time with the Campus Secretary
before moving forward.
Thank you so much for this you are AWESOME!!!
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
Item # 12 Email from Superintendent

To: M. Smith
From: Richard Russell, Superintendent
Due to recent events, I think it is imperative that each school review its plan for emergencies as
well as the status of any needs for improving safety and security for your campus. Please
conduct within the next two weeks an informal safety audit and review of your schools Campus
Emergency Plan. Share with me any items or procedures you identify that need immediate
action, in your judgment. Please use any district resources you may need when conducting your
audit. Please send me a brief report of your findings by three weeks from today.
Priority Number: 14
Precedence: This item will help ensure that we have a safe campus, but it is an informal
assessment that does not need to be done for two weeks.
Urgency: The Superintendent requests that the assessment be completed within the next two
weeks. Most of the other items are held at a much higher urgency level than this one.
Growth: This item is currently stabilized for the moment, and will begin improvement as soon
as I start to work on it.
Seriousness: Addressing this item will help us meet our goal of providing a safe learning
environment for all of our students from a campus wide perspective.
1st Action: Conduct Informal Safety Audit
2nd Action: Review Campus Emergency Plan
3rd Action: Reply to Email

Superintendent,
I have completed an Informal Safety Audit and have reviewed our Campus Emergency Plan. My
notes are outlined below.
I believe it is time for us to install surveillance video throughout the campus. We recently
had a fight break out one evening in the parking lot, and having surveillance video the
next day would have provided a clear truth to the situation and would have expedited the
process of handling the situation.
The Alarm System has been very beneficial throughout this year, but it is not being fully
utilized when outside groups use the facilities because they cannot start the alarm when
they leave. I think we may need to look in to having a central security office for the
district that can take care of this for us in instances like this.
I am going to suggest that we add a mandatory lock down drill at least once a year that
takes place during a passing period. Our drills are typically very organized and take
place towards the beginning or end of a class, but this is not realistic to an actual
scenario. I want my staff and students to be prepared to go into lock down at the most
inconvenient of times.
I am looking forward to working with you and the other Campus Principals to enhance the safety
of our campuses. Please contact me with any further questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
Item # 13 Letter from Parent

To whom it may concern:
Please send the records of my daughter, Rebecca Cornish, to the Metro Academy, 1602 West 14th
Street in Fort Worth. We have decided to transfer her to a charter school where she can obtain a
better education.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Robert Cornish
NOTE ATTACHED FROM SECRETARY:
This is the fourth such request we have received this semester for a transfer to this particular
school. Something must be going on. This far exceeds anything I can recall receiving since
joining the staff.
Priority Number: 12
Precedence: If I solve this issue, then I may prevent further students from transferring from my
campus.
Urgency: This does compare to the other high urgency items, but it is very important that it gets
taken care of soon to prevent a bigger problem.
Growth: This item is currently getting worse.
Seriousness: This is a very important item as it pertains directly towards our goal of being one
of the greatest campuses in the district. It will be very important to find a solution to this.
1st Action: Call Parent

In this particular case I would call the parent so that it would come across as more personal than
an email or written letter. The objectives would be as follow:
Express my deepest regrets that they will be transferring schools
Ensure that the requested paperwork will be sent immediately
Inquire why the transfer was requested
2nd Action: Email Campus Secretary to Send Information
Campus Secretary,
Thank you for your attached note. I agree that it is quite alarming. I will definitely be looking in
to this.
Please go ahead and send the requested documents. Please let me know if you have any
questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
3rd Action: Delegate to Assistant Principal
As you will see from the forward email from the Campus Secretary, this is our fourth student to
transfer to this particular school. This is quite alarming. We want to make sure that we are
providing all of our students with the best education available in the area. Lets have lunch, on
me, at the end of next week. Does that work? I would like to share with you what I learned from
my conversation with this parent. Also will you please do some research on this to see why we
are losing these students? Please pull the names of the other three students, review their
schedules, teachers they have, peers they interact with, extra curricular activities, grades, and any
other factors that you think may be correlated.
Thank you in advance!
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
Item # 14 Text Message on Your Phone From Teacher

Mr. Smith, this is Mary Fletcher. I'm having car trouble and will probably be at least 45 minutes
late to school. Sorry, but there's nothing I can do about it.
Priority Number: 2
Precedence: Solving this problem will allow me to start solving some of the others problems
with more ease without additional ones coming up.
Urgency: This calls for immediate action so that students are not left alone unsupervised.
Growth: The difficulty is growing in this situation if nothing is done about it.
Seriousness: This is serious because it involves student safety. If this issue is not solved, then
students will be left alone without supervision.
Action 1: Discuss Situation With Assistant Principal
I would complete this action via conversation. The objective to the conversation would be to
have the Assistant Principal cover Mary Fletchers class until she arrives. I will also want to
make sure that the Assistant Principal does not feel disrespected by any means by this task.
Assistant Principal, I am really sorry to this to you. I know you are really busy, but is there any
way you can watch Mary Fletchers class until she arrives? She just texted me and will be
arriving late because she is having car trouble.
Action 2: Reply to Mary Fletcher
Assistant Principal has you covered!
Item # 15 Email From PTA President

Dear Mr. Smith:
I know this is short notice, but your predecessor had promised to give a talk to the PTA at our
next meeting on October 12, and I am hoping that you are willing to take his place. The topic is
"The Parent's Role in Helping Students to Build Self-Discipline," but if you don't feel
comfortable with that, maybe some related topic could be selected. I know the parents will all be
eager to meet you and hear your ideas. Please let me know as soon as possible.
Mrs. Trudy Spellman
PTA President
Priority Number: 10
Precedence: I will need to make a decision about this quickly to let the PTA President know
what they can plan on.
Urgency: This meeting is coming up soon, so this item will need to be dealt with before other
items of lower urgency.
Growth: This is adding to my plate, but I would say the growth is currently stable and
improving.
Seriousness: This is very serious because it directly impacts my goal to have positive
relationships with the parents involved with my campus.
1st Action: Reply to PTA President

PTA President,
Thank you for your email. I am greatly looking forward to the opportunity to meet the rest of the
parents.
I would be more than happy to discuss "The Parent's Role in Helping Students to Build SelfDiscipline," like you all had planned on. I will review some notes and will have the presentation
prepared.
Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I am so looking forward to
the meeting!
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
Reasoning:
I feel like covering this topic would be like second nature to any Principal, and will give an
excellent opportunity to express some ideas. I will need to make sure I have done my homework
by talking with some of the staff that I am more comfortable with about what types of parents are
on the PTA and who my audience really is. I also need to be sure not to address anything to
heavy in this initial meeting, but will instead keep it very positive and focused on student
success.

Mr. Smith, I don't normally complain about anything but I am getting sick and tired of putting up
with the noise and fooling around that goes on in Janet Webster's class. As you know, her
classroom is next door to mine, and she had discipline problems last year. But because she was
new, I didn't say anything to her or to anyone else. This year---even with different students---it is
all starting in again, however, and I have concluded that she just doesn't know how to handle
kids. I have mentioned the noise to her a couple of times already this year, but it doesn't seem to
have any lasting effect. I request that you stop in and get this situation squared away before
something major erupts. It has already had a negative effect on my own class.
Rocky Bell
Priority Number: 11
Precedence: Solving this problem will not help me solve any of my other problems, but it will
allow Rocky Bell a better opportunity to teach his kids.
Urgency: This item is not as high of urgency as the other items since nobody is getting hurt and
since it is an ongoing issue, but it should definitely be addressed at the nearest convenience.
Growth: This issue seems to be worsening from the perspective of the staff.
Seriousness: This is a serious item of high importance because it affects our goal of providing
high quality education to all of our students.
Action 1: Reply to Email
Rock Bell,
Thank you for sharing your concerns with me. Providing our students with a high quality
education is one of my main priorities with running a successful campus. I will look into this
and try to find a solution to the issue.
Please let me know if any other questions, concerns, or if the issue persists.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
Action 2: Observe and Discuss with Janet Webster

I would first want to visit her classroom to see if I can pick up any signs of what the teacher may
be referring to. I will pay special attention to classroom management. I will document the
teachers email. Based on what I see when I observe her, I may make some of the following
suggestions to him or requirements through a memoranda:
Peer Observations
Specific Professional Development Courses
Book Study
Additional Follow Up Observations

Mr. Smith Could you please come by my 4th period class when you are back at school? I want
to brag on my students for their outstanding efforts and achievement. I think you will be
amazed, as I was, at what they have been able to create using the ipads the school has provided.
M. Jones
Priority Number: 8
Priority Label: High Urgency / Low Importance
Precedence: This item will not in any way help me solve any of my other problems, but will
actually in fact make it more difficult.
Urgency: Due to the fact that I was asked to do this with very little notice, it should be
considered high urgency.
Growth: This will provide an opportunity for student growth and recognition. It is improving.
Seriousness: This item is not necessarily serious, but it is important to maintain a goal of having
a healthy and positive relationship with students and staff.
Action: Be Present During 4th Period
I would immediately set an alarm in my phone to go to the classroom during 4th period. It is
important that I maintain a good relationship with the staff. It is also important the students
receive positive recognition for their hard work, and that they understand the importance of
utilizing technology in education by my presence.
Depending on the specific situation and teacher, and given other circumstances, I may pull the
teacher aside and tell them how great of a job they did, but then also suggest that in the future
they give me more notice. This would depend on how good of a relationship we have for this
initial situation.
Item # 18 Note From Custodian

Mr. Smith:
It looks like we got a problem already this year with drugs. I found some things on the floor in
the boys locker room which somebody dropped that might be drug related. I haven't told
anybody else about this except my wife which may have been a mistake. I don't know how you
want to handle it. I don't have any idea about who may have had the stuff.
Lew Armstrong, Custodian
Priority Number: 4
Precedence: Given the state that the Custodian seems to be in from the sound of this email, I
would say this should get pretty good precedence.
Urgency: This item deals directly with the integrity and safety of the campus, and will result in
high urgency.
Growth: This item is rapidly worsening. It is especially worsening considering how troubled the
Custodian seems about it.
Seriousness: This is a very serious item as it impacts our goal of providing all students with a
safe learning environment. This is compromised with drugs.
Good Evening,
Please bring the items that you found as soon as you get to work tomorrow. You did exactly
what you were supposed to do. Do not worry about telling your wife about this; please keep this
between yourselves so that I am better able to find the source.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
Action 2: Send Items to Local Campus / District Security or Local Law Enforcement
Action 3: Speak With Boys Coach
Conversation Objectives:
Inform Coach of Situation
Ask if he Has any Suspects
Ask Coach to Speak with Students About Drug Use
If the drug problem persists then I would look into bringing in some presenters on the importance
of being drug-free and possibly having a week designated about drug-free education.
Item # 19 Email From Substitute Teacher

Mr. Smith, I wanted to let you know that when I substituted for Ken Clark on Friday, he didn't
leave any lesson plans. Also, he didn't answer his phone when I tried to reach him. Needless to
say, this made teaching his class very difficult. An inexperienced sub would have faced an
impossible situation! It would be unfortunate if this should occur again.
Jill Wolff
Priority Number: 17
Precedence: Solving this problem will not help me solve any of my other current problems, but
it will possibly prevent further frustration from substitute teachers.
Urgency: This item has low urgency since it is a complaint that is not tied to student safety.
Growth: From the Substitutes perspective, this problem is worsening.
Seriousness: This item does not seem to be too serious compared to the other items.
Jill Wolff,
I apologize for the negative experience you recently had as a result to the lack of lesson plans
you received. I want you to know that this is not how our campus operates. Proper preparation
for substitute teachers is an imperative aspect of providing our students with a high quality
education. I will make a great effort to see to it that this does not happen again.
Thank you for continuing to serve our campus!
Brandon Fisher
Campus Principal
(903) 462 7328
Action 2: Have a Conversation With Ken Clark

I would want to have this conversation in person to maintain respect and to be more personable
with Ken. I think he will be more receptive in this manner. The main objective for this
conversation will be to make sure Ken Clark is clear on his expectations when he has a substitute
teacher.
Hi, Ken! How are you doing?
Did you have a great weekend?
I want to speak with you about some concerns I had with the lesson plans that you left for your
substitute this past Friday. Your substitute said that you did not leave any lesson plans, and that
you were not reachable at all on Friday. Is this true?
*Give him a chance to respond to this is really important in order to maintain a level of trust.
I just want to remind you that it is expected that everyone leaves adequate lesson plans for their
substitutes to ensure that our students are dealing learning at a high quality level. It would be
very beneficial if you were available for any questions or concerns as well.
You have always been so great at preparing your own lesson plans. How do you think you can
move forward and better prepare substitutes to cover your class in the future?
*I would want to end our conversation on a very positive note.
3rd Action: Documentation
Print off any necessary proof from the Facebook posts and provide specific non-judgmental
documentation of the Conference.
Item # 20 Text Message From Secretary

Please come quickly. Two students are fighting near the gym.
Priority Number: 1
Precedence: This takes immediate precedence because I will not be able to solve any other
issues while this emergency is taking place.
Urgency: This is the highest level of urgency because it involves student safety.
Growth: This item is rapidly worsening.
Seriousness: This is a very serious item because it affects our main goal and priority of
providing our staff and students with a safe learning environment.
Action 1: Contact Security / Law Enforcement WHILE Moving Towards Area
I would immediately grab my cell phone and start moving towards the area of the fight. While
on the move I would contact local security for the campus or law enforcement.
Action 2: Separate Students
Using proper methods taught by the district for disaster scenarios, I would physically separate
the students. Hopefully I would have the help of the Assistant Principal or a Coach.
Action 3: Discussion With Students
I would sit with the students in my Office once they were calm, and facilitate a conversation on
what started the altercation.
It is not like you two to be fighting. In your opinion, what caused this?
In order to maintain a safe campus, how do you think we could prevent this from happening in
the future?
If you were in my shoes, what would you make your punishment be?
Action 4: Contact Each Students Parent

The best method of communicating this to the students parents would be by phone call.
The phone conversation would go as follows:
Hi ___________, this is Mr. Fisher the Campus Principal, how are you today?
Thats good to hear. Well, first I wanted to let you know that your child is not hurt (assuming),
sick, or anything like that. I know that can be the first thing that comes to mind sometimes when
you receive a random phone call from the school. Unfortunately, your child was just in an
altercation with another student. Your child is going to have to face the consequences according
to the Campus Student Code of Conduct. I will be assigning him 4 weeks of In School
Suspension at the Alternative Education Campus. Would you like to speak with your child?
I have already explained this to your child as well. All of his work will be sent to the
Alternative Education Campus. There is a separate bus that will run to that campus. If you need
assistance with transportation, please call the Transportation Department and we can make
arrangements. If your child stays on good behavior for the next 6 week and successfully
completes all assigned work, then they will be allowed to return to school like normal. I am
sending home a letter that explains all of the again and the reasoning behind his suspension.
Please sign it and present it to the Alternative Education Campus Principal tomorrow. Do you
have any questions or concerns for me?
Time Management Work of the Principal
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Principals In-Basket Activity

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Sunday, July 10, 2016

Principals In-Basket Activity

Item # 1 - Email From Teacher

Principals In-Basket Activity

1st Action: Respond to James Wares Email

Principals In-Basket Activity

Principals In-Basket Activity

Item # 2 Email From Teacher

Principals In-Basket Activity

1st Action: Respond to J. Spellman

Principals In-Basket Activity

Principals In-Basket Activity

Item #3 Letter From Outside Group

Principals In-Basket Activity

Principals In-Basket Activity

Item # 4 Email From Teacher

Principals In-Basket Activity

1st Action: Reply to Initial Email

Principals In-Basket Activity

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Item # 5 Email From Parent

Principals In-Basket Activity

1st Action: Respond to Parent Email and Carbon Copy Counselor

Principals In-Basket Activity

Item # 6 Email From Teacher

Principals In-Basket Activity

2nd Action: Reprimand Juan Garcia and James Albenson

Principals In-Basket Activity

4th Action: Mrs. Susan Green

Principals In-Basket Activity

Item # 7 Email From Attendance Office

Principals In-Basket Activity

1st Action: Reply to Attendance Clerk

Principals In-Basket Activity

Item # 8 Email From Superintendent

Employee evaluation-target dates for completion

Collect relevant data

Meet to write and discuss objectives

Develop strategies and assessment methods

Identify resources staff member needs

Discuss with people to whom objectives apply

Begin to implement strategies

First assessment of temporary and probationary

Assessment of performance of permanent employees who

Second assessment of temporary and probationary employees'

Third assessment of temporary and probationary

Notification of intent not to rehire or to dismiss

Complete "Summary Form for Evaluation of Performance" and

Principals In-Basket Activity

*Applies only to probationary and temporary employees.

Principals In-Basket Activity

1st Action: Forward Email to Campus Secretary and Assistant Principal

2nd Action: Forward Original Email to Staff

Principals In-Basket Activity

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Item # 9 Email From Superintendent

Principals In-Basket Activity

1st Action: Email Staff

Principals In-Basket Activity

Operational Adjustments to Consider:

Principals In-Basket Activity