State and national proclamations have been created for the honorary dates, as public officials acknowledge the importance of principals to the schools they serve and the education community at large.
Illinois Principals Association (IPA) Executive Director Jason Leahy said, “As a former principal and having visited dozen of school throughout Illinois, the quality of a school’s learning environment and the ability of a school to do what is best for its students comes as a direct result of the leadership provided by the school’s principal and leadership team.”
Leahy continued, “Courageous leadership is essential to effectively education students and work to provide the resources and support they need to be successful in the 21st century. It is important that we recognize and encourage our schools’ leaders today and every day.”
IPA has provided some tips to assist with honorary efforts for school principals:
- Recognize principals at a school board meeting.
- Write a note of encouragement and thanks to principals.
- Decorate a hallway or office to show your appreciation.
- Print the principal’s name on souvenirs, such as t-shirts, bags, or coffee mugs say thank you for their work.
- Use social media to highlight the hard work principals do each and every day, and designate posts with the hashtag #ThankAPrincipal.