Are you or someone you know interested in joining the PRN but are on the fence of applying? Here are some testimonials from previous and current PRN Aspiring and Mentor Principals on their experiences throughout the program.
In the Principal Residency Network: You go through an inside-outside journey
“At this point I have had and have witnessed many “A-ha!” moments which were as much about us as human beings as leaders. The exposure to all of these things along with deep reflection has led me to feel both empowered and helpless. At times I feel as though this is the right path for me, that I have what it takes to be a great leader and then I am humbled by my own reflections into how hard this actually is. It is not the tasks that are so challenging as it is the having to understand who we are deep inside, how we want to develop ourselves to transform the world around us into a better place.”
Benefits of a Learning by Doing, Individualized, Learning in Community Program
“The last few months in the Principal Residency Network (PRN) in my yearlong program has pushed me harder than any post-secondary program I have ever experienced. I believe I have learned more about myself as an educator of color and the role I serve as a school leader than I ever imagined myself learning coming into the program “
“When I see the CSG’s [Collaborative Small Group (a small supportive group of peers)] group text lighting up, I feel connected to the people, program, and work we are doing. Our work sessions together in the CSG have exploded my learning as we talk about the PRN related work but also bring our own experiences to the discussion.“
Challenging Process
“Ultimately, this has been one of the most challenging processes I’ve ever engaged in (given the chaotic nature of my early residency), however the experience is something I will not be able to trade, as this will be “peanuts” in comparison to some of the situations I will find myself in when I am a Principal.”
Authentic Individualized Learning Tools
“Learning Plan is not about “making sure” I complete all the areas. It’s about living the learning plan and it becoming a natural act, rather than forced for just experience sake.
The PRN as a program is stellar. The clear scaffolding, deliberate scope and sequence of the program, as well as the climate, culture, and support of CLEE, my advisor, CSG, and cohort has been a level of positivity that I couldn’t have imagined. The energy that radiates in the room at all cohort meetings, school visits, networking meetings, and institutes is always a breath of fresh air while navigating the many waves of the experience. The learning, metacognition, and assessment mechanisms put in place to use assessment as learning on multiple levels has transformed my own beliefs and practices as a classroom teacher, but most specifically and importantly as a developing leader.”
Being a Mentor Principal provides a tremendous professional learning experience for the mentor:
“As mentor I have learned how to allow myself to give up control and trust the work that my Aspiring Principal has completed and offers to do on a daily basis. My Aspiring Principal, in my opinion has profound knowledge and I have allowed her to enhance my own learning and that of our school. She has taught me to focus and have more confidence in my own abilities and to see the “other side” of the coin when making decisions that would directly impact personnel in the building. This experience with her has given me a newfound love for the profession and a renewed sense of faith in people. I have learned to be more patient with myself and others and feel she has taught me more about myself than other professional experience in the past.
The workshops that invite Mentors to participate allows for all the stakeholders to be involved in the process and progress of the cohort. “