Mishler To Participate In Principals Institute
School principals, especially those less experienced, encounter situations for which they have no immediate answers. It is of great value to them to know another principal, whether local or elsewhere in the state, has dealt with a similar situation before and can offer helpful advice and suggestions.
Making statewide connections and building relationships and friendships with other principals are among the reasons why Susan Mishler, second year principal of Wawasee Middle School, applied for and was accepted into the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute, a two-year program offered for Indiana principals through Indiana State University.
The brochure definition of the institute says it is designed to address the professional needs of Indiana principals with an emphasis on student success. Mishler added it also helps principals take their schools to the next level.
She was accepted into what is termed as the “cohort three” group, likely meaning it will be the third group to go through the institute since it was resurrected after being dormant for a few years. It was previously known by a different name. Mishler and other principals from the local or regional area will be paired with a mentor who has gone through the institute already.
IPLI will kick off with a two-day summer seminar tentatively scheduled for July 14-15 at ISU. There will be regional monthly meetings and other seminars throughout the next two years until the cohort group is scheduled to finish the institute April 2017. Principals will also have access to resources to support their needs.
Mishler knew other principals from the local area who had gone through the institute and after talking with them, she felt it would benefit her, and in turn help her school and also to more effectively speak on behalf of her teachers when needed. She said having access to resources is of major importance and knowing where to go and who to contact. She hopes to connect with other principals throughout Indiana. “We’re all in the same boat when it comes to accountability,” she said.
There was another incentive for her to attend IPLI and that was furthering her education. “I was interested in a educational specialist degree and this (institute) will help with that,” she said. IPLI participants can earn credits toward the Ed.S degree. This degree is the next educational step for her after earning a master’s in school administration.
“I just felt it was the right time for me to do this,” Mishler said in reference to IPLI. Before coming to WMS, she served as an assistant principal at Goshen Middle School and prior to that, was an assistant principal at East Noble High School.