Senate Passes Bipartisan Resolution Designating National Assistant Principals Week

(Washington, D.C.)  – Yesterday, Monday, March 31^st, 2014, a resolution introduced by U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA),  Roy Blunt (R-MO), Tim Johnson (D-SD), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), recognizing the week of March 31^st-April 4^th, 2014 as National Assistant Principals Week, passed the Senate by unanimous consent.

“I am proud to join my colleagues in the Senate in expressing our thanks to assistant principals across the country who work so hard every day for our students and schools,” Senator Murray said. “As a former pre-school teacher and school board member—but more importantly, as a mom—I know what a difference assistant principals make.”

Full text of the Resolution below:

Expressing support for the designation of the week of March 31 through April 4, 2014, as ‘‘National Assistant Principals Week’’.

Whereas the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the National Association of Elementary School Principals have designated the week of March 31 through April 4, 2014, as ‘‘National Assistant Principals Week’’;

Whereas an assistant principal, as a member of the school administration, interacts with many sectors of the school community, including support staff, instructional staff, students, and parents;

Whereas assistant principals are responsible for establishing a positive learning environment and building strong relationships between school and community;

Whereas assistant principals play a pivotal role in the instructional leadership of their schools by supervising student instruction, mentoring teachers, recognizing the achievements of staff, encouraging collaboration among staff, ensuring the implementation of best practices, monitoring student achievement and progress, facilitating and modeling data-driven decision-making to inform instruction, and guiding the direction of targeted intervention and school improvement;

Whereas the day-to-day logistical operations of schools require assistant principals to monitor and address facility needs, attendance, transportation issues, and scheduling challenges, as well as supervise extra- and co-curricular events;

Whereas assistant principals are entrusted with maintaining an inviting, safe, and orderly school environment that supports the growth and achievement of each and every student by nurturing positive peer relationships, recognizing student achievement, mediating conflicts, analyzing behavior patterns, providing interventions, and, when necessary, taking disciplinary actions;

Whereas since its establishment in 2004, the NASSP/Virco National Assistant Principal of the Year Program recognizes outstanding middle and high school assistant principals who demonstrate success in leadership, curriculum, and personalization; and

Whereas the week of March 31 through April 4, 2014, is an appropriate week to designate as National Assistant Principals Week: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) supports the designation of March 31 through April 4, 2014, as ‘‘National Assistant Principals Week’’;

(2) honors the contributions of assistant principals to the success of students in the United States; and

(3) encourages the people of the United States to observe National Assistant Principals Week with appropriate ceremonies and activities that promote awareness of the role played by assistant principals in school leadership and ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality education.