As a maverick principal who stood firm against a bureaucracy trying to topple him, Thaddeus Lott made national news in the summer of 1991. Fueled by publicity that the hard-driving principal knew how to get results, the school grew that year by more than 250 children, many who just showed up at the schoolhouse door because they didn't know how to read and their former schools hadn't taught them. Strong principals, as Lott exemplifies, may be the single most important factor in determining the effectiveness of a school.
Parents are well-advised to take note of who they are and what they stand for.
Any successful school by anybody's measure, from either community or statistics or standards or accountability, can always be traced back to the principal. Principals hire the teachers, manage the budget, respond to community and parent concerns, and set the tone on everything from discipline to academic goals. Indeed, Lott has come to epitomize what schools can accomplish if their principals have the drive, the guts and the know-how to get the job done. In fact, Lott was so successful at Wesley that he has now been given three additional Acres Home-area neighborhood schools to manage. The secret to his success, he said, is to empower good teachers and give them the support and training they need to get results.