ADL Staffers Become Principal for a Day

Date: October 20, 2009

The Southwest Region's Education Director Susan Shaw and Regional Director Martin B. Cominsky experienced a taste of what it's like to be a Houston Independent School District (HISD) Administrator when they took part in the HISD's Principal for a Day program.

Shaw was invited to shadow the principal of Grady Middle School, and Cominsky followed the principal of Johnston Middle School on October 16.  Throughout the course of their "day" as guest principal, they met with students, teachers, and other staff members on the campuses, and experienced many aspects of what school administrators face daily.

While Cominsky was at Johnston Middle School, the campus suffered a power outage, but classes continued.  "One of the things I learned," Cominsky said, "was the learning goes on even if the power's not there."

Some of the highlights of Cominsky's visit involved opportunities to congratulate everyone at Johnston for participating in the No Place for Hate® Campaign for the past nine years.   "I was able to congratulate students, teachers and other participants in the program over the school's public address system during morning announcements."  Cominsky also had a special No Place for Hate® appreciation breakfast for teachers, and gave every student at the school an activity guide and a No Place for Hate® pencil.  

"I was proud to make the commitment to be Principal for A Day of a School that has been committed to our No Place for Hate® Initiative since its inception in this region," Cominsky said. "I got to see its impact firsthand and learn how it was supported by teachers, administrators, and students."

Johnston is a magnet school for performing arts, and students will use their talents to try to inspire other HISD middle schools to participate in the No Place for Hate® campaign when they perform the musical I Am Called "Me" at this year's Beau and Abe Merfish No Place for Hate® Youth Summit November 17.   The musical is about a group of high school students who want to be in the "in" crowd, until they discover they're expected to bully and put others down.  They decide being in the "in" crowd is not as important as being true to their values.