IMAGINE: the best schools in the world for every student in Delaware.

Principal for a Day

Principal for a Day helps bridge the divide between the boardroom and the classroom. Launched in 1993 by the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, Principal for a Day brings together business leaders and school principals for a chance to learn from each other. This partnership aims to help Delaware schools meet the needs of Delaware employers.

This year, over 150 elementary, middle, and high schools will participate in Principal for a Day. During the week of October 22, these schools will open their doors to business leaders from around the state and offer them first-hand experience in running a Delaware school.

How does it work?

• Principal for a Day began with 23 participants. Today, a majority of the state's 200 public schools in the state participate in the program. Each spring the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce invites all of the state's public, private, and charter schools to host a guest "principal," and then coordinates the experience with interested business leaders. In each partnership, both the business leader and the school principal are given guidelines to help frame their interaction. School leaders are encouraged to make the experience as informative as possible for the business leaders by including them in meetings with teachers and students and sharing with them the many challenges related to operations and facility management in the school, as well as juggling the needs of staff, the school district, and the state.

What are the results?

• Through this experience, schools and businesses have found many ways of partnering to meet the needs of schools and students. They have formed mentoring programs that bring together students and employees from local businesses, and created partnerships to help schools attain resources for libraries, after-school programs, and parent involvement activities. More broadly, this program has helped raise awareness in the business community about the challenges that our schools face in educating all students. This awareness has spurred many conversations and investments on part of the business community, including initiatives like Vision 2015.
  
  
• Donna Mitchell, Principal of Middletown High School, sees the great value of the program. "Working with a business partner even for just one day strengthens the commitment to close the gap between what we do in the school and what the business community expects from their future work force," she said. "Everyone who has visited our school has become a valuable business partner. It's kind of like winning the lottery!"
  
  

How does this relate to Vision 2015?

Vision 2015 recommends:

• Creating innovative partnerships between the business community and the education community.

Where can I learn more?

For more information or to participate, contact Janine G. Sorbello, Senior Vice President and Executive Director of The Partnership, Inc. at 302.576.6575

Principal for a Day website