The October 16, 2008 Principal for a Day program has been rescheduled. It will be held on February 25, 2009.

WHAT IS PRINCIPAL FOR A DAY?
Principal for a Day is a project of the Dallas Independent School District that brings community leaders into schools across the district. The program is designed to:

	increase awareness and understanding among individuals in the private sector of the strengths and challenges of schools in the Dallas ISD
	demonstrate the private sector's commitment to ensuring a quality public education for all students, and
	form ongoing partnerships between individuals/businesses and Dallas ISD.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Business and civic leaders who wish to share their knowledge with school staff while learning more about our public schools can experience a normal school day in a Dallas school.

Previous participants in Dallas' Principal for a Day include Texas Senator Royce West; U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions; fashion designer Anthony Mark Hankins; and television personalities Clarice Tinsley, Gloria Campos, and Rene Syler. Program participants in other cities have included Bill Cosby, David Dinkins, Michael Douglas, the late John F. Kennedy Jr., Ed Koch, and Secretary of Education Richard Riley.

HOW DOES PRINCIPAL FOR A DAY WORK?
Principals for a Day are assigned to schools based on their interest and the desires expressed by a school. Principals for a Day should discuss their interests, expectations, and the day's agenda with the school’s principal. By communicating and coordinating a plan and schedule prior to the day of the program, the principal and his or her Principal for a Day ensure that the experience will be a good one for all.

On the day of the visit, the Principal for a Day spends time with the principal, faculty, and students sharing ideas and learning about the school's day-to-day operations. The guest principal might teach a class, meet with the student council, attend student performances, read to students, address a class assembly, or participate in other activities of choice.

At the end of the day, all guest principals convene with the superintendent of schools and discuss their experiences and potential commitments and plans for future involvement with their host school.

WHERE IS THE PRINCIPAL FOR A DAY ASSIGNED?
Principals for a Day are matched with an elementary, middle, or high school based on the participant's areas of expertise and interests and the school's needs.