As a school administrator you may cringe at the word "create" if you think of all the barriers, hoops, and politics that may be involved if you want to implement a new idea or, in fact, "create" almost anything. As well, the path from vision to implementation is often bumpy and sometimes it even requires detours. And yes, it can lead to a dead end. However, the creation we are discussing in this K-12 Focus Book is different. I'm Jim Burgett, the author of How to Create the Best Staff Possible: Building K-12 Excellence from Hire to Retire, and in my mind it is not negotiable, should not be considered an option, and is absolutely necessary for a school leader who wants a school of excellence that accomplishes the one universal vision for all schools: To provide the best educational opportunities possible, within the resources available. The key word here is best. And if we are honest with each other, the only way we can achieve excellence in the school setting is with an excellent staff. Promethean Boards, Swivl Bots, and an iPad for every student does not guarantee excellence. People are the source of excellence. You know it and I know it and yet at times I think we push aside this most effective aspect of education and settle for average. This book is about how you can "create" a staff that exudes excellence. In Part I, we will explore hiring practices, mentoring, the evaluation process, and setting expectations for all personnel. We will also see that "elimination" is a very important step toward developing the best staff possible. We will focus on how to replace weakness with strength and how patient, consistent, and focused leadership, on your part, is mandatory every step of the way. In Part II, we will look at ten leadership thoughts to help you create the best staff possible, and then keep them that way. "Building human capital may not get headlines, like opening a slew of new schools or completely redesigning a district's curriculum, but veterans of urban education reform say it is one of the key behind-the-scenes factors in determining if changes succeed or fail ..." says Carl Vogel. I like Carl's phrase "building human capital." Nothing is more important than the quality of people who compose our school systems. Notice that I didn't limit this to teachers or administrators. Every human being who works in a school system is fundamental to the success of that system. As you read the following I want you think of two very important facts. First, the process of producing a staff of excellent employees takes time, sometimes a very long time. Second, no one is excluded from the process. So, buckle up, this is going to be an exciting journey! ---------------------- Would you like to have a peak at the Table of Contents? TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Part I Hiring Applications The Interview Do Your Homework Before the Interview Plan the Interview Carefully Training Leadership Skills Evaluating Building Trust Building Camelot Cleaning House Remediate Toward Progress Four Improvement Steps Clarify the Purpose Communicate the Expectations Set Reasonable Goals Evaluate, Remediate, Terminate Time to Terminate! Can You Really Improve an Employee? The Law is Changing Part II 10 Leadership Tools to Build the Best Staff Possible Make a Personal Connection Keep Aware of Conditions Delegate Evaluate 24/7 Ask, Listen, Process Engage the 3-step Survey Be Innovative Be Visible Build a Team Be Honest. Caring, and Transparent If this piques your curiosity, join in. Or read my longer base book, from which How to Create the Best Staff Possible is an extended extract: The School Principal's Toolbook: Building the How-To Path to Excellence, also available as a paperback and ebook sold by Amazon Books. (Also available as a K-12 Focus Book is Rights and Responsibilities of School Principals.