Michael Cahill

The Schooling of a 21st Century Principal: Connections, Reflections, and Commentaries of an Unwitting School Leader Michael Cahill

The Schooling of a 21st Century Principal traces the author's journey to the principalship, a career goal nowhere to be found on his bucket list. He took the reins knowing his middle school faced some daunting tasks; however, he would soon discover that it was the extraordinary events, changes, and challenges of a new millennium that would present the greatest arc of learning on the job.

Michael Cahill led his building using a collaborative team approach, a style that sustained him in his first year during the dark days of 9/11 and throughout his school's exponential growth, evolving student needs, and radical reforms. Indeed, a reformation in education was underway in schools across the nation.

This compelling and unique memoir offers a personal and rare inside glimpse into the evolving and formidable roles and responsibilities principals face in a world of shifting social norms, rising expectations, demoralized teachers, technology dependence, cyberbullying, school shootings, and mounting student mental health distress.