In response to the 10/27/2010 post, “A Reader Writes… Poisonous Staff – Part 1,” an assistant principal writes: It sounds as though your Principal might be under as much stress as you are. The comment, “This is what you will do,” sounds as though your Principal has never done what you are being asked to do. If he or she had, then the response might be more along the lines of, “Here, this is how I did it,” or “Try doing it like this,” instead of just issuing commands. It sounds as though you might have to step up to the plate and help find a solution to the problem or at least be a part of the solution. SC Response Ouch. Insightful, but ouch. You just nailed a concept I have been talking about for quite a while now. What we ask teachers to do now has never been done previously in education. That’s right, the good ol’ days just weren’t that good. That means that for teachers to improve, leadership has to improve. We must do a better job of identifying tools for our teachers, providing training for our teachers, providing implementation coaching for our teachers and working with them to identify both performance hindrances and potential solutions. If all leadership is able to provide to you with is “work harder, work faster, and work longer,” do yourself a favor and find a new leader. Think. Work. Achieve.Your turn…