Peninsula School Principal Office

Attendees: Dustin Bradshaw SDC, Allison Doolan Peninsula Principal

I sat down with Ms. Doolan to ask her questions about her duties as principal
of a small school of Kindergarten through eighth grade students. Ms. Doolan is a
first year administrator of the school of 31 students. She is not only the school
principal; she is also the schools superintendent and resource teacher. She spends
the first part of her day teaching resource and spends the rest of the day wearing
the hat of an administrator. She showed me her organization system that helps
keep her sane in doing her required duties. She is an instrument of change. She is
not a status quo administrator. She has established restorative practice techniques
which has helped her to not have to suspend students as much as was previously
done before her. She really leads by example. This is her leadership style. She has
had to get the other teachers on board of her new behavior techniques. She has
many veteran teachers that were used to doing things differently before she came
there. She has provided all of her employees with professional development on
Restorative practices and that has contributed to the programs success. 98 percent
of the students are on free and reduced lunch. This means most are of the low socio
economic level. Because of this, they qualify for the After School program Grant
(ASES). This allows students to participate in enrichment activities past school
hours. She states that she contracts with Northern Humboldt to do her budgeting.
She is aware of the money that is available to her. She is currently working on
renting out part of the school to Humboldt County office of Education to bring in
more resources for her school.