This National Principals Month, Hempstead ISD is taking a closer look at the leaders who lead our campuses, from our youngest Bobcat learners to our soon-to-be graduates.
Every October, National Principals Month invites communities to pause and say thank you to the people who lead their schools. In Hempstead ISD, that thank you comes with a closer look. To understand what it truly means to be a Bobcat principal, the district is taking a behind-the-scenes look at a Day in the Life of Principals. We spent a full day on campus with the principals, following them from the first greeting of the morning to the last task of the day.
What we found was a job that has no single description. It is part instructional coach, part counselor, part event host, part problem-solver, and, on any given day, part cafeteria helper.
At Hempstead Middle School, Principal Erika Douglas leads from the middle of the action. Over the course of the day, she was advising students who needed someone they trusted to talk to, coaching and teaching staff, and even preparing game day concessions.
Through every moment of the day, the grit and the care she showed her students spoke volumes about the kind of leader she is. One who is steady when it counts and who makes sure students know an adult on campus is in their corner.
If you visit her campus, you will see her in the halls greeting students, checking in on her teachers to ensure they have what they need, building strong relationships with every action.
Game day at any high school is a long one for a principal, but Hempstead High School Principal LaKesha Morgan met it with energy from start to finish. She completed daily classroom walkthroughs, where she observed teaching staff, met with her leadership team, and then led her Principal Advisory Committee, where student voice is helping shape the culture of the high school.
Later in the day, she served as MC of the campuswide pep rally, where she led both students and staff in fun activities and got the students ready for game day. After a long day, she finally returned to her office to respond to emails and return phone calls. Lastly, she closed the night with Bobcat students and families on the sidelines, cheering on the Bobcat football team.
At the Hempstead Early Childhood Center, Principal Keri Houston’s day began by checking in on her teachers and observing instruction. She led her monthly Campus Improvement Plan committee meeting and spent much of her day in classrooms because in early childhood, learning is the foundation for everything that comes after.
She joined classroom instruction time and spent one-on-one time with students. She visited children working in activity stations, where there was play, reading, writing, and brain breaks. Throughout the day, she opened plenty of milk cartons, tied shoes, wiped noses, gave hugs, and reassured students when tears started to flow.
After a long day working with three- and four-year-olds, Ms. Houston took time to help her staff with car-rider duty and walked students out to their cars, greeting parents along the way
Across campuses, the details look different, but the common thread is clear. Our principals wear many hats. They reassure students in a hard moment. They make time to return phone calls to families who are looking for more information about their students. There is little sitting down, and no time for lunch.
What stood out most is the respect these leaders have earned. Students, staff, and families hold them in high regard, and it shows in how campuses feel when you walk the halls. Behind that respect is steady, daily work to keep every student in a safe learning environment, one where they can grow, be challenged, and be known.
This October, Hempstead ISD celebrates National Principals Month and the leaders who make sure our students receive the best education possible. To our principals, thank you for the long days, the open doors, and the care you bring to every Bobcat, every day.
Join us all month on social media as we celebrate our principals. Share your own thanks using #ThankABobcatPrincipal.