The Day I Was Sent to the Principal's Office

Book excerpt: From the time he was a child, Steve Russo knew that he wanted to be an educator. It was his dream to be a teacher, to influence and shape young lives and minds, and he has lived that dream for twenty-eight years. As with many teachers, he didn't get into the field for money, but his rewards have been many and rich over his career. As an administrator, he encouraged his teachers to remember the daily opportunity to influence and inspire their students and to make those influences powerfully positive ones. It's a rule he tries to live by every day. He starts with the story of his first trip to the principal's office as a young student. In a deliciously ironic turn, he has returned to that same office this time, behind the desk, as the principal. Now he shares some of his favorite memories from a life lived as a public school administrator. These stories are not only a representation of his career in education but also a reflection of his life. All the stories are true, with no details exaggerated to enhance the stories because in the life of an administrator, fact can be more amusing than fiction.