This guide for elementary principals will provide a fingertip resource that will offer principals a systematic approach to the managerial and instructional aspects of opening and closing a school. It provides specific comprehensive tools such as how to plan a strategic planning retreat timelines checklists agendas etc.

Barbara Skeeters and Susan Lumley bring a combined total of sixty-four years of experience in both elementary and secondary education. They have vast knowledge in school organization and improvement restructuring and redesign. With their ability to multitask and organize they have brought state and national recognition to the schools under their leadership.

Barbara Skeeters has thirty-six years in public education with seventeen of those years in administration. During her eleven-year tenure as principal of Scott Johnson Elementary in Huntsville Texas she brought national recognition to Scott Johnson by being on the cutting edge of school reform. Under her leadership Scott Johnson Elementary became a mentor school for the Accelerated School Project in association with Stanford University and a recognized school by the Texas Education Association. Former Governor Ann Richards named Scott Johnson Elementary a Gold Star School and state monies were awarded for serving as a model school in the Partnership School Initiative established by the Texas Commissioner of Education Dr. Lionel (Skip) Meno.

After a successful career as a campus administrator Barbara began teaching in the education department at Sam Houston State University mentoring first-year teachers in area schools and supervising student teachers.