Testimonials

Hiring, Retaining, and Developing Frontline Talent

What Principals and Assistant Principals Said Helped Them: (UCP Retention Coaching)
• Having regular check-ins and coaching sessions really helped me see things from a different perspective and not feel so isolated.
• The hiring checklist and stay interview questions gave me something concrete to work from, so I didn’t have to make it up as I went.
• Role-playing difficult conversations and getting feedback helped me feel more confident when I had to address issues with staff.
• Being present in classrooms every day and checking in with staff made a huge difference in morale and trust.
• Frequent check-ins with new hires, especially in the first 90 days, are critical. If you wait, it’s often too late.
• Being upfront about the challenges of the job, even the ‘gory details,’ helps filter out people who aren’t a good fit and saves everyone time.
• Learning to delegate and trust my team, instead of trying to do everything myself, made us stronger and less stressed.What Principals Said Helped Them
Regular Coaching and Peer Support
• Having regular check-ins and coaching sessions really helped me see things from a different perspective and not feel so isolated.
• Learning from other principals’ experiences and sharing what works at our campuses has been really valuable.
Structured Tools and Frameworks
• The hiring checklist and stay interview questions gave me something concrete to work from, so I didn’t have to make it up as I went.
• Using the dashboard to track stay interviews and exits made it easier to see where we needed to focus.
• Practical Training and Role-Playing
• Role-playing difficult conversations and getting feedback helped me feel more confident when I had to address issues with staff.
• The S-E-A method for feedback was a game changer for me—I finally had a way to be direct without being confrontational.
Leadership Visibility and Relationship Building
• Just being present in classrooms every day and checking in with staff made a huge difference in morale and trust.
• Building relationships first, before trying to change things, helped staff buy in to my vision.
Clear Communication and Transparency
• Being transparent about what I could and couldn’t change, and following through on small requests, helped build trust.
• Sharing data and being honest about our challenges made staff feel more included and respected.