ABSTRACT
Cathy Sakai was on her way to her first staff meeting at the school where she had just been appointed principal. New job, new school and new district – she was nervous, excited and eager to get to work. She had carefully studied
the school growth plan and noted that literacy had been the focus for several years. She hadn’t been able to find much evidence from the school plan that results were improving and she believed that her strong background as a literacy helping teacher would be a real asset. As she walked from the parking lot, she noticed the litter blowing around the entrance, the dilapidated picnic tables and the large sign instructing visitors to report directly to the office.
