Marble Falls High School principal off to Harvard this summer
MARBLE FALLS — Marble Falls High School Principal Eric Penrod is exchanging his purple and gold for Harvard University’s crimson and white this summer — but only for two weeks.
Penrod learned May 1 that Raise Your Hand Texas — a nonprofit education advocacy organization — selected him to attend a seminar June 26-July 5 at Harvard in Cambridge, Mass.
About 100 Texas principals are picked through a competitive process by RYHT to attend various seminars at Harvard, according to the nonprofit’s website.
"The program I was selected for is called Redesigning High Schools (for Improved Instruction) and features cutting edge information from the most profound minds in education today," Penrod said. "This program features education experts from Harvard and around the world."
The advocacy group foots the bill for the entire trip, which Penrod estimated costs about $15,000 for the two weeks.
"So the (Marble Falls Independent School District) benefits from it, but doesn’t have to spend a nickel," he said.
Though the title might make one think the topics revolve around rebuilding a high school, the program is actually more about encouraging leadership skills to support teachers and create "a powerful learning environment."
Penrod said the role of the high school principal has shifted from 10 years ago when the position focused on discipline to today’s emphasis on helping teachers improve the classroom experience for students.
"Instead of just passing on information to teachers, my job is about helping them use the information to transform the education experience," he said. "And it works in the classroom as well. Instead of a teacher just delivering the content, they become transformational leaders themselves and develop methods where a child who doesn’t want to come to school does acquire that desire for learning and school."
The process, he added, is a way of "helping our schools move beyond where we are right now and become more innovative."
The program is at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Penrod said one of his goals is to keep learning, and this is a perfect opportunity.
"I’m always looking for ways to improve myself both personally and professionally," he said. "I’m very excited about this program and what I will bring back from it."