The Middle School Playbook

Middle school leadership is complex and deeply human. Drawing on his experience as a middle school principal, Chris Bennett provides a practical guide for principals navigating constant change. His approach helps leadership teams make thoughtful decisions—and encourages principals to create a school culture where students feel supported and engaged. Bennett’s guidance equips teams to foster steady growth and lasting impact at this critical stage.

New and veteran middle school leaders can use this book to:

• Create working schedules that facilitate school operations and maximize student learning
• Design support systems to guide students through transitions in their educational journeys
• Use extracurricular activities and mentoring relationships to promote student agency
• Build stronger leadership teams by collaborating on decisions and solutions
• Grow and sustain educator teams via improved hiring and professional development

Contents:
Introduction
Chapter 1: Designing Middle School Structures
Chapter 2: Building Bridges to, from, and within Middle School
Chapter 3: Developing and Fostering Student Agency in Middle School
Chapter 4: Using Collaborative Problem Solving and Data-Driven Decision Making in Middle School
Chapter 5: Hiring, Supporting, and Retaining Middle School Staff
Epilogue
References and Resources
Index