How does my work as a principal make a difference? More to the point, how can I distinguish between actions and practices that make a meaningful difference, and those that don’t?

Greater equity in society
comes from
A better educated public
which comes from
A more effective educational system
which comes from
More effective schools
which come from
Consistently high-quality instruction
which comes from
High expectations and mutual accountability
which comes from
Professional development and principal expectations
which are my core responsibility.

Each step in this chain is of course much more complex, and there are always multiple sources of influence, but this is a helpful way for me to refocus my efforts on actions that will make a difference.