Positive Relationship Building and Creating Unforgettable Moments - Adam Lane

The CharacterStrong Podcast

Today our guest is Adam Lane, Principal at Haines City HS, and the 2022 NASSP Florida Principal of the Year. We talk to Adam about how he has approached building awesome environments where students want to go to school and teachers want to come and teach. He also shares how he has shifted his mentality and created an alumni pipeline to help fill staffing needs.

Adam Lane has worked in K-12 public education since 1995. Fourteen of these years at the high school level, eight years at the middle school level and one year at the elementary level. In that time, he has held various positions, including, teacher, department head, athletic coach, athletic trainer, athletic director, assistant principal, International Baccalaureate coordinator and principal.

Currently, as principal at Haines City High School and Haines City International Baccalaureate, he serves a school with 3,000 students, 245 staff members and 6 assistant principals. The school includes an International Baccalaureate Program, a Junior Reserve Officer Training Core, The Environmental Agriculture & Technology Academy, The Academy of Media Production, The Academy of Children’s Educational Studies, The Visual Arts Pathway and The Performing Arts Pathway.

Over the last six years, discipline referrals have decreased by 40% and the graduation rate has increased by 21%. He believes the key to success is in utilizing decision making, relationship building and positive behavior to create an unforgettable experience, while improving staff effectiveness and raising student achievement!