Jacob Sol

As a public-school principal, I am responsible for the exceptional delivery of educational services. Working in what is essentially a service-oriented profession, educational leaders manage, supervise and lead school employees as we deliver student success. By way of their roots as school teachers, principals traditionally concentrate on professional development activities that are focused on educational innovation and strategy specific to student development. Given time, the principal is expected to become expert in this area, often at the expense of the acquisition of knowledge, skill and ability in concepts of management and leadership.

Human resource management is a critically important area of my work and in recognizing that my expertise of this field was limited, I began to expand my professional development in this area. Before long, I recognized the impact that HRM study had on my work with school employees. By becoming better at working with the employment and learning needs of the professional and para-professional staff, the more efficient the entire operation became; transferring impressively to the student learning environment.

Personal professional development in this area fostered an interest in the CPHR designation. As a CPHR, learning resources and professional network opportunities extend my expertise and effectiveness as a leader of people. Additionally, the CPHR designation is widely recognizable and, even in the industry of education, employers appreciate the rigor and quality that the CPHR represents.

I often speak to colleagues about the value of study in human resource management and the positive impact this has on my overall practice. There are professionals in unique leadership roles where human resource support is not the core mandate of the operation and where access to such expertise is limited. Many, like myself, can benefit from the learning, recognition, and expanded opportunities for career advancement and diversification that I have enjoyed as a CPHR.

Jacob Sol, CPHR
District Principal
Surrey School District No 36