CHS PRINCIPAL IS THE REAL DEAL!

Columbia High School principal Elizabeth Aaron may look like Tina Fey, by her own admission, but her oversight of the school is anything but comical.

Aaron, who has been in the job for just a few months, has been thrown into the deep end of the pool with an alleged teacher sex scandal, weapons-related lockdown and an incident at a recent football game of unacceptable behavior by some students that prompted her to give those involved a public thrashing via email.

But those bumps in the road have not taken away from an administration that is getting high marks from parents, teachers and others for strict discipline, excitement about learNing and a hands-on approach that has long-time critics of the 1,900-student school taking another look. And they are giving Aaron -- a Maplewood resident and graduate of nearby Summit High School -- and Columbia deserved praise.

If anything, Aaron and her staff have shown they can weather the hits and come out stronger than ever, showing the school as a whole is on the march.

Her drive and educational abilities were on dispaly at Wednesday night's CHS preview night for incoming ninth graders. (Full disclosure: I was there as a parent with my 13-year-old, who will attend Columbia next Fall.)

Aaron managed to weave critical information about the school -- ranging from lunch schedules to innovative club activities to academic requirements -- with fun examples of student talent and video creations that painted a picture of a hard-working, but excited and involved student body.

But she was firm about two things: discipline and hard work.

Aaron stressed to all in the auditorium that "high school matters," and put them on notice that they are expected to do well, but also will be given all the help needed to succeed.

And if any students - or parents - thought they could get away with misbehaving, her sharp rebuke of some teens in the audience who were acting up put such notions to rest.

When we spoke to Aaron in September after the first day on the job, she told us her approach was "hiring really smart people, making their jobs as easy as you can make them and making sure your processes are tight and efficient so teachers can spend time teaching and students can spend time learning." 

That seems to be the case.

As Tina Fey wrote in her book, Bossypants, "In most cases, being a good boss means hiring talented people and getting out of their way."

Hmm, maybe Aaron and Fey have more in common than we thought. 

But in Aaron's case, she is leading the way.