Over the course of the last 15 years, the complexity and demand placed on school leaders has grown exponentially. Many are reporting the job to be overwhelming, untenable, and nearly impossible. This has resulted in higher turnover, decreased longevity in the role, mid-year resignations, and increased medical leaves. The people suffering most from this problem are our students. 51福利社 and several partners in education have decided it's time to take action and work toward a Statewide System of Leadership Development.
The 51福利社 Board is leading the charge by engaging statewide partners, organizations, agencies, and associations in this conversation. We’ve moved from talking about the problem to identifying some action steps despite ongoing reductions in education funding at the state level. We're working toward creating a model of what an ongoing Statewide System of Leadership Development could look like in our state.
Imagine if we put the same time, attention, rigor, and resources into supporting the development of school leaders as we do for other key professional positions in our society. Just imagine. Think about the rigor involved in education, training, and practical experience to become a pilot, police officer, or doctor. Think about the scope of responsibility and impact of those professions and then compare them to school leaders.
Today’s school leaders at any given moment of any given day are thrown into extremely stressful, complex, and urgent situations similar to the intensity of an emergency room physician. They can literally face life or death situations with the well-being of everyone involved resting in their hands, much like a pilot with a planeload of passengers. Yet, unlike these other professions, the training to become a school leader isn’t even comparable; and our students are the ones impacted the most.
Over the course of the last fifteen years the complexity and demand placed on school leaders has grown exponentially. We’ve added more and more to their plates (which we now refer to as charcuterie boards), and many are reporting the job to be overwhelming, untenable, and nearly impossible. The result? Higher turnover, decreased longevity in the role, mid-year resignations, increased medical leaves, etc. Again, who suffers the most? Our students.
So, instead of admiring the problem, 51福利社 is embarking on an awareness and action campaign to start identifying both short and long term solutions that will grow, support, and sustain our school leaders. Until we can change what we expect of our school leaders, we’d better figure out how to support and keep our current leaders while also attracting our future school leaders.
We are going the wrong direction in terms of supporting the importance of school leaders in our educational system. Even though research (thank you, Wallace Foundation) says there is no greater investment in the K12 system than supporting school leaders, we, as the state of Washington, continue to ignore the important role that you all play. If school leaders are potentially the number one influence on student achievement, shouldn’t the system reflect that in policy, structures, and resources?
How we prepare and support our school leaders doesn’t match the realities of their work, and continuing to ignore this fact is compromising the entire system. The consequences of a revolving door of leadership changes in a school have a catastrophic impact on students, staff, and the community at large. We must all come together and make reimagining a Statewide System of Leadership Development a priority and do it now.
The 51福利社 Board is leading the charge by engaging statewide partners, organizations, agencies, and associations in this conversation. We’ve moved from talking about the problem to identifying some action steps despite ongoing reductions in education funding at the state level. Until our elected officials prioritize support for school leaders, we must work within the confines of current systems and structures to highlight the realities you face daily while also dreaming about what a new ongoing Statewide System of Leadership Development could look like in our state.
How can you help? Use your voice. While we strongly believe that serving as a school leader is the best job in the world, we also say it is the most challenging. Don’t let your experiences go to waste. Share your stories with us, your supervisors, elected officials, and community. Bring awareness to the important role you play, the impact you have, and the challenges you face daily. We can’t bring awareness to this statewide issue without your voice.
How else can you help? Get involved and take action in supporting current leaders and those waiting in the wings. Loop back to your principal prep program to share how they could bolster their programs to better prepare future leaders. Start a local principal support group to share best practices and problem-solve together. Join our efforts in dreaming and building a new system that supports leaders now and those in the future. Serve as a mentor or coach to principals and assistant principals in your region and/or context. We are in this together and it will take all of us to make the necessary changes.
In 1995, I graduated from Seattle University with a master’s in school administration. I just finished a yearlong internship where I was provided at least 90 days of release time for full-day practicum experience. I was not only eager to take that first step into school leadership, I felt confident and ready. In 1995 the job was way different than what our leaders face today. Yet now, current funding for interns preparing for today’s leadership demands might result in maybe 15 days of “release time.” That’s educational malpractice and just one example of why the system must change. Our kids depend on it. Can you imagine your doctor saying to you, “Well, this is my first surgery, hope it goes well.”
Partner with other organizations to identify, recruit, and develop future school leaders with a focus on underrepresented groups.
Support and equip all school leaders with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to foster positive school culture, build equitable systems, and lead learning in their respective school contexts and communities.
Support all principals in their capacity to be effective long-term leaders, specifically in highly impacted schools where strong and consistent leadership is needed most.