A little while back I published a blog post questioning
if we need principals in schools. In the days and weeks that followed I
received a great deal of feedback on twitter, comments on the post and subsequent
follow up blog posts others wrote in response. I have reflected at great length
and still stand by my original question with a slight change…Do we need
principals/administrators in the way we use them today?
Based on the feedback and my own reflection I do think we
still need a leader in a building or at least a network of leaders in various
roles. I think it could play out in a few ways but here are some initial
thoughts on how we might change the current role of administrator to better
suit the needs of schools and students. Yet, all of this is built upon the
premise that a principal/administrator needs to be an instructional leader
within their building.
·
Get them into a classroom – I am not referring
to the fly-by drop in observations or the token waves from the hallway. I am
talking about them actually teaching in a classroom…with kids. This could be
done in a few different ways depending on level. If they are in a
departmentalized environment, they could pick up one class to teach each term. In
a primary level they could co-teach or pick up a section of a special. One of
the biggest complaints I hear about administrators is their complete lack of
connection with the classroom. Some have been out too long or have never really
been “in” a classroom because they jumped up the ranks so fast. Teachers
grumble at their decisions because they feel like they don’t know what they are
talking about.
·
Term limits on administrators – This is a pretty
simple concept but ties in nicely with the first point. Yes, there are some
administrators that have been in the “front office” for many years and are
still connected and in tune with the students and teachers. However, I think it
is safe to say that is not the norm. Rather, the longer they are out, the more
out of touch and distant they become as a natural consequence. I am not sure
what the magic number is, but I would think having a five year limit and then being
required to teach for two years before coming back might be a good place to
start. Lyn Hilt also outlined a similar concept in a comment she left on a
recent post by Jeff Delp. Personally, I
think this would elevate the instructional leadership potential within a
building and have dramatic results.
·
Hire a manager – Much of what pulls an
administrator away from being a true instructional leader in their building is
the managerial items they get bogged down in. Why not hire an administrator who
is simply in charge of the management piece? They do all the paperwork,
scheduling, meetings, etc. Then dedicate one administrator to being a true
instructional leader. As I mentioned in my previous post, I still think these
two jobs could be done by a small group of teacher leaders as well. However, if
we are going to work within the current system, then let’s shift some
responsibilities around to best use our administrators.
It may be way to simplistic but if we want our
administrators to be instructional leaders, which I think we do, then they can’t
sit idly by in an office. I don’t see any better way of doing this than getting
the metaphorical chalk back in hand and doing it in a classroom. As in my
initial post, I still am not seeing a compelling argument for a need for
administrators in their current roles. Yes, lots of people commented about them
being a buffer and an advocate, but is that what we need administrators to be?
If that’s the case then let’s call them managers and let the teachers do the
instructional leading…
In closing, let’s be clear about one thing, I am not
calling out all administrators and saying we need to get rid of them. However, I
am calling out the way in which we as school districts use them within our
schools. They have the potential to be so much more than paper chasers and
disciplinarians. If you look at the great administrators you will rarely find
them at a desk when the kids are in the building. Yet, they are burdened all night
with paperwork and management items. In addition, if these are the individuals
evaluating teacher effectiveness, how do we ensure they know that when they see
it? How can we restructure this to allow all administrators that chance of
being a true instructional leader?