Home Grown School Leaders

The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics recently indicated that in the next 10 years a large percentage of current school administrators will retire. With this fact looming on the horizon, school districts are beginning to look for future administrators from within their own schools instead of looking outside the district. This brings to mind the conundrum, are leaders born or trained?

In my experience, I would say that its a combination of both. Intelligence, self confidence, an ability to listen to others, good written & oral skills and self direction are some of the basic ingredients of a good leader. There are some leadership skills that can be taught, but the basic instincts have to be present. While not every teacher is interested in school administration, leadership abilities are also an important component of good teaching. It's not difficult to identify teachers who could be future administrators, it just takes a little effort.

Clearly a love for the profession is a must. I have never hired an administrator who was fleeing the classroom. A good relationship with colleagues and a willingness to go the extra mile for the students are important. Once I've observed these traits I usually schedule an informal meeting with the teacher and ask if they have any interest in the area of school administration. If they show an interest I usually look for opportunities in the school organization to place them on a committee or give them some responsibility in planning an event. These trial runs give me the opportunity to see the potential school leader in action.

It's important to note that this process takes place over several years including the additional schooling required for certification as a school administrator. This process also requires the Principal to play a very active role in the training of the neophyte. Regular meetings with the budding administrator and a mentoring arrangement are a requirement for success. Not every teacher who starts the process will be recommended for an administrative post and this point is made clear from the beginning. There are no guarantees.

In my opinion the administrator who is selected in this manner has the greatest chance for success. To begin with they already know the culture and customs of your school. They are aware of who the informal and formal leaders are in your community. They are familiar with your style of leadership and have already decided that they can work well with you. They are knowledgeable of both the long and short range goals for your school and have already been involved in the process by virtue of your mentoring program.

Selecting a new administrator is increasingly becoming a more difficult process. The pool of potential applicants is shrinking. Taking a chance on someone who you may have only met in a series of interviews is difficult at best. Your chances of selecting a successful candidate for your administrative vacancies increase markedly when you have the benefit of selecting, training, and observing the individual over time.