chool and district leaders face a difficult balancing act when it comes to change. On one hand, leaders are expected to drive rapid and complete change, often with academic, enrollment, or other quantitative performance indicators as immediate benchmarks. On the other, bringing change too quickly or forcefully can overwhelm teachers and students, leaving leaders without anything to show for their efforts.
With short tenures being common in the role of superintendent as well as principal (each averaging less than five years in the role), it’s no wonder bringing about significant change is difficult, because by the time a leader has established enough credibility to try something new, it is nearly time to move on. It is for this reason that while the most successful change initiatives may start with top leadership, they must also include school leadership teams. These teams, made of teachers, coaches, and school administrators, increase context and credibility among staff, and often have a greater likelihood of sticking around for longer...
This article appeared originally on THE 74. Read the full article here.