How is that for a title? It feels a bit like my effort at click bait.
Promotions are very different in education than many sectors. It is strange when I hear people say that someone got “promoted from teacher to vice-principal”. Teaching and administration in education are such different jobs, it is not as though you are the best teacher and then become the vice-principal. When speaking to perspective vice-principals I talk about the multiple paths for leadership in education. For some, it is the route of school administration, for some it is growing and expanding influence as a classroom teacher, and for others it is moving into the realm of union professional development or staff rep and advancing in the union leadership. And all are amazingly important and influential – and at times people crossover between them.
Over my 25 years I have had a chance to see a lot of excellent school principals, and a lot of great teachers’ union presidents (and staff reps) and they share many qualities. Some of the best union reps I have seen have later become great administrators. And in education, leadership is leadership – so here are some qualities that I have seen true for both groups:
They are good teachers – If I could only know one thing about someone before they were to become a principal or a union president, I would want to know what kind of teacher they are in the classroom. Now, not all good (or great) teachers excel as union leaders or school leaders, but if they have just been mediocre in the classroom, and haven’t lived the great power of being a difference maker for young people I don’t want them leading the profession.
They listen well – We all know those people in our lives who will let you speak, but they are not really listening, they are just waiting for their turn to talk. Leaders in education truly listen. And they need to do a lot of it. People turn to their union leaders and their principals most often when they have a challenge. And they usually don’t just want you to fix whatever is wrong, but to listen to what is going on.
They change – Our profession is forever changing and the leaders heading it must change too. Some of the skills that made a teacher great 25 years ago, are no longer relevant. We see changes in society, and we particularly see the influence of technology on our work and our students. And we see issues emerge. Nobody asked educational leaders about diversity or reconciliation even a decade ago, but this is now part of our daily work. And modeling this change and growth sets the tone for those who we work with.
They have a presence but it is not just about them – When it comes to principals, I can usually tell 2 minutes into an interview if they have the presence needed to be an educational leader. Like union leaders, they don’t need to fill the room with this personality, but they do need to be able to capture the room with their words, their manner and approach and their vision. And look for those using “we” instead of “I” statements, it is usually a sign of what drives them.
They work a lot invisible hours – The impetus for this post was really a text I got from our teachers’ union president – it was just after 9:00 PM last Wednesday – his closing line was “I’m available 24/7.” We were looking to support someone who was needing some assistance. It is not the type of thing that will go on a resume, or really that anyone will ever know – but he, like the other good ones, know it is not a clock-in and clock-out job. The same is true of the best principals. The best ones I know often work long hours, but act like they always have nothing but time. It is the magic of leadership – like the image of the duck calm on the water but swimming furiously below the surface.
They are always open to a deal – You don’t need to compromise values and principles to be open to deals. You have to be flexible. Principals cannot get dug-in on a position that they don’t allow themselves to move. And not everything is “the hill” on which to take a stand. Sometimes a deal in either role, gives someone else a win which might seem like giving in to the naïve, but it actually shows strength and sets you up better for next time.
They separate issues and people – We need to be able to talk about ideas, debate directions and let us think either of these things lead to us putting people into boxes as “good people” or “bad people”. In education we have different roles, and there is a need for a healthy tension – a healthy tension between union leaders and management, between principals and staff, parents or students. We don’t need to see the world the same way, but when we disagree – it doesn’t mean the others are bad people. It seems like politics, especially in the United States, struggles with this idea. We still largely have it intact but I admit that COVID has strained it at times.
They want to leave things better for the next person – How do you know if a principal was successful? Check-in on their school 10 years after they leave. I have seen principals be “a hero” with staff for how they spent money or supported initiatives, but then leave the school in financial ruins with dozens of “special deals” for favoured staff that could only be undone after a litany of hard feelings. While the good ones in leadership are always thinking about their time as being on a continuum, whether in the union office or the principal office. They want to do the best for students, staff and parents during their time, but they also want to be sure it is well set up for the next person who comes in. One piece of advice I give to those new in these jobs is to start the job thinking about how you will leave it when you are done – whether in one or ten years.
We need good leaders in all aspects of the school system. School communities, I argue, get the principals and union leaders they deserve. If there is a culture of learning in place, where people work together and keep students at the centre of decisions these are the people who aspire to leadership. I count myself lucky to work in a place like that right now.
cultureofyes.ca 