Great teachers matter-we all know that. But great principals matter nearly as much. When they lead a team of teacher-leaders in instructional excellence, student learning can soar. But then what? Can principals like these take their leadership to the next level and stay connected to teachers and students?
In An Excellent Principal for Every School: Transforming Schools into Leadership Machines, Public Impact co-directors Emily Ayscue Hassel and Bryan C. Hassel, share their fresh vision for how districts can reach dramatically more students with great principals, for much higher pay, within budget.
This report also describes the four essential characteristics Public Impact authors recommend for school systems to use to gain and keep excellent principals and leadership teams. They are as follows:
- Commitment.
Districts commit to reaching all students with great teaching and all teachers with great leadership. Pursuit of these goals drives school staffing and design decisions.
- Multi-Classroom Leaders.
Great teachers lead small teams covering one or more grades or subjects, and are accountable for teaching excellence, student outcomes, and teacher development.
- School-wide Team of Leaders.
Principals lead their multi-classroom leaders as a team of leaders to improve instruction and implement a culture of excellence school-wide.
- Multi-School Leadership.
Great principals extend their reach to small numbers of schools as “multi-school leaders” (MSLs) while developing principals, or principals-in-training, on the job.
To read more about these characteristics, see Public Impact’s Opportunity Culture report.
