School & District Management Report Roundup

Study Examines Leadership Needs

By Lynn Olson — October 30, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A Mission of the Heart: Leaders in High Needs Schools Talk About What It Takes To Transform a School

Principals and superintendents from high-needs districts believe that higher salaries and signing bonuses could help entice higher-quality leaders into school administration, but few think that money alone will keep them there, a study concludes.

Produced by the New York City-based Public Agenda Foundation, the study draws on five focus groups with principals in urban districts and interviews with superintendents and other high-ranking education officials. All the principals held leadership positions in schools where more than half the students receive federally subsidized school meals.

Participants identified young teachers or vice principals already in the school as the best source of future leaders. Principals unanimously said the most important element in attracting and keeping top-notch talent is to provide the support needed to do their jobs. Nearly all complained about bureaucracy and paperwork.

The small-scale, exploratory study, funded by the New York City-based Wallace Foundation, was designed to capture what school leaders in high-needs schools say they do. It categorized most participants as either “transformers,” who had clear visions for their schools and focused squarely on working with teachers on academic problems, or “copers,” who were frequently overwhelmed by the demands placed on them.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the October 31, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata
Classroom Technology K-12 Essentials Forum Tech Is Everywhere. But Is It Making Schools Better?
Join us for a lively discussion about the ways that technology is being used to improve schools and how it is falling short.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Opinion When It Comes to Leadership, Self-Awareness Matters. Here's Why
One leader learned she had a habit of shutting down others' ideas instead of inspiring them. Here's how she changed.
Robin Shrum
6 min read
Picture1 6.19.32 AM
Robin Shrum
School & District Management Opinion Don’t Bewail Summer Vacation for Students, Rethink It
Students experience summer vacation differently, depending on family resources. We should rethink the tradition with that in mind.
2 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Women in K-12 Leadership Don't Get Enough Support. Here's What Needs to Change
Fairer family-leave policies, pay transparency, better data collection, and more on-the-job support are elements of the plan.
7 min read
Illustration showing diversity with multi-colored human figures.
ajijchan/iStock/Getty
School & District Management School Counselors Face 'Role Ambiguity.' This State Tried to Clarify Matters
New York's new regulations didn't always change how principals viewed or interacted with school counselors, research finds.
5 min read
Man trapped in maze.
Man trapped in maze.
iStock/Getty Images Plus