Teacher Leadership- “What Will It Take For You To Stay?”
I came across an interesting article from EdWeek called “A Superintendent’s Perspective on Teacher Leadership” which was written by Jonas Chartock and Chong-Hao Fu who work for “a national non-profit organization that works with schools, districts, and states to advance teachers’ leadership skills and opportunities to ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed in school and life.”
The article title caught my attention as superintendents in my opinion tend to be heavily involved politically in education but not so much in the trenches with teachers. So, I wanted to read more to see how accurate this so-called perspective on teacher leadership would be.
The author started by saying, “I preach to my principals about nurturing the talent in their buildings.” I have heard this phrase “nurture the talent in the building” before by my own principals. I know some principals are better at this than others, but I think it takes a selfless principal to really make it effective. I say selfless because as a leader you are allowing someone else’s ideas to drive the movement of the school. That’s uncomfortable for people; its a risk. However, empowering the people that work for you by pushing their talents to the forefront of the company’s mission is powerful. I have had principals that want credit for everything that goes on in their building and would never dream of passing the baton to teachers in areas of their strength (ex. running professional development sessions, community outreach organization, etc). But, then I have had principals willing to step aside and let the strengths within the building grow the success of the school- a true team mentality. What happened was teachers wanted to stay, they were invested, they worked harder and longer; parents were invested financially and wanted to help any time in any way they could; and the joy factor felt within the school was contagious and organic. Who wouldn’t want that? Well, I know… leaders who want control, are scared to take risks and who selfishly want all the credit for their school’s success. What a missed opportunity.
Chartock and Fu went on to say, “They interviewed their teachers and asked them “what will it take for you to stay?”” HAHA! I have NEVER heard this question, ever. Maybe I am not talented enough to have been approached in this way, but I truly believe the mentality of principals (or superintendents for that matter) is not wired to ask such a question. Principals are looking for weak links and trying to figure out ways to get them out to bring in fresh talent. On a few occasions, I have heard principals say something to the effect of “we are so sorry to see you go, but we know you are going to do great things where ever you go.” No where in that statement is “what can I do differently?” or “what do you need from me to make this better?” or “what do you need to stay?” Principals are not problem solving, they are just mourning the loss of the talent in their building. Maybe they feel helpless to make the necessary changes due to district requirements. Regardless, wouldn’t you as a leader at least want to know what it would take to keep your talented teachers, even if you couldn’t do anything about it? I would.
What the authors found was interesting. “It wasn’t what we initially thought; it wasn’t money. The things were simple: to be recognized, to be involved in leadership decisions, to have a say in the school, to be given opportunities to grow. I challenged each of my principals to go out and have conversations with irreplaceables about what they could do to continue to help you grow.”
YES! Those are the reasons many teachers leave. I know they are why I ended up leaving. I loved teaching. I loved my kids. I loved my coworkers. But, I lacked opportunities to grow or feel a part of something bigger than myself. So, I had to get out so that I could find those opportunities on my own and I couldn’t be happier about my decision.
It could have been different if my past principals sat down a core group of teacher leaders and said “Here is our mission XYZ. How can you use your talent to make this grow?” Starting a conversation about “WE” is much more powerful than “YOU, DO THIS.” These short conversations make teachers feel empowered and worthy. Recognition does lack in schools, but more importantly what is lacking is opportunity and trust.
Teachers are the lifeline of a school. They are the source of the most current information on what is working and what is not. They are your biggest asset to a school’s success. Leverage this source by making them part of the mission, giving them a purpose through empowerment, and praise them for a job well done. You won’t lose teachers, I guarantee you.
I commend any leader that would take this approach and on behalf of all teachers out there, we thank you for giving us the chance to step up to the plate and contribute to the mission.
At the end of the article, I read the quick bio of the authors and loved seeing their mission of advancing teachers’ leadership skills as well as opportunities to lead so that students are more successful. This is a mission I could get behind. So many times, districts want to keep their teachers from leading because it often means later down the line, those teachers step out to hold other leadership roles which means it takes them out of the classroom. This is highly unsupported by many because we need great teachers in the classroom, meaning the door of incoming teachers is always swinging and schools can’t gain momentum. I can understand this concern, but stymying future leaders is selfish and has harsh long-term effects. In the short term, you lose a teacher. In the long-term, you gain a leader who is on fire to make the school, community, and district a better place for students to grow and succeed far past their original potential.
What a gift you gave back to yourself and others in the future by growing that leader here in the now. Don’t miss this golden opportunity!
What will it take for you to stay as a teacher in your school?
About the author, Gretchen
I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.