How to develop the next generation of transformational school leaders

Posted by on December 23, 2013

School leadership at the heart of reform

A new paper from Bain & Company argues that transformational leadership is vital to solving the nation’s public-education crisis, but most school systems lack an effective end-to-end model for identifying, encouraging, and developing school leaders over time. It also considers current school-leadership development models by districts and charter management organizations. Researchers conducted a quantitative survey of 4,200 teachers, assistant principals, and principals, and performed in-depth interviews with school-level, district, and charter leadership. The report identifies five persistent roadblocks to school-leader development and a set of concrete actions for putting in place a robust leadership-development model. It finds systems encourage too few high-quality educators to pursue leadership roles; stepping-stone roles fail to develop necessary leadership skills; aspiring leaders receive inadequate coaching and training on key skills; leadership roles are not managed systematically as a pipeline; and the hiring process is disconnected from performance management. As a remedy, it recommends setting a high bar for leadership via standards; building a talent-development organization; and promoting, monitoring, and supporting the talent pipeline. These changes require an often-contentious system-wide focus on restructuring roles, raising standards, and creating consensus around top-to-bottom changes in how schools are managed and run. The payoff will be an organic, home-grown solution to the leadership deficit at the heart of our struggle to educate children.

http://www.bain.com/Images/BAIN_REPORT_Building_pathways.pdf