°ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳

Special Report
School & District Management From Our Research Center

How Emotionally Intelligent Are School and District Leaders? We Asked Teachers

By Evie Blad & Vanessa Solis — November 06, 2023 1 min read
Collage illustration of an empathetic looking leader among images and iconography representing emotional intelligence
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Although school and district leaders believe they demonstrate emotional intelligence and strong interpersonal skills at work, teachers are less likely to agree that their administrators show those traits.

Those are the findings of a survey of 1,509 educators, including 364 principals and district administrators, conducted by the EdWeek Research Center from Sept. 27 to Oct. 13.

The findings come as schools and districts dig deep to rebuild and maintain staff morale while they continue the hard work of academic recovery.

Related Story

A woman sits alongside students in rows of classroom desks. She raises her hand alongside several students as if they are ready to answer a question.
Suzan Harris, principal of Henderson Middle School, makes her morning rounds greeting students and speaking to teachers at the school in Jackson, Ga., on Oct. 16, 2023.
Dustin Chambers for °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳

In interviews, administrators told °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳ that they believe their own ability to navigate interpersonal dynamics and connect with staff are key parts of those efforts.

A majority of teachers said their principals demonstrate interpersonal skills at work

A majority of teachers who responded to the survey partly or completely agreed that their principals manage conflict well, seek and respond to feedback, motivate others to be successful, and demonstrate empathy.

Teachers were less likely to rate their central-office administrators highly in traits like empathy

Asked whether their district-level administrators demonstrate the same menu of traits, teachers were less likely to agree.

Still, a majority of teacher respondents partly or completely agreed that their central-office administrators demonstrate empathy (59 percent), motivate others to be successful (61 percent), and manage conflict well (56 percent).

That may be in part because teachers have fewer face-to-face interactions with central-office leaders.

School and district leaders gave themselves high marks in interpersonal skills

Fewer than 10 percent of the smaller pool of school and district administrators who responded to the survey completely or partly disagreed that they demonstrated each of the traits in the survey. That suggests a perception gap between teachers and educational leaders.

School and district leaders were most likely to say they demonstrate empathy, with 85 percent of school leaders and 79 percent of district leaders completely agreeing with the statement.

education week logo subbrand logo RC RGB

Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center’s work.

A version of this article appeared in the November 15, 2023 edition of °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳ as How Emotionally Intelligent Are School And District Leaders? We Asked Teachers

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum Big AI Questions for Schools. How They Should Respond 
Join this free virtual event to unpack some of the big questions around the use of AI in K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳'s editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳'s editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM’s Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

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

Read Next

School & District Management Principals Polled: Where School Leaders Stand on 10 Big Issues
A look at how principals responded to questions on Halloween costumes, snow days, teacher morale, and more.
4 min read
Illustration of speech/thought bubbles.
DigitalVision Vectors
School & District Management Opinion You’re the Principal, and Your Teachers Hate a New District Policy. What Now?
This school leader committed to being a bridge between his district and school staff this year. Here’s what he learned.
Ian Knox
4 min read
A district liaison bridging the gap between 2 sides.
Vanessa Solis/°ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳ via Canva
School & District Management The 4 District Leaders Who Could Be the Next Superintendent of the Year
Four district leaders are finalists for the national honor. They've emphasized CTE, student safety, financial sustainability, and more.
4 min read
Clockwise from upper left: Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, superintendent of the Peoria Public School District 150; Walter Gonsoulin, superintendent of Jefferson County Schools; Debbie Jones, superintendent of the Bentonville School District; David Moore, superintendent of the School District of Indian River County.
Clockwise from upper left: Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat, superintendent of the Peoria school district in Illinois; Walter Gonsoulin, superintendent of Jefferson County schools in Alabama; Debbie Jones, superintendent of the Bentonville, Ark., school district; and David Moore, superintendent in Indian River County, Fla. The four have been named finalists for national Superintendent of the Year. AASA will announce the winner in March 2025.
Courtesy of AASA, the School Superintendent's Association
School & District Management 3 Tips for Districts to Maximize FEMA Funding After a Natural Disaster
District leaders who have been through natural disasters stress the need for thorough documentation, even if it seems excessive.
5 min read
Close up of FEMA paperwork
iStock/Getty