I am a school principal, and I鈥檓 proud of what I do鈥攅specially of my work鈥檚 continuing impact on teachers鈥� effectiveness and students鈥� learning. Because of this, I鈥檓 also committed to being held accountable for the myriad responsibilities principals assume, the most important being the improvement of student achievement.
But as you hold me accountable, I would ask that you give greater thought to a number of factors that affect my job. Here are a few simple requests:
Evaluate my performance comprehensively. My primary role is to be an instructional leader, focused on improving student learning outcomes. But, as everyone must know by now, that鈥檚 not a principal鈥檚 only role. As Congress鈥� recent resolution declaring October 2009 National Principals Month indicated, I鈥檓 an educational visionary, an assessment expert, a curriculum innovator, a professional-development leader, a community-builder, a public relations professional, a budget analyst, a facilities manager, a technology leader, a special-programs administrator, a restaurant manager, a safe- and drug-free-school administrator, a disciplinarian, a guardian of various legal, contractual, and policy mandates and initiatives, and a leader in improving programs for students with special needs and English-language learners.
My leadership world is not confined to standardized-test scores, yet my evaluation is. If all those other roles factor into my job, they should also factor into my evaluation.
Allow me the time to complete the job. There鈥檚 no secret to school improvement. It takes hard work, perseverance, consistent leadership, and, perhaps most importantly, time鈥攑erhaps five to 10 years, according to the respected education researcher Michael Fullan. Yet the advocates of instant school transformation still grasp futilely for substitutes to this prescription. There are, in fact, alternative school models, but whether I鈥檓 in a charter, a magnet, a private, or a comprehensive public school, I need the time to change that school鈥檚 culture, its faculty鈥檚 mind-set, and the community鈥檚 engagement.
I need time to address the pedagogical and curricular needs of my staff members, and to implement appropriate professional-development initiatives. I need time to assess my students鈥� academic strengths and weaknesses, and to carry out appropriate intervention strategies. The false urgency we often encounter in education is built on a foundation of anxiety, anger, and frustration. Given the track record in effecting real and sustainable change in U.S. schools, we鈥檇 do well to heed the Latin adage festina lente: Hasten slowly!
Provide me with the resources and professional development to enhance my leadership. It鈥檚 an exciting time to be a principal. The education universe is rapidly changing, calling for new skills for principals. I wholeheartedly embrace these changes, and want to provide my staff members with enlightened and visionary leadership. But I simply don鈥檛 have the resources or the support to fulfill my goals for professional growth.
The state and district provide only minimal support for this aspect of my job. And though federal mandates have placed a spotlight on my performance, neither the U.S. Department of Education nor Congress has deemed my professional growth a priority at budget time. Estimated funds for the federal for fiscal 2010, for example, total just $11 million鈥攐r $121.55 for each of the nation鈥檚 90,500 public school principals.
Policymakers recognize the importance of my role enough to issue 鈥渟hame and blame鈥� pronouncements and threaten my colleagues and me with dismissal. So it鈥檚 disheartening to see that all the energy they expend on judging my performance fails to translate into support for more professional development and growth.
Respect my time commitment and my schedule. My work day generally begins between 6 and 6:30 a.m., as the first school buses arrive. It often ends between 9 and 10 p.m., as I finish my rounds at various school athletic events and co-curricular activities, as well as parent, community, and school board meetings. I could get others to cover these activities for me, but I want to be visible and support my students. And frankly, my absence would be interpreted as aloofness and indifference. I can鈥檛 take that chance.
I place a premium on personally working with parent groups and community organizations to gain their trust in, and support for, my efforts to improve student learning. In effect, my long school day underscores my strong belief that a successful principal must be seen, heard, and perceived as a full participant in all aspects of school life.
鈥淎ccountability must be a reciprocal process,鈥� the Harvard University professor Richard F. Elmore. 鈥淔or every increment of performance I demand from you,鈥� Elmore explains, 鈥淚 have an equal responsibility to provide you with the capacity to meet that expectation. Likewise, for every investment you make in my skill and knowledge, I have a reciprocal responsibility to demonstrate some new increment in performance.鈥�
I鈥檓 already accountable. Are those who evaluate my performance prepared to reciprocate? Will I be allowed to select my own teachers and other staff members and make decisions regarding their performance鈥攊ncluding termination decisions? Will I be given the opportunity to defend my school鈥檚 curriculum and professional-development program? Will I be provided with appropriate staffing levels? Will I receive the budget necessary to support the needs and requirements of my building and staff? If, in fact, I do receive such a reciprocal commitment, then holding me accountable for continually improving my performance is a fair and responsible action.
It is an irony of my working life that, should the various restrictions I face limit my ability to improve student learning to the level desired, my school might be reconstituted as a charter. And then the principal who succeeds me will have all the autonomy I don鈥檛 have. I鈥檓 simply asking for that autonomy now. Don鈥檛 lower expectations for me or my students. Just untie my hands so that I can work to meet them.
