“You would be a great leader,” my principal said as I sat in his office. I had just passed my participation in a teacher leadership program.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I have never felt comfortable in the principal's office, and this was no exception.
“And you know, we really need new directors.”
By usmy director was referring to the Department of Education, and therefore needwas referring to the recent exodus of school administrators in the state of Hawai'i. My state not only suffers teacher shortage, but a mass departure of administrators has also caused a shortage of qualified leadership in our schools. In response to this worrying trend, Hawaii Governor Josh Green recently approved a plan to encourage administrative roles changing the assistant principal position from a 10-month employee to a year-round employee with a 20 percent pay increase.
Programs in Hawai'i are doubling down on providing leadership training and resources, hoping to attract new blood for leadership positions and administrative roles. However, I'm still not sure if it will be enough to make me want to become a director.
Weighing the pros and cons
After nearly two decades as a teacher, I have been reflecting on other ways I can contribute to the field of education outside of the classroom. Working with pre-service teachers at university level or becoming a professional development provider are interesting options; However, my mind keeps returning to school administration.
Over the years, I have been humbled and inspired by the excellent work I have seen my principal and other administrators do at my school. I am honored to have worked with and learned from these incredible role models, and I am incredibly grateful for their leadership, vision, and unwavering encouragement. I would like to become the kind of leader they were to me, and a part of me feels obligated to honor their mentorship by becoming a school leader.
When considering whether to pursue a path into management, I paid close attention to what the job entails. Unfortunately, my conversations and observations have done little to build my confidence. On the contrary, after what I have seen and heard over the past five years, I fear that no single person could fulfill the responsibilities that fall squarely on the shoulders of the principal on any given day.
Based on my observations and conversations with friends and colleagues who are directors, these are some of the things a director is expected to do on any given day:
- Serve spoonfuls of spaghetti to hungry students when the cafeteria is short staffed;
- Monitor a pack of aggressive dogs wandering around campus until animal control arrives;
- Apply ice packs and take temperatures in the health room when the first responder calls in sick;
- Observe the trauma in the teachers' eyes when they are ordered to “run, hide, fight” during a active shooter drill presentation by local authorities; and,
- Make personal phone calls to each school staff member to share the tragic news of the passing of a beloved member of the school community.
With daily responsibilities requiring a person to be a nurse, psychologist, mediator, entertainer, sous chef, and animal control, it's no surprise that there are more administrative positions opening up every day in schools across the country. The lack of strong school leadership is It's not just a school problem — it's everyone's problem. Students need well-supported teachers, and teachers need strong principals to support them. When leadership is compromised, everyone suffers.
Despite knowing all this, I still resist taking on the lead role; The current environment of mistrust of managers, the polarized political climate and the unfavorable work-life balance make the prospect of becoming a director unappealing.
We're going to need a better solution
After much thought and reflection, I realize that the issues affecting school leadership are small pieces in a larger context of undervalued and underfunded schools. These problems cannot be solved with conflict resolution workshops, self-care days and salary increases. These problems require large-scale systemic changes. These are just some of the things that would have to change for me (and perhaps others like me) to consider playing a lead role:
- Political leaders must demonstrate openness to the ideas of others to restore civil debates in our communities and schools. When prominent politicians publicly ignore conventional codes of conduct in favor of personal attacks, it normalizes the bullying behaviors that educators so desperately want to eradicate from schools and communities. Furthermore, routine disregard for conventional norms of public behavior reduces opportunities to safely share differences of opinion. This atmosphere of incivility is deeply felt by school leaders and principals who are uniquely positioned to listen and respond to the school community.
- More allocation of funds by policymakers to adequately staff the support functions necessary for the operation of schools. Teachers often talk about setting students up for success by making sure they have the right supplies and materials to thrive in school. The current conditions for directors are the perfect counterexample. Without sufficient funds, they are essentially doomed to failure.
- Entry systems to protect administrators from getting caught in the middle of partisan issues. When I imagine becoming a director, I honestly worry about the hostility they may have toward me over controversial issues. In this heated political climate, directors who take a stance on book bans and curriculum wars They could be putting themselves and their families in an unsafe position. There should be systems to reduce the likelihood of meetings so divisive that speakers cannot be heard amid boos and shouts. Fortunately, the state of Hawaii has largely stayed out of the race, but with an election year approaching, I fear what is on the horizon.
The shortage of school leadership is a big problem that requires better solutions. I have realized that there is no shortage of principals, but rather people who are qualified and willing to work under the current conditions facing school leaders. With so many challenges that principals face every day, they should not be left alone to solve them.
Making the decision to become a director under current conditions almost feels like knowingly taking a position that could be detrimental to me and my family. While my heart is invested in serving public education, my mind does not allow me to ignore the risks that outweigh the benefits.
