Balancing Leading and Managing
School leaders weigh in on balancing leadership and management duties.
Topics: Principal Leadership
How do you balance leadership and management duties to best support student achievement?
Motivate and empower. I motivate my students and staff with morning messages, assemblies, and lunches, and empower educators by giving them autonomy and fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
—Michelle Wilson, Alamosa Elementary School 3–5, Alamosa, Colorado
A three-pronged strategy. Building the capacity of staff members, students, and parents; allocating time and resources to our staff; and prioritizing visibility on campus and building relationships in authentic, meaningful ways.
—Julie Hatchel, El Morro Elementary School, Laguna Beach, California
Center on the student. Student achievement, growth, and progress across academic, emotional, and behavioral areas is the heart of what educators do every day. [We make these goals] central to all decisions.
—Marianne Lucas Lescher, Kyrene Traditional Academy, Chandler, Arizona
Supporting students. My goal is for everything I do to support the success of all of our students, whether it’s building a class schedule, substituting in a classroom, or comforting an upset child.
—Kasandra Nelson, Vici Elementary School, Vici, Oklahoma
Rely on relationships. Through intentional relationship-building and careful development of systems, we create a school environment where staff feel empowered and students can bloom.
—Diane Crockett, Brevig Mission School, Brevig Mission, Alaska
Prioritize achievement. My goal is to be as involved as possible every day. Any management duties that can be addressed before or after school hours are left for then. Discussions around student achievement take priority.
—Jay Swatek, Venture Elementary School, Tea, South Dakota
Emphasize the collective. Send letters and updates to parents and foster open-door policies. Through shared decision-making teams, we create a culture of collective efficacy.
—Fannie Green, Camden Elementary School, Camden, Mississippi
Ongoing improvement. Safety and student achievement are always an integral part of our vision. I plan and work under the assumption that there is always room for improvement.
—Stan Stokley, Saraland Elementary School, Saraland, Alabama
Inspire and manage. Leadership skills inspire teachers to reach goals they never thought were possible to achieve. At the same time, you’re managing systems created to make sure all arrows are pointed in the direction of student well-being, citizenship, and achievement.
—Bryan Kerachsky, Skinner Road School, Vernon, Connecticut
Shared purpose. I rely on staff and community to balance the two roles. With a shared sense of purpose and direction, I can delegate and empower others on the team to take on tasks and decisions within their scope and expertise.
—Christina Boursaw, Sylvio J. Gilbert Elementary School, Augusta, Maine
Delegate ownership. Delegation is essential for balancing responsibilities. By empowering staff to take ownership of key tasks, schools foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and efficiency.
—Joan Allison Booth, John M. Clayton Elementary School, Frankford, Delaware
Build systems and resources. I leverage staff strengths, allocate resources based on student needs, provide targeted professional learning, create systems for feedback and improvement, use data-driven decision-making, and develop crisis response protocols.
—Samuel Karns, Todd Elementary School, Beloit, Wisconsin
Build systems and resources. I leverage staff strengths, allocate resources based on student needs, provide targeted professional learning, create systems for feedback and improvement, use data-driven decision-making, and develop crisis response protocols.
—Samuel Karns, Todd Elementary School, Beloit, Wisconsin
Share and schedule. I focus on building shared ownership of our mission. I developed a master schedule that protects instructional time, a walk-through system for real-time coaching, and a progress monitoring calendar.
—Frederick J. Hewett III, DuPont Tyler Middle School, Hermitage, Tennessee
