Your Dec. 18 editorial “An empty pipeline for schools” failed to mention the turnover in lower and middle administrator ranks, such as department chairs. These levels make up the “middle management” that is responsible for the day-to-day workings of schools and that interacts directly with the teaching staff. Not only is this level turning over, there is almost no practical supervisory and management training for the replacements.
We are a country of great businesses, which depend on effective management training. Why doesn’t this training extend to school administrators? In part it is because school districts themselves fail to realize that such training is critical staff development.
In addition, it is not commonly understood that management and supervisory training satisfy the criteria of staff development in most funding legislation.
Rest assured that before a new manager in a Fortune 1,000 company begins to oversee staff or a project, substantial training has occurred that goes well beyond mentoring.
The formal education programs required to certify for school administration positions include only a small amount of remote, theoretical course work, which has little to do with the actual practices of managing people, programs and departments.
While pedological considerations must dominate in graduate coursework, much more emphasis needs to be put on acquiring management skills necessary to actually accomplish the educational mission.
Where is the training and continuing education that leaders and managers in our best businesses receive?
School leaders, as a class, are neglected managers. We need school leaders trained in defining the vision and engaging the players at all levels. The corporate world has developed these tools, and the education world can use them too.
Schools are workplaces. Like any business, when the managers are well trained–especially in people skills–the staff does a better job in the office or in the plant. In the case of education, this means in the classroom. Indeed it stands to reason that the more management talent in the administrator ranks, the better the education received in the classroom.
