The Principal & Change

The Principal & Change

By: Erin Guerra & Vernon Harris

Essential Question(s) & Objective(s)

• Be able to answer:

• What is the role of the principal in organizational change?

• What do we need to know about the principal in order to achieve successful change?

Introduction to Role of the Principal

• Principals lead faculty and staff of schools

• Principals oversee school operations such as responding to state requirements, handling disciplinary matters, and hiring

• Principals reach out to the community about school matters and student success

• They are a change agent not just in their school but in the community

Poll

Discomfort, such as anxiety and stress, is inevitable for anyone involved in change.

• True

• False

Poll

T/F : The principal is just as buffeted by change as teachers are.

• True

• False

Principals & Change

• It is important to consider change from the role and perspective of those experiencing it - from multiple realities

• Principals are just as buffeted by change as teachers & face discomfort from it as well

• In addition to this, principals are expected to lead change

Discussion: Challenges Faced by Principals

• What are other challenges faced by principals?

Poll

Which type of change is successful and should be focused on?

• Top-down change

• Bottom-up change

• Whole-system change

Principal's Role in Change

• There cannot be just top-down change with the principal imposing change on their faculty and staff

• Effective principals help facilitate whole-system change

• Whole-system change is necessary for change to be successful

• One way principals can do this is by cultivating a culture for learning and acting as lead learners

The Principal as Lead Learner

Whole-System Change

Principal-Teacher Relationships

• The most important influence on the effectiveness of principals is how principals participate in the learning and development of teachers in relation to instruction and learning outcomes (Fullan, p. 45, 2016)

• The main mark of a principal at the end is how many good teachers the principal leaves behind (Fullan, p. 50-51, 2016)

• One of the first steps is for principals to facilitate the development of a strong principal-teacher relationship - there must be trust

Restructuring vs Reculturing

Poll

Which do you think is more important in your classroom?

• Restructuring

• Reculturing

Discussion:

When reculturing, what does an effective school culture look like? What should the goal be for the culture of the school?

Example of Reculturing

• Shavon Jackson of a Russellville school had to work on reculturing to improve student success at the school

• Moral and spirit were low when she arrived

• She had to help teachers see that poverty is not a disability

• She helped teachers learn to hold high expectations for all students regardless of socioeconomic status

• This led to increased student success and performance at the school

Other Roles of Principals in Change

• Successful schools have strong community and parent ties

• How do principals contribute to strong community and parent ties?

• The most effective principals are system players

• How do principals contribute to and benefit from the success of other schools and the field of education as a whole? Why is it important for them to be system players?

Avoiding Principal Burn-Out

• "If effective principals energize teachers in complex times, what's going to energize principals?" (Fullan, p. 127, 2016)

• A switch to viewing principals as lead learners rather than gatekeepers of change can help this

• Principals can encourage teachers to rise up and be leaders so that the burdens are shared

Summary of the Principal's Role in the Change Process

• They should facilitate whole-system change and act as lead learners

• Effective principals build the capacity of their teachers

• They should focus on building a culture in which educators are collaborating with each other and learning together

• Principals also contribute to strong community and parent ties and are system players