Stepping Stones To Leadership

Districts forge a clear path for aspiring principals

As the stakes for improved student achievement increase, administrators, teachers, and districts are looking for quick fixes. When Glenn Pethel, assistant superintendent of leadership development in Gwinnett County, Georgia, is asked for quick fixes, he responds, “Here is what we know [about leadership]: It is not quick, and it is not easy. It’s not magic, and it’s not secret.” The Wallace Foundation has invested in a comprehensive strategy for developing a larger corps of effective principals. The Principal Pipeline Initiative, launched by The Wallace Foundation in 2011, is working to strengthen school leadership by documenting and evaluating leadership development in six urban districts. The goal is to find out what works. Consider Molly McAuliffe, who started her teaching career 11 years ago. She never thought

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Authors

Amy Burrows-McCabe

Amy Burrows-McCabe ([email protected]) is a freelance writer and editor with more than 20 years experience in the K-12 publishing industry.

This article is sponsored by the Wallace Foundation.

References

Cheney, G.R., Davis, J., Garrett, K., & Holleran, J. (2010). A new approach to principal preparation: Innovative programs share their practices and lessons learned. Fort Worth, TX: Rainwater Leadership Alliance. Available at https://anewapproach.org/download.html.

Darling-Hammond, L., LaPointe, M., Meyerson, D., & Orr, M. (2007). Preparing school leaders for a changing world: Lessons from exemplary leadership development programs. Stanford, CA: Stanford University, Stanford Educational Leadership Institute.

Gordon, G. (2013, August). Principal talent as seen through teachers’ eyes. Washington, DC: Gallup. Available at www.gallup.com/strategicconsulting/165332/principal-talent-seen-teachers-eyes.aspx.
IBM. (2012). Gwinnett County gains award-winning insight into school performance. Somers, NY: Author. Available at www.emtecinc.com/assets/pdf/GwinnettEmtecIBM.pdf.

Leithwood, K., Louis, K.S., Anderson, S., & Wahlstrom, K. (2004). How leadership influences student learning. New York, NY: The Wallace Foundation.

Turnbull, B., Riley, D., Arcaira, E., Anderson, L., & MacFarlane, J. (2013, July). Six districts begin the Principal Pipeline Initiative. Washington, DC: Policy Studies Associates.

Turnbull, B., Riley, D., & MacFarlane, J. (2013, December). Cultivating talent through a principal pipeline. Washington, DC: Policy Studies Associates.

The Wallace Foundation. (2011). The National SAM Innovation Project: Helping principals make time to focus on instructional leadership. Available at www.wallacefoundation.org/Pages/SAM.aspx.

Zubrzycki, J. (2012, December). More principals learn the job in real schools. Education Week. Available at www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/12/05/13principal.h32.html.

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