5 minute read
Why New School Leaders Need Mentoring
Written by Ross Reed, principal of Auburn Junior High School and a member of the CLAS Board of Directors. Originally published in Principal Leadership by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) in the January 2024 issue.
As school leaders, we wear various hats, from being an instructional leader to being a disciplinarian; from conducting safety drills to attending PTO meetings; from being a substitute bus driver to serving lunch in the cafeteria. We attend more sporting events than one can count. When the telephone rings at 2 a.m., we meet the fire department to find out why an alarm was mysteriously activated. We meet with parents to discuss why their student should have a different teacher because “it’s not the right fit,” and we try to explain why their child didn’t make a particular team or squad. We counsel students through conflicts, and we recognize them for their achievements. And somewhere in there, we try to ensure that math, science, history, and English are taught.
As Vic Wilson’s article on page 23 makes clear, the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, worked closely with members of the Alabama Legislature to develop the School Principal Leadership and Mentoring Act, which created the state’s Principal Leadership Development System and includes the Principal Mentor Program. Sure, administrators have earned extra degrees to serve in an educational leadership position; however, there is no one-size-fitsall way to prepare an administrator for their school’s front office. Candidates from the same leadership class could be hired as an assistant principal of a junior high school with 1,500 students in a suburban community or a principal of an elementary school with 350 students in a rural county. In these very different settings, each new principal needs targeted support to navigate their situation beyond what their leadership program can provide.
Each new principal needs targeted support to navigate their situation beyond what their leadership program can provide.
As a building administrator, I believe mentoring is crucial for the success of novice administrators. There are so many aspects of being an administrator that can be overwhelming, so having a go-to person on your side helps ease some of the stress and strain. A mentor should be someone who has firsthand experience with the challenges of the principalship but is not involved in that principal’s evaluation. Alabama’s Principal Mentor Program will pair each new principal with a trained mentor to provide ongoing support and professional development. The mentor will provide guidance and advice and serve as a sounding board for ideas.
For a novice administrator fresh out of the classroom, there is a significant transition from knowing a smaller group of children to working with an entire student body. A mentor can walk a novice principal through establishing a relationship for student success. A mentor can also help the novice administrator leverage their administrative team to help identify and meet students’ needs.
We live in a world where it is easy to send an email as the first line of communication, because sometimes phone calls can be stressful or unpleasant. As a mentor, I remind my assistant principals that calling and talking to a parent should be our default communication method, so we make a meaningful connection. I ask our novice administrators to remember that we didn’t create the issue at hand, but it is how we, the adults, try to work together for the betterment of a family’s child that will make the most difference for that child.
Lastly, a novice administrator must have success with the faculty and staff. When new administrators are thrust into a leadership role, whether they are new to the school or promoted from within, they have only one opportunity to make a good first impression. Here is where a mentor’s role is so vital. A mentor will prepare them for making a great first impression and will help them overcome any early mistakes they make in the role. I am a veteran educator; this is my 30th year in education and my 10th year as a principal. If there is one thing I can bank on it is that time marches on. Finding teachers and administrators is becoming more and more difficult. The Principal Leadership Development System will help better prepare administrators for the realities of their new roles and prepare them to take on the challenges they face at school. I appreciate the Alabama Legislature and Gov. Kay Ivey for passing the School Leadership and Mentoring Act. It’s a step in the right direction for Alabama schools.
