A New York City school discovers the promises—and the pitfalls—of sharing responsibilities.
Instructional leader, master teacher, content area specialist, staff developer, curriculum expert, community builder, programmer, head of safety and discipline, parent liaison, human resource person, budget maintainer, physical plant manager, and head cheerleader. These are all hats many principals today must wear. The role of the principal has grown so much that it is virtually impossible for one person to handle every facet of the position successfully. As a result, many principals have begun to empower teachers and other staff members to lead within their schools.
But such delegation has its challenges. At Ryan Middle School, our efforts at building teacher leadership have met with great success, but this success has not been entirely problem-free. We've learned that even the best initiatives require constant and consistent reflection if improvement is to continue.
The Need for Change
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