6 Characteristics of Schools that Empower Middle Leaders

Teacher leaders, coordinators, department heads and vice-principals are the heart of the school. They are the true change agents and will be the most effective tool in ensuring transformative and sustained change. We can not achieve these outcomes without ensuring their buy-in and execution.

Schools that empower their middle leaders will demonstrate these 6 characteristics:

1. Middle Leaders, regardless if promoted or recruited from outside, all go through a formal recruitment process. This is a role that should be prized and not something does because ‘its their turn’.
2. Schools clearly define the role, requirements and benefits;
3. For teacher leaders, schools reduce instruction time to ensure ample time for team planning and coordination.
4. Ensure stability by reassuring middle leaders there role is secure beyond one year;
5. Provide leadership training and mentoring; and
6. Senior leadership maintain communication channels for middle leaders to receive and give real time information and feedback.

This list is part of a book I will soon publish that will serve as a Handbook for Middle Leaders to build and foster transformational collaborative teams. There are a series of articles I have written, which will be the bulk of the book, that can be found on LinkedIn or at my website, www.pdacademia.com