Dozens of district leaders from around the country will convene for the launch of the NYC Leadership Academy’s fifth cohort of its Foundations of Principal Supervision program on July 15. In this 10-month blended learning program, principal supervisors and aspiring principal supervisors will develop the skills needed to effectively supervise school leaders.  

“Principals have a critically important and extremely challenging job – they are expected to be instructional leaders, to set a vision for their school and to inspire people to believe in that vision. To do that job well, they need the support of a strong supervisor who, as a lead learner, is continuously developing skills to help the principal grow and address tough challenges, particularly challenges that require changing mindsets and behaviors to make sustainable improvement,” said NYC Leadership Academy President & CEO Dr. Nancy B. Gutiérrez. “The days of a principal supervisor simply evaluating a principal and focusing on compliance are long over.” 

Twenty principal supervisors from eight school systems across eight states will participate in the program. In the program’s first four years, the NYC Leadership Academy developed 73 principal supervisors representing 27 districts in 15 states, who collectively reach 800 principals and 450,000 students.  

In Foundations of Principal Supervision, participants learn 

  • The role and impact of the principal supervisor and learn the skills and competencies needed to fill this role, including instructional leadership.
  • How to effectively coach and supervise aswell as how to balance the two.  
  • How to support principals to lead in ways that identify and address inequities.
  • How to analyze data to support planning, decision making, and giving 

Foundations begins on July 15 with a week-long in-person summer institute in New York City. The rest of the year will consist of virtual one-on-one strategic coaching sessions, culminating in a year-end convening next spring. Participants will be part of a virtual network throughout the year where they can access resources and engage in discussions. The 2019-2020 program will be facilitated by NYC Leadership Academy’s Vice President of District Leadership Michele Shannon, Ed. L.D., and National Leadership Facilitator David Rease, Jr., Ed. L.D. 

Said John Key, a supervisor of principals in Ft. Wayne Community Schools, Indiana, of the impact of Foundations on his work, “My work around coaching used to be much less intentional, it was more about putting out fires and giving people answers to their questions. Now we help principals resolve their own issues. We model how they might have conversations with teachers and other staff members. We moved from being just a broker of supports and services to offering more direct coaching.” Read more on Ft. Wayne’s experience with Foundations.  

About the NYC Leadership Academy 

NYC Leadership Academy is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that builds the capacity of educational leaders, at every level of the system, to confront inequities and create the conditions necessary for all students to thrive. Since 2003, NYCLA has worked with educators in more than 185 school districts, state education departments, and education organizations across 35 states, Washington, D.C., and internationally. 

Contact: Jill Grossman

jgrossman@leadershipacademy.org

347-558-6464

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