We hear it time and again from senior school system leaders: Finding excellent principals is a struggle. They lack a pipeline of strong leaders who can effectively fill open principal positions as leaders step down or retire. A few years ago, state officials in Connecticut recognized this challenge. As part of the solution, the University of Connecticut worked with the NYC Leadership Academy, with support from the Wallace Foundation, to redesign its aspiring school leader program to better prepare the state’s future principals. The focus of this innovative approach: providing more on-the-job learning, particularly through coaching.
In a new profile, we share the behind-the-scenes story of the program redesign and the impact it is having on school leaders.