Developing Principals

Leadership Academy takes school CEOs to the next level

September 2015
By David Zaslawsky   
Photography by Robert Fouts

As the chief executive officers of their schools, principals are the guiding forces behind what happens at each of Montgomery Public Schools’ 53 schools.

Their interaction with staff, faculty and students is a major factor in that school’s success or lack of success. It’s no surprise that MPS Superintendent Margaret Allen told Auburn University at Montgomery Outreach that her No. 1 need is “developing principals,” according to Katherine Jackson, vice chancellor for AUM Outreach and Strategic Initiatives.

Partnering with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce and with assistance from principals and the district’s Central Office, AUM Outreach designed the MPS Leadership Academy.

The goals, according to Nicole Pinkham, a senior training consultant for AUM Outreach training solutions, are for about 20 principals participating in the nearly year-long program to:

> Model the way.

> Inspire shared vision.

> Challenge the process.

> Empower others.

> Encourage the heart.

“We want to see those practices embedded in their day-to-day work with their faculty; with their staff; and with their students,” Pinkham said. “That’s modeling the behavior they want to see. We talk a lot about trust, engagement and credibility. We want them inspiring people around them. That’s what a leader does – is inspire passion. We really want them challenging the process.

“We want to see every school in Montgomery Public Schools have engaged teachers, who love their students and are requiring them and causing them and pushing them to do things they couldn’t do. We want to see happy students and faculty.”

It all begins at the top with the principals and this program is so critical to the district’s success that it is funded by local the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation, AUM Outreach, and local corporate sponsors known as the Montgomery Chamber’s Education Champions:

> Alabama Power Co.

> Information Transport Solutions Inc.

> Faulkner University

> SABIC Innovative Plastics

> McKee & Associates

Principals who complete the leadership academy will have “an enhanced self-awareness, greater confidence and renewed vigor,” according to the program guide.“The principal is the key to the functioning of everything in that school: processes, behaviors that make those processes work,” Allen said. “First of all, leadership is critical to the work that we are doing … starting in the superintendent’s office,” Allen said. “There are individuals that look to leadership to be able to do what they do. I’m talking specifically about teachers and all the resource people that work alongside. There has to be direction given. There has to be modeling done that influences what teachers do.”

Another expected outcome is removing a lack of trust, Pinkham said, “which creates a greater efficiency as they work together. That is something that cannot be understated.”

Trust is being created by the principals forming bonds during the leadership academy, Pinkham said. “They build trust within each other because what we say is: ‘What happens at leadership academy stays there.’ Now, they are not questioning the motives and intents of the hearts of those they are working with. We know that research tells us the higher the trust, the faster the work.”

And this is no ordinary leadership academy. The first three months were spent on self-awareness and “trying to get them to bond as a cohesive team,” Pinkham said. The principals learn about their leadership philosophy; who they are; what are their talents.

Some of the other sessions focus on teamwork; leadership at the principal’s school; leadership and strategy at the Central Office; leadership and finance; leadership and problem solving; leadership and student engagement; and leadership through coaching your team.

A key aspect of the leadership academy is working in teams on solutions for three problems facing the district or as Pinkham called them, “opportunities.” Those three opportunities are dealing with social media, addressing/preventing bullying and how to build greater trust between the Central Office and administrators and teachers. The principals will “present their solutions, findings and recommendations” to Allen during the last week in September.

“The purpose and goal (of leadership academy) is to take an educational leader and get them to become more self-aware to manage who they are as leaders more successfully and ultimately take that knowledge back to their faculty and staff and infuse them with how to do that,” Pinkham said.

“Once that’s done, they will have a cohesive, functional team at the school, which is going to create a greater culture for the students. They are learning what it takes to be a leader.

Then they are also teaching that to their faculty and, in turn, their faculty and staff are teaching it to the students.”

For Pinkham, the “big piece” is growing what the leadership academy calls the “emotional quotient,” which sets apart a good leader from a great leader. “That’s what we’re growing. We all have the ability to grow – how we understand who we are what we are and how we manage relationships with others.”