“A Little Less
Conversation, A Little More Action!”
Elvis Presley recorded the song, "A Little Less Conversation,"
for the 1968 movie Live a Little, Love a Little. Almost 50
years later, management demands on educational leaders are greater than ever
and the complexity of leading today’s schools is becoming too much for some. In the 2014 report, Churn, the High Cost of Principal Turnover,
it was stated that only fifty percent of new principals remain in their
position after three years. Principals
cite workload and long hours as negatively affecting their well-being and they feel
left to lead in isolation. Learning is
of paramount importance in our profession, but a 2008 NAESP survey found
only 2% of principal’s prioritized "continued learning” as among their
job duties.
In Kansas, there are growing concerns around the state’s ability
to recruit, develop, and retain quality educational leaders. While the job has never been more difficult, there
is widespread agreement that quality leadership is essential to school
improvement, teacher retention, and student learning. Current research is
reinforcing the importance of educational leadership. In the second part of this series, we will
look at components of effective professional development for educational
leaders. The Wallace Foundation reports that
leadership has an estimated 25% effect on student learning tied to
school-related factors. However our
willingness to act by investing in meaningful professional development for
principals seems to be an afterthought.
A 2015 article in
"Education Week" reports that educational leaders only receive
9% of the $1 Billion the federal government sends to school districts for
training. While the statistic is startling, even more concerning is that
there is no guarantee that the professional development being provided as part
of that 9% meets the needs of today’s principals. Most of the professional development provided
to principals focuses on the “what” of the job, but very little focuses on
providing the “how,” and gives little consideration to providing leaders with
the skills necessary to execute effective strategies in the face of daily
management responsibilities.
An organized effort to meet the needs of our educational leaders
is long overdue. I agree with the King, let’s have a little less talk and a
little more action please!
