LEAD GREAT SCHOOLS

Leadership can be stressful. You put in long hours, often take work home, and spend a large part of your day dealing with the unexpected. The problems that aren’t easily solved get escalated directly to you. You make hundreds of choices each day that affect a large number of people. Deadlines approach quickly, and competing priorities always leave you reflecting on whether you made the best decisions. And yet the largest contributor to job stress may not be readily apparent..

Last week, we looked at three concerns raised in an anonymous letter from a teacher that listed various grievances about leadership in her school. This teacher stated that she would be “quiet quitting” until she could find another job elsewhere. If you missed that post, you can find it here . The original letter can be found here . Even though educational leaders are often just as overworked and overlooked as the teachers and staff they lead, you must do your part to preempt

Last week, I asked you to imagine how you would respond to an anonymous letter from a teacher listing her grievances and stating that she would be “quiet quitting” until she could find another job elsewhere. If you missed that post, you can find it here . The truth is, the concerns that letter raised are common in many schools and districts. Educators already put in way more hours than most other professions, and they are not compensated as highly as professionals in other fi

Dear Principal, I am writing to inform you that, effective immediately, I am resigning from my position as a classroom teacher. However, even though I have resigned, I will continue to remain employed for at least the next few years until I can find another employment opportunity that suits me. That’s right, I’m “quiet quitting.” Please excuse any absences, tardies, late or missing lesson plans, or missed meetings–I will make sure to do a better job than Coach _____, who get

When I first became a principal, I did one thing that shaped my entire approach to leadership. Before school started, I scheduled one-on-one meetings with every teacher. My goal was to learn more about who I would be serving. I wanted to know my staff's children’s names, family stories, hobbies, strengths, and what was important to each person. Before each meeting ended, I asked one question: “What do you need from me as your leader?” I heard a variety of responses, but almos