Great School Leaders Hold People Accountable (Leadership Matters Part 4)

For many school leaders, conflict is uncomfortable.

But in any great school, productive conflict is necessary.

Closely related to setting the tone for a positive culture is holding people accountable when they don’t meet expectations. Craig Groeschel says that “Culture is a combination of what you create and what you allow.” Anyone who has spent time in a classroom knows that allowing bad behavior without consequences is a culture killer.

Great school leaders must never shy away from confrontation when it’s needed. If there is a problem in the school and you refuse to confront it, then you become the problem.

All schools have “people issues,” but the best schools have strong leadership at every level that holds people accountable for their actions.

Here are four considerations for maintaining accountability at your school.

Take Ownership.

The best school leaders take on an ownership mindset for every aspect of the school, even if it doesn’t specifically fall under their umbrella of responsibilities. They use their influence to hold everyone around them to a higher standard.

If you notice that a teacher constantly forgets to be at his duty post and the students are unsupervised, then the school will be liable when a student gets injured. It’s up to you to say something to that teacher.

If you notice that a new teacher needs help with instructional strategies or classroom management, then it’s up to you to provide help. Otherwise it will partially be your fault when the school fails to meet its academic goals.

Whatever your role in the school, take on an ownership mentality. Think, “If I don’t do this, it won’t get done.”

Accountability starts with you. The best leaders lead by example.

It’s hard to hold people to a standard that you don’t hold for yourself. For instance, if there is a teacher who consistently clocks in late, how can you hold her accountable if you clocked in late four times last month?

Don’t tolerate bad behavior from others, and don’t make exceptions for yourself.

Set Clear Expectations.

Set clear expectations early, or else you’ll be playing catch up for the rest of the year.

Schools have many rules and policies, and you run the risk of being too rigid if you try to give every policy the same weight.

Determine the main policies that make the most impact on your school goals. Then, at the beginning of the school year, decide on a few representative “majors” and hold people accountable for these items every time.

I have seen schools that emphasize and enforce very strict dress code and cell phone policies. These schools have little trouble with larger issues because the students and teachers sense that if the school pays attention to the little things, then they’ll surely catch the big things.

Make sure that all staff are on board with holding students accountable for those “majors.” Each teacher has his or her own pet peeve, but there is power in consistency across the campus.

Once you share your expectations, don’t make allowances in the first month or two.

One great piece of classroom advice I received as a first year teacher involved my bathroom pass policy. My principal said, “No matter what your policy is, somebody is going to test it within the first few weeks. The whole class is watching–are you going to let that student go to the bathroom within the first five minutes of class? Whatever you let that student do, the next student is going to want to do, too.”

The same holds true for any group of people–everyone unconsciously keeps track of what the “real” rules are for the organization.

Praise in Public; Criticize in Private.

Public praise not only encourages the person who receives it, but it also sets an expectation for anyone who hears that praise.

Just as saying “I like how Emma is sitting quietly” makes other students settle down, saying “I appreciate how Mrs. Townsend comes in early to work with struggling students” makes other teachers look for ways to work with their own students. It’s amazing how that works!

Likewise, if you ever call out a teacher in front of her peers, you can bet that the teacher will become defensive. You’ll be seen as the bad guy every time. Just don’t do it.

Any correction for adults should always be done behind closed doors.

I have found that asking questions that don’t start with “why” are useful in having crucial conversations with teachers. “What result were you looking for?” and “Is there anything I need to know about x?” are two great questions that allow teachers to explain their actions and save face if you have to correct them.

Confront in Person

Never send a mass email for correction. Everyone hates it; the teachers you are sending it out for may never read it (or they may not think it’s for them); and your best teachers will assume they’ve done something wrong.

If you’re tempted to send out that mass email, take a few minutes to really consider the problem. Because we tend to focus on the negatives, it may seem like everyone needs the reminder. But if you take your sign in sheet and highlight the ones who exhibit the behavior, you’ll find that only a handful of people need the correction.

My rule of thumb is that 33% of the names must be highlighted for the mass email to go out; otherwise, I just go to the individual teachers.

Value Correction over Punishment.

The most valuable lessons are bought lessons.

Educators know that students often learn better from correcting mistakes than from direct instruction. Therefore, I believe that it’s important to structure opportunities for behaviors to be corrected before disciplinary actions occur.

If someone fails to meet an expectation, have a conversation first. If you see that your conversation didn’t have the desired effect, you can move on to another step. Just don’t give unnecessary chances after the first one!

Most issues can be addressed by having a candid conversation. In my experience, around eighty percent of the time people will correct their behaviors when they are confronted early and with compassion.

When you do have to go to the next step in holding people accountable, be fair and consistent. It helps to have a predetermined course of action in place to deal with certain recurring issues.

Luckily, every school district has policies in place to help with accountability. There is a clear discipline ladder to use with students that begins with classroom discipline, makes its way through office discipline measures, and ends with a due process hearing for an alternative placement or expulsion.

Likewise, there is a clear process for non-renewing teacher contracts if the teacher does not meet expectations. Use these policies consistently to avoid any unnecessary gray areas.

Holding adults accountable may be out of your comfort zone, so it’s best to practice early in your leadership journey.

What about you? What are some ways you can set the tone for culture and hold people accountable in your leadership?

Let me know in the comments below!