CHILDRESS, PETERKIN, AND CLAYTON :

MEMPHIS CITY SCHOOLS: THE NEXT GENERATION OF PRINCIPALS

Benjamin Abrams 30 October 2012

MEMPHIS CIT Y SCHOOLS

Demographics 119,000 students in 191 schools 71% eligible for free or reduced lunch 62.1% graduation rate 19.8% dropout rate SY04: 148 schools on NCLB watch list (only 71 by SY05) Challenges
96 principals eligible to retire between 2004-2007; need to develop new principals and expand pipeline of candidates Difficult relationship with Shelby County Schools Continue increasing students achievement during transition of new principals

INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS
Advance the belief that all students can learn and achieve at higher levels Ensure that educators follow the MCS curriculum Envision high-quality education and guide teachers to meet those goals Effective integration of curriculum, standards, and assessment Strategic use of data to assess and rectify academic achievement and teacher performance Not solely focused on transportation, food, sanitation, and discipline

MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT OF MCS PRINCIPALS

Superintendent Johnson appoints 5 academic director s (1 for high schools, one more middle schools, three for elementar y schools) Directors provide support and development opportunities for principals, oversee resource allocation, focus on specific challenges for each individual school This approach is more efficient and equitable than the previous zone system Principal Leader ship Academy Yearly 3-day conference to discuss updates, guidelines, goals, and MCS news Mandator y monthly meetings Discuss updates, meet with subgroups and advisory committees These meetings allowed principals to discuss issues in their school and get advice from their peers. They also provided developmental support and allowed newer principals to benefit from their more experienced counterparts Fir st time principals paired with a mentor principal Provides more individualized attention and suggestions, gives new principals additional support, helps create the desired learning environment

MEMPHIS LEADERSHIP FELLOWS PROGRAM

Purpose:
To allow MCS assistant principals to develop skills and get certified to become a principal Develop unique leadership style and the management and organizational skills needed to run a school

The Program:
Series of workshops and seminars throughout the year Monthly 2-day site visits to schools and businesses to see different leadership styles and observe challenges 5-month project to address a district-wide issue

The Support System:

Cohort group, individual mentors, pool of principal mentors, leadership coaches, business coaches, community organization mentors

ASSESSMENT OF MLFP
Difficult balancing work and the program Not fully immersed in the experience Applicants cannot nominate themselves (potentially missing out on highly qualified candidates)

Provides on-the-job experience Observe strategies from a variety of schools and learn from veterans Opportunity to see theory in practice Relatively inexpensive for MCS

NEW LEADERS FOR NEW SCHOOLS

Purpose:
To recruit, train, and support 60 high-quality candidates for principal positions within three years

The Program:
Begins with a 6-week national institute in which participants take courses in instructional leadership and management of systems, people, and financial resources Full-time residency with a mentor principal in which NLNS participants develop and apply their newly-learned skills and work on a project

The Support System:

Residents work closely with their mentor principal who coaches them and provides feedback Leadership coaches provide coaching, support, instruction on coursework, lead weekly meetings, and help residents develop their skills

ASSESSMENT OF NLNS
Lack of exposure to various leadership styles Limited support system Potential problems with mentor principal Very expensive for MCS

All new leaders are evaluated with the same 12dimension rubric Full immersion in the program Involvement in the day-to-day responsibilities of a principal

ADVICE FOR SUPERINTENDENT JOHNSON

Do not renew the contract with NLNS It costs too much money for MCS The program has good components, but it also has many downfalls Modify the MLFP curriculum to include the benefits of NLNS (e.g. the residency model)

Allow candidates to nominate themselves for MLFP

This does not mean the selection standards should be lowered, however MCS can potentially miss out on high-quality applicants due to a lack of nomination

Refine MLFP to allow assistant principals to take a year off so they can be fully immersed in the program
Additionally, it is possible that candidates are worried about leaving their positions to pursue a program with no guaranteed job at the end of the year