Dive Brief:
- After a series of digital leadership summits in California that reached 150 administrators, CDW-G education strategist Eric Patnoudes compiled a list of five common practices used by the most successful schools.
- Patnoudes writes for EdTech: Focus on K-12 that all successful schools make working across silos a priority and they set long-term goals, planning backward to ensure the proper conditions are in place to actually reach them.
- These schools recognize the difference between training, or helping teachers figure out the “how,” and professional development, which focuses on the “why” — and they offer both, they support principal leadership, and superintendents hold principals accountable for organizational culture and change management.
Dive Insight:
Schools and districts are focusing a lot of their energy now on technology, new devices and ways to incorporate digital skill-building into traditional curricula. All the emphasis on technology can make it easy to set aside the important human element. Teacher pedagogy is still critical, even if computers and other digital devices can take over some of their traditional tasks. And principal leadership development is still incredibly important, even if time is being taken up by new tech initiatives.
Especially on the principal side, administrators create a culture that supports student learning and encompasses a teacher’s work environment. Teacher retention is a key tool to combat a shortage in qualified candidates, and principals have the power to build schools that teachers want to stay in.