Would like to start a discussion about what is necessary (or useful) for being hired for leadership positions in IE (Principal, AP, HoS, etc). Side question is to evaluate the efficacy (and necessity) of being a "qualified principal in your country of origin". Have seen this requirement on a few JD's, so I'm wondering how common this is and how important it is. Any insights into training, certification, or other important qualifications or experiences help to open doors to being hired for these kind of roles.
Thank you.
"Qualifications" for Leadership Positions in IE
Response
Leadership roles are defined by reports, peer deliverables, or resource budgeting and allocation.
There are 3 general avenues into leadership:
1) Grow In: You start at an IS as an IT, you work well with leadership, parents and ownership, and then when there is an opening you get the job because ownership trusts you and leadership and parents like you. This pathway is faster at lower tier ISs, where there is a lot of turnover and longevity often means your only one of the few staff to renew.
2) Work In: You get a M.Ed in Ed.Ld, you add a credential, you build some leadership or management experience and you work your way up into leadership. This may and often requires some work in DE. This is the pathway that accounts for the majority of leadership. Candidates were leadership in DE, and they were hired as leadership in IE.
3) Edge In: You make friends and build a network, maybe you marry into, but someone in ownership likes you and gives you the job, or someone in leadership helps you get into the job. This is the least common path into leadership.
It varies greatly what an IS is looking for, on one end you have the US requirements that you typically find requiring a leadership credential. Some of the such as the MA Superintendent (Executive leadership level) require a few years experience and a literacy exam. DC requires a Masters, a few years experience, including classroom experience and passing the SLLA exam. On the other side of the continuum you have the UK where there exist various national qualifications for leadership but the standard requirement is possessing QTS.
In IE the mode you often find as the defacto standard is a M.Ed (or other edu Masters) in Ed.Ld. Though you find ISs that want a doctorate and you also find leaders, including those in senior and executive leadership who only have a Bachelors/First degree. In IE the vast majority regardless of being profit or non-profit institutions are private/independent ISs/DSs that do not have to comply with the same regulations required for faculty and staff as those found in regulated edu (Public/Maintained) DSs/ISs. Ownership in many cases can appoint whoever they want regardless of qualifications and credentials. There are leaders who have non edu based degrees such as in business, though this is more commonly seen in ISs where leadership is divided between the operations and "back office" roles and duties suit a leadership more business orientated and the academic or "front office" leadership tasks are the purview of leadership with more edu focused background. The business focused leader is small but growing, with greater growth in decentralized chain ISs.
Meeting the JD requirements becomes more important the more external to the IS the leadership recruiting process is. If an IS is more internally focused on promoting from within than its less about resume qualifications and credentials. The more external the leadership search the greater the role of qualifications, credentials and experience in an attempt that those criteria can be extrapolated to the needs of the ISs ownership. It should be noted with grave significance that not every IS is looking for a generalist who can competently and proficiently manage the day to day operations and needs of an IS. A substantial number of ISs and ownership do look for leadership, often as part of a leadership (referred to as the SLT, or Senior Leadership team) with a specific or niche skill set. Leaders who are recruited to clean house or get an IS through an accreditation process or increase enrollment or who prioritize revenue, as opposed to keeping the day to day running smoothly.
Two insights. First, regardless of the pathway into leadership the greatest hurdle is the first one into senior or executive leadership. Once in and after a couple of years whether the leader performs well or with mediocrity its generally much easier to move into new leadership roles.
Second, first tier and elite tier ISs become very difficult to move into. There tends to be a revolving cycle of leadership in lower tier ISs but once they get the the top tier ISs, leadership tend to stay and wait for advancement internally rather than move to a lower tier IS with a better title and more responsibility, though it does happen.
There are 3 general avenues into leadership:
1) Grow In: You start at an IS as an IT, you work well with leadership, parents and ownership, and then when there is an opening you get the job because ownership trusts you and leadership and parents like you. This pathway is faster at lower tier ISs, where there is a lot of turnover and longevity often means your only one of the few staff to renew.
2) Work In: You get a M.Ed in Ed.Ld, you add a credential, you build some leadership or management experience and you work your way up into leadership. This may and often requires some work in DE. This is the pathway that accounts for the majority of leadership. Candidates were leadership in DE, and they were hired as leadership in IE.
3) Edge In: You make friends and build a network, maybe you marry into, but someone in ownership likes you and gives you the job, or someone in leadership helps you get into the job. This is the least common path into leadership.
It varies greatly what an IS is looking for, on one end you have the US requirements that you typically find requiring a leadership credential. Some of the such as the MA Superintendent (Executive leadership level) require a few years experience and a literacy exam. DC requires a Masters, a few years experience, including classroom experience and passing the SLLA exam. On the other side of the continuum you have the UK where there exist various national qualifications for leadership but the standard requirement is possessing QTS.
In IE the mode you often find as the defacto standard is a M.Ed (or other edu Masters) in Ed.Ld. Though you find ISs that want a doctorate and you also find leaders, including those in senior and executive leadership who only have a Bachelors/First degree. In IE the vast majority regardless of being profit or non-profit institutions are private/independent ISs/DSs that do not have to comply with the same regulations required for faculty and staff as those found in regulated edu (Public/Maintained) DSs/ISs. Ownership in many cases can appoint whoever they want regardless of qualifications and credentials. There are leaders who have non edu based degrees such as in business, though this is more commonly seen in ISs where leadership is divided between the operations and "back office" roles and duties suit a leadership more business orientated and the academic or "front office" leadership tasks are the purview of leadership with more edu focused background. The business focused leader is small but growing, with greater growth in decentralized chain ISs.
Meeting the JD requirements becomes more important the more external to the IS the leadership recruiting process is. If an IS is more internally focused on promoting from within than its less about resume qualifications and credentials. The more external the leadership search the greater the role of qualifications, credentials and experience in an attempt that those criteria can be extrapolated to the needs of the ISs ownership. It should be noted with grave significance that not every IS is looking for a generalist who can competently and proficiently manage the day to day operations and needs of an IS. A substantial number of ISs and ownership do look for leadership, often as part of a leadership (referred to as the SLT, or Senior Leadership team) with a specific or niche skill set. Leaders who are recruited to clean house or get an IS through an accreditation process or increase enrollment or who prioritize revenue, as opposed to keeping the day to day running smoothly.
Two insights. First, regardless of the pathway into leadership the greatest hurdle is the first one into senior or executive leadership. Once in and after a couple of years whether the leader performs well or with mediocrity its generally much easier to move into new leadership roles.
Second, first tier and elite tier ISs become very difficult to move into. There tends to be a revolving cycle of leadership in lower tier ISs but once they get the the top tier ISs, leadership tend to stay and wait for advancement internally rather than move to a lower tier IS with a better title and more responsibility, though it does happen.