Stig Leschly, Harvard Business School
October 29, 2002
What would happen if training programs for principals focused less on complying with certification rules and more on developing the practical leadership skills that they'll need to be successful in their schools? What if school leaders were recruited from many backgrounds rather than just from the ranks of classroom teachers? Harvard Business School professor Stig Leschly shows what these ideas look like in practice in a case study of New Leaders for New Schools, a promising effort to improve U.S. public education by transforming its approach to school leadership. The brainchild of three quondam graduate students with a passion for helping needy children, New Leaders believes in strengthening education by raising the quality of those who run schools. Begun in 2001, it accepts a small number of top-notch fellows (culled from the business, civic and education sectors) to participate in an intensive summer institute that stresses two themes: 1) becoming a successful instructional leader, and 2) becoming a general manager capable of defining and sustaining a mission-driven organization. After completing the summer program, fellows enter a 10-month, in-school residency during which they are mentored by effective principals. New Leaders has thrived during its first two years and now faces some tough decisions about how to grow without forfeiting quality. Those interested in school leadership and/or the intersection of business theory with education will want to learn more about this project, both as education reform initiative and as entrepreneurial start-up. Copies of this case study - which includes some revealing insights from the program's founders - may be ordered for $6.50 from http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b02/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=803073.
