I never wanted to become an administrator, but I know many other teachers want to and even more aren鈥檛 sure.
Today鈥檚 post begins a series exploring this issue.
Impacting 鈥楽chool Culture鈥�
Erica Buchanan-Rivera is an assistant professor in the Department of Leadership, Language, and Curriculum at DePaul University鈥檚 College of Education. She has served as an early-childhood teacher, an award-winning principal, director of curriculum, and a chief equity officer:
When I considered the switch from being a kindergarten teacher to an administrator, I thought about the impact I wanted to have on a school鈥檚 culture. As a teacher, I prioritized relationships with students, often conducting home visits and partnering with families to ensure academic success. I engaged students in inquiry-based learning opportunities that were a catalyst for growth as evidenced by data. There were initiatives and partnerships that I established in my classroom that I knew could benefit the larger school community.
Superintendents who recognized my efforts and nudged me into school leadership often encouraged me to document my impact on students and what was working in my practice. Additionally, supervising administrators challenged me to consider how I could scale my practices into specific action steps or a road map to transform instructional systems.
Therefore, I think it is critical for teachers to consider the practices and scholarship that inform their personal leadership playbook, prior to making the leap into administration. We should also consider our power and how it can be used to improve educational outcomes for all students.
My personal school experiences also prompted me to think about leadership. I considered the leader I wanted to be for students, specifically thinking about the leadership I needed to see as a child. Despite inclusive mission statements, my experiences as a Black student with mostly white school staff often showed a disconnect between stated values and actual practice. I was exposed to racial biases through the language of adults, and curricular content rarely centered my cultural experiences.
Since teachers and leaders were not equipped to have conversations about race or identity, the harm I experienced was continually dismissed rather than atoned. The injustices in schools compelled me to reflect on leadership and the educational rights of children. With power and a lens for justice, I viewed the principalship as a means to build a professional culture that is responsive to the identities, histories, and needs of all children. The transition into administration can be influenced by personal experiences and our imagination of what schools could be.
As an administrator, I knew I would have the ability to shape professional learning experiences that centered the humanity of students. I valued the idea of coaching and supporting 糖心动漫vlog to improve student engagement, connections, and belonging. Students learn best in classroom conditions where they feel safe to be their authentic selves.
The shift into administration meant that I could help teachers build a lens of criticality, empowering them to consider their positionality, ideologies, and how they show up for students. Through the principalship, we can set the tone for teaching and learning and develop accountability systems to ensure that practices take root in a school culture.
There are many other reasons why teachers should pursue educational leadership from the work of stewarding a vision to fostering intercultural engagement. Yet, the most important consideration is the mirror work that is needed to understand the construction of our leadership identity.
We need to consider the experiences or individuals who have shaped our understandings of leadership. We need to recognize the beliefs that drive our decisionmaking and actions. We need to identify biases that may hinder our ability to serve and connect with others. Our 鈥渨hy鈥� for going into educational leadership is meaningless if we lead with harmful ideologies and refuse to honor the full humanity of those we serve. If you believe that certain children or communities and their cultural ways of being have no place in schools, the principalship is not for you.
During my tenure as a principal, I fostered introspective work among teachers that challenged them to look at their practices and the systems we were creating as a collective. The commitment to reflective practices generated a high-performing, award-winning school. Do not underestimate the power of mirror work. The work of changing educational systems is not solely about technical solutions but is rather about the beliefs we bring into our leadership. We need to commit to ongoing self-reflections prior to becoming an administrator and throughout our leadership journey.
鈥楩or Solution-Oriented Doers鈥�
Rose Hill is a middle school reading and language arts teacher with 10 years of classroom experience. She is also an 鈥渆duinfluencer鈥� on social media under the name @PearlsOfPedagogy, where she shares no-nonsense teaching wisdom for 糖心动漫vlog and practical tips for parents.:
Not every teacher should be an administrator. Let鈥檚 just start there. If you鈥檙e happy in the classroom, and that鈥檚 where your gifts shine, stay there鈥攚e need excellent teachers who stay teachers. But if you鈥檙e the type who sees problems and immediately starts working on solutions鈥攏ot just complaining鈥攁dministration might be worth considering.
Solutions + Action = Leadership
Early in my career, I noticed some colleagues were 鈥渋dea people.鈥� They could name every issue in the district but weren鈥檛 willing to roll up their sleeves to fix them. Administration isn鈥檛 for idea people alone鈥攊t鈥檚 for solution-oriented doers. If you鈥檙e the kind of teacher who not only identifies a challenge but also drafts an action plan, rallies support, and collaborates with others to make it happen, that鈥檚 leadership DNA. Schools need more of that at the decisionmaking table.
Bring a Board of Directors With You
I didn鈥檛 discover my passion for teaching until later in life. After a decade in corporate America, I transitioned into education and fell in love with it. One thing corporate culture did well was mentoring and building intentional networks. That鈥檚 where the concept of a 鈥渂oard of directors鈥� comes in.
Every teacher who鈥檚 considering leadership should be intentional about surrounding themselves with people who are wiser, more experienced, and invested in their growth. This isn鈥檛 just about having a supportive family鈥攊t鈥檚 about building a team of mentors, colleagues, and role models who can guide you through the challenges of leadership. Because here鈥檚 the truth: You can have the drive, the ideas, and the work ethic, but if you don鈥檛 have wise counsel to steady you, burnout will find you fast.
Leadership Requires Balance
The hardest part of administration isn鈥檛 the meetings, the paperwork, or the evaluations鈥攊t鈥檚 carrying the weight of decisions that affect hundreds of kids, families, and staff members. Teachers who want to move up have to ask themselves: 鈥淎m I ready to put others first, even when it鈥檚 not popular? Am I willing to make decisions that serve the greater good, not just the loudest voices?鈥�
If the answer is yes, administration may be your next step. But it requires humility and balance. You鈥檒l need to remember where you came from鈥攖he classroom鈥攁nd still be willing to listen to teachers in the trenches. If you lose that connection, you lose credibility.
It鈥檚 About Impact, Not Power
Too often, people assume administrators are chasing titles or paychecks. The truth? If that鈥檚 your only motivation, you won鈥檛 last. The best administrators are impact-driven. They step into the role because they know their leadership can create change on a broader scale鈥攚hether that鈥檚 building stronger teacher-support systems, pushing for equitable resources, or reshaping school culture to better serve kids.
The Bottom Line
Teachers should consider becoming administrators if they have three things:
- A solutions-first mindset paired with a willingness to act.
- A strong, intentional board of directors to lean on.
- A passion for impact that outweighs a hunger for position.
Leadership in education isn鈥檛 easy. But when the right teachers step up, it shifts everything鈥攃lassrooms, schools, even entire communities.
So if you鈥檝e got the heart for kids, the drive to solve problems, and the wisdom to surround yourself with support鈥攄on鈥檛 dismiss the call to lead. Schools need you at the table.
鈥榊our Voice Is Needed鈥�
Rachel Edoho-Eket, Ed.D., is the author of The Principal鈥檚 Journey: Navigating the Path to School Leadership and Relational Intelligence: The Key Factor to Exceptional School Leadership. She has served for 21 years in education as a highly regarded teacher and leader and currently serves as the principal of a National Blue Ribbon school in Maryland. She is also President of the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals:
I still remember the moment a teacher pulled me aside and said, 鈥淭his is the first time in years I鈥檝e felt excited to come to work.鈥� It wasn鈥檛 because of a new curriculum or initiative, it was because of the culture our teachers and staff were building together at our school.
That conversation reminded me why I transitioned from teaching into school leadership: to make a broader impact, to help create conditions where great teaching can thrive, and to support 糖心动漫vlog so they always remember the joy that brought them into this work in the first place.
For those who鈥檝e spent years in the classroom, the leap to administration might feel like a departure from the work you love most, but it doesn鈥檛 have to be. In fact, I believe that teachers make some of the most effective and compassionate school leaders because they鈥檝e lived the daily realities of the classroom. They know the magic that happens when students are engaged, supported, and challenged and they know what it feels like to juggle lesson planning, grading, parent communication, and student crises, sometimes all before noon.
Skilled teachers bring a wealth of experience, empathy, and instructional expertise to school leadership. That lived experience matters the most. When a principal has walked in a teacher鈥檚 shoes, their decisions carry a different kind of weight. They understand that instructional leadership isn鈥檛 only about increasing test scores, it鈥檚 about creating an excellent learning environment where teachers feel valued, where students feel seen, and where families feel connected to their school community.
Making the transition into administration also opens up many new opportunities to mentor others and influence systems that impact student outcomes. As a principal, I get to help teachers grow, develop teams that work collaboratively, and build structures that prioritize both well being and academic success. While I still miss the days of my daily teacher life, I鈥檝e found a different kind of fulfillment in helping others succeed and in knowing that our shared leadership helps to multiply the great things happening in every corner of our school.
But let鈥檚 be honest: Leadership isn鈥檛 easy. It comes with tough decisions, many hours, and the pressing weight of responsibility. That鈥檚 why mentorship matters so much. I wouldn鈥檛 be where I am today without the people who believed in me, challenged me, and walked beside me when I doubted myself. One of the most powerful things we can do as school leaders is talent-spot teachers and tap them on the shoulder, saying, 鈥淵ou have what it takes to be a school leader.鈥� Sometimes, that nudge is all it takes to spark a new chapter in someone鈥檚 career, just like it did in mine.
To any teacher considering the transition into leadership: Your voice is needed. Your perspective is powerful and your experience is exactly what our schools need to thrive, now more than ever. You don鈥檛 have to have it all figured out on day one. You just need a willingness to learn, a passion for people, and the courage to keep growing as a leader.
Leadership isn鈥檛 about having all the answers, it鈥檚 about creating the conditions for others to shine, and since you鈥檙e already doing that in your classroom, you鈥檙e well on your way!
鈥楳any Upsides鈥�
Sarah Cooper teaches 8th grade U.S. history and civics and is the associate head of school at Flintridge Preparatory in La Canada, Calif. She is the author of two books, Creating Citizens: Teaching Civics and Current Events in the History Classroom (Routledge) and Making History Mine (Stenhouse):
Full disclosure: I鈥檝e been an academic administrator for 15 years, but I still get to teach two sections of 8th U.S. history and civics. I realize that this balance is not possible for many administrators, especially in public schools, and I wouldn鈥檛 do administration if I couldn鈥檛 teach in some way. Being in the classroom fuels me and also keeps me honest, because I鈥檓 dealing with the same report card deadlines and squirrely behaviors as everyone else.
On its own, serving as an administrator still has many upsides, on the days you don鈥檛 feel stuck in the permafreeze of constant and insufficient triage. Here are some reasons that keep me coming back each day:
- I can take things off teachers鈥� plates to make it easier for them to do their job. Difficult parent or student conversation? We鈥檒l sit in the room with you or even take it for you. We鈥檝e got your back.
- I can provide a mirror to the impact teachers are having on students. Observing transformative teaching is one of the best parts of the job and gives me incredible energy I can reflect back.
- I can dream big for curricular programs and visions that affect students far beyond the walls of my own classroom.
- I鈥檝e learned how to problem-solve in ways I had not imagined, gaining wisdom and calm that can help my colleagues and students. Before becoming an administrator (sort of like before becoming a parent), I had the misguided idea that there was more of a rule book to fixing issues. The reality is that you learn most of these skills on the job because they鈥檙e human skills, and you get better with practice and generous mentoring (which I鈥檝e been grateful for from so many people). You鈥檙e also able to pay it forward by mentoring emerging leaders.
- Being an administrator has reminded me that we never achieve great things alone. Without collaborating with my administrative and teaching colleagues, I would be talking to myself a lot more and getting a lot less done.
Finally, I remember when first becoming a teacher that I was strangely glad, as a recovering perfectionist, that I would never feel like I鈥檇 had a perfect day, let alone an ideal class period. Doing administration multiplies this feeling of happy inadequacy because there are so many variables. If there were a clear-cut answer, the problem probably would not have landed with you, and so you鈥檙e making decisions through omnipresent shades of gray.
But this very ambiguity is what makes the job interesting. There鈥檚 rarely a perfect answer. There鈥檚 generally another try tomorrow. Amid it all, we鈥檙e human beings, muddling through the best we can, in this important work of creating communities where our students and teachers can become the people they鈥檙e meant to be.
Thanks to Erica, Rose, Rachel, and Sarah for contributing their thoughts.
Responses today answered this question:
Why should a teacher consider becoming an administrator 鈥攊f you think they should consider making the switch?
Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@epe.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it鈥檚 selected or if you鈥檇 prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.
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