Written by Chris Hintz
We have all had them. Some were tall and thin, others short and stocky. Most were intimidating. Some were our teachers; others were working in their office and walking the halls. Former students can most likely name and describe all the principals they have had throughout their school years, but were they effective? Which characteristics made them effective?
Much attention has been given recently to the challenging role of the principal in Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) schools (Continuing Education for Called Workers, 2013; Lutheran Schools Report, 2013; Meyer, 2013; Schmill, 2009; Schmill, 2013).
Rather than rely only on educational research and informed opinion, I felt it was important to gather WELS data to suggest solutions to a WELS problem. As a WELS principal myself, I wanted to know what WELS pastors, teachers, staff ministers, staff members, parents, and students have to contribute to the conversation. I gathered data from these stakeholders to answer the question: “What makes a WELS principal effective?”
A survey was emailed to these groups in May 2013 to gather opinions on a key position in Lutheran schools. Twenty pastors, 58 teachers, two staff ministers, two teacher’s aides, 11 office personnel, 91 parents, and 29 students responded to the survey.
The surveys gathered important data on what makes a principal most effective. A great need to increase administrative release time (ART) was identified, relationship-oriented traits ranked highly on many surveys, and continuing education was identified as a way to develop traits of principal effectiveness.
I propose the following recommendations to improve principal effectiveness in WELS schools: (1) provide principals adequate ART, (2) make a conscious effort to improve relationship-oriented traits, and (3) expand the base of knowledge through continuing education.
(1) Principals must be given an adequate amount of ART to be effective. The position today has too many expectations to be done well by a person who also teaches full-time. If a principal is expected to teach full-time and be an effective principal (i.e., build relationships, observe in classrooms, expand the curriculum, improve technology, maintain the budget, increase enrollment, complete paperwork, and many other responsibilities), he is being set up for failure.
This is especially true for principals with only a few years of experience. A conscious effort has been made by the WELS Conference of Presidents in recent years to avoid assigning MLC graduates to serve as principals. Also, the mentoring program is very beneficial in helping these young men learn how to find a balance between their classroom and principalship. That being said, the survey results showed 13 principals who had fewer than 10 years of experience and only 0-5 hours of ART. These are the principals we should be most concerned about burning out and leaving the ministry.
(2) Survey data clearly showed relationship-oriented traits of the principal are important to called workers, staff members, parents, and students. Education is a people business. It is imperative that principals are talking with and encouraging the people they serve. This is another reason an adequate amount of ART is crucial; it also provides time for principals to practice their relationship-oriented traits.
(3) It is crucial that principals expand their base of knowledge through continuing education. Education is always evolving. Some new teaching strategies and theories are great, while others actually do a disservice to students’ learning. The only way a principal will know the difference—between the good and the bad—is through continuing education. It will strengthen the principal’s ministry, and the school as a whole will significantly benefit.
It seems the biggest obstacle to principals continuing their education is paying for it. While some principals pay for their own continuing education, this is not ideal, nor should it be expected. Congregational financial support of continuing education shows appreciation for their principal’s new knowledge, better organization, and improved effectiveness.
God has given each principal gifts and talents to use in the school in which he serves. There are things a principal can do to improve his effectiveness and improve the ministry of the school, so more students can know and be reminded of their Savior’s love for them. Ultimately, our hope and trust is in our God, who has promised his Word is always effective, even when we are not. We hold onto God’s faithful promises in his inerrant Word. “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11, NIV 1984).
You can read Chris’ entire study in the MLC online library collection.
Chris Hintz (MLC ’04) is the principal and 7th-8th teacher at Emmaus Lutheran School in Phoenix, Arizona. He will also be graduating with his Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in Leadership from MLC this May.
References
Continuing Education for Called Workers (2013). 2013 Synod Convention Proceedings.http://www.wels.net/sites/wels/files/Proceedings2013.pdf
Lutheran Schools Report (2013). 2013 Book of Reports and Memorials.https://connect.wels.net/sites/sew/Shared%20Documents/2013%20Book%20of%20Reports%20and%20Memorials.pdf
Meyer, J. (2013, December). WELS Leadership Crisis? Volume II. Issues in Lutheran Education blog http://blogs.mlc-wels.edu/wels-educator/2013/02/
Schmill, G. (2009, April). Administrative Release Time (ART) for School Principals of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. https://connect.wels.net/AOM/ps/schools/cpsnews/eNEWS%20documents/ART%20for%20WELS%20Principals%20–%20Summary%2011%202012.pdf
Schmill, G. (2013, April). Please . . . give ‘em more time! Issues in Lutheran Education blog http://blogs.mlc-wels.edu/wels-educator/2013/04/30/
Mr. Hintz: Being fully retired, I had the luxury and privilege to go through your entire thesis today(I would agree with your wife that you should have more time to spend on administration now that this paper is finished!). I was again impressed with your scholarship but particularly pleased with your focus upon God’s Word throughout your thesis. I appreciate the addition of your point on page 32, namely that a principal be a spiritual leader both by instruction and example. The responses you received from parents and students suggests that our principals have point one well in hand…another reason to give thanks to a gracious God. Thanks for your work and may God richly bless your continued labors in His kingdom.
In Christ,
Schibbs
John,
Thanks for your comments. I completely agree that a principal is effective because he is first served by God’s Word on a daily basis. One of the survey questions asked participants to use a Likert scale and rank their principal in several different areas. One of them was being a student of God’s Word. Our WELS principals received a high ranking in this category by both principals’ colleagues and parents of students (feel free to read the statistics in my thesis starting at the bottom of page 46).
God bless,
Chris
I appreciate the obvious scholarship with which Mr. Hintz approached the subject. I also appreciate his recommendations for improvement as far as they go. In my opinion, the first and foremost criteria for an effective principal in our Lutheran Christian schools would be that he be found faithful and fully committed to God’s Word; that he be able to rightfully divide the Word of Truth; and that he be an avid, ongoing student of Scripture.