Dr. LeDell Plath, former Commission on Parish Schools assistant administrator, recalls the recommendation of a synod committee during the 1970\u2019s regarding the assignment of DMLC graduates as principals. Dr. Plath shared, \u201cThe committee concluded that it would be preferable to not do such assignments\u201d (Plath, 2012).<\/p>\n
It was clear to many at that time that it was unwise to assign a DMLC graduate to an administration position since he had no teaching experience or administrative training. Yet today this WELS practice continues. Certainly the duties and expectations of the Lutheran school principal have become more complex and challenging in the past 40 years. If the practice was considered unwise then, it is even more unwise today.<\/p>\n
Understanding the Principal\u2019s Role<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n At one time, the WELS principal\u2019s primary role was to be a resource or task manager. His primary concerns were spiritual guidance and the efficient operation of the school. As such, he was responsible for disseminating information, rules, policies, and procedures in a top-down fashion (Shipman, Queen, & Peel, 2007). Societal pressures, parental expectations, the growing popularity of school alternatives, rapid advance of technology, increasing diversity of students\u2019 abilities and backgrounds, and the complex legal and financial dynamics associated with modern education have created a need for principals with greater knowledge and skills than those of a generation ago. Today\u2019s principals must be visionary leaders who empower others through collaboration and group decision-making. They are held accountable for teacher and student learning, professional development, data-driven decision making, and community relations. They provide instructional leadership, community leadership, and visionary leadership (Shipman et. al., 2007). To expect this of a beginning teacher who has little teaching experience, or even a veteran teacher who has experience but no formal leadership training, is unrealistic.<\/p>\n What Research Says<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The importance of the principal as a formal leader in education is documented by empirical research. Principals account for as much as one-fourth of the variation of school-level factors in student achievement (Liethwood & Riehl, 2005). In addition to the impact the principal has on student learning, many case studies point to his even greater impact on a school\u2019s overall success. Effective educational leaders conduct a number of complex activities that enable them to set direction, develop people, and redesign the organization (Clifford, Behrstock-Sherratt, & Fetters, 2012; Liethwood & Riehl, 2005).<\/p>\n Preparation Expectations in Other Systems<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Expectations for principal preparation are higher in other school systems than in the WELS. At least 43 states have adopted a version of the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards. Most states, such as Minnesota and Wisconsin, require that people wishing to be principals meet those standards before they can hold the position. The usual preparation in the public system follows this pattern:<\/p>\n In contrast, the usual principal preparation in the WELS is a two-year mentoring program.<\/p>\n Qualification Comparisons<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n These differences in the expectations for principal preparation have produced a large gap between the qualifications of principals in other school systems and the WELS. According to the 2007-2008 School and Staffing Survey published by the National Center for Educational Statistics (2009), the following percentages of principals held a master\u2019s degree or higher:<\/p>\n An earlier School and Staffing Survey (2004) pulled out the Missouri Synod and Wisconsin Synod principals\u2019 highest degree information from the private schools and reported it as follows:<\/p>\n While we can praise God that he has moved about one-fourth of our principals to pursue a degree despite an absence of strong encouragement or adequate time and funding, we also acknowledge that the lack of principal preparation reflects poorly on WELS schools. The synod\u2019s low expectation for principal preparation threatens to undermine the credibility of our schools in the eyes of our parents, prospective families, and the community in general.<\/p>\n A Vision for Providing Well-trained Principals<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Both the Commission on Lutheran Schools\u2019 StEM task force and the synod\u2019s Continuing Education for Called Workers committee are seeking ways to help WELS congregations and schools provide the necessary administrative time, leadership training, and on-going support principals need to carry out their leadership responsibilities. These committees are developing ways to help congregations and the synod 1) provide necessary release time, 2) strengthen and support today\u2019s principals, and 3) prepare a corps of fully-prepared principals to accept calls into this important ministry position. But such plans will only be successful if we in the WELS change our attitude toward principal preparation.<\/p>\n Written by John Meyer. John is the Director of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education at Martin Luther College. He served for 20 years as principal of WELS schools.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
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