The Leader as Teacher

| A former superintendent illustrates what it means to lead as a teacher—remaining grounded in instruction, modeling curiosity, and reminding us that leadership at its best is not removed from the classroom, but rooted in it.

When I became Superintendent of an inner ring suburban district, I came to that position from an unusual path. During my twenty-five years of K–12 administration, I served as an Assistant Principal for only one year. All my other years were spent in various roles in Curriculum and Instruction. To me, curriculum is the heart of a school district. It signifies what we are doing with a child’s time.

I have always believed that children gift teachers and school personnel their time each day. I recognize that not all children freely and willingly give the gift of their time. Yet time is still the gift children offer, day in and day out. Teaching becomes the avenue through which the curriculum—the heart of the school—begins to pump, flow, and come alive. Hopefully, teachers recognize that students have given them this gift of time and use it in ways that make the curriculum meaningful for both themselves and their students.

We can all recall a time when we taught a curriculum that lacked personal value. As both a teacher and administrator, I have always believed that meaningful curriculum and purposeful teaching make the school experience valuable to all involved. Early in my administrative career, I realized that I needed to keep teaching to stay grounded in the work that mattered most—curriculum and instruction. I made myself a promise: I would teach at least one formal class every year I served as an administrator.

I began by teaching remedial English at the college level, later a secondary methods course for prospective teachers, and finally, Curriculum Development for teachers seeking their principal’s license. I never missed a year. Staying close to teaching kept me grounded as a leader and continually reminded me of the classroom realities my decisions affected.

When I became Superintendent, my challenge was to help others recognize both a child’s gift of time and a teacher’s response to that gift through the curriculum. My cabinet consisted of eight people, three of whom were not educators by training. I wanted them to understand the centrality of teaching and learning in our work.

That opportunity came when I was invited to serve on the Board of Directors for Cleveland Junior Achievement (JA). The JA curriculum impressed me—its objectives were clear, strategies sound, pacing logical, and lessons engaging. JA was teaching financial literacy long before it became a state requirement. I realized I could serve as an ambassador for JA within our district while also helping my non-instructional leaders connect directly with classrooms.

I invited my cabinet and central office staff to volunteer to teach at least one JA class per year. Everyone agreed. Over time, we had more than twenty additional central office staff and 150 classes covered. The greatest success wasn’t just the implementation—it was that our leaders experienced children, curriculum, teaching, and learning firsthand.

By staying close to teaching, we stayed close to our purpose. Leadership, after all, is another form of teaching.