Building a Successful Leadership Pipeline through Principal Supervision

As a principal supervisor in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) since 2017, I have supervised and coached principals across the Pre-K through 12th grade continuum and I have supported schools with diverse socioeconomic statuses (SES) and varying levels of academic achievement, tailoring support to meet the unique needs and challenges of each school community.

Given my varied experiences, I can attest that leadership development in education is crucial for fostering high-performing schools, in support of creating high performing school districts. One strategy each district leadership team should prioritize is principal supervision, a key lever for enhancing school leadership and sustaining a robust leadership pipeline.  After all, outside of the classroom teacher, the principal is the second most influential staff member to impact results for students.  

"Leadership development in education is crucial for fostering high-performing schools, in support of creating high performing school districts."

Why Principal Supervision Matters: 

Principals shape the academic success and well-being of students through effective school leadership. However, the path to becoming a successful principal is complex, especially as school districts face the challenge of hiring many novice leaders for principal roles. Principal supervisors play a pivotal role by offering essential guidance, targeted professional development, and performance feedback that help new principals navigate the demanding responsibilities of school leadership.  In addition, a principal supervisor’s importance stems from their ability to build principal capacity and ensure district alignment.  The Wallace Foundation highlights that rethinking principal supervision can strengthen leadership pipelines, ensuring a steady flow of capable leaders ready to manage schools in an increasingly challenging educational landscape. 

"Principal supervisors play a pivotal role by offering essential guidance, targeted professional development, and performance feedback that help new principals navigate the demanding responsibilities of school leadership."

Key Findings from Wallace Foundation Research: 

The Wallace Foundation’s recent study, “How School Districts Prepare and Develop Principals: Selected Findings, Spring 2024”, underscores strategies that districts use to build a successful leadership pipeline:

• Redefining the Supervisor Role:  Districts are shifting principal supervisors from compliance-focused administrators to instructional leaders. By reducing their span of control, supervisors can provide more personalized coaching and support.
  
• Targeted Professional Development: High-quality training tailored to the unique challenges principals face strengthens their leadership skills. Districts investing in leadership academies and mentorship programs have seen marked improvements. 
  
• Data-Driven Support: Effective districts use data analytics to assess school performance, guiding supervisory support and resource allocation. 
  
• Systemic Alignment:  A clear, cohesive approach that aligns leadership development with district goals ensures consistent, scalable improvements.
  

Investing in instructional leaders (principal supervisors) to lead other instructional leaders (principals) must be a priority to develop and strengthen our school-based leadership teams.  Giving principal supervisors access to professional development specific to coaching and coaching for instruction will only enhance their skills to help leaders lead their schools.  As a principal supervisor, having clear district expectations and providing schools and district leadership with similar benchmark data helps schools align their school improvement efforts in alignment with district strategic plan goals as well.  These levers, if implemented effectively, will positively impact the performance of our leaders in support of improving student achievement.   

Building a Sustainable Leadership Pipeline:

Creating a strong leadership pipeline requires more than one-off initiatives; it demands an integrated, strategic approach. Districts should:

• Invest in Ongoing Development: Continuous learning opportunities keep principals equipped for evolving educational demands. 
  
• Foster Collaborative Networks: Peer learning communities enable shared problem-solving and innovative practices.
  
• Ensure Equity and Inclusion: Leadership pipelines must reflect the diversity of student populations, ensuring equitable learning environments.
  

Upon being hired as a principal within CMS in 2010, I was immediately enrolled in a principal induction program that provided targeted and timely coaching and professional development over a period of 4 years.  Each year, our principal cohort engaged in coaching sessions with our assigned coach, and we also participated in cohort based professional development that directly aligned to problems of practice that we would experience as leaders within a school (focus on instructional time v. management, change management process, and innovation around instruction).  This targeted support for me, and my fellow principal colleagues, was an immeasurable investment in helping to build my capacity as a strategic instructional leader focused on improving student achievement while also building positive school culture.

Building Leadership Capacity for Tomorrow: 

As education faces increasing challenges, a well-developed leadership pipeline anchored by effective principal supervision is essential. By embracing research-backed strategies like those outlined by the Wallace Foundation, school districts can cultivate leaders who drive student success and school improvement.

To learn more, explore the full findings from the Wallace Foundation’s report.