A District’s Leadership Course for Its Support Staff

What does it take to launch a leadership development program for support staff?

In January 2015, the Park Hill School District launched a leadership development program for support staff members with a cohort of 16. This was the beginning of a two-year experience for support staff who had shown leadership potential and who wanted to study the attributes of organizational leadership.

Four months earlier, the district’s human resources department announced this opportunity among the 700 support staff employees. When an overwhelming number expressed interest in the course, the department drew names to compose the inaugural cohort with a promise to begin a second cohort one year later for applicants who weren’t picked for the first.

In structuring this new program, the district incorporated engagement activities at monthly sessions that were designed to ensure a self-driven experience. These meetings took place during the work day and were held at Park Hill district office. One of the first activities asked participants to complete a leadership-style inventory to increase self-awareness and guide conversations with others in the program.

During the program’s early sessions, district administrators made presentations about the various departments in Park Hill. Each cohort member also attended a one-on-one meeting with a human resources administrator to discuss career goals. The most significant aspect of the course required each participant to select and carry out a personal leadership project.

Beneficial Projects

The project puts the support staff members at the center of an authentic leadership opportunity drawn from their everyday work. The participants identified a problem within the scope of their job and collaborated with their supervisor to develop strategies for improvement, a desired outcome and evaluation. The latter required them to devise methods for collecting data to determine if the strategies were effective. Each implemented his or her project, tracked its progress and reported the outcome in a presentation before the full leadership development group.

One memorable project led to the construction of a new lighted sign outside an elementary school. The project was developed by one of the district’s electricians, who had to coordinate the bid, order and purchase of the sign. He also worked directly with the school’s PTA, which was paying for the sign. Finally, he coordinated the digging of a power line, construction of the sign and final testing and approval. The project allowed the employee to expand his leadership skills in communication, coordination and organization — an authentic experience handling a significant school district project from start to finish.

The district reaped benefits from all of the first cohort’s projects. More broadly, support staff now feel encouraged to identify authentic problems in their practice and to work toward real, applicable solutions. In some cases, they learned what didn’t work and that leadership can be more complicated than it appears.

The support staffers gained a wide perspective of the district and its needs and their own next steps for personal growth. As one participant put it, “This program gave me a chance to experience a management role, which is what I want to do as my career progresses. I learned to get out of my shell and do some things I don’t normally do.”

Aspiring Leaders

To promote further leadership growth, the school district provided cohort members in Year 2 with job shadowing experiences and additional training. Release time of up to eight hours is given for a shadowing experience. Meanwhile, the training, selected by the participant, consists of online, six-week courses on leadership topics such as employment law, supervision or team building. The training is conducted through an online training vendor used by the district, with the cost of the course paid by the district.

During the latter stages of the course, participants are identified as aspiring leaders and tapped to participate in district committees for additional experience.

When all components of the program are completed, each participant is given a $250 stipend from the school district as compensation for their extra hours and effort.

From the original group of 16 participants at the beginning of 2015, eight have moved upward in their careers either in the district or elsewhere. Although the program does not guarantee retention in the district, it generates a high degree of engagement among the participants as they experience an employer that genuinely cares about their development.

One of the original cohort members shared this: “It really meant a lot to be involved and to know that Park Hill put value in its employees. It gave me a good starting point that will help me in the long run.”