Why Teachers 'Hate' Administrators (and What You Can Do About It)

Years after a career move that prompted colleagues to claim she'd moved to 'the dark side,' the author spells out three reasons for teachers' negative feelings

After spending 14 years as a teacher, I became an administrator in K-12 education more than 20 years ago. I remember the ribbing I got from my teacher friends. I had gone to “the dark side.” I had become part of the awful bureaucracy, usually referred to in a disparaging way as “the administration,” “downtown” or “the central office.”

After hearing my friends express such views over the years, I often silently agreed with them. Embarrassed, I knew I was guilty of some of the same things they were upset about.

Is it any wonder? Here are three valid reasons why teachers hate administrators — and some suggestions on what we can do about it.

No. 1: The carousel of initiatives.

When a new superintendent, assistant superintendent, principal or department head comes on board, everyone knows what comes next: a new way of doing things. Every administrator seems to feel obligated to introduce newfangled ideas or programs that must be implemented without delay. Often, there is no consideration of what’s been done in the past.

Staff who are invested in existing programs are apt to resist. They may feel they lack time to invest in the new initiative or fail to see its merits. These teachers may be labeled “insubordinate,” “blockers,” “dead wood” or other negative terms. Veteran staff members simply roll their eyes and say, “This too shall pass.” In some cases, the district previously invested considerable resources and professional development in a program only to have a new leader come in and change course.

I remember one principal calling a gifted teacher a “writing zealot” when she wanted to continue using the approach she was passionate about and had successfully used for years. I reminded him that we created this zealot through years of professional development and support!

What can we do about this? Before making changes, we need to talk with the teachers and staff members about what they are presently doing and get their input into next steps. Options should be considered and evidence of effectiveness weighed. An implementation plan is needed if a new program or system will be introduced, including quality professional development, time for planning and needed materials and resources to create the best likelihood of success.

Of course, some initiatives originate at the federal or state level, and local school districts have no choice but to implement them. Consider how many such initiatives have begun within the last few years. How have they been received? How successful have they been? How can we prevent initiative overload?

Principals, directors, superintendents and outside consultants should refrain from bashing the previous approaches, given the district supported and developed the previous programs. How do we look when we now criticize what we put in place?

Central-office administrators also need to be sensitive to school-level schedules and resource needs when developing implementation plans. Teachers will not be invested in professional training or curriculum development if it happens the week grades are due for the quarter or the week before major exams.

We need to be sensitive to those who struggle with change, offer them support and listen carefully to their issues and concerns.

No. 2: Lack of responsiveness or follow-through.

I’ve often heard teachers say they no longer bring forth an issue or concern because “nothing happens.” They recognize that their principals are busy, but they can get frustrated when their concerns are not resolved and communication is nonexistent. The lack of responsiveness can be a result of administrators being disorganized, avoiding conflict or lacking interest in the issue.

I admit, as a new school administrator, I was a conflict avoider. When an issue with a teacher arose early in my transition, my supervisor told me I could not leave that day until I met with the teacher to hash out the problem. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but it turned out to be the best thing.

Moving forward, I decided to focus my own development on learning how to deal with conflict. I sought the guidance of two wonderful mentors who helped me improve in this area. It wasn’t easy or comfortable, but it helped me immensely. I’ve learned if you don’t address issues head-on, they will come out “sideways” in the form of resistance, aggression, discouragement and low morale. As Nike says, “Just do it”!

Some administrators don’t respond to an issue because they are not as organized as they could be. The disorganized or procrastinating principal may say, “Yes, sure! I will deal with the issue,” as they run down the hall to deal with some crisis or other time-sensitive matter. But nothing happens. The administrator truly wants to address the concern, but all of their other obligations get in the way. Some central-office administrators get so bogged down in e-mail and meetings that staff concerns fall to the wayside.

Administrators can improve responsiveness by acting immediately and delegating when feasible. I had the wonderful experience of observing a seasoned interim principal in action in a busy, urban middle school. Often, she dropped what she was doing to respond and delegate immediately. She would call in the people needed to solve an issue and set a time to follow up. She trusted her staff to handle the issues, and she earned respect quickly. That bought her goodwill, which led to buy-in when she needed something. I learned a lot from watching her.

Central-office administrators can hide behind e-mail, formality and lack of visibility to avoid hearing dissension and dealing with issues. Yet creating opportunities for staff to share their concerns and offer input is important. It can be uncomfortable and doesn’t mean you are “giving up the store,” but the gesture will give staff members a voice that can prevent them from feeling disenfranchised.

Staff should know you are going to follow up on their concerns. Daily and weekly “to do” lists with critical dates are important to make sure you get back to people on issues of importance to them. It also can be helpful to send a note saying, “I haven’t forgotten about you. I’ll get back to you soon.” At least they’ll know their concern hasn’t been disregarded.

No. 3: Failure to “water the plants.”

We are in a people-driven field. Yet administrators can get so task-focused they fail to feed and water the staff around them. I recall beginning my administrative career like a horse bolting from the gate at the racetrack. So much to do and so little time! As my career progressed, I realized I needed to attend more to the people with whom I worked and not just the tasks.

We’ve all completed personality profiles of one kind or another and presumably have a sense of how we tend to operate and into which working-style quadrant we and others fall. Yet do we work on our blind spots and accommodate others’ styles? It’s hard but necessary.

If we fail to build good relationships, many goals will remain elusive. I have heard teachers lament that their principal or superintendent didn’t attend an event they worked hard to plan and carry out — an art show, concert, robotics contest, an issues debate or one-of-a-kind special event. A little attention can make all the difference.

The solution here is a pleasant one: Be visible. Take time to get into classrooms. See shows at schools, attend events and praise what you see. Instead of working on a report in the office in the morning, walk around the school and greet students, staff and parents. You may not be able to do this every day, but set time aside each week to be visible.

I observed a principal who kept a chart of classrooms, making sure she got around to visiting all of them across a week for five minutes at the start of the day.

Also, don’t underestimate the use of praise. Wilting flowers can spring to life with just a few positive words. Find reasons to say something positive to teachers about their work, ask about their students and their own families. It goes a long way!

Students should know administrators, and administrators should know them. You will find yourself feeling rejuvenated and reminded of why you went into education in the first place. This is even more important for central-office administrators as staff often view them as “staying in the ivory tower.” Staff need to know them on a personal level. When I started in my last district as a director of secondary instruction, I studied the staff yearbook photos to try to learn names and faces. If I met someone new, I worked to file their name away in my mind using acronyms or links for recall.

I once had a principal tell me he was not accustomed to central-office administrators attending the football games and asked me why I did so. I told him these games were important to the students, parents, coaches and community and therefore should be important to me, too. In addition, the coaches and band staff knew I attended regularly and when it came time to implement some curriculum work, they were willing to work with me because they knew I supported them.

Graduate degrees and training programs cover many important topics, but they never fully prepare us for the challenges we face in school districts. The good news is that taking steps to show you care about your staff members and including them in decisions and initiatives will make your job as an administrator job more enjoyable and fulfilling and make you more effective. And maybe change teachers’ views in the process.