The Journey Into Education Administration

I believe that there are 5 keys to taking the leap, successfully, from the classroom to Education Administration. 

1. Tell stakeholders about your interest in administration.
2. Find a mentor.
3. Get involved in different facets of your school.
4. Find the right first administrative experience.
5. Always keep an eye on the future.

Tell Stakeholders about Your Interest in Administration

When I departed from the corporate world, I interviewed at several independent schools. I chose Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth, Texas. One major reason was Karla Long, the Middle School Head. She asked me about my future and I told her my desire to work in administrator. She supported my aspirations- and followed through by supplying tremendous administrative experiences to me as a Sixth Grade Geography teacher.

Karla selected me for the Curriculum Committee. She also allowed me to lead the middle school history department's reporting during our accreditation. She allowed me to collaborate on student discipline, assist her in curriculum mapping, redesign the geography curriculum and attend professional development opportunities to further my goals. She assisted me in finding these valuable administrative experiences because of the direction that I wanted to take in my career.

I communicated my aspirations and my division head partnered with me to gain the types of experiences that have helped me immensely as an assistant division head. You must find a leader that is committed to helping your leadership development. Find someone that is willing and able to provide you with meaningful leadership experiences.

Find a Mentor

Another reason why I chose Trinity Valley School was Gary Krahn. He is the current Head of School at LaJolla Country Day in San Diego, but he served TVS as their Head when I started there. Gary is one of my mentors in education. He has given me great guidance in pursuing administration.

When I looked for a mentor in education, I looked for a person who I respected because of their character, decision-making and ability to communicate. I, logically, needed a person who had a position in administration, because they could share their experiences with me and I could learn from their war stories.

Gary would have discussions with me, about my teaching style, about the future of education, about managing a classroom. He would play the devil's advocate and challenge me. He forced me to approach issues in a unique manner, and when I had an answer-he would change the question. He always secured articles and books that he would pass along- case studies from Harvard on leadership and books on management like Good to Great. We continued a discussion on education that not only touched on my classroom, but also other facets of school, like admissions, hiring practices and evaluation of faculty.

Find a committed mentor, dedicated to your goals and aspirations. Find a mentor that wants to see you in administration as much as (at times, even more than) you want to be an administrator. Once you find that person, use them. Have conversations- learn as much as you can. Apply the teachings and reflect with them.

Get Involved in the Different Facets of Your School

One of the great advantages to teaching in an independent school is that you have access to so many parts of your school. Of course, this can be true at any school, if you seek out the opportunities.

I coached football. I had the pleasure of coaching with some of the best coaches in the state of Texas and I also served under tremendous athletic directors. I learned a ton about the workings of the athletic department, from organizing travel and communicating to parents to planning multi-school tournaments.

I developed a program called the Community Partners Program while at Trinity Valley School. We partnered with students across grade levels to invest in local service organizations, to learn how they operated and the importance of philanthropy. In developing this program, I worked with Public Relations and learned about advertising and marketing a new initiative. I collaborated with our development staff to understand our fundraising efforts and the importance of development to the financial structure of a non-profit organization. I trained with our Central Administration office to develop a schedule, organize meeting locations, times, and coordinate guest speakers. I worked with my Head of School to find organizations and foundations that financed our program and provided speakers and volunteer opportunities for my students. I got to see behind the curtain on many of the inner-workings of a school while learning how all of these pieces connected.

Serving on hiring committees for two division heads not only solidified my desire to be an administrator, but also provided me valuable experience in hiring and human resources. The conversations and vision for what these teams had for a division head helped guide me in learning what experiences I needed to fortify my candidacy for administrative positions. I worked on cross divisional teams led by two incredible division heads. I saw how they managed these conversations and how they stimulated discussion. They were great captains and were models of level-headedness.

I had the opportunity to see so many aspects of the school that were outside of my classroom. All of these parts are integral to the function of a division and a school. Find ways to see and learn about all of the different pieces that make a school tick.

Find the Right First Administrative Experience

What I looked for in my first administrative opportunity was very similar to what I looked for in my teaching role when I left corporate; I wanted to find people that would support my growth and help me to climb the administrative ladder.

John Stephens is the Head of Middle School at Fort Worth Country Day. As his assistant division head, John, from day one, told me that I would be involved in all aspects of running the middle school.

I managed the scheduling and execution of our standardized testing. I handled student discipline and faculty coaching. I partnered with parents of our students that struggled academically. I managed an expansion project. I spearheaded an iPad program. I developed a prototype daily schedule for our middle school.

You have to find the right administrator for you. Find someone with whom you have a connection- John and I talk sports and food in the middle of our conversations on curriculum and core values. Find someone with the patience to guide you through every step.

Also, find a great team. Know that you will be partnering with other administrators that will help your growth. Find out who you will be collaborating with most often and understand the type of educators they personify. I worked with a great counselor, solid secretaries as well as a supportive and experienced faculty. Ask Dan Marino how important it is to have a great running back. Ask Ginger Rogers about the importance of an experienced dance partner. If you do not have a solid team to teach you, mentor you, support you and grow your experiences, it will make your journey difficult.

Always Keep an Eye on the Future

One off the numerous things I have internalized in speaking to folks about pursuing administration is that there are many paths that can lead you to your ultimate destination.

What is your ultimate destination? Look for postings of positions that you hope to obtain in the future and highlight what experiences they demand from applicants. Then, seek positions and experiences that will provide you with similar opportunities in your current role.

If you want to be an athletic director, find experiences in coaching and find a head coaching position. If you want to be a division head, find experiences leading a department, or as a dean, or as an assistant division head. If you want to be a Head of School, lead a division, get involved in admissions, and learn about budgeting and fund raising. Give yourself a wide variety of opportunities and experiences. If you are a young teacher, you are lucky in that you have time to search for the right experiences for your needs.

Check out my YouTube channel: Chaka Cummings (The Dedicated Educator). Also, find me on LinkedIn and check out some of my published posts on education.