The TL/DR...

  • Strong school leaders prioritize the best interests of their students in their decision-making and do not act hastily in response to social or political pressures.
  • The “improvement science” framework, which enables education leaders to make sustainable, continuous, evidence-based improvements at their schools, is essential in politically contentious environments.
  • Distributive leadership empowers teachers and other education professionals in their roles as leaders who can make small but meaningful changes at their schools that will lead to improved student outcomes.

Politics can impact many aspects of a school leader’s job. Whether it involves staffing, budgets, the curriculum, student conduct, or any other matter relevant to learning or school operations, leaders in education will encounter forces lining up on both sides of the issues they handle. Often, these forces might be built around a campaign benefiting a specific group within the community. Education leaders may face considerable political or social pressure to make certain decisions that favor one side versus another. But if a decision made by the school leader is one that does not have the best interests of the students in mind, this decision can have negative consequences for the school.

When it comes to making major decisions affecting their school, an effective leader will not act in haste. They will develop a better understanding of the issue in question and how it impacts students, teachers, and families. A well-informed school leader will take the time to meaningfully engage with members of the school community and listen to concerns they may have regarding school policies. A school leader who is skilled at their job will also demonstrate compassion, empathy, and a willingness to address those concerns in a way that primarily benefits the students. Most importantly, a competent school leader will ignore the external “noise” that often causes the public to view education through a political lens. Maureen Marshall, assistant professor in the Education Leadership Program at George Mason University, recently shared her thoughts on how K-12 school leaders can stay true to their mission of achieving positive outcomes for their students while successfully navigating the political influences that try to shape education policy.

The improvement science framework enables education leaders to develop continuous and sustainable system improvements at their schools instead of seeking a “quick fix.”

Prior to taking definitive measures to resolve an issue affecting students, effective school leaders will first analyze the root cause and underlying system processes or structures that cause the problem. Strong school leaders will refrain from adopting a “quick fix” response to a contentious political climate. Instead, they will seek solutions through an evidence-based approach known as “improvement science.” Improvement science in education is grounded in a disciplined, iterative, multi-step process that begins by clearly defining a system or process problem. This is followed by developing and testing “change ideas” to improve outcomes and then assessing whether implementation of the change results in measurable improvements as supported by the evidence. Refinements to the change idea are made as conditions warrant. These steps, often referred to as Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycles, provide a structured framework through which education leaders can implement sustainable system improvements at their schools on a continuous basis.

The Virginia Literacy Act exemplifies how education leaders are collaborating with teachers, families, and other stakeholders on implementation of this statute.

The enactment of the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) illustrates the vital role that school leaders can play in building community support for a landmark statute that will help to enhance the reading skills of children in Virginia’s K-12 schools. The VLA represents a bipartisan effort that has unified individuals across party lines in working toward the common goal of improving early literacy outcomes for Virginia’s young learners. Throughout Virginia, school leaders are collaborating with teachers, families, and other stakeholders in the education community on key elements of VLA implementation. These include ensuring the availability of evidence-based instruction and interventions at schools, providing professional development that supports teachers and reading specialists, making sure that every family has access to online resources to support their child’s literacy development at home, and many other duties related to the VLA. Education leaders are working closely with lawmakers, government officials, and members of the community in building consensus on the funding required to fully implement this statute—an investment that will result in the significant improvement of the reading skills of Virginia’s students.

Distributive Leadership

Distributive leadership recognizes the many professionals in the field of education who work as leaders in their schools but do not have high-level school or school district administrative positions. Instead, these individuals serve in leadership capacities as instructional coaches, mathematics specialist leaders, reading specialists, and similar roles where they make small but meaningful changes that improve student outcomes. Very often, teachers fill these roles. Some education experts say that because the distributive leadership structure is not “top-down,” it can facilitate a more collaborative environment and a greater exchange of ideas on teaching practices and school policies.


For information on degree offerings in the Education Leadership Program at George Mason University, please visit the program website.