School Leadership

Director's Message

Welcome. Thank you for your interest in the School Leadership Program (SLP). We believe that we have a rather unique, and rigorous, program that prepares high-quality school leaders. Our program is based on the principle of distributive leadership. Distributive Leadership is defined by Professor Richard Elmore, a core faculty member in the SLP: "Schools and school systems need to learn not just different ways of doing things, but very different ways of thinking about the purposes of their work, and the skills and knowledge that go with those purposes. This shift requires. . .a redefinition of leadership, away from role-based conceptions and toward a distributive view. . . .Distributed leadership. . .derives from the fact that large-scale improvement requires concerted action among people with different expertise and a mutual respect that stems from an appreciation of the knowledge and skill requirements of different roles." Therefore, our program seeks to prepare dynamic leaders who recognize the centrality of the classroom to all school reform improvement efforts.

By combining teacher leaders, aspiring principals, and school developers, we seek to develop change agents both within traditional and non-traditional settings as well as within the ranks of teachers and external school partners. Our program consistently attracts bright, focused, experienced educators from public schools including charters, private and independent schools, and various external organizations who have deep commitment to improving educational opportunities for all students.

The program benefits from the superb world-recognized faculty of the HGSE as well as the significant resources available within Harvard University. Furthermore, we have developed extensive relationships with various schools and organizations with the greater Boston area, which serve as field-based learning sites.

Our graduates have been very successful in promoting educational improvement throughout the United States and in a number of other countries. Among our graduates are practicing school principals and teacher leaders, charter school directors, department heads, curriculum coordinators, heads of schools, and department of education officials. Our graduates consistently and frequently report back from the field that the School Leadership Program has prepared them well for school leadership positions.

"Being a member of a community of experienced, innovative and committed educators, leaders, and school developers is one of the unique aspects of the School Leadership Program… Through my experiences in the School Leadership program in the Teacher Leadership strand, I have had the opportunity to develop the confidence and the tools that will enable me to collaborate with others to implement and support positive changes within a school community. It is satisfying to know that in the future, I do not have to leave the classroom in order to support improvements in teaching and learning for every student, everywhere, and everyday." Julie Sloan, Teacher Leader 2003

Thank you for your interest in the School Leadership Program. Please review our website, and contact the program coordinator, Brian Garrett, if you have further questions: 617-496-4816, slp@gse.harvard.edu.

Richard Elmore source: "Building a New Structure for School Leadership,"Chapter 2, in School Reform from the Inside Out (Harvard Education Press,2004), p. 87.