Q: I’m a public school principal and just got my staffing allocations for next year. The good news from this “transfer season” is that the number of people who’ll be leaving our school isn’t as huge as I feared. The bad news is that we’ll be losing several part-time teachers in both the performing arts and ESOL, along with several support staff and interventionalists. These are people who have sustained close relationships not only with colleagues, but also with their students, parents, and other community members. I know it will be most upsetting, of course, to the individuals who must leave, though they won’t be unemployed and will get placed at other schools. As the principal, I know that none of this is my doing, but I’m still the messenger, and I suspect that some staff members will feel that I didn’t do enough to protect people’s positions. How can I help the departing teachers personally and help them communicate the news to coworkers, students, and caregivers? I’m very aware that we still have several months left in this school year, and I want to minimize everyone’s discomfort, including my own!
A: It’s hard to be the messenger and see staff in distress — particularly at a time when everyone’s reserves are down. You not only have to deliver unsettling news that affects staff members’ personal and professional lives, but you also have to deal with the community’s reaction. For perspective on how to handle these situations with kindness and empathy, I spoke to Matthew Bowerman, author of Heartleader (Codebreaker Publishing, forthcoming) and an administrator in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland.
Projecting the coming year’s student enrollments is strictly a numbers game, Bowerman told me. But while it’s an impersonal process, it does put school administrators in the tricky position of having to deliver what could be difficult news. “A staff member’s excitement, concerns, fears, and worries are all coming at us, and we need to mitigate that in professional yet compassionate ways.” Regardless of whether the person was effective or ineffective, “We’re sitting across from a human being who has invested a portion of their life in this experience, and that needs to be validated and respected.” The first priority is to empathize, Bowerman added, noting that he’s “been on the involuntary transfer list as a teacher a couple times during 25 years in the profession.”
When you meet with your affected staff members, start by acknowledging that they’re likely wondering, “What happens now, and who will be protecting me?” The message ought to be: “If we can’t have you here, we’re going to do all we can to find the best fit for you somewhere else.” That might involve making calls to other schools, walking individuals through the transfer process step-by-step, and writing recommendation letters. “The more transparent you are about the staffing allocations you were given and the timeline for final decisions, the less anxiety they’ll have about being left in the wilderness alone,” Bowerman said. And it’s important to continue to check in and let them know that if additional information becomes available, you’ll reach out to them.
In the meantime, urge teachers to hold off on notifying students that they’ll be leaving the school until closer to the end of the year. “Students’ sensitivity will vary by age and temperament, but generally speaking, I like to first let parents know it’s coming, so they’re prepared to manage any emotional needs with their children,” Bowerman explained. Let parents know the date you plan to share the information with students, too. When teachers deliver their news, they can prepare a “simple, kind, and gentle” statement that conveys where they’re going — if they wish to share that information — and how they’re feeling. They also could express gratitude for what their students have taught them and underscore that they’ll continue to enjoy learning together for the rest of the year.
As for notifying the whole staff, this is an opportunity to give your departing staff members a greater sense of agency. Ask them how they’d like to communicate the news and whether they’d like to share it themselves. When Bowerman lost his own teaching position many years ago, he sent a group email to colleagues, met with students and families who wanted to say goodbye, and then followed up with personal letters. If a staff member prefers that you deliver the news, keep the focus on their positive contributions. You also might choose to include statements from other staff members, such as a department chair.
Even if you follow the prescribed process and do everything you can to soften the blow, members of your community are going to experience a range of emotions, and you may find that some are aimed at you. “We’re dealing with relationships, and whether or not they’re powerful ones, it can take a toll,” Bowerman said, adding that you might want to talk about your own feelings with a principal colleague, a member of your professional learning network, an assistant principal, staff development teacher, or another team member. Then, he advised, try to shift your focus to the future and “making energizing, equitable, impactful staffing decisions that will benefit students [going] forward.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Phyllis L. Fagell
Phyllis L. Fagell is the school counselor at Landon School in Washington, D.C., a therapist at the Chrysalis Group in Bethesda, Md., and the author of the Career Confidential blog. She is also the author of Middle School Matters and Middle School Superpowers, available at https://amzn.to/3Pw0pcu.
