Q: I’ve been a teacher for two decades, yet I lack the power to effect any schoolwide, let alone districtwide, change. That’s a big problem for me because I’m always thinking of ways we could improve processes. And I have good (and often easy-to-implement) ideas if I do say so myself! Sometimes these ideas pertain to procedures, such as restructuring parent-teacher conferences or teacher plan-alike time. And sometimes my ideas are less fully formed. For instance, I think we should revisit how we work with the PTA to welcome new staff and families. I recognize that I only truly have control in my own classroom, and even there I’m constrained by district mandates.
Anyway, when I complain to my principal that teachers’ expertise tends to be ignored, he doesn’t disagree, but he also doesn’t have solutions. Instead, he tells me that my best option is to pursue leadership myself. Why does that have to be the answer? That’s not where my heart is. I don’t want to be an administrator or even a department chair. I want my primary focus to be on my students, yet I still want to feel heard. I’m so tired of being told to “stay in my lane.” My principal says he’s had to learn to “bite his own tongue” most of the time. I get that, but I want to be able to make some improvements without being branded as a troublemaker. I don’t think I’m above anyone else, and I’m acutely aware that I’m not in charge, but I’m smart and have good, workable ideas. I think it’s a mistake to ignore “rank and file” staff like me who are brave enough to speak truth to power, and who are willing to roll up our sleeves and make change happen. At the same time, I wonder: Am I just going about this wrong? How can I be strategic, communicate well, and pick my battles, yet still improve things beyond my own classroom?
A: I agree that you’re brave and admire your tenacity. I also think you’re considering the right questions. You recognize that you’re going to get more done if you’re thoughtful and strategic and communicate clearly. For starters, consider why you’re taking a particular idea to your principal. I spoke to Sarah Sirgo, an organizational leadership expert and the chief of staff for a Maryland public school system, who suggests asking yourself two questions: “Am I looking for permission or resources to make my ideas come to life? Do I want involvement in decision-making, or do I want to get to decide?”
Spend some time thinking about your spheres of influence and how you can leverage them, Sirgo added. You might find that you achieve more when you work collectively with others who share your interests and goals. “The best approach to leading from where you are is to identify where the staff voice is heard,” she explained. “Are there committees, structures, or teams that provide input to central office leaders? Representative interests are more powerful than singular voices.
Take a hard look at your communication style, too. When a new initiative comes down the pike, are you quick to criticize administrators? Do you send a barrage of disappointed or alarmed emails or complain to colleagues? If so, “think strategically about the key issues you are passionate about and focus your efforts on those,” Sirgo advised. “Be restrained and deliberate in how and what you share and why.” Otherwise, you risk “watering down the really important points you may raise along the way.” It’s equally important to keep the focus on solutions. “Admiring the problem is often received as oppositional, so focus on describing the problem that the district or leaders are attempting to solve and point out additional ways to address it,” Sirgo explained. For instance, if parent engagement is the problem, suggest other ways the work could be done. At every step of the way, assume positive intent and trust that those holding positions of authority want to do the right work and want to do it well.
Adopting that attitude is win-win. If you “seek to hear and understand before you focus on wanting to be understood, you’ll provide a safe space for others to be open to your ideas,” Sirgo added. I think it’s wonderful that you’d like to stay in the classroom, and I firmly believe that you can make a difference without changing your job or title. In fact, the best ideas often come from those doing the work well. As Sirgo noted, “You just need to focus on diplomatic and pragmatic ways to have your ideas be heard by the right people and communicated in a way of support.”
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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.
