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If You Want Great Teachers, Hire Great Principals

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Learn more about Anne Wicks.
Anne Wicks
Anne Wicks
Don Evans Family Managing Director, Opportunity and Democracy
George W. Bush Institute

Bush Institute's Education Reform Director Anne Wicks reflects on her own teaching experience on National Teacher Day.

Teachers are on the front lines every day. It’s indisputable that a great teacher can deeply impact a student’s life in a positive way. And, if we want effective teachers in our classrooms, we must have strong principals in place to effectively recruit, support, and retain teachers. 

Think for a minute about the best boss you ever had. That person challenged you, but also supported you, and had your back to make sure you were successful. That is what great principals do for teachers and students: they hire and support great teachers, and they set a positive school culture for kids and their families.

Early in my career, I taught eighth-grade social studies. It was both awesome and intensely difficult. Despite working hard, I was flying blind most days, and I needed some expert help to serve my students well. I think my principal visited my classroom only once that year.

Ultimately, I am not sure if my students were really on track, and, at the end of the year, I decided to leave the classroom despite loving many aspects of teaching. Looking back on that experience has always made me a bit sad, and it made me wonder if the experience could have been different for me and – most importantly – my students had I benefited from the coaching of a strong instructional leader.

I know my story is a common one. The need for better school leaders is the reason we believe in supporting districts to improve how they recruit, support, and retain those highly effective principals who foster student success and keep our great, highly effective teachers in the classroom.