Two heads (of school) are better than one

Is being a principal now a job that is too complex and demanding for one person? With burnout so rife, shared leadership has appeal, writes Will Brodie.

Retiring IEU stalwart Michael Chalkley was the interim principal of Catholic College Bendigo in regional Victoria for a year in 2014 but found the “massive” role – overseeing two campuses, 2000 students and 278 staff – wasn’t “life-giving”.

Co-principal Peter Fahey

However, Chalkley did end up being a principal, spending the final five years of his career sharing the role at St Peter’s Primary School.

“I’ve loved the aspect of sharing the role with Jenny Roberts. I’ve always seen myself as a team player so the idea of sharing the role was fantastic for me.

“It’s a model that we think would work in a lot of other schools. I think there’s a lot of people who are reluctant to take on a role on their own, but if they have an experienced mentor to help them for a couple of years, the transition can be a lot smoother. There are many people who would like to lead but they just need the encouragement of having someone walk alongside them.”

Walking together

Not far from Bendigo, at St James’ Parish School, Sebastopol, co-principals Garth Kydd and Peter Fahey have walked alongside each other as co-leaders.

Kydd says, “A shared role allows for the wellness of the leader.”

A healthy, coping leader can “connect deeply with all aspects of the school environment” and help maintain the wellbeing of the school community.

Kydd says shared leadership “allows for change to happen more effectively, for voices to be shared more openly, and for decisions to follow a far more rigorous and timely discernment process”.

He was partly inspired to give shared leadership a go because of a “transformative leadership shift” at a previous school.

A lone principal who had been “shouldering the strain of the system and community”, became unwell.

“This was a period where shame and isolation were prevalent,” Kydd says.

However, when two principals took on the leadership responsibility, there was “positive change”.

“What resonated with me was the value of perspective. This model allowed for change to happen more effectively, for voices to be shared more openly, and for decisions to be made that followed a far more rigorous and timely process of discernment. As an emerging leader, I felt this model was perfect for developing my leadership skills.”

Kydd’s co-leader, Peter Fahey, believes few individuals possess all the expertise necessary to effectively address his school community’s diverse challenges. Shared leadership offers a “compelling opportunity to partner with another experienced educator, leverage complementary strengths, and collectively lead our school towards sustained improvement and excellence,” Fahey says.

Fahey began his journey into co-principalship with a “deep-seated belief in the power of collaborative leadership”, having reached a point in his career where he aspired to expand his impact “beyond the confines of a traditional administrative role”.

“Educational leadership today requires navigating many challenges, from fostering inclusive school cultures to managing rigorous academic standards and integrating technology effectively,” Fahey says.

“I saw co-principalship as a strategic approach to distribute leadership responsibilities more equitably, enhancing our capacity to innovate, adapt, and meet the evolving needs of our students, staff, and stakeholders.”

On a personal level, co-principalship offered Fahey “a pathway for continuous professional growth and development”.

“By sharing the job with a trusted colleague, I envisioned opportunities for mentorship, mutual learning, and collaborative problem-solving. Co-principalship broadened my leadership skills, expanded my support network, and I gained fresh perspectives on educational leadership practices.”

Fahey specialises in instructional leadership, curriculum development, and staff support, while Kydd excels in organisational management, community relations, and strategic planning.

Fahey outlined the following advantages of shared leadership:

Shared decision-making and problem-solving

Regular dialogue, consultation with stakeholders, and joint deliberation on critical decisions ensure that diverse perspectives inform decisions, align with the school’s mission and values, and prioritise the best interests of their students.

Continuity and stability

In absences, transitions, or unforeseen challenges, co-principals can coordinate their efforts to maintain operational continuity, uphold established policies and procedures, and sustain momentum towards strategic goals.

Co-principal Garth Kydd

Professional support and development

Partners can share insights, mentor one another, and collaboratively problem-solve, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth.

Challenges: Communicating with the school community

Kydd says the school staff and community had to be convinced that the shared role was “balanced”.

“While we had moments when roles were defined, most of the time the tasks were emergent and therefore, the leaders were interchangeable. What was most fascinating was how families and staff attempted to play the leaders off against each other. They would ask the same question to both leaders in the hope of finding a varied response and, therefore, a chink in the message to take advantage of.”

Communicating within the partnership

The two leaders must “consciously make time to share interactions so that wires didn’t get crossed”.

“This took time. While trust was implied and valued deeply, there were moments when messages were missed, and misunderstanding grew across the community.”

Role clarity

Fahey says establishing clear roles and responsibilities has been another significant challenge in co-principalship to ensure timely communication of efforts and gaps in leadership coverage.

Building trust

Fahey says he and Kydd share a mutual respect and commitment to their shared goals, but navigating differing perspectives requires “sensitivity and proactive engagement”.

“Building trust among staff, students, and stakeholders is also essential for cultivating a cohesive school community and promoting a culture of shared responsibility.”

Kydd says “see a need, fill a need” was the motto that drove the success of the St James collaboration.

Fahey says by leveraging their diverse skills and experiences collaboratively, they maximised their collective impact.

“Shared values are more critical than distinct skill sets. My co-principal and I are committed to student-centred leadership, equity, and continuous improvement, which serve as the foundation for our collaborative efforts, guiding our decision-making processes”.

Distributed leadership

Business magazine Forbes reports that in recent years the importance of hierarchical structure has declined, and shared or ‘distributed leadership’ has gained favour.

“Shared leadership is defined as ‘a dynamic leadership style that distributes authority, decision-making, and responsibility across a team or organisation’,” the magazine says.

“According to studies, there is a positive correlation between shared leadership, where team members actively contribute to decision-making processes and take ownership of their roles, and effectiveness.”

Adherents include American principal Will Gibson, who embraced a shared leadership model during the pandemic to “open lines of communication, sustain student engagement, and even increase teacher retention”.

Several years later, the shared leadership model remains, enriching classroom instruction, improving teacher satisfaction, establishing strong community engagement, and even improving teacher retention.

“At its heart, a shared leadership model is about giving a voice to students and teachers,” Gibson writes.

“Sharing leadership responsibilities allows students and teachers at all levels to contribute their perspectives to the school’s overall mission.

Gibson’s leadership team consists of committees from each grade level working in tandem to “contribute to a school identity based on shared goals”.

References

From traditional to shared leadership, Forbes.com, 29 January 2024, bit.ly/4dyMhK2

Building community engagement and transforming school culture with shared leadership, EdNC [North Carolina], 27 May 2024, bit.ly/3yBHrg8

Five key benefits of distributed school leadership, bit.ly/3TETIHJ