Why we need to trust teachers

I recently spoke at the annual meeting of the Association of School and College Leaders in London about the importance of trusting teachers. ASCL is a professional association for administrators of secondary schools in the UK. While there are many differences between the British and American education systems, school leaders on both sides of the Atlantic are focused on supporting teachers to help all students succeed.

Teachers tell me one of the most important supports for a teacher is to have a great principal. Great principals are devoted to their role as instructional leaders. They believe in their teachers, they support them, and they accept no excuses.

At the top of the list of key elements for successful leadership is trust.  Trust makes us listen. Trust makes us open our minds. Trust is not just something that is helpful to have; it is absolutely indispensable in improving schools.

There are two essential acts for building trust with teachers. Both require showing vulnerability, risking criticism, being open and honest. The first:  show you care. The second:  share your power.

Showing you care means declaring your goals, embracing your calling, doing everything you can to take care of your teachers and students. Principals earn trust by listening to teachers, cooperating with them, working to get them what they need.

The principals I’ve seen turn around schools were leaders who shared power.  They surrounded themselves with an instructional team of teachers with a lot of credibility who could help foster attention to instruction and lead in every area from professional development to peer coaching.  They were comfortable stepping back to allow teachers to step forward and lead.

When that happens, the results can be powerful.  One principal I admire has turned professional development entirely over to the teachers. She says, “We have this enormous wealth of knowledge and expertise right here in our building. And we’ve never tapped into that resource before.”

When we want to improve outcomes for students, we need to listen to teachers.  We need to listen to teachers when they say what works; we need to listen to teachers when they tell us what they need. This is why teachers are leaders.  Their experience and insights and discoveries lead us to success.

Read the full speech here.

This article is published in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: As director of College-Ready Education, Vicki Phillips oversees work to ensure that U.S. high school students graduate ready to succeed, and to improve access to college.

Image: A teacher writes on a blackboard during class at a public school in Madrid, March 28, 2012. REUTERS/Sergio Perez.