New Principal Academy Addresses Local School Leadership

In the next five years, will need to employ more than 100 principals and 500 assistant principals for its growing student population, projected to increase from 163,400 in 2011 to 175,000 in 2015.

To help meet this need, Superintendent/CEO J. Alvin Wilbanks has created two pipeline programs—the Quality Plus Leader Academy to develop new principals and the Aspiring Leader Program to develop new assistant principals.

Dr. Glenn Pethel, director of the Quality Plus Leader Academy, has provided leadership in the development of the curriculum, the timetable, and the funding for this important initiative. 

Recognizing the importance of principal development in public education, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation of Los Angeles provided $3.4 million to help launch the program in Gwinnett County Public Schools.

In 2011, the Wallace Foundation of New York made a commitment of $12 million, or $4 million a year over three years, to continue support of the Quality Plus Leadership Academy.  In addition, the Bush Institute of Texas has recognized Gwinnett County Public Schools and its Quality Plus Leadership Academy for its significant leadership development initiatives on behalf of education reform in the nation’s public schools. 

The year-long QPLA program includes readings related to leadership in public education; case studies for class discussion identifying approaches for problem solving and facilitation of group discussion; development of teams in formal and informal networks; mentoring of class members by established and successful Gwinnett County principals; guided and directed internships in Gwinnett County’s elementary, middle, and high schools; and presentations to the class by teams of class members.

Superintendent Wilbanks leads several programs in the QPLA, while each of the five Gwinnett Board of Education members make a presentation to the class during the class year.  All-day classes are held on Saturdays during the academic year in the Training Center of the school system’s Instructional Services Center.

Dr. Glenn Pethel also serves as the Director of the Aspiring Leader program for those who want to become Assistant Principals.  He reports that the following instructional segments are included in the Aspiring Leader curriculum:

• Leadership that Works;
• Roles, Responsibilities, and Expectations of Assistant Principals;
• Curriculum and Instruction Assessment;
• Recruitment, Selection, Training, and Support of School Personnel;
• Business, Operations, and Technology.

The reasons for development of the Aspiring Leader program include the variation in leader preparation of current classroom teachers in Gwinnett County.  Also, there have been significant changes in Georgia’s leadership certification in recent years.  The Aspiring Leader program addresses each of these issues.

In addition, the school system has expanded need to secure effective leaders to move the system into the second decade of the 21st Century.  Finally, there is need to link assistant principal development to improved results in student academic achievement.

As District III School Board member, I thank to the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation for its investment in the critical need for development of a principal core in our school system.  Also, thank you to the Wallace Foundation for its $12 million commitment to continue the leadership development program to help prepare the principals that GCPS needs to meet the challenges of its growing student population. 

Thank you as well to the Bush Institute for its recognition of the importance of principals as leaders of local school communities and Gwinnett County School System’s role in this initiative.

Most especially, thank you to the citizens of District III for your support of these initiatives to make public education in Gwinnett County the very best in Georgia, the nation, and beyond.