The Impact of Strong District Leadership in Early Childhood
This brief shares how superintendents in California have led the expansion and improvement of pre-K through showcasing the Fresno, Oakland, and East San Jose school districts.
Leadership in Early and Elementary Education
Until recently, principals and center directors have been largely overlooked, with most education policy attention focused on improving teacher quality. Principals and center directors play an important role in supporting student achievement as instructional leaders, however. To be effective instructional leaders who can help advance teacher practice, center directors and elementary school principals must understand how young children learn. Principals must recognize that pre-K and the early grades are important and also have the knowledge necessary to promote high-quality teaching during these years.
See below for our body of work on the important issue of leadership in early and elementary education.
Resources from New America and Others
Blog Posts
Questions for California School Leaders: LaWanda Wesley on Supporting Teacher Well-Being in Oakland
Sarah Jackson talked with LaWanda Wesley. Wesley has deep roots in Oakland. Her mother and aunt worked in the Black Panther’s Free Breakfast for School Children Program in the city in the early 70’s.
Questions for California School Leaders: Erica Piedra on Finding and Training Bilingual Teachers in the Central Valley
Sarah Jackson talked with Erica Piedra. Piedra grew up in a small farming community in California’s Tulare County and remembers her early days in Kindergarten when she spoke very little English. Today she’s principal of Fresno’s Ann B. Leavenworth Elementary School where students' native language and cultures are celebrated.
Questions for California School Leaders: Juan Cruz on Training Teachers to Teach the Whole Child
Sarah Jackson talked with Juan Cruz, superintendent for the Franklin-McKinley School District on the east side of San Jose. Cruz discussed his district’s work to build teachers’ skills in social-emotional development. Research shows social-emotional competence enables children to better engage in academic tasks, work with and learn from peers, and dedicate sustained attention to learning.
Videos & Events
Perspectives on Leadership in Early Education: A Blog Series with the Harvard Graduate School of Education
A Blog Series with the Harvard Graduate School of Education
By Nonie Lesaux
Jan. 7, 2020
Just days into a new decade, a fresh year invites us to imagine the possibilities ahead. For many, a new year brings new intentions and even renewed commitment to existing goals; January is often a time to evaluate our own priorities and look to improvements.
As we imagine the possibilities for early childhood education in the next decade, it is similarly an opportune time to step back—to think about what’s working and where there are opportunities and imperatives for growth. Taking stock today, we know that high-quality early childhood education has the potential to change the trajectory of children’s lives for the better and to strengthen families.
Let's Figure It Out Together
By Nonie Lesaux, Megan Bock, and Stephanie Jones
Jan. 21, 2020
In this interview, we talk with Carol Dweck, Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, and leading researcher on motivation. Dweck’s research focuses on why people succeed and how to foster success—and is very well-known for discovering and defining a theory of mindset. We talked with Carol about our focus on supporting the adults in the system for quality improvement and the ways in which the job of the early educator can be very stressful. Carol described how fostering growth mindsets can create more supportive environments for adults and children in early education settings. Key excerpts from the interview follow here.
Separating Intention and Impact
By Nonie Lesaux, Megan Bock, and Stephanie Jones
Feb. 4, 2020
In this interview, we talk with Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School and scholar of leadership, teaming, and organizational learning. Thinking adult learning and best practices in early childhood center-based settings, and even systems and policy-focused organizations, we talked with Amy about fostering psychological safety, engagement in the daily work, and co-teaching and teaming. Key excerpts from the interview follow here.
Getting Underneath Feelings of Incompetence
By Nonie Lesaux, Megan Bock, and Stephanie Jones
Feb. 18, 2020
In this interview, we talk with Ron Heifetz, King Hussein bin Talal Senior Lecturer in Public Leadership and Founder of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Heifetz’s research focuses on leadership practice and building the adaptive capacity of organizations and societies. We focused our conversation with Ron on the early education leader in the face of increasing demands, daily challenges, a press for improved quality, and working across differences. We especially discussed how leaders can better support educators to address the challenges that children bring with them into early education classrooms. Key excerpts from the interview follow here.
We are wired to be in safety mode
By Nonie Lesaux, Megan Bock, and Stephanie Jones
March 3, 2020
In this interview, we talk with Lisa Lahey, professor at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, and co-founder and co-director at Minds at Work, an organization that works with senior leaders and teams to promote learning in the workplace. Lahey’s research focuses on identifying the individual’s psychological and behavioral barriers to change, which she and her colleagues describe as “Immunities to Change.” Building from our conversation with Amy Edmondson, we talked with Lisa about the psychology of taking risks. Key excerpts from the interview follow here.
A Human-Being-First Approach
By Nonie Lesaux, Megan Bock, and Stephanie Jones
March 17, 2020
In this interview, we talk with Junlei Li, Saul Zaentz Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Li focuses on understanding and supporting the work of helpers– those who serve children and families on the frontlines, whether in education or the social services. We talked with Li about the progression of his career, leading to the "Simple Interactions" approach he developed to promote positive relationships and systems-level change. Key excerpts from the interview follow here.
Conclusion
By Nonie Lesaux
April 21, 2020
Nonie Lesaux reflects on ideas from the series that might inform leaders during this period of uncertainty.
Elevating Leadership Development as a Field-wide Priority: A Blog Series by Stacie G. Goffin and Elliot Regenstein
Addressing Early Childhood Education’s Leadership Capacity Gap
In the first blog in the series, Stacie and Elliot argue that it’s time to recognize and prioritize leadership as an essential lever for change and ensure the ECE field has the capacity to advance its future in a more comprehensive purpose-centered, and aligned way.
The Practice of Leadership
In the second blog in the series, Stacie and Elliot argue that the ECE field is complex and compiling an exhaustive toolbox of leadership practices isn’t possible, which is why continuous learning is an essential tool for effective leadership.
Next Steps: Increasing ECE’s Leadership Capacity
In the third post in the series, Stacie and Elliot analyze the necessary action steps that need to be taken to ensure ECE is able to enhance leadership capacity.