What Strong Leadership in Schools Can Accomplish

The Mayor dropped in unexpectedly on the school one day recently. Writes Wilder:

The school was clean, students well-dressed, well-behaved, orderly, and well-mannered. There was excitement in their eyes and they were marvelous to behold. I subsequently discovered some of the reasons: the academic standards are strong with daily data reports on the walls aligning the corridors. The expectation for student success was equally strong. …

[Williams] draws nor seeks no additional pay for all of her “extra” time and refers to her students as “my children.” They reciprocate individually by greeting or leaving her by calling her “Dr. Irene” or “Mamma Irene.”

This highly-motivated and selfless devotion to cause and to duty impressed me beyond measure. Here is a school in the shadow of public housing units portraying to all who would care that yes, these young people can learn. They can show that it doesn’t matter where you were born or your economic status – you can achieve and overcome and become outstanding contributing citizens.

While I regard the entire K-12 school model, both public and private, as an industrial-era relic in desperate need of reform, it clearly is possible to improve the performance of the existing system. Leadership at the level of individual schools is critical. Former Gov. Mark R. Warner recognized that when he spearheaded the creation of a special program for school principals at the University of Virginia back in 2004 (profiled in “Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks.”) I wonder if Williams is an alumna of that program. I wonder if the program even survived Warner’s tenure.