By Thomas C. Hudnut, RG 175 (from September 11, 2023)
The pandemic left behind many casualties in its wake, but among the most concerning is also the most basic: leadership. Assailed by forces beyond their ken, and buffeted by competing (and usually unsolicited) advice from many different directions, school leaders found themselves out of their element. Heads were in the position of making snap decisions where parents and teachers did not agree on what was in the best interests of the school. Used to knowing the answer, or at least being able to point the way, heads were at the mercy of the know-how of others, and in many schools and boards the result was a vacuum of leadership. Stakeholders with varying degrees of legitimacy felt free to weigh in on topics beyond both their expertise and their good manners. “Meddling,” in other words.
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