At the end of 2021, Beth Houf wrote about the extremely challenging school year she and her school leader colleagues faced across the country. Her reflections were posted on the blog of the Albert Shanker Institute, and we are sharing them here. Besides reminding principals and assistant principals that they are not alone in this work, Houf offers concrete ideas to act on in the new year.

Winter break has officially started for our school, and I finally have time to reflect on the first half of the school year. It has truly been a whirlwind.

Being a principal has never been an easy job. But there have been more days this year that have delivered impossible situations and that have left me overwhelmed, overstressed, and completely empty. Everything is urgent. We all know that when everything is important, nothing can be important. My school is understaffed daily. Everyone is doing their own job and then the job of others. Those who need to take a day off carry the guilt of their absence. Student behaviors are over the top. Fuses are short and tempers flare. Social media has only added fuel to the fire. All I can do is react. There’s simply no time to be the proactive leader that I strive to be. It shouldn’t be this way.

NASSP recently shared the results of a survey of principals around the country. Among the findings was that job satisfaction among school leaders is at an ultimate low, with 38 percent of principals expecting to leave the profession in the next three years. School leaders cited the pandemic, political tensions, and limited guidance and resources as major factors contributing to their discontent.

The survey results are alarming but unfortunately not surprising. This is the reality that I live every day. I’ve moved past the idea that schools will return to any kind of pre-COVID normalcy. To be honest, some past practices shouldn’t resurface.

We must now focus all our energy on the present moment. It is time to come together to find solutions before we lose more educators. It is time to use our voices to advocate for change.
It is time to move past brainstorming ideas to acting on them.

It is time to overhaul K-12 accountability systems that do not truly show the gifts, talents, and growth of our students. Colleges and universities are waiving standardized tests and diversifying admittance procedures. Let’s follow their lead.

It is time to pay close attention to the empathy gap. When teachers, parents, students, and principals say they are struggling, we must listen to understand them–and not answer with excuses.

No one can thrive in times of prolonged stress. And we must recognize that each person we serve deals with these stresses differently. No one-size-fits-all approach exists to help navigate the feelings and emotions that we experience and that are presented to us.
It is time to loudly object to practices that are detrimental to our students, staff, and families. It is time to recognize that we cannot continue to expect more and more with less and less.

It is time to put our own mental and physical health first. As principals, we give of ourselves freely and often. In order to have the energy, patience, and positivity to serve others, we must prioritize our own rest and well-being each day.

I absolutely love my job and the community that I serve. I can’t succeed without being surrounded by quality educators and support staff. In order to do what is best for our students, we must set up systems of success and support for all educators.

After the trauma of the past two years, we must recognize that we need time to heal. To ensure that we will recover, give us this school year to truly focus on the things that matter most–building relationships, ensuring a positive school culture, and creating relevant and engaging learning experiences to help our students (and staff) re-adjust to school amid the pandemic.

Honestly, it will take more than a year to come back stronger. We need a multi-year plan for our students and staff to heal–and for school leaders to recover, too.

About the Author

Beth Houf is the principal of Fulton Middle School in Fulton, MO, and NASSP’s 2022 National Principal of the Year. Follow her on Twitter (@BethHouf).

1 Comment

  • Rachel Burgan says:

    Thank you for the reminder that we are not alone. I wholeheartedly agree with all of the things that matter most. Building relationships and a positive school culture should be on the forefront of our actions. It will take time to heal and then to move forward. Every day, one step at a time, keep moving forward.

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