5 Practices for K-12 Leaders to Strengthen Relationships with Administration

When a solid foundation is established between K-12 leaders and their administrators, it sets the stage for more trust, collaboration, and psychological safety. Proactively develop these relationships through these strategies. 

Introduction:

Great relationships are the foundation of a school district’s success formula. Whether we’re talking about the bonds students form with their teachers (and vice versa!) or the relationships you forge with your teachers and staff—these partnerships are all fundamental to student success. 

There’s also another relationship that’s critical to advance as a K-12 principal—and that’s the one with your administrator or district superintendent. When these relationships are poor, they can become a hurdle for improving your school. When they’re built on genuine connections, they become a catalyst for serving students.

No matter if you’re a new principal, a tenured principal with a new administrator, or just looking to strengthen your rapport with a superintendent you’ve been working with for quite some time, we’ve outlined five key practices that will set the tone for a solid working relationship.

Commit to a “no surprises” mentality

Getting surprised with a vacation? Sounds great. Being the person of honor at a surprise birthday party? Absolutely. A superintendent finding about a difficult student, parent, or personnel issue from someone else when it would be better that they heard it from you? That surprise isn’t what your administrator is looking for. If there’s a problem that bubbles over to the point where you don’t think you can solve it on your own, it’s essential to tell your administrator what’s going on. 

If there’s a problem that bubbles over to the point where you don’t think you can solve it on your own, it’s essential to tell your administrator what’s going on. 

Not only does this “no surprises” way of thinking pave the way for collaboration and problem-solving on the issue at hand, it also paves the way for it to work the other way around—where your superintendent is proactively telling you about impending situations that will affect you and your school. 

To begin this conversation, start with laying some ground rules and speaking openly. From your superintendent’s perspective, when do they want to be made aware of a tough situation with a parent or teacher? How do they want to be communicated to be made aware? Understanding what constitutes a “need to know” on both sides can go a long way toward ensuring neither one of you is ever caught off-guard.

Proactively ask about communication preferences—and communicate often

We hinted at this a bit above, but it’s worth repeating: great communication is at the core of any solid relationship, and the relationship between a K-12 school leader and their administrator is no different. This is why it’s critical to not only ask your administrator about their communication preferences, but also make your own style clear.

Establish a practice of consistent communication by asking a series of questions. Do they prefer in-person meetings, or can they be virtual depending on the context? Is email the only way to go, or will quick text updates do in some instances? 

Establish a practice of consistent communication by asking a series of questions. Do they prefer in-person meetings, or can they be virtual depending on the context? Is email the only way to go, or will quick text updates do in some instances? 

When you’ve landed on what will work for you both, make it a priority to be prepared. Offer to send agendas for working meetings or status updates. Come to meetings with a list of talking points to efficiently address the agenda. Both of you are busy with many plates to keep spinning, and organizing on the front end will make it possible to cover everything you need to talk about—and create time for some new ideas to be discussed, too.

Share what’s happening in your building

Not only does your administrator want to hear about your school’s success, they need to hear it. The more they’re aware of your wins—be it a student achievement, a teacher award, or an innovative program you’re testing—the more they’ll be able to use your school as an example of what’s working in the district. 

The more they’re aware of your wins—be it a student achievement, a teacher award, or an innovative program you’re testing—the more they’ll be able to use your school as an example of what’s working in the district. 

One way to do this is to share these wins in your regular meetings. If your school district has a goal to increase engagement among families, show tangible evidence of the success you’re having through quotes from parents, or give a high-level report of a new family event you piloted—and show photos!

And, let them know that they’re welcome any time to come and visit. Invite your administrator to come and observe classrooms and encourage them to come to school events so they can witness first-hand your school culture. 

Help your administrator get to know you as a learner

Just as there are a variety of learning levels with students and teachers, school leaders are also at different levels in terms of pedagogy, leadership experience, and organization. Your superintendent needs to be able to identify specific gaps in your knowledge, skills, and mindset so that they’re in the best position possible to suggest the right professional learning. 

Your superintendent needs to be able to identify specific gaps in your knowledge, skills, and mindset so that they’re in the best position possible to suggest the right professional learning.

Rafaela Espinal, an Assistant Superintendent at the NYC Department of Education, expands on this, saying, “We can use our understanding of current strengths and needs to solidify a principal’s strengths through feedback, then connect what they already do and do well to something new.” Using this system of continuous improvement, Espinal says that principals quickly acquire “a self-extending system of strategic decision-making.” 

Prior to your first meeting with your principal this year, consider engaging in some self-reflection around how you best learn—and what you’d like to work on this school year. What was your best leadership moment last year? What was your biggest challenge, and how did you address it? What are three things or skills you need to learn or brush up on, and where would your professional development time best be spent? This will show your administrator that you’re not only aware of your learning style, but also that you’re proactively thinking about your next steps.

Be authentic, always

No matter how long you’ve been working with your administrator, it might feel a little intimidating to be in their presence—and because of that, you may feel like you need to act like someone you’re not in order to gain respect or be heard. Actually, it’s the exact opposite. Being an authentic leader means sharing successes and struggles with your administrator. 

Don’t be afraid to show your human side. Just as sharing personal stories helps teachers bond with students, they’ll also help you form a stronger bond with your administrator. Whether it’s sharing photos of your kids or partner, or a bit of conversation about your hobbies or favorite sports team, this “small talk” helps your administrator get to know you better. When there’s less artifice, it means more time to spend solving challenges together. 

Don’t be afraid to show your human side. Just as sharing personal stories helps teachers bond with students, they’ll also help you form a stronger bond with your administrator. 

Remember: your administrator might be the head of your district, but they’re a human being, too. Take time to ask about their life, family, vacation plans, or hobbies. 

Whether it’s pictures of your kids, partner, or family, or a simple discussion about your hobbies or favorite sports team, this “small talk” lets your administrator get to know you better.

Great relationships take time and intentionality

Your relationship with your administrator is one of the most important relationships you can have as a K-12 leader. Developing this relationship takes intentional and consistent action, so be patient as this partnership starts to take shape.

Remember that you and your administrator share the same goal: educating students and seeing them succeed. When you use this as a guiding force, a relationship of mutual respect and trust will evolve naturally.

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