School Leadership in the 21st Century

The role of administration in schools is changing, as students and schools themselves are changing. It was not too long ago, that the role of school administrator was primarily a managerial job, in charge of the day to day business of the school. The principal was in charge of the school’s budget, discipline and the hiring of teachers an other staff. Although this is still a part of the position, it has become a small part, with a more important focus being that of an instructional leader. This alone is not entirely new, as Stonge wrote in 1993 about the role of administrator is that of an educational leader, a combination of manager and instructional leader. What is changing, however, is what an instructional leader looks like, in a 21st century school.


What is important to understand is that the majority of our schools, although they are all in the 21st century, have not adopted the principles of 21st century teaching, as outlined by Friesen & Lock (2010). A 21st century leader combines the skills and competencies of 21st century learning with digital technologies. Either of these alone is not effective to be an educational leader with today’s students. As a leader, administrators must model and encourage (for both their teachers and their students) such things as creativity, collaboration and ethical citizenship. They must foster and use effective assessment techniques. They must build and maintain structures (both physical and the way classes are set up) that not only allow for but encourage teaching and learning to follow 21st century competencies.


This is a difficult feat in the current situation in Alberta schools. The economic situation is causing teacher layoffs and larger class sizes, yet the demands are being put on the principal to give students greater access to digital technologies, often requiring heavy investments. Adding to this, is the mindshift that is required by teachers to change the way that they are teaching (or how their students are learning) and for parents to accept that this shift from the way that they were taught and are familiar with (“It worked for me, why change it?”) is okay and better for their children, as they learn differently than their parents.


Regardless of the obstacles that make this difficult, as school leaders, we owe it to our students to lead our schools in their transformations to 21st century schools.

Friesen, S., & Lock, J. (2010). High Performing Districts in the Application of 21st Century Learning Technologies. Edmonton, AB. College of Alberta School Superintendents.
Stronge, J.H. (1993). Defining the principalship: Instructional leader or middle manager?NASSP Bulletin, 77(553), 1-7