(The Center Square) – A new report by a Florida taxpayers group focuses on the importance of school principals and the factors that contribute to strong leadership.
“Having an effective principal has the same impact as a student having an additional three months of learning per year,” says the report by Florida TaxWatch. “Effective principals can transform mediocre schools into exceptional schools with high student achievement levels, and these principals continue to gain the attention of lawmakers and policymakers.”
Last May, Florida TaxWatch – a nonprofit taxpayer research institute billing itself an independent, nonpartisan government watchdog – hosted a roundtable discussion of the winners of the group’s Principal Leadership Award.
One of the most important challenges for principals is recruiting good teachers, the report concludes.
“With fewer young professionals choosing to pursue teaching degrees, a dwindling talent pool also threatens the education industry,” the report said. “One principal discussed the value of building a team of trusted individuals they can lean on to help in areas that are lacking or facing staffing shortages.”
Supporting teachers after they are hired is also important for principals, as is flexibility in allowing teachers to earn extra income by taking on second jobs.
In 2024, Florida ranked near the bottom among states in average teacher pay and teacher vacancy rates were 64%, the report said.
“Teacher salaries and compensation continue to be major considerations for teachers’ choice of workplace but often are beyond the principals’ ability to directly control,” the TaxWatch report said. “Providing opportunities for teachers to make extra money through additional roles within school functions or connecting them with outside organizations that have working hours outside of traditional school schedules go a long way to help close some of the financial barriers for attracting, developing and retaining teachers.”
Good working conditions are also crucial to retaining teachers, the report states. That includes giving teachers autonomy in the classroom.
“Not only does this build a positive and incentivizing environment for the staff, but it also improves classroom instruction and better understanding of students and builds trust within the school,” TaxWatch said.
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It is also crucial for principals to avoid spending too much time behind their office desks.
“To be successful, a principal should be where the action is, which is where the students are – in the classrooms, on the playground, in the cafeteria, and around the campus,” the report said, “Only by observing teachers and students in their element can one truly understand their experiences, feel their existence, and know the goings-on of the entire school. And there is no substitute for that knowledge.”