School Leaders' Learning Needs and Experiences With Mentoring

• In Event: Coaching, Mentoring, and Other Critical Supports to Leadership Development

Abstract

Over time, the demands on public school leaders have increased, including being required to take up a wide variety of roles and responsibilities. Each of these dimensions are complex constellations of skills, and school leaders may require additional support to manage these complexities. Pairing school leaders with a mentor is one way that school districts can help provide this support to school leaders. In this paper, we examine the stated needs of school leaders in a northeastern state, as well as examine their experiences with mentoring. We find general trends in both areas, as well as present evidence that leaders working in schools that enroll historically underserved populations may have increased needs and are less likely to have sufficient mentoring.

Authors

• Samuel J. Kamin, University of Connecticut
  Presenting Author

• Morgaen L. Donaldson, University of Connecticut
  Non-Presenting Author