Who is the Building Leader?: Commentary on Educational Leadership Preparation Programs for the Future

Oct 15, 2026

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Recognizes the complex, evolving role of school building leaders and outlines why educator preparation programs must align with current and future school needs. Uses Kansas context to describe demographic shifts, growing poverty, and changing licensure and program-review requirements. Examines how principal duties vary across school size and settings, highlights district-level responsibilities, and contrasts traditional isolated coursework with field-embedded preparation, including mentoring before professional licensure.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Who is the Building Leader?

Educational leadership preparation needs

Kansas context and district responsibilities

Kansas licensure requirements

Preparation models and mentoring

The building principal: complex job

Sample elementary principal job description

The Dean of the Kansas State University College of Education recognizes the challenges that school principals and teacher leaders face and accepts responsibility for providing a different kind of preparation program to ensure graduates are ready for those roles. Who is the Building Leader?: Commentary on Educational Leadership Preparation Programs for the Future Debbie K. Mercer Dr. Debbie K. Mercer is Professor and Dean of the College of Education at Kansas State University. Her educational career includes teaching in kindergarten through college classrooms. Innovative approaches to educator and leadership preparation are hallmarks ofthe college, dedicated to preparing knowledgeable, ethical, caring decision makers for a global society. It is critical that educator preparation programs reflect the current and future needs of schools. The job of a school leader is more complex and more demanding than ever before. As institutions of higher education contemplate the question in the title, defining the roles and responsibilities of the school building leader is critical. Understanding these issues in the context of current classrooms adds value to the discussion. Kansas public schools have changed drastically in the last 25 years. The Kansas Report Card 2014-2015, published annually by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), details the demographics of Kansas public school students. Currently, 65.4% of the students in Kansas public schools are white; this is on the decline. Concurrently, the state has experienced an increase in Hispanic students (18.9%), and English Language Learners have grown to 8.7% in Kansas. Additionally, unique challenges face schools and communities related to steady increases in poverty rates to the current rate of 50% . Indications are that these areas will continue to see increased numbers of students. In Kansas, 286 school districts employ approximately 1,300 principals. These individuals work directly with educators to positively impact the learning of the most diverse group of student learners in our history. What is the current role of a school building leader and how can higher education preparation programs best prepare them for those responsibilities? Those questions guide this discussion. First, we must recognize that the role of a principal varies greatly. Large and small schools both produce unique strengths and challenges. Likewise, rural and urban, majority English Language Learners, Title classification, and mobility rates due to military connectedness or migrant work all impact the role of the building leader. Even within buildings, we see diverse leadership structures. For example, some buildings have assistant principals who handle certain activities or issues, while other buildings require the principal to take on a district-wide responsibility such as transportation director, special education director, or athletic director. These 6 Vol. 43, No. 4, Fall 2016 duties all compete with the daily leadership responsibilities within a school building. Kansas Licensure Requirements Possession of a building leadership school specialist license is required to hold a building leadership position. In Kansas, an accredited four-year institution of higher education (IHE) must submit a program review for each area in which they would like to recommend a candidate for licensure to KSDE. These program reviews include, among other requirements, key assessments and data from required assignments that document attainment of the standards adopted by KSDE, which are adapted from the 2015 Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (National Policy Board for Educational Administration, 2015). In sum, there are thirteen institutions of higher education that have approved building leadership programs in Kansas. Traditionally, IHE preparation programs of study have included distinct courses in areas such as leadership, school finance, school law, special education, and tech

FAQs

Why does the document argue that preparation programs for school leaders must change?

It stresses that the principal’s job has become more complex and more demanding, and that educator preparation must reflect current and future school needs.

What licensure and program-review requirements apply in Kansas for building leadership positions?

A building leadership school specialist license is required. Accredited four-year institutions must submit program reviews to KSDE, including assessments and data tied to KSDE standards adapted from 2015 professional standards.

How do principal responsibilities differ across schools and leadership structures?

The document explains that roles vary by school size, rural versus urban contexts, language learner demographics, and mobility rates. It also notes different leadership structures within buildings, such as assistant principals handling specific tasks.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by ahduag