An Entrepreneur in the Educational World (a): Superintendent Pamela Moran

Abstract

The superintendent's A case has Pamela Moran concerned about losing one of her up-and-coming administrative stars, who had accepted the position of principalship at Greer two years earlier. Moran had also heard whispers that she may lose a former TFA educator and a seasoned principal in a middle-class school because of his desire to lead in a more challenging environment. What should she do about the principal who was struggling and the principal who was bored? Would it make sense to offer the at-risk school leadership position to the ex-TFA principal? And if he accepted, what expectations would she set for him? And what about the school? What level of support should Moran provide Greer relative to the other 27 schools in the district? This case has been taught in an executive education school turnaround program for district administrators and principals. It could also be used in a first-year MBA leadership and organizational behavior course as an introduction on creating value through people-management and design. Excerpt UVA-OB-1006 August 30, 2010 AN ENTREPRENEUR IN THE EDUCATIONAL WORLD (A): SUPERINTENDENT PAMELA MORAN The irony, that Mary C. Greer Elementary in Charlottesville Virginia was named after a woman of color who devoted her life to educating youth, and that economically disadvantaged students at the school, many of whom were also of color, consistently failed to achieve ratings necessary to pass the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) benchmarks in either reading and mathematics or both, was not lost on Albemarle County School Superintendent Pamela Moran. Nor was the staffing problem she found herself thinking about during the spring of 2007. One of her most passionate, well-liked, and promising administrative stars had accepted the position of principalship at Greer two years earlier, and Moran was worried she was going to lose her because of that experience. In addition, Moran had heard whispers that she may also lose a former Teach for America (TFA) educator and a seasoned principal in a middle-class school because of his desire to lead in a more challenging environment. What should she do about the principal who was struggling and the principal who was bored? Would it make sense to offer the at-risk school leadership position to the ex-TFA principal? And if he accepted, what expectations would she set for him? And what about the school? What level of support should Moran provide Greer relative to the other 27 schools in the district? . . .