Abstract
This phenomenological study explores six principals’ and assistant principals’ military experience and leadership development. The participants were purposefully selected based on being a principal or assistant principal and having a minimum of 4 years of military service as a Non-Commissioned Officer or Officer in any United States military branch. The participants, from two counties in North Carolina, were interviewed using a semi-structured interview protocol. The resulting themes were (a) accountability to family, superiors, subordinates; (b) the need for special programs aiding with transitions; and (c) Military Occupational Specialties (MOS) versus Military Training. The findings revealed that specific MOS did not influence the participants’ leadership development. However, military training influenced the leadership development from their military career to education leadership. This research extends previous investigations about military experience and principalship in the United States and Israel. The results are discussed, and recommendations for superintendents and local educational agencies are provided.
Highlights
Sergiovani (1995) endorsed recruiting principals from beyond the teaching ranks who have developed the necessary skills from other career paths and fields of work
PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS TO ENTER THE FIELD OF EDUCATION Due to the lack of empirical literature and a Retraining Military Officers Program (RMOP) in the United States (US), we focused on the RMOP in Israel as a foundation for the study
Study analysis revealed 39 codes that were grouped into the eight categories: (a) personal intelligence, (b) leadership, (c) management, (d) obstacles, (e) special programs, (f) pedagogy, (g) transition, and (h) accountability
Summary
Sergiovani (1995) endorsed recruiting principals from beyond the teaching ranks who have developed the necessary skills from other career paths and fields of work. Using the leadership skills developed in the military, these veterans can assume administrative roles within local educational agencies. US veterans can be recruited to be future educational leaders (e.g., principals and assistant principals) based on their military experience and leadership development. The recruitment and utilization of the veteran population of North Carolina is an untapped supply of school-based administrators. Can the US military veteran base be used to recruit future educational leaders? This phenomenological study aimed to explore principals’ and assistant principals’ military experience and leadership development in North Carolina. The traditional character pillars of principalship have evolved to leadership, management, pedagogy, and emotional literacy for principals today (Schneider & Burton, 2008; Schneider & Yitzhak-Monsonego, 2020). The four pillars of principalship were used in this study to provide a framework to understand how military experience influences educational leaders
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