Failing Schools Need More Historians and Economists at the Helm
The Harvard Business Review published a research study done in the UK suggests that there are five types of school leaders – and one is the most successful yet underappreciated. The study concluded that the most effective school leaders, whom they categorize as “architects”, take the “inchworm”, long-term approach to turning around failing schools. I thoroughly enjoyed the researchers’ findings because they assert that the majority of these leaders (68%) studied history or economics (insert my biased smile here).
My pedagogy and leadership styles are predominantly based in economics and history (the later was my undergrad major). Problems with your classroom management? How about we use a behavioral economic theory to solve the crisis. Challenges with neighborhood community’s participation? Let’s delve into the socioeconomic history of the region’s populations to get to the root of the disconnect. For me, it is an entertaining challenge to try to solve conflicts and improve market inefficiencies in school using the knowledge that I have in history and economics.
I would like to see this research tested in the U.S. since there are a few differences in the structure and measurement of publicly-funded schools compared to the UK. However, if the results are similar, shouldn’t curricula for educational management programs in U.S. colleges and universities gravitate towards teaching history and economics to our future school leaders?
https://hbr.org/2016/10/the-one-type-of-leader-who-can-turn-around-a-failing-school
Vanguard Teaching 
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