For years educational leaders have preached the benefits and reaped the rewards of their students participating in school-to-work related activities, such as job shadowing. Well, now it is their turn at bat! On December 6, educators and administrators in schools across New York State will participate in a shadowing day of their own: Leadership Counts! Day.
A survey conducted in 2000 suggests that nearly 30% of New York school superintendents expect to retire by the year 2003, and more than 50% by 2005. With the likelihood of a severe shortage of capable school leaders in New York State, Commissioner of Education Richard Mills has made meeting the challenge of discovering and recruiting new administrators a priority of the State Education Department.
Being faced with the formidable task of attracting qualified candidates to leadership positions is nothing new to schools in New York State; however, the situation has never been quite as urgent as it currently is. The Commissioner is encouraging schools to look for new and bold methods to recruit school leaders.
Leadership Counts! Day was developed to bring attention to the unique and vital role of educational leaders, to inspire teachers to consider leadership roles, and to demonstrate the professional virtues of educational leadership to staff and the community.
The initiative will pair selected teachers with administrators in a district for a shadowing day. Teachers will be given the opportunity to role-play in a number of situations, as well as handle a variety of the administrator’s day-to-day tasks.
“Educators need to understand that the job of an educational leader is dynamic, invigorating, and gives one the ability to affect the lives of thousands of individuals and families,” says New York State Education Department’s Leadership Executive Director Dr. Kevin McGuire. “Being a leader is not only about paperwork and handling administrative issues, it’s about being a strategic thinker, motivator, and a strong community presence.”
Criteria for selecting teachers to participate in Leadership Counts! Day includes possessing a good rapport with students, a willingness to learn, and an overall respect from the school community, as well as having expressed the interest in furthering one’s educational career in a leadership position.
“This is a great opportunity for our communities to realize how much we truly value our school leaders and how hard we are trying to lay the groundwork for the future,” agrees the regional Joint Management Team (JMT) of district superintendents from the four-county regional BOCES: Martin Ruglis of Ulster BOCES, John Pennoyer of Dutchess BOCES, Martin Handler of Sullivan BOCES, and Don McKenzie (interim superintendent) of Orange-Ulster BOCES.
The JMT is working closely with the Mid-Hudson Leadership Academy (a group comprised of 50 local component school districts, as well as other educational organizations, including the Mid-Hudson Principals’ Center, the Mid-Hudson School Study Council, and participants from Marist College, Mount Saint Mary College, SUNY New Paltz, and Vassar College) to kick-off a successful Leadership Counts! Day initiative in the Mid-Hudson area.
The JMT is encouraging all schools in the area to participate in the initiative. Each BOCES is distributing kits for executing Leadership Counts! Day to its component schools and are busy on the beat spreading the word of the initiative to local superintendents.
“There is a real challenge before us,” says the JMT. “The job of educational leadership is ever-evolving and new skills sets are required for today’s school leaders. We are committed to placing the Mid-Hudson schools in a position to find the leaders needed and to then develop the skills sets in those leaders to benefit the students in our communities.” 
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