DSTLI: Pursing the Dream of a Long, Sustainable, Career as a Head of School

At Prizmah, our work in supporting leadership is inspired by a dream of day school heads who remain in their work for long careers. As evidenced in our 2022 study, we have work to do, given that the average headship tenure is seven years. The current reality requires us to pursue two efforts simultaneously: cultivating the headship pipeline, and lengthening headship tenure. These goals have been central to the work of the Day School Leadership Training Institute (DSLTI) since its inception in 1998.

Surveying Alumni

When JTS and Prizmah formed a partnership last year and DSLTI came into the suite of Prizmah’s leadership programs, one of our first orders of business was to collect alumni data about this outstanding fellowship. We reached out to alumni from the past 25 years, gleaning insights that will be instructive for the next 25 years. The results feel like new prescription lenses, allowing us to see the scope of our alumni community, gauge the impact of the program, and learn lessons about how we can increase the program’s efficacy. 
                           
The survey’s 80% response rate, with 128 respondents from all 12 cohorts, indicates a high level of engagement among DSLTI participants. The profile of our alumni community became more apparent through the survey data. We discovered that nearly 50% of alumni working in day schools are current heads of school; 83 current and former heads of school are DSLTI alumni, highlighting the program’s contribution to leadership within the Jewish day school field.
                
An extraordinary 95% of DSLTI alumni indicated that DSLTI contributed to their success. We took a closer look at both which parts of the program impacted them the most, and which areas of their leadership benefited the most from the program. The most powerful program components were mentoring and cohort community/network, as indicated by 93% of respondents. The areas of leadership most impacted by the fellowship are leading with mission, vision and philosophy (94%), and thinking strategically about all aspects of school life (93%).

Expanding Tenure 

We were particularly curious about the impact of DSLTI on headship tenure. Our survey revealed that, among DSLTI alumni, current heads have been in the headship for an average of six years, while former heads have a total headship tenure of on average eight years. While this eight years is slightly greater than the fieldwide average of seven years, according to Prizmah’s 2022 study, our hope is that DSLTI will serve to extend headship tenure even further. 

The number one reason that former heads in the DSLTI community report leaving the headship was lack of sustainability or burnout. We believe that this reality is representative of the field in general. Understanding the key drivers of attrition helps us to design interventions that will best support leaders in long tenures. Among DSLTI heads, 68% indicated that the fellowship played a role in the length of their tenure. It is our hope to ensure that heads are not only set up for success, but continue to be supported, nourished and encouraged as they navigate the enormous challenges of the headship.

We explored the paths that people took to the headship, discovering that the most common career trajectory is from teaching in day schools, to administrative positions, and then to the head of school position. Understanding this pathway helps us to maximize our impact as we identify potential leaders for the headship pipeline.

Of DSLTI alumni who currently work in day schools but have not yet become heads, 45% aspire to a headship position.

The Alumni Network

Strong alumni networks enable participants to remain connected to one another long after the two-year program has ended. DSLTI alumni value the alumni network not only for the continued connection, but also for continued learning through shared literature, online conversation, alumni retreats, and gatherings at conferences. The DSLTI network is highly valued, with a significant percentage of alumni, both within (90%) and outside the day school field (46%), engaging in the network for advice, professional development, and leadership support. 

Every respondent who is engaged in the alumni network reports that they have learned ideas or concepts that they have applied to their work, and 97% report that the network has helped them develop a better sense of who they are as a leader. A cohort 5 alum commented, “School leadership can be a very lonely experience, especially when looking for input from others with shared language and experience. DSLTI has created a network of professionals with whom I can speak openly and comfortably if needed and know that we are coming from similar understanding and background.” A cohort 12 alum shared, “DSLTI helped me go deeper into understanding the type of person and leader I am inside. This, in turn, allows me to help others do the same for themselves. I am more aware of my style, my presence, my assumptions, and my abilities.”

Prizmah’s strategic priorities include commitments to strengthening the leadership of our heads, lengthening their tenure, paving a pathway to the headship, and continually reflecting on the efficacy of our work so that we can learn. DSLTI aims to help our leaders achieve their goals, making their work a little easier and more rewarding through content, cohort, and connection.