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Forsyth schools expand leadership-development programs as retirements loom
Summary
District officials outlined multiple leadership-development tracks—aspiring principals, LEAD Academy, lead counselors and an aspiring athletic director program—citing staff turnover and potential retirements that could create up to 80 district and school-level vacancies in five years.
Forsyth County Schools officials presented an expanded leadership-development plan at the March 18 board meeting, describing existing programs and new training pathways designed to prepare teachers and staff for school- and district-level leadership roles.
Dr. Josh Lowe, who led the presentation, said the district currently has 43 principals and 108 assistant principals—151 school-based leaders—and that 74 of those positions (22 principals and 52 assistant principals) have been filled by individuals new to the role in the past three years. Looking ahead, district human-resources planning identified a possible need to replace as many as 58 school-based leaders (principals and assistant principals) and 22 district-level administrators over the next five years if typical retirement patterns hold.
To meet that demand, Lowe reviewed a suite of programs the district runs or is expanding: the Aspiring Principals program (started in 2018), LEAD Academy, a lead-counselor program begun this year, A2A onboarding for newly appointed principals, district leader onboarding (DLO, which Lowe said originated with Dr. Young’s dissertation work), Class A leadership for classified staff, and a proposed aspiring athletic director program the district plans to open later in the spring.
Lowe said many of the programs are cohort-based, include interview and recommendation steps for applicants, and emphasize district-aligned content so new leaders are familiar with local expectations. He named staff who run the programs and described plans for continued coaching and follow-up for year-two and year-three principals. The board and presenters framed the effort as workforce planning to sustain leadership capacity across schools and the district.
Board members asked for clarity on scale and timing; Lowe and other staff said applications and program rollouts are already underway for several cohorts and that the aspiring AD program will follow a similar model of application and interview.
