Area directors restructure visits, launchpad and tracking to focus principals on instruction

Area directors in Tooele School District outlined a restructuring intended to prioritize instructional leadership in schools, including a new tracking form, a principal resource "launchpad," and monthly check‑ins with the superintendent to monitor focus areas.

Brad (Area Director) said the team used findings from an OLAG audit and summer work to clarify the role and align visits to the district strategic model and instructional goals. "Our goal is for 90% of the time that we are in our schools and growing principals to be around instructional recruitment," he said, explaining that certain duties—such as athletics administration—have been reassigned to reduce managerial burden on area directors.

The directors showed a Qualtrics‑based visit form that staff must use to log school and classroom visits. That form captures the building visited, instructional focus areas, and yields a dashboard that leaders plan to use to measure how area directors spend their time. Brad said the tool also supports reflection and will be used to generate a pie chart summarizing visit priorities across the year.

Angie (Area Director) described a principal "launchpad," an online workspace that puts policy links, action items, evaluation tools and frequently used forms in one place. "We tried to put a lot of things in one spot so principals can ask, 'What do I have to get done this month?'" she said.

Directors noted they plan both scheduled formal visits and ongoing informal check‑ins, and they encouraged principals to use peer networks to share leadership practices. A target of five classroom observations per week was mentioned as an internal benchmark for area directors, and the team described a residency model where some directors spend extended time at one school for deeper support.

The area directors also described efforts to prevent principal burnout, including a voucher principals can use to have an area director take over duties for an hour so principals can catch up on instructional work or take needed breaks. The district will also hold monthly one‑on‑one check‑ins between area directors and the superintendent to set priorities and track progress.

Board members commended the leadership team and referenced an external auditer's positive view of the district’s direction. Directors said the new tracking and launchpad will help show progress over time and allow more aligned, data‑driven support to principals across the district.