Lubbock ISD details leadership pipeline to grow principals and teacher-leaders
Summary
District leaders outlined a multi-pathway leadership pipeline—including leader-level profiles, PLCs, a high-potential assistant-principal cohort, teacher-leader roles, and onboarding/mentoring—to produce a two-to-one bench of ready leaders for each campus vacancy.
Lubbock ISD leaders presented a multi-part leadership pipeline designed to grow internal candidates into school leaders and sustain leadership capacity across campuses. The initiative combines a leadership definition, leader-level profiles, principal and assistant-principal PLCs, high-potential cohorts, teacher-leader roles (the "50/50" model) and formal vacancy planning.
"We are the winners," Misty, the district's leadership-pipeline champion, said in summarizing the program's ambition. She described a district goal of having two ready leaders for every campus vacancy and emphasized career pathways from classroom teacher through teacher leader, assistant principal and principal.
Presenters highlighted concrete supports: a leadership toolkit housed on the HR site, monthly facilitator-led PLCs, a planned 360-degree assessment (for central-office leaders), residency and job-shadowing experiences for cohort members, mentor/mentee pairings for new principals, and stretch assignments for high-potential candidates. A principal cohort of eight assistant principals was described; three cohort sessions already occurred and individuals from earlier cohorts have been named principals.
Trustees asked about equity for already certified teachers and data measures; presenters said sessions are open to all district staff, and the team is pursuing grants to broaden pathways into teaching and leadership. The board praised the work and asked for continued data and outcomes reporting.
