LAUSR

As new school leaders take over the district’s top jobs this fall, they and their communities face transitions. Joshua P. Starr explains that too many leaders focus on entry and fail to engage in a thoughtful and comprehensive transition process. Transition isn’t just about change; it’s also about loss. Organizational transition is about how people respond to these changed circumstances. Even if people are ready and eager to embrace the new beginning, they still lose their old way of doing business. For those who resist the new or are just unsure of what it means for them, their sense of loss can manifest in active opposition to a leader’s new ideas. A good transition process involves the creation of a transition team with committees made up of administrators, teachers, parents, students, and community members, who will be more likely to support plans that come from their work.