What Our Founding Fathers Can Teach Us

My View

Consuming biographies of our Founding Fathers sparked for me a connection between leading our young nation and leading our public schools. Tenets of the founders’ leadership can benefit us as school leaders as we promote student learning.

We frequently find ourselves involved in decisions generating differing opinions from stakeholders. Leaders who are disinterested in growing may surround themselves with sycophants, insulating themselves from divergent views. Not fearing counterarguments is courageous and informed leadership.

When Thomas Jefferson was entertaining the visiting German geographer and environmentalist Alexander von Humboldt in the early 1800s, a Federalist publication with a scathing review of Jefferson’s performance as president became the topic of discussion between the two.