There are plenty of reasons to become a school district leader. First of all, there is the advancement of your own career and taking the positive influence you had over a class of students to another level. It also gives you a platform to address a problem that you were unable to address from your position in the classroom.

The role also provides you with the opportunity to improve and perfect your decision-making skills as well as interpersonal communication and delegation as you will be taking on considerably more responsibility.

The responsibilities of a school district leader can vary but will involve the hiring and retention of staff, preparing budgets (and ensuring they are adhered to) as well developing and supervising the implementation of the curriculum.

Influential School District leaders are highly sought after, so if you are seeking that type of senior administrative position, you will be in demand. However, if you are looking to move on from a teaching position and wondering ‘How to become a school district leader?’, here are some pieces of advice.

1. Get involved

Start by leading on a small scale at your next opportunity. Get involved and take on leadership tasks alongside your classroom workload, such as offering to help with the administration for after school programs. When it then comes to applying for your first role, you will have shown you can ‘do it.’

2. Get your certification

As well as showing a willingness to do the work, you will also need the right credentials to secure a leadership role. You will need to research precisely the type of certification you will need for your leadership role and enroll as soon as you can. Most certificates can be earned from online programs, which can be done alongside your current teaching commitments.

3. Prepare yourself for being less ‘hands-on.’

The phrase ‘careful what you wish for’ may be appropriate here. If what inspired you and made you want to become a teacher was the practical and first-hand involvement you had with child development, you need to prepare yourself that as a leader, you will be spending little or no time in the classroom.

4. Work on your soft skills

As a teacher, your soft skills will already be well-developed. However, to thrive as a leader, you will need to level-up those skills to include more multi-tasking, delegation and communication.

5. Your working week will get longer

The demands of a School District Leader can take your working week far beyond where it went when you were a teacher. So, whatever self-care disciplines you had while you were in the classroom are doubly important now to avoid your dream role becoming ‘all work and no play.’

6. Know where you are going

Set goals. If you have set your eyes on a leadership role, do your homework to find out how to get there, and plan out your next 5 to 10 years. Do not wait for a role to come to you; instead, actively target a position and work towards it.