Looking for Pat 2.0

Most folks are well aware, by now, that Pat Bonacci, AFSC will step down at the end of this academic year as Principal and assume a new set of responsibilities at La Salle as Vice-President for Mission. I had the opportunity at the September Parent Association meeting to present the results of the on-line Needs Assessment Survey that over 300 parents took last spring. Veteran parents may remember that we asked you to respond to this survey so that the School could get a sense of your priorities for the next principal. The results were enlightening, but not surprising:

• 80% of respondents wanted the next principal to offer a compelling vision for Catholic, college preparatory education

• 60% wanted someone who was skilled in strategically leading change

• 74% wanted an administrator who is open and transparent with respect to decision-making

• 83% wanted a principal who is a fair, trustworthy, decisive leader capable of creating an environment that fosters high morale

Thinking about this data makes me realize that, in many ways, we’re a little spoiled here at La Salle. Over the course of his fifteen years as principal, Pat Bonacci, AFSC has nurtured an environment where people are taken care of; their problems quickly addressed and the school environment managed in such a way that the inevitable conflict which arises is handled quickly and without a great deal of drama.

Lately, I have been fond of describing the next principal as “Pat 2.0” – meaning that the ideal candidate will have Pat’s ability to take care of people while, at the same time, motivating teachers and students to embrace the 21st Century and the inevitable changes which will take place in our lifetime. The parent survey responses cluster around that profile: a visionary, strategic leader who is trustworthy and decisive in transparent ways.

And, while La Salle is blessed with the resources to embrace the rapid shifts in the technology of instruction, its culture is rooted in the care and concern of the individual. This isn’t just a function of “Pat 1.0”. The 300 hundred year old legacy of the Christian Brothers is rooted in this admonition by Saint John Baptist de La Salle:

You, too, can create miracles by touching the hearts of the students entrusted to your care.

As we cast the net widely for Pat’s successor, we are keenly aware of the challenge we face to find in one person the kind of administrator who will “touch hearts” while also embracing a future that can only be dimly perceived. The next principal will face an educational environment that is in rapid flux as new technologies emerge and unforeseen expectations for students’ intellectual competence are imposed upon schools. Writing in the Bulletin of the National Association of Secondary Principals, Richard DuFour framed the challenge this way:

Principals must live with paradox: They must have a sense of urgency about improving their schools, balanced by the patience to sustain them for the long haul. They must focus on the future, but remain grounded in today. They must see the big picture, while maintaining a close focus on details. They must be strong leaders who give away power to others.

That pretty much sums up La Salle’s ideal principal – now on to the challenge of finding that person!