Why Leadership Is the Lever for Lasting School Improvement

If we want lasting school improvement, we must stop treating leadership as an afterthought. In education, we devote significant effort to debating curriculum, schedules, and programs. But one factor consistently determines whether change endures or fades: the quality and stability of school leadership. Principals are not just building managers; they translate strategy into daily practice, shape school culture, and create the conditions under which students and teachers can succeed.

Despite that reality, school leaders are often promoted rapidly, receive sporadic training, and are left to navigate one of the most challenging jobs in education alone. The result is predictable: burnout, turnover, and inconsistent implementation of even the best district strategies.

RPS Leads was created to break that cycle. In collaboration with School Leader Labs and Richmond Public Schools, the Richmond Ed Fund launched the RPS Leads Principal Residency Program to develop a strong pool of leaders who can realize Richmond Public Schools’ strategic goals and maintain growth throughout their careers. This was a year-long, cohort-based residency rooted in real leadership challenges and shared responsibility. 

The inaugural cohort included thirteen assistant principals and two new principals. For a full year, these leaders dedicated themselves to deep learning alongside peers facing similar pressures, constraints, and expectations. The objectives were intentional and high-stakes: boost leader effectiveness, enhance retention, and ensure that district priorities are not just written on paper but are consistently reflected in schools.

That combination matters because leadership instability is one of the most costly and disruptive issues in a school system. When principals change, teachers follow. When teachers leave, students lose stability. RPS Leads addresses that pressure point early on, where the return on investment is greatest.

Participants' feedback confirmed the design. One leader called RPS Leads “the most meaningful professional development experience of [her] career.” In a field filled with workshops and short-term trainings, that statement reflects relevance, rigor, and respect for the role’s complexity.

We invest in RPS Leads because lasting improvement isn’t achieved through programs that change every few years. It comes from leaders who stay, develop, and amplify their impact over time.

This initiative isn't about filling vacancies, but about creating a leadership engine that can advance RPS’s vision year after year, school by school. That is why RPS Leads is one of our most strategic investments. When leadership is strong and stable, everything functions better. When it isn’t, nothing operates at scale.