Role of the Central Office Supervisor

 

Central Office Supervisors have a variety of important roles that impact instruction. According to Grove (2002), one of their roles is to help focus priorities. In some districts, this includes implementing programs to help teachers provide evidence-based instruction and to help teachers grow as instructional leaders across their campus. The role of central office supervisors may also include onboarding new teachers, so they understand the values of their new district and receive professional support as well as curriculum from the beginning. In addition, central office supervisors may provide many other services designed to lighten the load for classroom teachers so they can focus on instruction. These additional services may include organizing district-wide activities like science fairs or meeting with citizen committees in specific instructional areas, as well as applying for and managing grant-funded projects or completing required educational reports at the state and federal levels. By prioritizing these tasks and many others, central office supervisors strike a balance of providing high-quality instructional leadership and giving space to classroom teachers to prioritize quality instruction that’s responsive to the needs of their students.

Central Office Supervisors support many schools and educators across a district, while campus leaders focus on the specific community needs at their home campus. Ideally, central office supervisors support campus leaders and empower principals and teachers to be able to focus on student learning. There is a shift across education to promote the campus leader’s ability to lead instruction effectively (Alkaabi et al., 2022). Traditional principal roles may have included enforcing district policies, but this renews focus on how campus leadership impacts academic achievement. Successful campus leaders have a significant impact on school improvement, the quality of instruction across classrooms, and the school’s learning culture. At the central office level, streamlined evaluation and other district processes support the principal in their transition from manager to true instructional leader.

Alkaabi, A. M., Abdulla, A., & Alriyami, R. (2022). The roles, challenges, and needs of principal Supervisors: a case study. In IntechOpen eBooks. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108834

F. Grove, K. (2002, May 1). The invisible role of the central office. ASCD. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-invisible-role-of-the-central-office