Education leaders who are not educators.

There is a strong argument that smart, successful, and innovative leaders can be this type of leader in any setting. It is true that I belong to a program that touts this very idea. While I personally believe that leadership can be transferable, I also have personally experienced a severe lack of knowledge and skills. This deficit proved to be extremely challenging, if not disabling at times. Cathleen Black has been appointed the chancellor of schools in New York - a strong, successful leader in a leadership position. This seems like it will work, right?

I think Black could be a successful chancellor and I hope she is. I think the skills required of the chancellor of schools definitely overlap with other leadership skills. But I also think that the lack of knowledge of education and the NYC public schools could be a huge challenge. Having an understanding of a teacher's challenges would allow Black to make more realistic expectations. Understanding what good teaching requires and what good school leadership requires is necessary to leading a school system. Some say running a school is like running a business. I see the comparison and I think there are commonalities between the two, however I do not think it is this simple. As the Huffington Post reports Black is "cramming" to prepare. I think this is a good sign. Leadership skills are necessary and she has them (check!), but so is at least a fundamental knowledge of education and the system. Black needs to go to "institute" and learn the basics if she hopes to use her own skills to lead in such a high-stakes business as education.