Old Guard – Can’t Live with Them; Can’t Live without Them

I recently spent some time with friends from other independent schools.  As we compared and contrasted our stories from the field, we noticed that as a whole we saw drawbacks and advantages to the teachers in our schools who have been there for more than ten years.  We reckoned that ten years was the turning point for staff in assuming the title and role of old guard.  

So, exactly what are the advantages of the old guard?  Well, most schools view the presence of teachers with tenure as a reflection of stability and excellence.  They have clout with parents and alumni, and the years of experience in the school and education that provide and lend credibility to the school’s mission and forward momentum. Part of the stability they offer seems to include protecting the school from too much unbidden change. 

The drawbacks turn out to be the flip side of the same coin. In other words, tenure and stability can be the pillars of resistance to change and intentionally or inadvertently, impede the progress of less tenured teachers, in some cases, driving them away.  We all agreed that the tone this usually takes is best summarized by – “we tried that before” – sometimes followed by it did not work – most times, just offered as a good reason not to innovate.  This tone, while intended to be protective of the status quo, actually can lead to new blood in the school feeling rejected and alienated.  

The stories from the field that we shared all included painful exchanges between one of us as a newcomer and someone tenured in the school.  In most instances we agreed that this felt a bit like receiving free advice or instruction on who we need to be to acclimate and fit into the culture of the school. 

As we concluded our exchange about this, we recognized that while tenured staff members are precious, without strong guidance from the school’s leadership, they can derail forward momentum.  We then went on to speculate about how a school climate or culture might evolve in ways that minimize these trends in school community by inviting all of us to be creative and innovative and to gently hold us accountable in collaborating to make education in our schools the best it can be.