A Guy Who Loves Going to the Principal's Office

By Wendy Cole

When Jonathan Schnur was in grade school, he never lobbed spitballs or did the things that land kids in the principal's office. In fact, as a third-grader in suburban Milwaukee, Wis., he was mentoring kindergartners. Today Schnur, 38, remains dedicated to education. In 2000, Schnur and four colleagues founded New Leaders for New Schools (NLNS), now the largest organization in the U.S. for recruiting and training urban principals. The group seeks candidates from all walks of life, from executives to military officers. "The most important thing we look for," says Schnur, "is an unyielding belief that any child from any background can achieve at high levels."

Being a principal is a tough job, but Schnur's may be just as challenging. Hiring and retaining talented principals has become increasingly difficult for many school districts. Forty percent of U.S. principals are expected to retire within the next five years, their departure hastened by the pressures of the job. But Schnur, a former Clinton Administration education adviser, is not interested in addressing simply the shortfall. He aims to raise expectations for low-income children by attracting the best and brightest leaders. The program is selective: so far just 150 applicants--all with at least two years' teaching experience--have been accepted out of 2,600. The chosen few go through a summer of course work covering everything from leadership to finances, followed by a yearlong residency at a school and on-site coaching. NLNS, which is a nonprofit, has placed principals in such cities as New York, Chicago and Memphis, Tenn. Two-thirds of NLNS graduates are women or people of color. Graduate Omar Gobourne, an African American who flew helicopters for the Army in the first Gulf War, went on to help launch the E.L. Haynes charter school in Washington. "My military experience," says Gobourne, "taught me to think on my feet." The New York City-based NLNS is still evolving, but early results are encouraging, with test scores up at schools run by NLNS grads. The peripatetic CEO couldn't be more inspired to expand the mission. Schnur and his team visited more than 200 schools this year, and in nearly every one, their first stop was the principal's office. --By Wendy Cole