by André Double
A 2019 study in the Journal of Educational Administration found that job titles contribute to teachers’ professional identity and motivation. Studies in educational leadership have also found that more prestigious titles (e.g., “Director of Teaching and Learning” vs. “Curriculum Coordinator”) can attract more experienced candidates. To many people in our international schools, a job title brings power, progress and pay. To some (increasingly those in Gen X), job titles are a meaningless and hierarchical system still used to separate the ‘haves’ from the ‘have-nots’. After all, as John Maxwell pointed out in the Five Levels of Leadership, the lowest level of leadership is Positional Leadership – or leading with your title. Here we ask, ‘What’s in Your Job Title? ‘ Indeed, does it matter? For many in our international schools and their leadership, it clearly still does.
The Lay of the Land
A quick scan of LinkedIn and various recruitment platforms reveals the following titles in our international schools. There are, of course, dozens more, and I’d encourage you to add those you’ve come across in the comments below.
- CEO (Chief Executive Officer – The top executive in a school group, network, or educational organisation, responsible for the overall strategic vision, governance, financial health, and performance of all schools and business units in the group.
- Senior Vice-President – A high-level executive often found in large school groups or education management companies, overseeing multiple schools or entire regional operations with strategic and financial responsibility.
- Executive Principal / Executive Head – Leads more than one school or campus, often managing both educational strategy and operational performance across sites, with division-level leaders reporting in.
- Principal – The primary leader responsible for day-to-day academic, operational, and community leadership of a school or a specific division within a larger institution.
- Headmaster / Headmistress – A traditional term, more formal, often used in British-style schools; covers full leadership responsibility for the school community.
- Head of College – Common in schools with “College” in their name; equivalent to a principal, but can also denote leadership over a specific division or faculty within a multi-school structure.
- School Director / Campus Director – Common in international contexts; combines the role of principal with oversight of business operations, facilities, and local compliance.
- Rector – Found mainly in European or Latin American schools; often denotes a leader with strong academic authority and formal ceremonial roles in addition to school management.
- Academic Principal – Focused solely on educational leadership, curriculum oversight, and teaching quality, while operational or business leadership is handled by another executive.
- Directeur / Directrice – French term for the head of a school; in bilingual international schools, may work alongside an English-speaking principal.
- Direktor / Direktrice – German equivalent of “principal,” used in German-speaking or German-bilingual schools, often with a strong academic and community leadership focus.
- Superintendent – Common in US systems for district or multi-school leadership; rarely for a single school, but may appear in large international school networks.
- Co-Principal – Two leaders sharing equal authority for running a school, often splitting responsibilities between academic and operational leadership or between divisions.
- Dean – Typically focused on a specific aspect of school life, such as student discipline (Dean of Students) or academics (Dean of Faculty); common in US-style schools, such as BASIS.
- Director of Education – Oversees academic strategy and standards across multiple schools or a region, often in large international education groups or government-linked systems.
- Regional Director of Education – Senior leader managing all educational operations across a geographic area, balancing strategic leadership with oversight of local school heads.
The ‘Executive’ Debate
Increasingly, in our International Schools, I am noticing an observable trend. More and more leaders’ job titles appear to have the term ‘Executive’ in them at some point. According to previous literature from the National College for School Leadership in the UK, an Executive Principal provides overall leadership and direction for a Trust/Group of Schools and works with them to deliver its vision. They remain the head teacher of their current school, but also become the strategic leader of one or more other schools. Can the same be said about all ‘Executive Leaders/Principals in our international schools? I’m not sure.
The Executive Principal is a senior leadership role typically found in large international school groups, multi-campus schools, or school networks. This position goes beyond the traditional Head of School or Principal role, as it involves strategic oversight, governance, and leadership across multiple schools or divisions.
One possible danger of the above model lies in the notion of the Peter Principal. Working diligently for years in the same school or group, they are consistently promoted until reaching the upper echelons of leadership, before finally assuming the role of ‘Executive Head’ across two or more schools. Only there is an observable danger. When leaders invest so much time and effort in their own leadership journey and don’t take others with them, and are virtually unknown in their school or wider community, it is uniquely challenging and almost impossible to bring about systemic-wide change purely and simply because of your title.
Debates around what is and isn’t ‘Executive’ need to be had for sure.
Job-Title Inflation
Another danger to our international schools is the practice of using the title without the experience. The same literature from the NCSL states, “Executive headteachers on average have over 10 years’ experience as a head before becoming an executive head“, but the more I researched this topic, the more this figure seems to decline. Some are even referring to themselves as ‘Executive’ in their first Principal role – others as ‘Executive’ Primary or Secondary Heads within K-12 Schools (Do such roles even exist?). With the support of advanced AI tools, it is increasingly easier than it has ever been to present oneself as working at a senior level and attaching a wealth of associated experiences as such. To counter this, perhaps our schools need to become more inquisitive and investigative in their recruitment filters, drilling down into some of the minutiae around current and previous leadership roles. But what effect might that have on those who are ‘ready’ for the step? And, let’s not forget, employers increasingly use inflated titles and there is data to prove it that titles such as “senior,” “chief” are used to appease Gen Z’s need for recognition without actual authority gain. Title inflation rose nearly 50%in the U.S. recently.
Why Titles Don’t Matter to Some from Gen Z
Interestingly, only 38% of Gen Z prioritise titles compared to 52% of Millennials back in 2014. Our international colleagues may well favour purpose more in their teaching and leadership roles. They may also favour the flexibility to pursue different growth paths and the ability to carry out at least some aspects of their work remotely. Why not ask your colleagues if they prefer autonomy and alignment or symbolic titles and their status? I, for one, would be interested in their responses. However, titles do become less central when they’re disconnected from real responsibility and any responsibilities for development that they carry.
In Summary
Job titles are important and unimportant at the same time. They can bring clarity and a sense of focus and achievement for others. At the same time, for others who have no designs on leadership, they can appear misguided and cause structural organisational/institutional barriers. LinkedIn, for example, has taught us that everyone in our international schools is within reach – no matter what their position. Whatever your school’s policy and thinking is around Job Titles – try and think inclusively and about the exact difference that they really make in practice. Build your awareness and understanding of what the role means in different schools and groups, or you may find yourself quickly left behind at the application and interview stage. Ask people what they want to be called as professionals. But always remember, and as Grainne O’Reilly never fails to remind me – “do the job without the title”.
What would you prefer: The right job title, or deep personal fulfilment? I know which one I’d choose.
Thank you for reading.
Do share your comments, thoughts and opinions and share this article with anyone who may be interested. And why not consider joining LYIS this year? Do connect with me if you are a values-driven leader looking for something a little different.
Email: andre@leadingyourinternationalschool.com
WeChat: AndreDouble
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