Megan Tschannen-Moran

I’m Megan Tschannen-Moran and I teach educational leadership. I am proud to be a member of a team that prepares exemplary school leaders for building-level and central-office leadership roles in K-12 schools. The chief joy in my work comes from the high caliber of students we attract at William & Mary. Our students are passionate about leading schools to meet the needs of all students and they are willing to work hard to learn the skills that will equip them to fulfill those high aspirations. Our programs set a high bar of rigor in a supportive and caring environment.

I am also an active scholar, pursuing my curiosity into the conditions that make for high-performing schools. My research focuses on the quality of interpersonal relationships in schools, specifically trust, school climate, collaboration, and conflict. Another line of inquiry focuses on the self-efficacy beliefs of teachers and principals that they have the capability to foster the learning of all the school’s students, as these beliefs have been found to fuel the effort, persistence, and resilience that educators bring to their tasks.

I earned my Ph.D. at The Ohio State University and my B.S.E. at Northwestern University. My first book, Trust Matters: Leadership for Successful Schools (2004, Jossey-Bass), reports the experience of three urban principals and the consequences of their successes and failures to build trust. I am currently working on a second book the presents a new model of instructional coaching. My articles have been published in well-respected journals such as the Education Administration Quarterly, the Journal of Educational Administration, and Teachers College Record.

The College of William & Mary programs in school leadership are not for everyone – they are for prospective school leaders who strive to go beyond the ordinary to reach the extraordinary.