Who truly holds your school community together? It may not be who you think. This reflection honors “glue people”— the beloved, often unsung staff who embody your school’s culture.
Scott Wilson, ISM Consultant and Executive Coach
Thanks to the retirement of a former colleague, I've had the opportunity to reflect on the importance of the “glue people” in our schools. These are the individuals who embody the culture and spirit of our schools and who earn the devotion of students and faculty alike thanks to their ubiquitous willingness to serve students.
Who Are Your Glue? (And Why They Matter)
Glue people may not be the “master teacher” or legendary coach. They may not have the fanciest job titles or official roles at school. But they show up and consistently demonstrate how much they care.
In the three schools I had the privilege of leading, these teammates were selfless, dependable, and happy. They helped break down tables after prom, chaperone socials, and even drive the bus on field trips. They took on these roles cheerfully and without being asked.
Through the 40-year arc of my career, I discovered certain “truths” about glue people. First, there were no generational nor gender assumptions one could make about glue people. They were people, young and old, who came from every demographic and personal background.
Second, there was often no one job description that fit these folks. Their “day jobs” might be as support staff or assistant coaches or dorm parents. Their common quality? A cheerful outlook combined with deep devotion to students and loyalty to the institution.
Unsung Heroes, and Their Impact
When one of my former schools celebrated a centennial and buried a memory capsule on campus (not to be opened for 100 years), there was one adult about whom the students wrote. It was not a teacher or coach, and certainly not the head of school.
No, they wrote about the woman who runs the snack bar at the student center. Indeed, she is a cultural icon at the school.
When a “glue person” retires — or is forced to retire thanks to some cost-cutting efficiency measure or misguided evaluation of their contributions — that’s when school leaders discover that person’s true value.
The vacuum left in their absence can be daunting to fill. Who will drive the bus to the away football game? Who will chaperone prom? Who will sit in the dunking booth during the spring fair?
While filling the holes in the school’s daily life is one challenge, filling the spiritual holes in school life can be even more daunting. At one of my schools, a newly hired security director attempted to reassign a long-time security guard who staffed the school entrance each morning. She was more a greeter than a guard, and the new director was consistently frustrated that she was not qualified to manage emergencies.
What he missed was that she knew every student and every parent and every employee who entered the campus each day. More importantly, she knew who was not supposed to be on campus! When the security director temporarily reassigned this guard to the back of campus, the reaction was immediate and unified. Everyone — from students to parents to the admission director — demanded that she be returned to her rightful place at the front gate. Alas, after some forced introspection, he capitulated.
The Heart of a Healthy School
Educators know that great teaching is as much about the heart as the mind. When students begin a school day with a positive attitude, they are more likely to learn. Often, that pat on the back or word of encouragement comes from one of these glue people. They may not have a director title or a Ph.D. in physics, but they do have an uncommon capacity for empathy, judgment, concern, loyalty, wisdom, and love.
About the Author
Scott Wilson, a long-time head of school and 40-year independent school leader, joined ISM as a full-time consultant and executive coach in 2021. He offers executive coaching for boards, heads of school, and other school leaders on topics such as governance, school culture, and board-head collaboration.
From 2009-2021, Scott was president and headmaster of Baylor School in Tennessee. He also enjoyed successful tenures as Head of School at both Brookstone School and Valwood School, both in Georgia. Scott has served as a Director for the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA), the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools (TAIS), and the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS).
