Interview with an IB School Leader

1. Context: American International School of Mozambique (AISM)

The American International School of Mozambique (AISM) is an independent, non-profit, co-educational international school located in Maputo, Mozambique. Established in 1990, the school provides an American-style college preparatory education for students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12. According to its 2025–2026 school profile, AISM has approximately 470 students representing 73 nationalities and around 100 faculty members. English is the language of instruction.

AISM is an accredited IB World School offering all three IB programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for Pre-K to Grade 5, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Grades 6–10, and the Diploma Programme (DP) for Grades 11–12. The school emphasizes inquiry-based learning, intercultural understanding, student agency, and the development of lifelong learners. Its mission focuses on empowering students to achieve personal growth, contribute to their communities, and thrive in an ever-changing world.

Sources: AISM School Profile; AISM Learning Programmes.

2. Introduction to the Head of School

I interviewed Dr. Russell Menard (Russ), Head of School at the American International School of Mozambique (AISM), to explore his leadership experiences during a period of significant change. When Dr. Menard took on the role, the school was facing serious challenges following a decline in student enrolment from nearly 700 to approximately 350 at the height of the crisis. This decline was partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and regional instability in northern Mozambique, creating significant financial pressure and raising concerns about the school's long-term sustainability.

Beyond these financial challenges, Russ also had to navigate tensions arising from the previous administration's handling of staff reductions, as well as divisions and a lack of trust within the school community following conflict between the former Head of School and the Board. His experiences provided an opportunity to explore how school leaders respond to crises, rebuild relationships, and support staff well-being while working towards long-term sustainability.

3. Leadership Challenges and Analysis

Challenge 1: Rebuilding Trust and Creating an Inclusive School Culture

Area	Analysis
Context and Challenge	When Dr. Menard joined the school, the community was experiencing distrust and tension following previous leadership conflicts and staff reductions. There were different perspectives among staff, parents, and the Board. The school also had a culturally diverse community, with staff representing around 19 nationalities.
Strategies	1. Listen actively and acknowledge people's concerns: He listened to staff, parents, and different groups in the community, taking their concerns seriously rather than dismissing their feelings. 2. Establish clear behavioural boundaries: He held individual conversations with around five parents who had seriously disrespected staff. He explained that such behaviour was unacceptable and discussed the possible consequences, helping protect staff and establish accountability. 3. Communicate expectations clearly: He used the school newsletter to communicate expectations for respectful behaviour across the community, helping establish shared standards and consistency. 4. Encourage inclusive decision-making: He built a diverse leadership team and sought input from school leaders, teachers, and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) before making important decisions. He believed different perspectives should be heard, even when people might not agree with the final decision. 5. Maintain ongoing communication: He continued engaging in dialogue with people, recognising that rebuilding trust and changing behaviour take time rather than expecting one conversation to resolve every issue. 6. Strengthen home - school partnerships: He encouraged parents and staff to see one another as partners working towards shared goals, helping move relationships away from conflict and towards collaboration.
Impact	Rebuilding trust took approximately three years. Over time, the community became better able to work together during difficult situations. Although not everyone agreed with every decision, Dr. Menard's approach emphasised listening to different perspectives while maintaining clear expectations for respectful behaviour.
Leadership Intelligences	Cultural Intelligence: Understanding that people from different cultural backgrounds may have different expectations and communication styles.  Relational Intelligence: Building relationships through listening, empathy, communication, and respect.  Reflective Intelligence: Considering different perspectives and how leadership decisions affect the community.  Strategic Intelligence: Recognising that rebuilding trust and establishing a healthy school culture require sustained effort and long-term commitment. These ideas also connect with the IB's emphasis on empowering learning communities, collaboration, and teacher ownership.
Reflection Questions	1. How can a leader rebuild trust and create a culture where people feel heard and respected?  2. How can leaders maintain clear professional boundaries while demonstrating empathy and understanding?  3. How can a leader encourage participation when community members have different perspectives or disagree with a decision?

Challenge 2: Balancing Financial Sustainability with Staff Well-being

Area	Analysis
Context and Challenge	Following the COVID-19 pandemic and regional instability, student enrolment declined from approximately 700 to 350. The school faced serious financial pressure and needed to reduce expenditure while maintaining operations and protecting staff wherever possible.
Strategies	People-first leadership under financial constraints: Rather than relying only on staff redundancies, Dr. Menard described an alternative arrangement in which some teachers voluntarily moved temporarily to 80% of their usual workload and received 80% of their usual pay.
Impact	According to the interview, this arrangement helped the school meet its cost-saving requirements while allowing the teachers involved to retain their jobs. When circumstances improved, teachers could return to full-time work. This example illustrates an attempt to balance financial sustainability with staff well-being.
Leadership Intelligences	Strategic Intelligence: Thinking about how to keep the school financially healthy and how decisions may affect its future.  Entrepreneurial Intelligence: Looking for alternative solutions instead of just cutting jobs.  Heuristic Intelligence: Using professional judgment to find practical solutions when things are uncertain and information is limited.  Reflective Intelligence: Thinking about the results of different choices and whether they balance the school's financial needs with teachers' well-being. The IB's emphasis on evidence-based decisions, resource use, and teacher ownership provides a relevant perspective for examining this challenge.
Reflection Questions	1. When a school faces financial pressure, how can leaders protect staff well-being while making difficult decisions?  2. How would I evaluate whether a proposed solution is fair and sustainable?  3. How can leaders involve staff in developing solutions rather than simply announcing decisions?

Challenge 3: Leading Through Crisis and Supporting Community Well-being

Area	Analysis
Context and Challenge	The school faced political instability and periods of civil disturbance. The community also experienced grief following the death of a former teacher who had been well loved by staff and others. These circumstances highlighted the importance of responding to uncertainty, maintaining community connections, and supporting people's well-being during difficult times.
Strategies	1. Build collective resilience: Dr. Menard explained that, after rebuilding trust within the school community, people became better able to respond collectively when further challenges arose. 2. Put people first during difficult times: His leadership approach emphasised service, humility, and the well-being of the school community, particularly when facing challenging circumstances. 3. Encourage mutual support within the community: Following the death of a former teacher who was deeply valued by the community, members supported one another through a difficult time. This illustrated the importance of community connections and mutual care during periods of grief.
Impact	According to Dr. Menard, the school community became better able to face later challenges together. Members also supported one another following the death of a former teacher. These examples highlight the importance of strong relationships and collective support during difficult times, although the impact of individual strategies was not independently measured.
Leadership Intelligences	Heuristic Intelligence: Using professional judgment to respond to uncertainty and make decisions when information may be incomplete.  Strategic Intelligence: Considering priorities and resources when responding to challenging circumstances.  Relational Intelligence: Maintaining connections with people and recognising their emotional needs.  Reflective Intelligence: Learning from difficult experiences and considering how future responses could improve, although the interview provided limited evidence of a specific reflection process. Research on school leadership in crisis contexts also highlights adaptive decision-making, responsive communication, resource management, and emotional resilience (Charteris et al., 2026).
Reflection Questions	1. During a crisis, how can I balance immediate operational needs with people's emotional well-being?  2. How can a school build strong relationships and collective capacity before a crisis occurs?  3. After a difficult event, how can leaders reflect on their response and support the community's continued recovery?

4. Analysis and Reflection: Putting People First

1) Put People First and Build Trust

Russ helped me understand that effective leadership is not just about completing tasks or solving problems. It is also about caring for people, listening to their concerns, and building trust. When people feel heard and respected, they are more likely to work together and support one another through difficult times.

2) Balance Care with Firmness

I learned that leaders need to balance empathy with clear expectations and professional boundaries. For example, school leaders can acknowledge parents’ concerns while protecting teachers’ professional boundaries and personal time. Being understanding does not mean agreeing with everyone. It means respecting different perspectives while maintaining clear principles.

3) Practise Leadership Through My Own Experiences

Reflecting on my own experiences, I realised that leadership does not always require a formal position. I took the initiative to promote language and cultural exchange between Taiwan and Vietnam, and I was involved in the Home School Project during COVID-19. These experiences taught me to identify needs, collaborate with others, and take action to solve problems. They also helped me recognise that I can demonstrate leadership through my everyday actions and willingness to contribute.

4) Help Others Grow

Russ’s experiences encouraged me to think about the kind of educational leader I hope to become. Beyond being a good teacher, I want to support colleagues’ professional growth by listening to their ideas, recognising their strengths, and creating opportunities for collaboration. I believe effective leadership is not about expecting everyone to work in the same way, but about creating an environment where people with different strengths and working styles can contribute meaningfully.

5. Conclusion

This interview helped me reflect on the meaning of effective educational leadership. A successful leader is not defined only by personal achievements, but also by the ability to help others grow.

As a future educational leader, I hope to put people first by listening with empathy, maintaining clear boundaries, and supporting others’ professional growth. I also want to respect different perspectives and recognise that people can contribute in different ways. Through these actions, I hope to help build an inclusive and collaborative school community where both teachers and students feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow together.

6. References

Charteris, J., Nye, A., Davis, K., & Ridolfo, H. (2026). Leading schools in crisis contexts: Practice insights from a scoping review. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432261442355

International Baccalaureate Organization. (n.d.). School leader resources. https://ibo.org/ib-schoolwide-adoption/where-to-begin/school-leader-resources/

American International School of Mozambique. (n.d.). Learning programmes. https://www.aism.co.mz/learn.html

American International School of Mozambique. (n.d.). School profile. https://www.aism.co.mz/school-profile.html

American International School of Mozambique. (2025). AISM profile 2025–2026. https://www.aism.co.mz/uploads/1/4/5/1/145116439/aism_profile_2025-26_new.pdf