Accountability Isn’t a Trap - It’s a Tool

“You can only expect what you inspect.”

Recently, I was working with a building leader who had done everything right. She had a clear vision, solid goals, and a school improvement plan that actually made sense. But several months into implementation, things weren’t moving. Teams weren’t making the progress they had banked on. When I asked her about how she was following up on their work, she hesitated.

“Well... I don’t want to micromanage,” she said.

That’s a common concern. We want to empower teachers. We want them to take ownership. But too often, in trying to avoid micromanagement, we remove one of the most powerful forms of support a leader can offer: accountability. Not the "I gotcha ya" kind. The “I got you” kind.

Thought Reversal

(1) The Common Assumption:

Accountability is something negative. It’s about compliance, pressure, or catching people doing something wrong. As leaders, we try to avoid it so we don’t seem controlling or punitive. We step back, expecting  autonomy to inspire ownership.

(2) A New Perspective:

Real accountability isn’t about micromanagement—it’s about support. It’s not “I gotcha ya,” it’s “I got you.” When leaders use accountability well, they empower their teams to focus on what matters most. It brings clarity, alignment, and momentum. Done right, accountability becomes one of the most powerful tools a leader has to drive growth and build trust.

Accountability is How We Help

The truth is, we’re all too busy to do everything. Accountability helps us focus. It tells the team what matters most. It provides clarity, prioritization, and direction. When it’s done well, it doesn’t feel like pressure. It feels like support.

Good leaders don't just set goals and hope people hit them, regardless of the support provided. They create short cycles of work, they check in, they help troubleshoot. They’re not hovering. They’re guiding.

The Problem with Annual Evaluations

Many schools still rely on annual evaluations that try to measure everything at once - 50 indicators, one observation, and a post-conference checklist. That’s not accountability. That’s compliance theater.

Effective accountability happens in short, focused cycles. Think 100-day plans with 1–2 targeted goals. These cycles create urgency, allow for real feedback, and—most importantly—build momentum. They help teams move.

Big “A” and Little “a”

There are two types of accountability in schools:

• Big A Accountability comes from positional authority—leaders who evaluate, supervise, and can ultimately impact job security. Sometimes, this is necessary. A leader may need to make tough calls when growth isn’t happening.

• Little a accountability is cultural. It’s built on relationships, norms, and shared values. It’s what happens when people hold themselves and each other to high expectations—because that’s just what we do here.

Both are important. But in thriving schools, little “a” does most of the heavy lifting.

Instructional coaches, for example, live in this space. They don’t evaluate. They support. But great coaches still hold teachers accountable - to their own goals, and to their own growth. 

Here’s the thing -  great teachers don’t see it as micromanagement. They welcome it, because they know someone is walking with them and also ensuring that all teachers on the team are putting in the same work.

A Culture of “I Got You”

The schools that make real progress don’t treat accountability as a trap. They treat it as a tool. Their leaders make it clear what matters. They follow up without judgment. They help people stay focused. They offer support, not surprises.

They don’t use accountability to catch people doing something wrong. They use it to help people do what’s right.

That’s not micromanagement. That’s leadership.

How is accountability practiced in your school? Is it more “I gotcha ya” or “I got you”? What would it take to shift the culture?