So You Want to Lead HR in a School District? Five Things I’ve Learned
- Ryan Smith
- Jul 20
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 21
For many education leaders, Human Resources or "HR" is something they interact with, not something they lead. That was true for me, too.
Over the past two decades, I’ve had the privilege of serving in a wide range of educational leadership roles: high school principal, assistant superintendent of educational services, and Superintendent of Schools in Monrovia Unified School District. In each of those roles, I worked closely with HR—hiring, evaluating, supporting staff, navigating negotiations, and managing complex personnel issues.
This past year, stepping into the role of Deputy Superintendent in Bellflower Unified School District and directly leading HR for the first time gave me a whole new perspective.
If you’re a site leader, department head, or central office administrator who’s ever wondered what it’s like to lead HR—or how HR work shapes the culture, strategy, and stability of an entire district—this reflection is for you.
I thought I understood the work. I didn’t. Not fully.
HR is more complex, more central, and more impactful than I ever realized. It touches every part of a school system and every phase of an employee’s career. This past year has deepened my appreciation for the people who do this work and reminded me how vital HR is to the overall health of a district.
Here are five lessons I’ve learned along the way:
1. HR Cannot Operate in a Silo
One of the most important realizations I’ve had is that HR must be fully integrated with every part of the organization to be effective. It can’t just be a department that processes paperwork or responds to issues as they arise.
That alignment starts at the top.
To implement the Board of Education’s vision and carry out the Superintendent’s strategic direction, HR must be tightly connected to the district’s executive leadership. That alignment becomes even more critical during leadership transitions. When a new superintendent joins the team, as we experienced recently in Bellflower, HR helps ensure continuity, builds trust, and supports a strong start. Whether we’re expanding mental health services, launching new career pathways, or rethinking school leadership pipelines, HR is the engine that ensures we have the right people in the right roles, supported and equipped to execute on that vision.
For schools and instructional divisions to succeed, HR must understand their goals and align staffing, support, and systems accordingly. If we’re focused on improving reading achievement, expanding dual enrollment, or supporting student well-being, HR must be a strategic partner in those efforts. Human capital strategy must match instructional priorities.
The same is true for Business Services. With nearly 90% of a district’s budget tied to people, HR and Business must be in constant communication—cross-checking projections, staffing plans, timelines, and assumptions. They must function as collaborators while also providing necessary checks and balances.
When HR is siloed, the entire system suffers. When it is aligned with executive leadership, instruction, and operations, however, it becomes one of the most powerful levers for driving districtwide success.
2. HR Is the Heart and Soul of a District’s Culture
I’ve come to see HR as the human core of the district. We’re there for the milestones that define a career: the excitement of a job offer, the joy of welcoming a child, the stress of a medical emergency, or the bittersweet transition into retirement.
We’re also there when things go wrong, whether someone has made a mistake or is accused of wrongdoing. In those moments, how we show up matters. We ensure due process. We navigate conflict with care. We approach difficult conversations with empathy and professionalism.
This past year, we’ve looked for new ways to live out our values more visibly and meaningfully. With strong collaboration across the HR team, we launched our first STAR Awards to recognize employee excellence, hosted a new Retirement Social to honor years of service, and organized our first-ever Career Expo and Resource Fair to connect future employees and local partners with district leaders. Dr. Shaunte Knox has been a key partner in bringing many of these efforts to life, including facilitating a districtwide training series focused on building shared understanding, improving communication, and fostering a more inclusive and respectful environment for all staff and students.
We also redesigned how we hire school leaders. Our new process includes authentic performance tasks that reflect real work, and we now invite teachers, classified staff, and students into the later stages of selection. It’s not just a procedural change. It’s a statement about the kind of leadership culture we value: collaborative, transparent, and community-centered.
HR is about people, and when we get it right, it builds pride, loyalty, and a sense of belonging that strengthens every corner of the district.
3. Strong Labor Partnerships Make Everything Work Better
The foundation of effective labor relations is trust. That foundation is built over time, one conversation at a time. I’ve learned this year that strong relationships don’t just help during negotiations; they make everything work better, every day. Every interaction with every staff member is a part of labor relations, whether it’s answering a question, solving a problem, or just listening when someone needs to talk.
That’s why I’ve made it a priority to connect regularly with our union leaders—not only at the bargaining table, but also over coffee, breakfast, and lunch. I should probably own stock in Starbucks at this point, given how many of our best labor conversations have happened over a latte or a quick bite. Creating space for those kinds of connections has helped us build mutual respect, shared understanding, and the ability to work through challenges together.
When those relationships are strong, you can solve problems informally and early, before they escalate into grievances, complaints, or public confrontations. You can have honest, open conversations that make room for empathy and forward movement.
Trust becomes even more important when tensions rise, as they often do during negotiations. We all want manageable class sizes that allow teachers to be effective, but smaller numbers require greater financial resources. We want to give everyone a significant raise because they’re worth it. At the same time, we must contend with budget limitations and long-term solvency. We want to update outdated contract language, but doing so can sometimes feel like a win-lose proposition.
That’s the art of labor relations: finding the balance between honoring the work of educators and maintaining the district’s financial stability. Negotiations aren’t just about today. They’re about tomorrow. Every decision we make at the table shapes what’s possible in the future. You might not reach agreement in a single session, but how you show up today lays the groundwork for progress later. Sometimes, what isn’t resolved now can still come together when the time is right.
4. There’s Far More Compliance in HR Than I Ever Realized—And You Can’t Afford to Get It Wrong
Despite my years in educational leadership, I didn’t fully grasp the sheer volume of compliance HR manages until I was leading it myself. Education Code, labor law, collective bargaining agreements, Personnel Commission rules, credentialing, timelines, notices—the list is long, and every piece matters. Add in required trainings, TB clearances, and a full spectrum of employee leaves—FMLA, ADA, catastrophic, bereavement, jury duty, and more—and the complexity only grows.
It’s not just technical, it’s operational. Miss a deadline to issue a notice? You might forfeit the right to act. Let a credential lapse? A teacher may be removed from the classroom. Overlook an MOU sunset clause or mismanage leave documentation? You could unintentionally violate contract or statute.
Falling short in any one area doesn’t just cause paperwork headaches. It creates legal, financial, and reputational risks that are far more difficult to fix after the fact.
That’s why having the right team around you makes all the difference. In Bellflower, I’ve been fortunate to work alongside a smart, steady, and solutions-oriented HR team, as well as trusted legal counsel, who help ensure we get it right. I’m also especially grateful for our partnerships with organizations like School Services of California. Their guidance has helped us think more strategically and systemically about compliance and what it takes to stay ahead of it.
Compliance isn’t the ceiling. It’s the floor. It may not be exciting, but it’s essential. And when it’s ignored or minimized, it always finds a way to resurface. If you don’t give it the attention it deserves, it will catch up with you every time.
5. AI Is Transforming HR, but People Must Always Come FIRST
My colleague Dr. Frank Olmos and I have written extensively about how artificial intelligence is reshaping HR, and I’ve seen the impact firsthand. Tasks that once took days can now be completed in hours. From screening applicants to generating consistent documentation, AI has become a powerful tool for streamlining operations and increasing consistency.
Efficiency is not the ultimate goal, however; people are. The best use of AI in HR is not to replace human interaction, but to make more space for it. By automating repetitive or time-consuming tasks, we give HR leaders and staff more time to focus on what matters most: building relationships, supporting teams, and making thoughtful, strategic decisions.
In articles that I've written about AI and HR, I’ve emphasized that technology should help us evaluate every applicant and every role with clarity and intention. It can also support alignment with our mission, vision, and values, but it can’t define them for us.
That’s because some of the most critical aspects of HR require human judgment. No algorithm can fully understand a district’s culture, interpret the nuance of a difficult situation, or sense when something just isn’t right. AI may shape the future of HR, but it should always be guided by people who understand the work, the stakes, and the humanity behind every decision.
If You’re Thinking About HR Leadership...
If you’re a leader considering a future leading HR in a school district or stepping into a cabinet role where you’ll oversee it, know that the work is complex, demanding, and essential. You’ll need to understand the rules, manage risk, and support people through every phase of their career. You’ll face hard decisions and high stakes. You’ll also gain a broader view of the organization and a deeper connection to the people who keep it running.
I’m a better leader for having done this work. Not many get the opportunity to lead both Educational Services and Human Resources, and doing so has deepened my perspective, sharpened my decision-making, and strengthened my ability to lead with the entire system in mind.
HR leadership will stretch you. It will test your judgment, your resilience, and your ability to lead with integrity. It will also remind you every single day why people matter. And if you lead with clarity, empathy, and purpose, you won’t just help your district run more smoothly. You’ll help it thrive.
Dr. Ryan Smith, with more than 20 years of leadership experience in public education, is dedicated to ensuring every student receives an outstanding education and reaches their highest potential. Through his current service as Deputy Superintendent in the Bellflower Unified School District and previous experience as Superintendent of the Monrovia Unified School District, his commitment to putting students first has driven success and positive change across various schools and districts. Learn more about Dr. Smith at his website, on LinkedIn, or X.
