There Is a Trust Problem in School Leadership
The Research is Clear
Trust is not a soft skill. It is the single most significant predictor of whether a school will improve, and the research shows most schools are dangerously underinvesting in it.
3×
High-trust schools are three times more likely to show measurable improvement in student achievement
Bryk & Schneider · University of Chicago · 10-year study of 400+ schools
The good news: trust can be measured, built, and sustained.
WHEN TRUST IS LEFT UNADDRESSED
The Cost of Leading Without Trust
→ Your best teachers leave first, and rarely tell you why.
→ Improvement initiatives stall, regardless of how good the strategy is.
→ Board and administration tension grows quietly until it cannot be ignored.
→ Parent confidence erodes, and enrollment follows.
The good news is that trust can be measured, strengthened, and sustained. That is exactly what TrustED® was built to do.
Is this happening in your school?
If any of these resonate, trust may be the issue.
→ Are your improvement initiatives gaining traction, or keep stalling?
→ Is your faculty culture strong, or are people going through the motions?
→ Do your people feel genuinely heard by leadership?
→ Is your board and administration alignment as strong as it needs to be?
→Do you have reliable data on how your leadership is being experienced?
Four Ways to Bring TrustED® to Your School
Start treating trust as the core improvement strategy it is, by intentionally investing in the conditions that help schools grow, improve, and thrive.
TRUSTED BY SCHOOLS IN 20+ COUNTRIES
A Few of the Schools and Organizations Strengthened by TrustED®
“When one is looking for an expert in a specific professional field for wisdom, advice, and counsel, you want to identify someone who has had significant experience reflected in their overwhelming success. Plus, if you can find someone who is not only professionally gifted but also has high levels of integrity interwoven with a strong foundation of character, then you’ve found someone who could be a very special advisor. In my view, Dr. Toby Travis is that person.”
Dr. Alan Cureton
President Emeritus, University of Northwestern St. Paul, Roseville, MN
What Education Leaders Say
“I have had multiple opportunities to work directly with Dr. Travis. He is a highly effective and trusted coach and trainer who works well alongside school leaders and stakeholders. His positive and encouraging rapport with faculty and staff are also commendable
when involved in implementing school-improvement initiatives.”
Janet Hale
Consultant, Best-Selling Author, Curriculum Decisions
Not Sure Where to Start? Here is a Simple Path
WHERE TO BEGIN
Whether you are new to TrustED® or ready to go deep, there is a clear entry point for every school and leader.
THE TrustED® JOURNAL
Monthly Insights on Trust, Culture, and What it Really Takes to Lead a School with Purpose.
Dr. Travis writes from the front lines of school leadership, sharing what he is learning, reading, and thinking, along with insights from a network of education thought leaders, so you do not have to figure it out alone. Join school leaders in 20+ countries who receive the journal.
"Schools don't struggle because of strategy. They struggle because of lack of trust."
Toby A. Travis, Ed.D.,
Developer of the TrustED® framework,
Amazon #1 best selling author.
TrustED®: The Bridge to School Improvement
The award-winning book behind the framework. Dr. Travis lays out the six components of trusted school leadership with clarity, depth, and practical application. Featured in Forbes and eSchool News. Used by school leaders in over 20 countries.
