Principal Li Wenping wins the ‘Most Influential International School Principal’s Award

On the question at hand, Principal Li outlined the three main causes of talent drain: mismatched values and goals, unclear personal development, and cultural and communication barriers. She then proposed targeted solutions to address these issues.

In Principal Li’s view, international schools can specifically address and resolve the high teacher turnover rate from three dimensions: finding the right people, building platforms, and developing together.

In terms of finding the right people, international schools should rigorously select and recruit teachers whose educational philosophy matches that of the school, focusing on individuals who genuinely love education and are passionate about igniting the dreams of students. Principal Li mentioned that there are many teachers at THIS actively expand and explore their respective fields based on their own disciplines while also skillfully integrating students’ interests, providing authentic opportunities for students to explore their dreams inside and outside the classroom.

Building on the foundation of finding the right people, international schools should providecontinuous support and care to empower teachers’ development and growth, offering various training opportunities, smooth communication channels, and a clear promotion system, allowing each to learn and grow in an environment of respect and empowerment. To achieve this, THIS has a system of personalized growth plans for teachers. This growth platform allows teachers to plan annual growth targets and regularly reflect and adjust their action plans. Leaders also help teachers develop plans, provide guidance and support during the process, and at the end of the year, they review the plans with the teachers, assessing the extent to which the goals have been achieved, the difficulties encountered, and the necessary adjustments. These practices effectively promote the intrinsic motivation for teachers’ independent growth.

Furthermore, international schools can provide teachers with various development platforms, create a campus culture with a sense of happiness and belonging that listens to the voices of teachers, and retain talent through better welfare and care. Principal Li is always accessible to teachers, and various mechanisms have been established to ensure smooth communication at all levels. The unique “family” culture of THIS drew applause from the audience at the event.

At the close of the conference Principal Li was awarded the “Most Influential International School Principal” trophy. This honor is a recognition of Principal Li’s outstanding contributions to the field of international education and an affirmation of the collaborative efforts and collective wisdom of the entire teaching team at THIS under her leadership.

Principal Li Wenping joined Tsinghua University High School in 2010 and has been at the vanguard of the development of THIS. With the foresight and courage of a principal  and the responsibility and commitment of a Tsinghua member, she has continuously inspired and led the school forward over the past 14 years, pursuing excellence in the management model, curriculum design, daily operations, teacher development, student support, and recruitment. She is dedicated to building THIS into a model of integrated Chinese and Western education. 

With a broad vision and great wisdom, Principal Li has led THIS from rapid growth in the early stages to steady development and on to excellence. The warm and caring school culture she has created, the rigorous and rich academic curriculum, the dedicated and professional teaching team, the empowering student support system, and the strong and orderly operational services have all become the distinctive characteristics of THIS.

In addition to being named “Most Influential International School Principal,” Principal Li Wenping has also been recognized as one of the “Top Ten Outstanding International School Principals in China” by Forbes and as a “Global Leading Principal.”