Courageous, Collaborative Leadership

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Courageous, CollaborativeLeadership

• Patti Kinney
• President, National Middle School Association
• Principal, Talent Middle School
• patti.kinney_at_phoenix.k12.or.us

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Leadership is the ability to

• work with people
• problem-solve
• listen
• communicate
• organize
• laugh at oneself
• be patient

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Leadership is dealing with the never-ending
responsibilities of

• school management
• budgeting
• staff supervision
• student discipline
• district office requirements
• and on and on!

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Leadership is

• being an instructional leader with the best
  interests of students at heart
• establishing a culture where teachers, parents,
  community members, and students work together to
  turn a shared vision of high expectations into
  reality
• thinking outside-the-box to continually challenge
  the status quo in the name of school improvement

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Creative Leadership requires

• A passion for your work
• Independence
• Ability to set goals
• Originality
• Flexibility
• Wide range of interests
• Intelligence
• Self-motivation

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Research also gives credence to the critical
nature of leadership in transforming schools.
High-performing middle schools have
high-performing, learning-centered leaders
principals and teachers working collaboratively
to enhance student learning. Research and
Resources in Support of This We Believe (NMSA,
2003) One of the most consistent findings in
educational research is that high-achieving
schools have strong, competent leaders. Turning
Points 2000
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How leadership influences student learning
(Wallace Foundation 2005)

• Leadership is second only to classroom
  instruction among all school-related factors that
  contribute to what students learn at school.
• 2. Leadership effects are usually largest where
  and when they are needed most

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How leadership influences student learning
(Wallace Foundation 2005)

• Three sets of practices make up the basic core of
  successful leadership practices
• setting directions
• developing people
• redesigning the organization

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Courage

• derived from the French word
• coeur
• meaning heart

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Billy Elliot
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Group Task

• As a group discuss
• What are examples of courage displayed in the
  video clip?
• What is your definition of courage?
• How does your definition of courage apply to your
  position as a leader?
• What are some personal examples of courageous
  leadership?

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It begins with a vision

• Leadership is the capacity to translate vision
  into reality
• Warren G. Bennis

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• The pig who knew what he wanted to do!

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Vision begins in the mind and heart of the school
leader

• be developed, nurtured, and shared with others
  before it can become a full-fledged reality
• Be based on a set of sound educational beliefs
  that speak to the dignity, equality, and
  uniqueness of the students served by the school.
  
• be able to clearly articulate these beliefs and
  demonstrate by both actions and words that he or
  she holds firm to them.
• requires courage to challenge practices that are
  detrimental to students or to deal with issues or
  situations that are out of alignment with the
  schools vision.

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• If you dont know where you are going, you will
  end up somewhere else.
• Yogi Berra

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Group Task Vision

• What are three words that capture the essence of
  your vision for your school?
• What evidence of your vision would a visitor see
  at your school?
• What area of your vision needs to be given
  additional attention?

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A culture of collaboration and shared
decision-making
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• If you attempt to implement reforms but fail to
  engage the culture of a school, nothing will
  change.
• Sylvester Sarason

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Healthy School Climates

• Honest, open communication
• High expectations
• Trust and confidence
• Recognition and appreciation
• Teacher involvement in decision making
• Collegiality
• Caring and humor
• Traditions that strengthen school culture

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Toxic School Cultures

• Blame students/parents for lack of progress
• Lack a clear sense of purpose
• Have few traditions to celebrate what is good
• Avoid seeking new ideas because they believe they
  are doing the best they can
• Rarely have collegial gatherings to share
  materials, ideas, or solutions to school problems
• Share stories that are discouraging and
  demoralizing

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To sustain change, the principal must nurture a
culture that

• Promotes teamwork
• Encourages debate on effective practices
• Values input from all members of the school
  community
• Cultivates leadership skills in others
• Empowers others to make decisions and enact
  changes

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Todays principal must

• Ask questions rather than provide all answers
• Facilitate the process of school improvement
  rather than prescribe how it should be done
• Suggest alternatives to former policies and
  practices rather than mandate the ones that will
  be used

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Todays teacher must

• Participate in discussions regarding their
  professional practices
• Be involved members of the school, seeking ways
  to make curriculum integrative, relevant, and
  challenging for ALL students
• Collectively share expertise to help the school
  solve problems, make decisions, and set policy

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A passion for young adolescents

• Is it best for the students?

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Creating Great Schools
by Phil Schlechty

• Every Teacher a Leader
• Every Leader a Teacher
• Every Child a Success

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Advocacy is no longer an option

• advocacy - local level
• Superintendent, board members, key community
  members, parents
• Advocacy - state level
• Policy makers, state legislators, Department of
  Education
• ADVOCACY - national level
• Federal officials, congressmen, senators

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A role model for risk-taking and reflective
learning

• Example is not the main thing in influencing
  others. It is the only thing.
• Albert Schweitzer

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Take a Risk!

• On a blank sheet of paper, draw a pig!

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Do our students and staff see us

• Trying new things?
• Admitting we dont have the solution for every
  problem?
• Making mistakes and learning from them?
• Sending the message its okay not to know
  something, but its NOT okay to refuse to seek
  out the answer?

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Risk Taking

• Its the very action of taking a risk, rather
  than the result, that creates the opportunity for
  personal growth
• The very definition of taking a risk implies a
  chance of loss or harm, be prepared to model how
  best to handle the consequences of an
  unsuccessful endeavor.

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Reflective learners are risk takers

• Try new things to learn new things
• Re-examine and challenge their professional
  practices
• Take charge of their own learning
• Build a culture of learning - for both students
  and staff

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Risk Taking and Reflection Key elements in
school improvement

• School improvement is about people improvement
• Challenging, changing, refining, strengthening
  the pedagogy, beliefs, and values of those who
  work together in the school.
• Professional development is infused into the
  school routine
• Sharing/discussion of professional articles,
  existence of study groups, exchange of new ideas,
  action research, formal/informal discussions
  regarding best practices, commitment to student
  success

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An acceptance of responsibility for student
achievement
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We need leaders committed to

• Hiring teachers that are highly qualified AND
  highly effective
• Those who understand developmental needs,
  competent in content, skilled in delivering
  instruction, knowledgeable of appropriate
  assessment practices
• Ensuring new teachers are effectively inducted
  into school culture through mentoring and
  professional development
• Helping teachers develop the skills, knowledge,
  and resources necessary to make effective
  learning-based decisions.

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Encourage effective teaching by

• Providing feedback that promotes effective
  instruction
• Analyzing and using data to drive school
  achievement
• Keeping the school focused on maintaining high
  expectations for every student

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School Leadership that WorksMarzano, Waters,
McNulty (ASCD)

• Research Project
• 21 Leadership responsibilities and their
  correlation to student achievement

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• Affirmation - recognize and celebrate school
  accomplishments
• Change Agent - actively challenge the status quo
• Contingent Rewards - recognize and reward
  individual accomplishments
• Communication - establish strong lines with and
  between teachers and students

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• Culture - foster shared beliefs and a sense of
  community/cooperation
• Discipline - protect teachers from issues and
  influences that detract from teaching time or
  focus
• Flexibility - adapt behavior to the needs of the
  current situation, comfortable with dissent
• Focus - establish clear goals and keeps them in
  the forefront of schools attention

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• Ideals/Beliefs - well-articulated and shared
• Input - involve teachers in design and
  implementation of decisions and policies
• Intellectual Stimulation - ensure staff is aware
  of most current theories and practices, regularly
  discussed
• Involvement in Curriculum Instruction, and
  Assessment - directly involved in
  design/implementation of curriculum, instruction,
  and assessment activities at the classroom level

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• Knowledge of C, I, and A - knowledgeable of
  current/best practices in these areas
• Monitoring/Evaluating - monitor the effectiveness
  of school practices and their impact on student
  achievement
• Optimizer - inspire and lead new and challenging
  innovations
• Order - establish a set of standard operating
  principles and routines

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• Outreach - advocate for and speak about the
  school to all stakeholders
• Relationships - demonstrate an awareness of the
  personal lives of teachers and staff
• Resources - provide teachers with necessary
  materials and professional development
• Situational Awareness - aware of the details and
  undercurrents in the school and use the
  information to address current and potential
  problems
• Visibility - quality contact and interactions
  with teachers, students, parents

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Group Task

• Read through the list of 21 leadership
  responsibilities and choose your top five in rank
  order in terms of their impact on student
  achievement.

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Research Results

• 12. Focus
• 13. Contingent Rewards
• 14. Intellectual Stimulation
• 15. Communication
• 16. Ideals/Beliefs
• 17. Involvement in C, I and A
• 18. Visibility
• 19. Optimizer
• 20. Affirmation
• 21. Relationships

• Situational Awareness
• Flexibility
• Discipline
• Outreach
• Monitoring/Evaluating
• Culture
• Order
• Resources
• Knowledge of C, I, and A
• Input
• Change Agent

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A Parable to Remember
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Resources

• This We Believe in Action, NMSA 2005
• Editor, Tom Erb
• School Leadership that Works, ASCD 2005
• Robert Marzano, Timothy Waters, Brian McNulty
• The Leadership Brain, Corwin Press 2003
• David Sousa