Preparing the Soil:Strategic Leadership In ActionA Session for School-Based Administrators

Collaborative Conference on Student AchievementMarch 21, 2012

“People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die.”

~Plato

Strategic Leadership:Prepare the Soil

www.greatprincipals.wikispaces.com

Access to materials:

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You desire continuous improvement for yourself and the school you lead.

You are open to trying at least one new idea gained at today’s session.

You realize that you must be strategic in order to be successful.

A few assumptions:

"He who fails to plan is planning to fail.”

-Winston Churchill

Sharing:Plans and Strategies

That Worked

School Vision, Mission and Strategic Goals

Leading Change

School Improvement Plan

Distributive Leadership

Elements of Strategic Leadership

Today, we will focus on behaviors of a distinguished principal in each of these areas.

Look at the wording just under the “strategic leadership” standard:

“Re-image”

“Re-purpose”“21st century”

“Climate of Inquiry”“Builds on core values”“Develop a pathway”

Re-image

School improvement is a process,

not a product.

Re-Image:

School Improvement Retreat @ NCCAT

Vision, Mission and Goals

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Is the vision shared?

As a school, who are we?

Identity and Core Values…

Re-Purpose

Re-Purpose

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Importance of Communication

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Leading Change

Including a “School Improvement Moment” on the agenda at every staff meeting

Including a School Improvement update/reminder on my weekly update to staff

Weaving our SIP goals into post-observation conferences…with data

Asking LOTS of questions to inform the process and the product.

What Has Worked For Me…

Distributive Leadership

Think of a teacher leader in your building.

Think of some adjectives to describe the teacher – leader’s attributes in terms of:

Interpersonal Skills Professional Expertise Focus on Students Leadership

Think of an example…

What the Experts Say…

Shared LeadershipKeith Eades

Shared Leadership

• Balance of power• Shared information• Shared responsibility and accountability• Shared purpose• Respect• Embrace differences• Value partnerships

Shared Leadership• What does it look like

– Give power.– Define the limits– Cultivate a climate– Give qualified people discretion and autonomy– Don’t second guess

Leadership• Is Proactive• Is transparent• Transforms schools• Creates an environment where students learn and teachers grow

• Needs to be embedded in all job roles• Is a social act• Creates processes and systems• Aligns horizontally and vertically• Sets the vision, aligns and motivates the people to implement positive sustained improvement

“A highly effective school leader can have a dramatic influence on the overall academic achievement of

students.”

BreakThrough Fullan, Hill 2005

Real 21st Century transformation cannot occur unless administrators free people to

• Lead with questions, not answers. • Engage in dialogue and debate, not

coercion. • Conduct autopsies, without blame. • Speak up when they identify a problem.

Daniel Pink - DRIVE

The most effective change in school culture happens when principals, teachers, and students model the values and beliefs

important to the institution. The actions of the principal are noticed and

interpreted by others as "what is important."

Effective leadership means more than simply knowing what to do–it’s knowing when, how, and why to do it. Effective leaders

understand how to balance pushing for change while at the same time, protecting aspects of culture, values, and norms

worth preserving. They know which policies, practices, resources, and incentives to align and how to align them with

organizational priorities. They know how to gauge the magnitude of change they are calling for and how to tailor

their leadership strategies accordingly. Finally, they understand and value the people in the organization. They know when, how, and why to create learning environments that support people, connect them with one another, and provide the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to succeed. This combination of knowledge and skills is the

essence of balanced leadership

Good To Read• Drive and A Whole New Mind – Daniel Pink• BreakThrough – Fullan, Hill 2005• School Leadership that Works – Marzano• Leading Change in Your School – Douglas

Reeves• Leading Change and Our Iceberg is Melting –

John Kotter• Who Moved the Cheese? – Spencer Johnson• Leading in a Culture of Change – Michael Fullan

Thank you!

A Successful Model

Anna Brady

Some sage advice…

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Commit…and re-commitI chose this profession.

I am here for the students I serve.

I make a difference.

Introductions, please!

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One idea I will try…

at my school.