Strong School Culture

As with the importance of selecting a highly qualified principal to help raise test scores and closing achievement gaps, the selection and support of staff is also critical. Gregory F. Branch, Eric A. Hanushek, and Steven G. Rivkin’s 2013 study “School Leaders Matter” examined the effectiveness of many principles’ leadership and the effect they had on student achievement ratings. “A primary channel through which principals can be expected to improve the quality of education is by raising the quality of teachers, either by improving the instruction provided by existing teachers or through teacher transitions that improve the caliber of the school’s workforce” (Branch, pg.4). A principal must be able to continually seek out professional development, to research best practices and new educational theories to support their staff and students. If principals are to close the achievement gap, they must be willing to inform and instruct their staff on new teaching strategies. Mr. Canada, from his TED talk, “Our failing schools. Enough is enough!”, states: “You go into a place that has failed kids for fifty years and say: ‘so what’s the plan?’ And they say: ‘Well, we are going to do what we did last year, this year’. What kind of business model is that?” (TED, 2013). The principal willing to venture into new, uncharted waters may succeed or fail, but at least they

The ever-changing landscape of education and school accountability has given rise to a renewed focus on shared leadership. In the past, the principal was viewed as the primary decision maker within a school. However, Glickman (1989) points out that it is impossible for school principals to effectively complete all the necessary instructional and managerial tasks within schools. He contends that some teachers have more leadership abilities than the actual administrators and that “in successful schools, principals aren’t threatened by the wisdom of others, instead, they cherish it by distributing leadership” (Glickman, 1989, p. 8).

In this chapter, Fullan begins by maintaining that principals who are effective lead learners are necessarily also good managers, because they understand that having clear routines is essential for school improvement.” (57) He quotes from Viviane Robinson’s Student-Centered Leadership to both underscore the previous point and emphasize that successful principals take an active learning stance: “The principal who makes the biggest impact on learning is the one who attends to other matters as well, but, most important, ‘participates as a learner’ with teachers in helping move the school forward.” (58) Fullan also borrows from Helen Timperley’s work in responding to the question, Who is in a principal’s class? The principal’s class consists of “team leaders who in turn can leverage the learning of other teachers in their group”

The importance of effective leadership and its impact on improving student achievement are evident in today’s schools (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, and Wahlstrom, 2004). While the school principal is traditionally thought to be the school leader, Glickman (1989) proposes that “the principal of successful schools is not the instructional leader but the educational leader who mobilizes the expertise, talent, and care of others” (p. 8). Lumpkin, Claxton, and Wilson (2014) contend that helping “each school fulfill its mission and energize and expand the professionalism and professional contributions of teachers, the expertise of all teachers, especially teacher leaders, is needed” (p. 59). Teachers directly impact student learning, and

We have to provide multiple opportunities for students to grow and learn. We need to be a culturally diverse school district that accepts everyone and encourages a pluralistic culture. We need to work together with our

Professional Development measures the degree to which teachers value continuous personal development and school-wide improvement.

As you begin a concerted effort to change the culture of your district and tackle the achievement gap

The culture of the Perdue schools affects the communication and coordination of services in a major way. Part of our mission statement is to learn through experience. Professors don't just create course work, they create experiences for their student to learn from. Business plan projects, mock financial analysis, group projects are all examples of real world experiences that you get in the classroom. We encourage high ethical standards. Professors don't tolerate cheating or breaking the rules. Most students that do get caught cheating are kicked out of the school. Each and every professor I've had in the Perdue school follows the mission statement and all of the rules for the school. This creates a good learning environment and helps shape

As a leader I envision my school as one where students and teachers come to a place they enjoy entering each day. All share the focus of the school, the belief that all students can become high achievers. Staff is centered on student achievement; no matter what academic level that all students face coming into the classroom. All staff will understand that all children are teachable, even those with learning issues.

The district beefed up the professional development for new teachers, especially those in the ARL program. Doing so has helped expand teachers capabilities which in turn increases their capacity in the school. In order for a school to be successful in reaching their mission,

In the documentary The Principal Story Ms. Purcell discussed how all decisions made at the school were data driven; monthly assessments were given and the resulting data would determine what areas were in need of improvement. These areas needing improvement would then be discussed amongst the staff members in order to determine how they were going to go about improving the areas of weakness. Ms. Purcell contributed to the success of the campus by providing time for teachers to collaborate and take on leadership roles. In the documentary we see Ms. Purcell allowing teachers the opportunity to grow in their leadership skills by having them lead in curriculum discussions and campus based committees; participating in what Fullan (2007) would

The findings of this study provided information to stakeholders in educational settings such as administrators, boards of education, and teachers with knowledge on the dimensions of teachers’ perceptions of their principal’s leadership styles to strengthen weak aspects of educational leadership. It uncovered information linked to reducing high teacher turnover leading to increased job satisfaction and raising student performance levels.

According to the authors of this article (Donaldson, Marnik, Mackenzie, & Ackerman, 2009), principals need to concentrate on the development of skills and behaviors in order to be successful in motivating, leading, and changing the direction of a school. The successful principal understands that there exists a fine balance of caring for others and the need to accomplish specific tasks (Donaldson, Marnik, Mackenzie, & Ackerman, 2009).

As the leader of a 21st century school one must embody the qualities that best reflect the ever-changing face of education. Traditionally, the leader of a school focused a large portion of time and energy on typical managerial functions within the school. These tasks, although important, will not propel a school to achieve excellence. Today’s school leaders must be visionaries who create a sense of purpose driven unity. As a transformational leader, one must also be the beacon of learning in establishing and effectively cultivating professional learning communities. One must recognize and further develop the leadership skills of those within the school in order to ensure the vision and mission of the school is achieved. Keeping in

A school’s culture is displayed and conveyed through its symbols. Symbols can take many forms in schools including myth, vision, and values, which give the school purpose and resolve. Rituals and ceremonies offer bearing while metaphor, humor, and play keep the environment lighthearted. Heroes and heroines, through words and deeds, serve as living logos. Each of these symbols play a role in the function and well-being of a school system (Bolman and Deal, 2013).