The Pillars Of School Leadership

The responsibility of preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s future involves more than orchestrating the curriculum students learn and the teachers who teach it. It involves the ability to employ the leadership styles fluently based on the everyday demands of running a school (Goleman, 2000). Informed by both research and real-world application, the Wallace Foundation identified five key functions of a successful leader: “shaping a vision of academic success for all students, creating a climate hospitable to education, cultivating leadership in others, improving instruction, [and] managing people, data, and processes to foster school improvement” (Harvey, 2013, pg. 4). To be an effective 21st century educational leader, one must cultivate a sustainable vision and school culture which are globally-minded, yet locally applicable to the community they serve.

Who school leaders are – what they do, attend to, or seem to appreciate is constantly watched by students, teachers, parents, and members of the community. Their interests and actions send powerful messages. They signal the values they hold. Above all else, leaders are cultural “teachers” in the best sense of the word. (Deal & Peterson, 1990, p. 201)

In the schools and also the community we need more leaders. Being a freshman of Lower Richland High school, I want to see students demonstrating more leadership. Often, I see student afraid to say no to peer pressure from other students. I want to see students leading by example. We need more leaders in this community, and less followers. In this essay I will discuss characteristic that describe a good leader, and what I want to see change in my community. .

Servant leadership is key- Educational leaders must have the interests of the children as their main concern. Hall’s use of fear to achieve results created a bigger problem within the school district rather than solving it. Listening to teachers’ difficulties and working directly with those inside individual schools will help leaders identify and solve problems, as Errol and Castarphen have done and will continue doing.

Currently, I am not an employee of any learning organization, school district or educational system. However, I am involved and Chair the School Advisory Council (SAC) of Greenland Pines Elementary. This opportunity granted me a unique opportunity to observe the management of two different principals with their individual leadership styles. Furthermore, I contrasted my business practices from my own company and military service to coincide with this case study. The purpose of this paper is a comprehensive written outlining the processes presented by the educational leadership at Greenland Pines Elementary. With this in mind, we need to understand the concept of educational leadership.

Additional challenges with successfully examining multiple assessments include the lack of skills, know-how, and professional development for understanding the implications of data results and the lack of guidance in developing timely and appropriate responses for modifications in pedagogy (Wayman, 2005; Marsh et al., 2006). Some researchers argue these are a direct consequence of data as a less than significant part of school cultures (Ingram, Louis, & Schroeder, 2004; Lachat & Smith, 2005). Assessments are beneficial to provide a current review of

Above all else, I view leadership within the school system as essential for its success. My cumulative experiences provide a strong background that will allow me to excel as a school leader. I possess an understanding of the challenges and intricacies of a wide variety of school systems, ranging from small rural programs to inner-city and sub-urban high schools to research universities. My experience teaching at the college level gives me a unique perspective that will allow me to guide a program aimed at cultivating high school students capable of excelling in their educational endeavors. In addition, I believe that to be a truly successful leader, one must have a clear understanding of the challenges faced by educators. My years as a high school teacher have provided me a keen perspective in this regard. University of Northern Colorado’s Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program will be an invaluable avenue for me to learn from experienced educators as I hone my leadership abilities with the goal of using my life to lead improvements in the public education system. I look forward to the opportunity to develop as an educator,

Leadership is a privilege that carries with it many responsibilities to inspire others, and to direct individuals to attain the vision and goals of an organization. As an effective leader it is my job to be flexible, be an excellent communicator, be a person who leads by example, and is an individual who is committed, resourceful, and reflective. Achieving the characteristics above, I have developed a definite purpose in mind; one that is shared and modeled in and outside of my school environment. With such growth mindset, I teach, present workshops and empowers others to make decisions that will develop future leaders. To lead by example, I became a mentor for first-year teachers. Furthermore, I orchestrate educational committees, encouraging

Using the 21 leadership responsibilities, which are based in research as being correlated with student achievement as the basis for a strong and balanced leadership framework. What has become clear to me is that just as we ask teachers to be intentional and show the purpose of their lessons, we too as leaders need to be very clear about creating a purposeful learning community. In their interviews with principals, it was said that none were outstanding leaders when they started. It was the only attained by working hard overtime. Patters started to emerge across these highly successful leaders and through qualitative analysis six common traits were identified: deep conviction & moral purpose, a selfless, iron will to improve performance, a deep reservoir of optimism, emotional intelligence & relationship building, a commitment to self-improvement and less mystery, more

In some situations, leaders are viewed as someone who simply gives orders and others do the majority of the work. This perspective is far from the reality of becoming an effective principal. I feel it is vital to delegate tasks to others; successful principals must take control of the important situations and lead by example in their buildings. This course has shown me how essential communication, planning, and becoming a focused leader truly is to the success of a school. I have a great deal to learn and skills to develop to become an effective leader. This course has helped put leadership into perspective and the qualities required to develop into the best possible educational leader. Throughout my final courses I will continue to develop skills and create an even higher level of leadership

Numerous people in today’s society believe that a principal’s only occupation is to “be in charge" of the school where he/she is employed. In reality, the principal of a school is considered to be the “leader of the pack”. “Leadership, as moral action, is a struggle to do the right thing according to a sense of values and what it means to be a human being” (Sergiovanni, T.J. 2005). The leadership that a principal provides should demonstrate that he/she cares about the staff/students, that he/she learns daily from their accomplishments/failures, that he/she is willing to take risks that could lead to school improvement, and that he/she is a trustworthy person. Based on past experiences, the previous discussion, and the review of literature,

Leadership is often times confused with management, but they are in fact two separate and equally important aspects of successful organizations (Kotter, 2001). Leadership applies “power to influence the thoughts and actions of other people” (Zaleznik, 1992, p.2), while management is more concerned with handling problems as they arise (Kotter, 2001). Kotter (2001) and Zaleznik (1992) both discuss how leaders may be developed in different settings. The school district I work in practices growing leaders. Employees are identified for their leadership qualities and then the school district assists them with acquiring their administration degrees. Finally, they are transitioned from the classroom to administrative positions within the district

It is vital to the success of our schools, including student learning, that school leaders have the skills, abilities and knowledge to lead effectively throughout the school environment. There is a limited amount of research available to assist school districts with the selection of appropriate professional development activities for administrators (Grissom & Harrington, 2010). The Wallace Foundation has researched the area of school leadership since 2000 and has published more than 70 reports on the subject (2013, p.5). Through their research work the Wallace Foundation is clear on the depths of the school leadership role and its complexities. The work through the Wallace Foundation states leadership is only second to classroom instruction among factors which impact student learning (Wallace Foundation, 2013, p. 5). Harvey and Holland (2012) in another Wallace Foundation research paper found improving school leadership ranks high on the list of priorities for school reform.

Leadership can be difficult to define because it has different meanings dependent on the audience. As an administrator, it is important to assist teachers in educating students’ growth of knowledge and help them understand that learning is a continuous process. Learning is not something that happens overnight, but something that happens as a result of continuous practice and the development of skills in a classroom. In my experience, teachers act as guides to field questions, provide logical directions to assignments, and help students have confidence. These are three important factors that have influenced my decision to become an administrator. This positive leadership philosophy of education believes that the purpose of schooling is to provide an opportunity for all students to acquire a quality education in a safe, nurturing, and positive environment. Education is the sole means for breaking down barriers. Finding the appropriate leadership style

"An expanding base of knowledge from research and practice shows that educational leaders exert influence on student achievement by creating conditions conducive to each student's learning. They relentlessly develop and support teachers, effectively allocate resources, construct organizational policies and systems, and engage in other deep and meaningful work outside of the classroom that has a