Introduction

Welcome to my blog on Tips on Becoming a Savvy School Leader. Please use the comment section to post a question or comment and I will be glad to respond. This blog is meant to be a two-way conversation.

This blog is being presented as a way for me to pay back the educational community for a wonderful and fulfilling career. The past fifty years, having recently retired at the age of 73, has been an experience that I could not have imagined and rewarding beyond anything I had ever expected.

The reader will be introduced to the concept of the “savvy” school leader. Much of the
blog posts will be based on the characteristics and practices of the school leaders I have had the
opportunity to know, work with, and learn from, that I would classify as savvy.

Through years of experience working in the field of education, at the classroom, school, school district and university levels, I have had the opportunity to know individuals who did or may not have had titles or even administrative positions. However, each exhibited certain traits and characteristics and employed practices that were effective in leading others to reach higher levels of performance. It is one thing to be competent at your job, but it is the savvy school leader who also promotes others to be competent at theirs. These savvy leaders seemed to always be in control without controlling, had earned the respect of those around them, and modeled the behaviors they expected from others. These individuals lead not by charisma and charm, even though most displayed it, but by a perception that they could make a difference in the lives of the children and adults they served.

The work spaces of the savvy school leader are the classrooms, labs and studios of the school and that’s where they can be found during the school day. They consider people more important than papers and firmly believe that everyone, both young and adult, can learn and grow if provided with high expectations, opportunities and experiences.

Through these blog posts, I will be providing the results of a review of the literature and research as well as my own experience having had the opportunity to work with and learn from an outstanding group of school and school district leaders to answer the following questions:

What are the characteristics of a savvy school leader that promotes his or her effectiveness?

What practices do savvy school leaders employee as their leadership style?

Why are the characteristics and practices of a savvy school leader significant to the leadership of a complex educational organization?

In what ways do the personal characteristics and the professional practices of a savvy
school leader differ from the school administrator you may have known and worked with?

Our conversation through these blog posts will provide you with insight and practical examples of what kind of attitude, personality, motivations and skill sets are common among the individuals that I have had the privilege to know and work with and who I truly consider savvy school leaders. It is my belief, based on my personal experience, that investing in our school leaders will result in both teacher growth and student achievement.

We will talk about eleven characteristics and twenty-seven practices that I suggest are needed to address the issues a school leader faces in our socially diverse and high accountability-based environment. The characteristics and practices presented are not proposed to be conclusive but are those I have found common among the savvy school leaders I have known and worked with.

I hope that you find the tips and suggestions offered through these blog posts useful and provide you with helpful strategies for addressing issues and making decisions in your school.

Thank you for participating in my blog, I look forward to reading and responding to your questions and responses.
Walt