“Interest groups are organizations or groups that seek to influence the development of and application of policy.” Harmon (2001)

Introduction

Welcome to the next blog in the series of the practices of a savvy school leader.

Let’s have a conversation on how a school leader manages interest groups.

If you are a high school principal, who has got themselves between the band boosters and the athletic coachers over the use of an athletic field, or an elementary school principal, who just told the president of the PTA they could not use the school for an activity due to insurance reasons, you understand the pressure brought by interest groups.   

Ubben, Hughes and Norris (2007), suggest that from time to time all school administrators will be confronted by requests from groups of people who represent a particular point of view about a school-related issue. Hoy and Miskel (2008). further say most of these outside-influence groups are trying to bring their own interests and external power to bear on the activities of the school.

Questions to Focus the Conversation

As you read through the text and reflect on the conversation, please keep the following questions in mind to maintain a focus how the school leader manages interest groups. 

•  What is considered an interest group?

•  What are the kinds of interest groups may exist in a community?

•   How can an interest group impact the teaching learning process?

•   What are the strategies a school leader can use to limit or mitigate the impact of an interest group and promote their support and involvement?

  All schools are impacted by interest groups, from parents, boy and girl scouts and booster groups for sports and club activities to little league and pop warner football, to name just a few. However, religious groups, public and private agencies and college and military recruiters may fall into this category. There are also, inside interest groups, such as teacher unions and student organizations.  Any group or organization, in or outside the school, with a specific instructional or non-instructional mission or goal that involves the participation of school age children can be considered an interest group.

  An activity included in my course on the organization and administration of schools, I had asked students to provide examples of how they would deal with interest groups at their school. The following table represents examples provided by the graduate students in this class, made up of teachers and administrators.

                                                      Managing Interest Groups

The impact of interest groups on school policy and decision making is directly related to the influence the organization or its members have in the community.  The most involved parents and citizens representing interest groups are usually also official or unofficial leaders in the school community. There are the people present in every community and can make things happen. They are usually the pillars of the community, very much connected to the local politics or business community.

Even though interest groups may be a potential distraction to classroom instruction or want to impact planning and decision making on behalf of their organization, they, for the most part, have well-meaning intentions and should not be dismissed.

I knew a first-year high school principal that had decided he did not have to listen or pay attention to requests from officers of the band booster organization. He didn’t make time to meet with them, or even return a call. He refused to listen to the band director, when warned that his attitude toward this group would not go well for him. The booster group wanted to reserve the stadium for a field band show as a fund raiser for musical instruments. The principal believed that he had the final say on the use of facilities on the high school campus and no one was going to influence his decisions.

Well, it isn’t difficult to realize how this situation ended. The next school board meeting the room was filled beyond capacity with band parents and students. The president of band boosters presented the board with a petition signed by over one thousand district residents asking for the board to approve their request to use the stadium.

The high school principal was told to report to the superintendent’s office at 7:00 a.m. the next morning. He was forced to immediately contact the band booster president to, first apology and then inform her that their application for the use of the stadium had been approved. As the superintendent glared at him, the principal asked the president if he could introduce the field band competition, which the president gladly accepted. The superintendent smiled and said, “Now you have the picture.”

  If this principal had been savvy enough to understood how to manage interest groups, the situation differently would have resulted in him being the hero instead of the villain.

Anther experience with a principal who weathered the storm and managed an interest group in an effort to protect student teacher engagement.  It had been a long-time tradition at this elementary school (grades 1-2), to have all the kids dress up in Halloween costumes and have a parade at 1:00 p. m. in the afternoon. When a new elementary principal was appointed, she viewed the dressing up as a major disruption of the school day, with parents arriving all morning to get their children ready for the parade. In addition, the costumes had become very competitive. She also, became aware that there were a number of students that could not participate due to their inability to pay for a costume. These children’s parents were also working at 1:00 p. m. and could not even attend the parade.

  After the initial uproar, including the showing up of the local TV station to do an interview with a parent that said, “I believe our new principal hates Halloween.”

        The savvy principal met with the PTA and offered a proposal for a fall festival in the evening. The festival would be planned and put on by the PTA. The PTA said they would try this activity for just this year. This festival has now become an annual event, to include games such as bobbing for apples and a hay bale maze. Parents and the community have really embraced this an alternative to dressing in expensive ghost and goblin costumes.      

  Due to the students being a captive audience at the school, interest groups see this and an opportunity to sign up students for community activities and pass out literature they believe is important for them to see.  Little League, Pop Warner, Boy and Girls Scouts, religious groups, etc. are continually asking school principals to have access to students during the school day. School leaders need to recognize the value these organizations have and at the same time protect instructional time.

When I served as a principal, I always welcomed these organizations to set up a station before and after school or during breakfast and lunch. One of my favorites, is the Santa’s Workshop, a PTA fund raiser. The idea is to release students from the classrooms to visit the display of low-cost Christmas gifts for their parents and siblings. After a meeting with the PTA, of which I became a participating member, we came up with a plan for students to visit the shop during non-instructional times.

     However, I did push my positive relationship with the athletic boosters by refusing a request to release high students from school for travel time to an out of state soccer competition. The high school principal had taken the right action, by refusing the request, which the president of the boosters moved to me as Superintendent. The school board supported my decision after hearing twenty-five speakers at a board meeting demanding the students be excused from a day of school for such an”.  I agree that it would have been an “outstanding opportunity”, but not at the expense of a loss of a school day.

  To avoid conflict between interest groups, it is important to have a school events scheduler. The interest groups need to be provided with a specific person to contact for scheduling events. Even though there are electronic scheduling programs available.  I think is best to still have a contact person.  This reminds me of the conflict I found myself in the middle of when the Pop Warner football and the town Lacrosse scheduled an event at the stadium on the same Saturday morning.

When I arrived, it was impossible to find a parking spot. Parents from both clubs had arrived in record numbers. The officers and presidents of both groups were about to face off in the middle of the on the athletic field. We ended up agreeing on a long-standing decision making, tool, flipping a coin.

This situation turned to be a financial benefit for both booster groups, as the concession stand earned a record amount of sales, when both groups stayed for the activities.

“Interest groups may or may not coincide with the best interest of the organization.” Hall (1991)

In addition to interest groups that want access to students, such as the example with the PTA Santa’s Secret Shop, have their own ideas on how to enhance the educational opportunities, like the request for an early release for student to attend an out of state soccer game.

The president of the boys’ soccer booster club requested that the team members be excused from two days of school to travel to and from an out of state invitational soccer game. The high school principal and I as superintendent rejected the request, in order to protect instructional time. As were the practice among interest groups, a large number of parents, soccer players and fans attended the next school board meeting demanding that our decision be reversed.

      As Hall further suggests, often a group will form because of a specific decision made by the school leadership which is perceived to have an impact on the certain group’s life space or belief system.

      Another school districts where I had served as Superintendent had to raise taxes one year to avoid a deficit. The school district had been experiencing a severe drop in enrollment, which is caused the school board to authorize a tax increase and eliminate several programs. This caused the forming of taxpayer’s association comprised of parents arguing for the return of these programs and taxpayers demanding that the tax increase be canceled.

It is important to create and maintain a collaborative relationship with interest groups, starting with their representatives being directly involved in the creation of the school mission.

The key to all of this is to encourage the activities and the support offered by interest groups and, at the same time, to continually model the school mission. If the representatives of the constituencies in the school and community were directly involved in the development of the school’s mission, even the most zealot of the interest groups, if shown the appreciation and respect they deserve, will eventually understand a decision, policy or practice that aligns with the mission.

Then when an issue or idea arises from an interest group that it is not aligned with the school mission, it will be easier to work with them on a compromise or solution.

Participating as a member of an interest group is another way to maintain a positive relationship even during times of disagreement. I had asked the school board to pay for the membership of our district principals in the Chamber of Commerce and civic organizations. Personally, I joined the Chamber, other community organizations, including a member of all the senior citizen groups in the school district. Our school and offices were continually used by community agencies and groups for their meetings and planning sessions. Public librarians were always invited to join our school librarians for any professional development opportunities.   

The school leader may want to involve key representatives of the interest groups to be involved in the decision-making process. This way the intent and purpose of the decision, policy or practice can be clearly communicated, and the individuals most affected by the action are involved in the development of the decision. I have found out that much conflict and disruption can be avoided through co-opting and modification before the policy is implemented, instead of mitigating the impact of the decision, policy or practice after the fact.

           Let’s end this chapter with a question for personal reflection, What was it like say no to an interest group? 

           It is my hope that following our conversation, you have reason to reflect on the school leader managing interest groups.

The Savvy School Leader Reflects on His or Her Practice

Questions to Ask Ourselves for Professional and Personal Reflection

1.  Have I ever experienced being a member of an interest group?
2. Do I see the influence, positive or negative, of interest groups for my school?
3. Have I come in contact with an interest group that requested something which could be a distraction or interruption to my schools’ mission?  
4. What did I do to limit the distraction or interruption from a member (s) of an interest group?
5. What are the interest groups have I encountered?
6. Am I familiar with a situation at my school that generated the creation of an interest group?

The Savvy School Leader Transforms Theory into Practice

Suggested Activities for Practical Application

1. Experience with an interest group. a. a. Identify an interest group where you had a negative experience and describe the conflict, distraction for interruption to the school’s program.

b. Describe how you would effectively deal with the interest group in a way to eliminate for reduce the conflict, without harming the relationship you have with the members of the interest group.

2. PTA Proposal for Parent Volunteer Program.

At a PTA meeting a discussion started on how overwhelmed the teachers were with an increase in testing and new mandates for additional instructional requirements. The parent members offered to organize a parent volunteer program to assist with non-instructional classroom routines. A month into the parent volunteer program, teachers gathered in the principal’s office complaining that the parents have started to get involved with direct instruction, with such behaviors as, showing students “easier” methods to arrive at the answers to math problems, giving academic advice to students and, in one case, even telling students to spend more time with their families and less time with homework.

a. If you were the principal of the school, describe and explain the steps you would take to address the concerns from the teachers and maintain a positive relationship with the PTA interest group.

b. Describe how would approach the parents. In what forum and indicate what you would say to address the concerns of the teachers.

c. Explain the steps you would take to build or re-build a positive relationship between parents and teachers.

3. Moving a negative interest group into a positive direction in a school where you serve as principal   

a. Reflect on an interest that started due to a negative issue or experience the group has had with the school. Example a parent group formed to fight against a change in the starting and ending time of the school day.

b. Explain the way you would approach and communicate with the group.

                       Let’s Apply What We Now Know How the Savvy School Leader Manages Interest Groups to a Real-Life Case Study

                                                        Case Study Analysis

 As the assistant superintendent for operations for a school district, you have received a phone call from the president of the PTA of one of the elementary schools.  She is very upset over a decision made by the school principal.

The PTA requested to use the classrooms in the school for a Halloween night trick-or-treat. Each classroom doorway was to be decorated into a scary cave with a PTA member dressed in a Halloween costume their handing out candy.  Special portable lights would be positioned in the hallways to present the condition of dark streets. The president said, this would be an alternative to young children trudging down dark sidewalks or leaf covered lawns to knock on doors.

      The principal had presented the proposal to the teachers at a faculty meeting, The teachers informed the principal they did not want their classroom used for a Halloween activity, The principal sided with the teachers and denied the request from the PTA. This led to the call to your from the PTA president.

Questions Based on the Case Study:

1. Should you side with the principal and teachers? If so, why?
2. Should you agree with the PTA an override the principal’s decision? If so, why?
3. Regardless of your decision. How will you communicate it to both parties?
4. Is there an alternative (s) to the use of the building for an inside Halloween activity? If so, please identify it and explain.
5. Identify the characteristics of a savvy school leader help you effectively deal with this situation.

                                               BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cordeiro, P. A. and Cunningham, W. G. (2006). Educational Leadership: A Problem-Based Approach. Pearson Publishing

Hall, R. H. (1991). Organizations: Structures, Processes and Outcomes. Prentice-Hall.

Harman, G. (2001). The Politics of Quality Assurance Program for Higher Education, 1993-1995. Australian Journal of Education, 45(2).

Hoy, W K. and Miskel, C. G. (2008). Educational Administration: Theory, Research and Practice. (8^th Ed.)  McGraw Hill.

Lindle, G. and Mawhiney, J. (2003), February). Introduction: School Leadership and the Politics of Education. Education Administration Quartely, 39(1), 3-9.

Ubbeen, G. C., Hughes, L. W. and Norris, C. J. (2007). The Principal: Creative Leadership for

Excellence in Schools. Pearson Publishing

                                   SUGGESTED READINGS

Harman, G. (2001). The Politics of Quality Assurance Program for Higher Education,

1993-1995. Australian Journal of Education, 45(2).

Lindle, G. and Mawhiney, J. (2003), February). Introduction: School Leadership and the Politics of Education. Education Administration Quarterly, 39(1), 3-9.

“Literacy is still the unrivalled, but grossly under-implemented, key to learning both content and thinking-skills.” Michael Smoker (2011)

       Welcome the seven blog post on the practices of a savvy school leader.

                 Let’s have a conversation on the school leader as a literacy leader. 

                 Schools need to continually promote literacy as the foundation of their existence. If the school leader is to be a role model, he or she needs to show the school community the importance of literacy by seeing that literacy is woven into the fabric of the school.  

          Taylor and Gunter (2006) use the terms fail safe literacy leadership. The authors suggest that leaders need to create faculty buy-in to this premise and can do so working with formal and informal groups in the school to infuse literacy through all grade levels and subject areas.

Questions to Focus the Conversation

                  As you read through the text and reflect on the conversation, please keep the following questions in mind to maintain a focus on the school leader’s role as a literacy leader. 

•   What does it mean to be a literacy leader?

• How does a school leader model literacy?

•  In what ways can a school leader promote literacy throughout the school community?

I have received a few complaints from my masters and doctoral students, about including punctuation, grammar and sentence structure in grading their reports. I hear such things as “Come on Dr. Doherty, after all, this is graduate work.” or “With technology, why is it so important to spell or use proper grammar?” or one of the best I have received, “Why we gotta spell and punchuate. After all we’re gonna be principals with computers and secretaries.”

       School leaders need to always remember, they are teachers first. So, promoting literacy in the school and community is, not only part of the job it is the job. The school leader needs to serve as a role model for literacy and shepard its principles first across all grade levels and subject areas and then into the community. I have experienced that a community where literacy is respected, the support of the school is always high.  An example of this is to look at a school located in a college town. The members of the community, even though they may not be part of the university tend to be more literacy oriented. There is usually the presence of art and literature in several forms, through galleries, libraries, community theater, etc. Even at the Saturday farmers market I have seen booths for artists, crafters and authors for book signing.

Literacy leadership begins and commitment to the premise that students can become joyful, independent readers, writers, and content learners.” Taylor and Gunter (2006)

     While serving as superintendent of schools, a small village in our district wanted to establish its own library. The residents of the village, for the most part, were low income with limited education. Seeing this as an opportunity to promote literacy in a community that needed it, I met with all the district school librarians and the members of the district technology department, to gain their assistance in supporting this local effort for promoting literacy. The next step was to reach out to the local service clubs, Rotary, Lions, Chamber of Commerce, Elks, etc. The principal of the local elementary school and I had been asked to be members of the library board. 

    Through the effort of many, especially the hard working and dedicated members of the library board and community volunteers, an abandon bank building in the village had been purchased, with books and furniture donated by other libraries and businesses. The school district technology department members worked after school hours to set up banks of computers and a WIFI network.

 Representatives from the other community libraries in the district provided training and included the new library into their inter-library loan system.

    Soon after the opening of the new village library, it became a focal point in the community for presentations and talks from authors, art exhibits from local artists, including many of our students. Classes were offered by local volunteers on teaching reading, and offering advice on nutrition and financial management. Local clubs started up and held their meetings there. from Senior Citizens groups to boy and girl scouts.

Savvy school leaders consider literacy something that can be woven into the texture of their schools curriculum. We certainly don’t need a separate course for literacy as we have for math, social studies and science.  The resources for promoting literacy among our school and community are already in place, from being included in current school curriculums, to the services offered by public library systems and museums, to the rich cultures of historical societies. Promoting literacy is an ideal venture for interagency and community service collaboration.

     An example of promoting a school-wide literacy infusion comes out of a high poverty, underachieving elementary school. Wagner and Kegan, et.all. (2006). Once the school leaders declared literacy to be their main focus, all their actions in the first five years of the work were directed toward reinforcing this commitment and the making it a reality, Results of the alignment include:

• All principal meeting and all professional development programs were required to serve the goal of developing and implementing a shared vision of powerful literacy instruction in all grade and in every subject.
• Every teacher learned to be a literacy teacher
• The principal learned how to help teachers become experts in the teaching of literacy.
• As steadily increase percentage of the district’s resources were allocated to this one priority – professional development around literacy instruction.

The authors report that, after five years of this sustained focus on improving literacy instruction, the test scores showed a significant increase. They then were able to transfer these improvement strategies to math.

Savvy school leaders consider literacy something that can be woven into the texture of their schools curriculum. We certainly don’t need a separate course for literacy as we have for math, social studies and science.  The resources for promoting literacy among our school and community are already in place, from being included in current school curriculums, to the services offered by public library systems and museums, to the rich cultures of historical societies. Promoting literacy is an ideal venture for interagency and community service collaboration.

    The principal is positioned in and ideal place to promote literacy. When I served as a principal, I attended a state-wide conference where I attended a presentation on the importance of literacy in our schools. From her first words to the end of the presentation, my appreciation for the importance of the principal being the literacy leader in the school and community grew. She was a practicing middle school principal who has been successful in raising the achievement of her students by promoting literacy in the school and community. The focus of the presentation was on the principal as a literacy leader. I can still remember some of her suggestions, such as: to first establish a culture of literacy in the school. This according to the speaker, can be done by screening  teacher applicants for literacy, examining there GRE scores and college GPA’s, looking for evidence of writing and verbal ability. She even had the finalists for teaching positions, provide a writing sample on the day of the second interview where the candidate taught a lesson in front of her and teachers from the interview committee. Part of the new teacher orientation included information and activities related to weaving in literacy in their instruction and classroom practice.

   With these new literacy minded faculty members assimilating into the faculty, along with ongoing professional development and targeted feedback from evaluations, the culture of the school began to change. The speaker did say it also takes bold steps too. She set non-negotiable expectations for teachers to focus of grammar, spelling and punctuation for all student work in every subject area. This, she cautioned, needs to be preempted by meetings with teachers and the PTA to get in front of the resistance.  Taylor and Gunter suggest promoting the infusion of literacy and reduce resistance, is a good idea to form a literacy leadership team and to include such individuals as physical education teachers coaches vocational teachers as well as, reading and language arts teachers and curriculum coordinators

      The newly hired teachers were instrumental in stressing the importance of spreading the principles of literacy across all grade levels and subject areas. The principal had asked the superintendent for additional monies to expand the art, music and library programs. She had gone out in the community and gained support from the service organizations, Rotary, Lions, Elks and Chamber of Commerce. The principal also for a collaborative relationship with the public library, historical society and community theater. All of this resulted in the addition of a performance arts program, a young writers club with the Rotary giving a scholarship for the winner, an annual musical, band and choral concert and art show. The musical was held at the local community theater, under the direction of the theater director.

     However, the speaker closed her presentation, by further cautioning that to establish a culture of literacy in your school will take time, patience, and perseverance. She then smiled widely, turned toward the screen and showed her audience how the state assessment scores have soared since the implementation of their literacy across the school program.

           Let’s end this chapter with a question for personal reflection, Do you consider your school principal to be a literacy leader?

           It is my hope that following our conversation, you have reason to reflect on the school leader as a literacy leader.

The Savvy School Leader Reflects on His or Her Practice

Questions to Ask Ourselves for Professional and Personal Reflection

1.    Would I consider my principal to be a literacy leader?

•     Is literacy considered a priority in my school?

•      Do the parents and residents of our school community have a respect and appreciation for literacy?

•    Is there an active movement in my school to promote literacy in the  community?

•   Does my principal have non-negotiable expectations for activities and experiences that promote literacy?
• If the principal is not considered a literacy leader, who in my school would have this official or unofficial title?

The Savvy School Leader Transforms Theory into Practice

Suggested Activities for Practical Application

A. As a new school leader, you want to promote a sensed of literacy in your    community.

b. Identify ten individuals and organizations you would contact to assist in creating a sense of literacy in your school community.c.

c. Explain how you would involve school staff and use school recourses.

2      Some school leaders have used nonnegotiable expectations to implement and sustain a literacy promotion plan

a.   List the nonnegotiable expectations you would want to see implemented

b. Describe the procedure you would employ to arrive at a set of nonnegotiable expectations

c. Describe the process you would use to evaluate the effectiveness of the nonnegotiable expectations in promoting literacy within your school.

  Let’s Apply What We Now Know the Savvy School Leader

Being a Literacy Leader to a Real-Life Case Study

                                                        Case Study Analysis

Following ten years serving as the principal of A. G. Fargo Elementary School, the local paper mill closed. Most of the men and women in the A. G. Fargo community were employed by the paper mill, which paid good wages and provided great benefits.  

Property values fell drastically, which led to low-income families moving into the community who accepted low paying jobs in the hotels and restaurants of a neighboring area, outside the school community. In the last year, many immigrant families with English as a second language have been moving in. Most from central and south America.

Group Discussion:

1.    Explain if you believe that as the local school principal, why you need to be concerned with this change in demographics within your school community.

2.    Provide examples of the steps you would take to improve the literacy level of the new population moving into the A. G. Fargo community.

3.    What will be the message you give to your faculty to staff?

4.     Describe the strategies you will use to reach out and gain the confidence and cooperation of the new community, where education and literacy may not be as respected as with the previous demographic.

5.    Identify the characteristics of the savvy school leaders you will use in your role the literacy leader for a community with such changing demographics.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Smoker, M. (2011). Focus Elevating the Essential to Radically Improve Student Learning. ASCD. Alexandria, VA.

Taylor, R.T. and Gunter, G. A. (2006). The K-12 Literacy Leadership Field book. Corwin Press.

Wagner, T. and Kegan, R. et.al. (2006). Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming Our Schools. John Wiley & Sons.

                     SUGGESTED READINGS

Taylor, R.T. and Gunter, G. A. (2006). The K-12 Literacy Leadership Field book. Corwin Press.

 Wagner, T. and Kegan, R. et.al. (2006). Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming Our Schools. John Wiley & Sons.

Introduction

       Welcome to post six on the practices of a savvy school leader.

       Let’s have a conversation on how a school leader acts as a gatekeeper.

    The school leader is structurally situated as to filter and to forward and forestall demands. Some people are identified as gate keepers who are designated to admit certain information that is relevant to the organization. Nagi (1974).  Their perceptions are influenced by their positions within the organizations. If we ask teachers to focus on instruction, it is important to protect the classroom from unnecessary distractions. Wagner and Kegan et.al (2006), leaders are expected to take care of whatever gets in the way of doing what teachers love most-working with kids.

    Leaders are frequently expected to buffer teachers from any real and perceived meddling from either parents or the community. In this role the school leader needs to recognize the potential influence and power of the interest groups that may or may not have the best interest of the students and schools in mind, but cause a distraction and interrupt the tone and climate of the school and classroom.  

Questions to Focus the Conversation

        As you read through the text and reflect on the conversation, please keep the following questions in mind to maintain a focus on the school leader’s role as a gatekeeper. 

• What does it mean to be a gatekeeper?

•  In what ways does a school leader exercise his or her gatekeeping practices?

• Why is it important for a school leader to be a gatekeeper?

          In this role as gatekeeper a school leader’s primary political function is to minimize the potential for conflict between the community and the school. This is also an important buffering strategy for coping with environmental uncertainly and dependence.

       One of the most important duties of the school leader is to provide a barrier or “non-fly zone in order for teachers and staff not to be distracted from their teaching and support responsibilities. Schools are prone to the pressure from interest groups, although mostly well-meaning, can draw attention from a school’s primary responsibility focus on student achievement. The school leader needs to establish guidelines and strictly and consistently enforce those guidelines, so it is common practice for parents, agencies and organizations to understand that instruction is to be considered the highest priority. In this role as “gatekeeper” a principal recognizes the potential contribution from individuals and groups, so he or she must approach them in a way that does not cause anger or discontent.

          Different communities engender different dynamics. It is important for the school leader to know the type of culture that exists in the community.  Sociologists have determined that most communities are made up of three types of cultures, traditionalist, moralistic and individualistic. Scribner and Layton (1995).

       Situations and occurrences in the community, can drift into the school culture and seriously distract teachers and staff, such as the Travon Martin incident in Sanford Florida. Such incidents are naturally in the hearts and minds of a community, and students and school staff can bring both their emotions and opinions into school.

     A doctoral candidate of mine was the serving as the principal of the high school in Sanford, Florida during the time of the protests, some rather violent, were going on in the community. By his visibility in the classrooms and hallways of the school during this crisis and continually promoting focusing on instruction, he served as an effective gate keeper for the students, teachers and support staff in his school. He had informed me the largest challenge was to have everyone take a neutral stance, at least while in school and in keeping the turmoil outside the school doors.

       It is the school leader, serving in their role as gatekeeper to maintain a cooperative and collegial climate in school, even when the community surrounding the school is in chaos. The instructional mission going on in the school needs to be protected, especially in times of crises. It does no one any good, for the conflicts happening outside the school to invade the classrooms of the school.

    An activity included in my course on the organization and administration of schools, I had asked students to provide examples of the strategies they would use to address conflicts happening outside the school so they won’t negatively impact or disrupt the classroom environment. The following table represents examples provided by the graduate students in this class, made up of teachers and administrators.                                                                                      

           Let’s end this post with a question for personal reflection, Have you seen or experienced your school leader serving as a gatekeeper?

           It is my hope that following our conversation, you have reason to reflect on the gatekeeping role of the school leader

The Savvy School Leader Reflects on His or Her Practice

Questions to Ask Ourselves for Professional and Personal Reflection

1. What do I believe the role of a gate keeper to be?

• Do I believe my principal acts like a gate keeper for our school?

• Is instructional time considered a priority at my school?

• Can I identify ways my principal serves our school as a gate keeper?

• Do I feel all the necessary steps are being taken to protect my classroom practice?

• What do I do as a teacher to limit interruptions and distractions?

The Savvy School Leader Transforms Theory into Practice 

Suggested Activities for Practical Application

1. Interview your school principal

A. Ask her or him to explain what he or she understands the gatekeeping role of a school leader to be.Ask her or him to provide examples of how he or she acts as a gatekeeper

B. Ask her or him to provide examples of how he or she practices the gatekeeping function.

2. Review your school website.

A Describe how the web site is interactive, whereby there can be two-way communication between the school and community. 

B. How does the web site provide for a structure for parent and community involvement in the school?

C. Is there evidence of a gate keeping role in the language presented to parents and the community?

D.. What policies or administrative rules and regulations show evidence of a gate keeper function?

3. Review your school policies and procedures.

A. Identify the policies and procedures that protect instructional time. b. Identify the policies and procedures that regulate the activities of special interests in schools

                       Let’s Apply What We Now Know How the Savvy School Leader Exercises His or Her Role as A Gate Keeper to a Real-Life Case Study

                                                        Case Study Analysis

Being the principal of Intercostal High School for over ten years, you have established a good relationship with the teachers, students and the parents. The community you serve has a mixed demographics, with the majority being African American, a high number of Hispanic and a lower number of white.

 There seemed to be a mutual respect among the student body. The races got along fine, with many friendships.

 Then a young black man in his twenties is killed by a white police man.

 Violent protests and riots erupted in the neighborhoods, with crowds of maundering blacks, some being your students, looting of white owned stores.  Some of the stores were owned by the parents of your students. Bands of whites attacked black people in their own neighborhoods, who were not even involved with the protests.

Group Discussion:

1. Identify the steps would you take to minimize the disruption and distraction due to what was happening in the community.

•  What would you direct teachers to do in this situation?

• Would you meet with the students? Explain

•   Explain what you believe to be the role of the school leader during such a crisis.

•   Identify the characteristics of the savvy school leaders you will use in your role as a gatekeeper. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Aldrich, H. E., and Herker, J. (1976). Environments of Organizations .Annual Review of Sociology, 2, 79-105

Lundenburg, F. C. and Irby, B. J. (2006). The Principalship: Vision to Action. Thompson/Wadsworth

Nagi, S.Z. (1974-Spring). Gate-Keeping Decisions in Service Organizations: When Validity Fails. Human Organizations, 33, No. 1, 47-58.

Scriber, J. D. and Layton, D. H. (1995). The Study of Educational Politics. The Falmer Press.

Wagner, T and Kegan, R. et. all (2006). Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming Our Schools. John Wiley & Sons.

Williams, P. (2002).The Competent Boundary Spanner. Public Admin.; 80: 103-124.

 Aldrich, H. E., and Herker, J. (1976). Environments of Organizations. Annual Review of    Sociology, 2, 79-105

       SUGGESTED READINGS

Williams, P. (2002).The Competent Boundary Spanner. Public Admin.; 80: 103-124.

“Strategic alliances, joint working arrangements, networks, partnerships and many other forms of collaboration across organizational boundaries. ” Paul William. The Competent Boundary Spanner (2002)

Introduction

       Welcome class members to the next blog post on the practices of a savvy school leader.

                 Let’s have a conversation on how a school leader acts as a boundary spanner.

       In their boundary spanner role the school leader serves to represent for the school in the community. Through this representation he or she markets the school and interprets the school mission to parents and community members. The school leader develops partnerships that go beyond parents to include and agencies institutions and groups within a culture of inter-organizational collaboration.

     The boundaries of a given organization will be in contact with the boundaries or numerous other organizations. For example, a school as an organization will be in contact with other schools, the district office, various civic groups, municipal agencies, and so on. Because these boundaries are relatively permeable, many authors have suggested that one major function of organizational management is to serve as an agent to ensure integration and cooperation. Kast and Rosenzweig (1985)

      Reginald Leon Green in his book the Four Dimensions of Principal Leadership (2010), says, to effectively lead a school, school leaders need to deeply probe the school community and gain insight into its diverse cultural makeup, values, expectations, traditions, rituals and folkways. Scott (2003). Examining community elements is critical to the success of the school. In fact, it is the beginning point of linking the school and community in a meaningful way, and, to a large extent, it can be more critical to leadership effectiveness than connecting the elements of the internal environment of the school house. 

        While serving a superintendent of schools, I came to understand the school leader’s responsibility to represent their school in the community. I believe in addition to the superintendent, each principal has the role of boundary spanner. They need to be responsible for marketing the school and interpreting the mission of their school.

         The principals I have known who have served as a boundary spanners have been proactive in cooperating and collaborating with the community. These men and women earned the support for their school from the community. Promoting a positive image of the school can reduce uncertainty and dependence on the various elements in the environment. Friedman and Podolny (1992).

Questions to Focus the Conversation

           As you read through the text and reflect on the conversation, please keep the following questions in mind to maintain a focus on the school leader’s role as a boundary spanner.   

• What does it mean to be a boundary spanner?

•  In what ways does a school leader exercise his or her boundary spanning practices?

• Why is it important for a school leader to be a boundary spanner?

   The principal is the spokesperson for the school and represents the school in the community. Portin and Shen (1998) indicated that principals serve as the individuals who market the school, who interpret the school’s program to parents and the community. A savvy school leader understands their responsibility to be the face of the school and to communicate and interpret the mission of the school within the greater community. This he or she does through his or her involvement and active participation in what the community believes is important to them. This is why it’s crucial for the school leader to understand and appreciate the values and beliefs of the community where they serve. Boundary spanning, or bridging, was defined as activities that create internal roles to cross organizational boundaries and link the school organization with elements of the external environment. Hoy and Miskel (2008)  

Many school leaders believe that their responsibility is limited to serving the students and teachers within their school. In this situation the school is a building just happens to be located in a particular community. I once knew a superintendent in a neighboring school district, who concentrated on program development, facilities management and student achievement. He told me that his main function was the success of the schools and students, and that there was little time in his very busy schedule to become involved in the community.  During his third year, rumblings started in the community over an increase om school taxes. In addition, he had supported a principal, accused of mistreating a student, which caused the irate parents to call for his resignation. Well, with limited relationships with parent organizations community leaders he had no support. The board of education, also comprised of community representatives let me go. Unlike this superintendent, the savvy school leader understands the reality that they serve at the pleasure of the community and their job and career may depend on how he or she is perceived by the community members.

Promoting a positive image of the school can reduce uncertainty and dependence on the various elements in the environment. Hence, boundary spanners play key roles inter-organizational  relations Friedman and Podolny (1992), and can be highly influential with key decision makers in the organization. At-Twaijri and Montanari (1987).Boundary spanning creates internal roles to cross organizational boundaries and to link schools with elements in the external environment. Two classes of functions are typically performed by boundary-spanning roles: detecting information about changes in the external environment and representing the organization to the environment. (Aldrich and Herker (1977)                   

        Here are a few examples of what I have found to be actions taken by a school leader who is serving on the role of boundary spanner. The individuals I have recognized as savvy school leaders, live in their communities with their children attending and graduating from the schools were they serve. These leaders are active members of the community, belonging to organizations and groups.

         Bagin and Gallagher (2001), indicated that principals must be active and visible in their community and need to communicate with the overall community. Until recently, schools have done little to improve, empower or revitalize the community or neighborhood. Choen (1995).This means reaching our or spanning boundaries with different business, religious, political and service entities. The school leader has to establish relationships with every facet of the community, as each is important and can contribute, in one way or another, to the success of the school. However, school leaders do not acquire those relationships accidentally, nor are they guaranteed to last once they have been established. Green (2010),

       In the school district where I served as superintendent, I asked that the board of education pay for the membership for all principals to join a local service organization, such as: Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, etc. These principals as boundary spanners, even though young, also were encouraged joined senior citizen groups.

“The principal is a bridge between the school and the external constituencies, and refers to the principals in the role of boundary spanner.” – Coldring (1990)

          In this role as boundary spanner a principal shares resources to continually reinforce community support. The savvy school leaders I have known served as a boundary by beings proactive in cooperating and collaborating with the community. These men and women earned the support for their school from the community by sharing resources in such ways as, offering the Little League and Pop Warner Football clubs to use of athletic fields and opening their building before school starts in the winter months for senior citizens to walk the halls for exercise. However, the best example of a principal serving as a boundary spanner is, let’s call him Dave, who was instrumental in creating a community school model. The community school operated in an urban high school located a high poverty high minority neighborhood.  The school building is open now to students, families, and the general community seven days a week. It is jointly operated through a collaboration with health and social service agencies and other community organizations. Through this model students and community residents have access to health care, a food pantry, library, computer access and adult education. The principal is the boundary spanner for ensuring that partnerships go beyond parents to include the community in interagency collaborations that can make decisions about education of the “whole child”. Capper (1996).

A highly effective school leader understands that his or her role is more than just within the walls of the school building. This leader engages and networks with people outside of the school. Kirtman (2014). Principals today have a sense of even large community issues, conditions, and needed investments such as housing quality, parks and recreation opportunities for after school activities, employment and training, and law enforcement Crowson (1998).

       While serving as a superintendent, I was approached by the directors of the county agencies of the Office of the Aged and the Department of Social Services, to start a county-wide interagency collaboration. Over the next two years, this interagency collaboration network expanded to seven school districts, thirteen county agencies and a community college. With this network in place when it became necessary to obtain the resources we needed for our students, parents, teachers and school, the bureaucratic border checkpoints and were able to all work with each other on a first name basis. This benefits of this collaborative relationship became clear, when our county experienced a devastating flood that caused evacuations and closing of schools.

           Let’s end this post with a question for personal reflection, Have you seen or experienced you school leader serving as a boundary spanner?

           It is my hope that following our conversation, you have reason to reflect on how the boundary spanning role of the school leader.

The Savvy School Leader Reflects on His or Her Practice

Questions to Ask Ourselves for Professional and Personal Reflection

1.  What do I believe the role of a boundary spanner to be?

2.  Why do you believe it’s important for a school leader to be a boundary spanner?

3.  Do I believe my principal acts like a boundary spanner for our school?

4.  Can I identify ways my principal represents the school in our community?

5. Do I have a role and responsibility to act as a boundary spanner?

6. Have I seen community members in my school?

The Savvy School Leader Transforms Theory Into Practice: 

Suggested Activities for Practical Application

1. Interview your school principal

1. Explain what you now know is the boundary spanning role of a school leader

• Ask him or her what they do as a boundary spanner for your school, with examples.

• Ask him or her if they support sharing resources with the community and community use of school facilities, with examples.

• Provide him or her what you have learned is the principals role as a gate keeper.

• Ask him or her in what ways does he fulfill the role as a gate keeper.

• What does he or she believe is the reason why a school principal would be involved in their community?

2. Review your school website.

• Have each group member exam their school’s web site and bring back to the groups answers to the following questions:

• Is the web site interactive, whereby community members can participate on the site?

• Would consider the website parent and community friendly and welcoming?

• Explain how it does or does not promote the mission of the school

• Is there evidence of a boundary spanning role in the language presented to parents and the community?

• One of the group members shows his school’s web site. The group members answer the above questions as they critique the site.

3. Review your school policies and procedures

• Identify the policies and procedures that show evidence of a boundary spanning function.

• Identify the policies and procedures that promote parent and community involvement.

• Identify the policies and procedure that encourage principal, teacher and staff involvement in the community.

                       Let’s Apply What We Now Know How the Savvy School Leader Exercises His or Her Role as A Boundary Spanner to a Real-Life Case Study

                                                        Case Study Analysis

You currently serve as the superintendent of the Grovetown School District. Due to the enlargement of a new army base in the school district, the population at your elementary schools has drastically increased. There is a need to construct an additional K-5 elementary school.  

The enrollment at the middle and high school levels are all right for now, but will need to expand within the next five years. This will mean an addition to both the middle school and high school buildings.

There are a few examples across the nation, whereby the military build-up at basses have been temporary.

The Board of Education is considering proposing a resolution to be voted on at the next school board election.

Group Discussion:

1.    Explain why the school leader should take on the role of a boundary spanner

2.    Identify the boundary spanning skills you will use to determine if such a project would gain community support.

3.    List the questions you would want answered in order to advise the Board of Education.

4.     Explain the boundary spanning process you will use to promote the passage of the resolution, if the Board of Education decides to propose it.

5.    Identify the characteristics of a savvy school leader that will be helpful in your role as a boundary spanner

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Aldrich, H. E., and Herker, J. (1976). Environments of Organizations. Annual Review of Sociology, 2, 79-105

  Bagin, D., and Gallagher, D. R. (2001). The School and Community Relations. (7^th ed.) Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

  Cohen, D. L. (1995, May 3). Joining Hands. Education Week, 35-38.

  Crowson, R. L. (1998). Community Empowerment and the Public Schools: Can Educational Professionalism Survive? Peabody Journal of Education, 73(1), 56-58.

  Freidman, R. A., and Podolny, J. (1992). Differentation of Boundary-Spanning Roles: Labor Negotiations and Iplementation of Role Conflict. Administrative Science Quarterly, 37, 28-47

Golding, E.B. (1990). Elementary School Principals as Boundary Spanners: Their Engagement with Parents. Journal of Educational Administration, 28(1), 53-62.

 Green, R. L. (2010). The Four Dimensions of Principal Leadership: A Framework for Leading 21^st Century Schools. Pearson Publishing. P. 13.

  Hoy, W. K. and Miskel, C. G. (2008). Educational Administration: Theory, Research and Practice. McGraw Hill.

Kast, F. E. and Rosenweig, J. E. (1985). Organization and Management: A systems and Contingency Approach, 4^th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co.

Kirtman, L. (2014). Leadership and Teams: The Missing Piece of the Educational Reform Puzzle. (1^st ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Portin, B. S. and Shen, J. (1998). The Changing Principalship: Its Current Status, Variability,and Impact. Journal of Leadership Studies, 5(3), 93.

  Williams, P. (2002).T Public Admin.; 80: 103-124. The Competent Boundary Spanner.

       SUGGESTED READINGS

  Freidman, R. A., and Podolny, J. (1992). Differentation of Boundary-Spanning Roles: Labor Negotiations and Implementation of Role Conflict. Administrative Science Quarterly, 37, 28-47Williams, P. (2002).The Competent Boundary Spanner. Public Admin.; 80: 103-124.

“The most powerful predictor of student achievement is the quality of the relationships among the adults in the school.” Harvard Principals Center

Welcome to the blog post on the practices of a savvy school leader.

Let’s have a conversation on the school leader and developing relationships.

It has been my experience that, as proposed by the Harvard Principals Center, the relationships among the adults in a school has a great deal to do with the culture that exists within the school and the climate within the classrooms..  For the purpose of our conversation, when I speak of adult relationships, I am referring to all the individuals or groups that are related or impacted by the school. Wagner and Kegan, et. al. (2006) refers to relationships in schools as the quality of attitudes, feelings, and behaviors of various individuals and groups toward one another as they engage in the work of helping all students learn.

  It is worth it for school leaders to invest in developing “soft skills”, that are helpful to building and nurturing healthy relationships with stakeholders (Sanfelippo & Sinanis, 2016). The principal must realize that these stakeholders make decisions that affect school culture. One of the characteristics of a change leader, as suggested by Michael Fullan (2001), he describes relationships, as being the hearts, souls and minds of adults in the school. Fullan (1997), says, that with so many inevitable battles within the role of principal, it is vital to seek alliances. He warns that it is foolhardy to continue to act fearlessly if you are not at the same time developing alliances.

Questions to Focus the Conversation

 As you read through the text and reflect on the conversation, please keep the following questions in mind to maintain a focus on the school leaders creating relationships.

•  Whys is it important for the school leader to develop relationships?

•   What are the common relationship that exist among teachers in a school?

•   What kinds of relationships does the school leader need to develop?

•   How does a school leader develop and maintain collegial relationships in a school?

  Taylor and Chanter (2016). The relationships to build are situational, but usually involve students, teachers, parents, member so of the community and important political officials

Leaders can benefit from establishing personal connections. That is going out of their way to make connections. Sanfellippo and Sinanis (2016) provide an example of a principal who dedicates his morning for making personal connections with staff. His goal is to see with each staff member at least once a month. Each day starts with him heading outside to greet students and parents dropping them off.  

        The school leader has responsibility for two forms of relationship building, that of promoting the building of relationships among and between others and in establishing their own relationship with others. When the school leader works to promote relationships among and between others, we should consider the work of Roland Barth (2006), founder and former director of the Harvard Principal’s Academy Dr. Barth has identified the most common relationships in school as:

Parallel Play, he describes, as a teacher in a self-contained classroom, with a piece of artwork over the door window. This teacher is not interested in the practices other teachers, has little contact with them. A member in one of my used the following example to show what they believed represents parallel play “Here, we all live in our separate caves.

Adversarial, Dr. Barth describes as purposely withholding information, blaming each other and pointing our weaknesses in fellow teachers to parents and others. He used an example given to him by a principal when he said, “I once heard a Boston school principal offer this sage observation: “We educators have drawn our wagons into a circle and trained our guns—on each other.”

 Congenial, Barth describes this relationship as personal and friendly but not collaborative or professional. He offers the example of a school where a congenial relationship exist when, a principal gives a teacher a ride home so she can care for her sick child.

  However, Roland Barth suggests that, in the most successful schools, there is a collegial relationship among the teachers and staff. He offers a quotation from the Famous baseball manager Casey Stengel once muttered, “Getting good players is easy. Getting ’em to play together is the hard part.” Schools are full of good players. Collegiality is about getting them to play together, about growing a professional learning community. Dr. Barth said that in the schools where he decided had a collegial relationship, he saw the following signs.  

• Educators talking with one another about practice.

• Educators sharing their craft knowledge.

• Educators observing one another while they are engaged in practice.

• Educators rooting for one another’s success.

Now that you know the characteristics of the four most common relationships among adults in a school and that adult relationships have an impact on student achievement. How does a school leader promote a culture of collegiality within their school?  Lambert (1998), suggests that school leaders promote relationship building by providing the opportunity for individuals to interact with one another and share work and responsibilities. The author believes these activities teachers will tend to listen and collaborate cross boundaries erected by disciplines, grade levels, expertise, authority, position, race, and gender.

Researcher Judith Warren Little (1990) suggests that school leaders can do the following to foster collegiality:  

State expectations explicitly. For instance, “I expect all of us to work together this year, share our craft knowledge, and help one another in whatever ways we can.”

• Model collegiality. For instance, visibly join in cheering on others or have another principal observe a faculty meeting.

• Reward those who behave as colleagues. For instance, grant release time, recognition, space, materials, and funds to those who collaborate.

Protect those who engage in these collegial behaviors. A principal should not say, for instance, “Janet has a great idea that she wants to share with us today.” This sets Janet up for a possible harsh response. Rather, the principal might say, “I observed something in Janet’s classroom last week that blew my socks off, and I’ve asked her to share it with us.” In this way, leaders can run interference for other educators.

      When we examine the responsibility for the school leader to build personal relationship, Lunenburg and Ornstein, (2012), use the term relational behavior. The authors suggest that a school leader exercises relational behavior engages in two-way communication provides socio-emotional support, “psychological strokes,” and “facilitating behaviors.” 

         The fourth principle identified in The Leader in Me, byCovey, Covey, Summers, and Hatch, D. K. (2014) encourages parental and community involvement. Cover suggests that by involving parents, families and community members is an essential part of a schools success. This involvement gives them a sense of ownership and pride over the school, which will make them want to participate in improving the school. Businesses, foundations and other organizations can all be sought out as part of the school improvement plan.

         School leaders when making a decision need to consider how completing the task will impact the culture and relationships in the school. Gordon, Alston and Snowden, (2007), found that those managers who displayed relationship-oriented behavior concentrated not only on the task but also on their relationships with subordinates. The ideal is that a decision or proposal will both accomplish a beneficial task and enhance the relationships.

         I have learned that in school leadership building a strong circuit of relationships is crucial to my success and effectiveness. These relationships need to be personal and built on a foundation of respect and trust. Trust has been referred to as the glue that holds any organization together. Schools and school districts are no exception. Trust is built through consistent and predictable actions. It is the responsibility of the school leader to reach out and initiate the relationship. Green (2010), provides a review of the literature that presents five approaches that have been found to be effective for school leaders in relationship building:

1. Establishing trust
2. Fostering effective communication
3. Encouraging commitment
4. Fostering collaboration
5. Reaching closure on organizational issues

Several of the chapters in this book refer to maintaining and active two-way communication with others. As the school leader, you represent the school and the perception they have of the school is based on their relationship with you. Being visible around school, participating in community agencies and organizations, and always presenting your school, staff and students in a positive way, all help in forming the foundation for creating and maintaining relationships.

While serving my school and school district positions, I soon became aware of the importance of my duel roll of accomplishing a task and maintaining personal relationships. The relationships first need to be based on a common set of beliefs and upon the mission for the schools direction. In an earlier chapter we had discussed creating a mission for the school and the importance of involving representatives from all the school and community constituencies in its development.

       One way I balanced the task and relationships is to have a check list of school and community constituencies. Each decision, program proposal and procedural change I considered, started with a review of how it would affect each of the constituencies and impact my and the school’s relationship with the individual or group. As a school leader, I knew the importance of balancing the benefits of a decision, program proposal or procedural change with the way it would be received by each stakeholder group. This does not mean, to make sure everyone has to be satisfied with a decision. However, it may be necessary to modify one or more of the aspects of the decision so as not to alienate someone or a group. We will discuss this further, in a future chapter on dealing with opposition and resistance. If after taking this list under consideration, the collateral damage to relationships is minimal or unavoidable, the decision needs to be rolled-out in a way to reduce the perception that it will adversely impact the person or groups. Of course this can be done, by both having already established an open relationship and credibility, so the school community has confidence in you and offers you the benefit of the doubt.  When the members of a school community give you the benefit of the doubt, it is a sign that you have created and maintained a positive relationship with them.

         Hank Rubin (2007) uses the term relationship management.  Rubin says that relationship management is the purposeful exercise of behavior, communication, and organizational resources to affect the perspective beliefs, and behaviors of another person so as to influence that person’s relationship with you and your collaborative enterprise.

         Because leaders’ relationships skills and emotional qualities have a profound effect on the communities they lead, administrators develop self-awareness in these areas and create plans to acquire or strengthen interpersonal and communication skills. As Roland Barth had presented, as school leaders is to lead the culture of the school toward a collegial relationship.

This can be done, first by leading by example and to provide school staff with the time and opportunity to establish relationships among each other and with their students, parents and others members of the school community. There are many ways to do this, but the important thing is in order to reach a collegial culture, a congenial relationship needs to be realized. The school community members need to respect and trust one another. Schools are right for this to happen, all the players have a common interest, the success of their students.  

Faculty meetings need to be more focused on participative professional development, parent involvement must be welcomed and appreciated and school staff should be involved in the community agencies and organizations. In a later chapter we will have a conversation on how our relationship with the business community, community organizations and institutions of higher education can enhance learning opportunities for students.  

         Researchers have ascertained that a leader’s style consists primarily of two major types of behaviors: task and relationship. They indicate that the significance of this idea is not to be understated. That, whenever leadership occurs, the leader is acting out both task and relationship behaviors; the key to being and effective leader often rests on how the leader balances these two behaviors. Together they form the core of the leadership process. Northouse (2007)

” The three most important words in education are : relationships, relationships and relationships.” – Courdos (2015)

         We have all heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know it’s who you know.”  I have found that, who you know is crucial to being a successful school leader.  The many relationships I have created with others and facilitated among and between others has greatly contributed to my effectiveness.

       The school leader needs to balance the accomplishment of a task and the importance of maintaining relationships. We must continually ask ourselves, “Is this decision worth the collateral damage it could cause to my and the schools relationships.” We don’t need to make sure all constituencies are treated the same with a decision, just to understand how it will affect them.  Heifetz and Linsky (2002) refer to relationships as capital for leaders, through them effective leaders can enact change. Without them, leaders will fail to elicit change but will fail in almost every endeavor.

“We need to remember that relationships come first, and are necessary to make change possible. ” Fullan (2001)

  It makes the school leader’s job a lot easier, when positive relationships exist among members of the school community. Here the school leader can serve as a role model, so the school community sees how him or her creates and maintains relationships.

Being visible around school, participating in community agencies and organizations, and always presenting your school, staff and students in a positive way, all help in forming the foundation for creating and maintaining relationships. If people personally know you and have gained respect and trust in you, they are more likely to provide you with the benefit of the doubt on your decisions.

Esther Quintero in her article Elevating Relationships: How Collaboration Shapes Teaching and Learning, (2027) speaks of the interpersonal relationships being important to the effectiveness of a school. The author suggest that when schools prioritize strengthening the interpersonal aspects of teaching and learning, even schools serving low-income students can attract, develop and retain skilled and stable faculties and achieve good academic results.

        A sign that you have established strong constituency groups is when it is said, “I know Walt always considers us when making a decision. I respect and trust him, so let’s support this decision, at least for now.”

   It is my belief that developing relationships and promoting others to develop relationship is a practice needed to be performed by school leaders, in order to be successful in our high stakes, socially diverse and increasing challenging educational environment

   Let’s end this post with a question for personal reflection, Have I balanced task and relationships in the decision I have made?

           It is my hope that following our conversation, you have reason to reflect on how the school leader develops and maintains relationships.

,                                     

                  The Savvy School Leader Reflects on His or Her Practice: 

       Questions to Ask Ourselves for Professional and Personal Reflection

1. Would my relationship with the teachers in my school be described as, parallel play, adversarial, congenial or collegial?

• Does my school represent a professional learning community?

• Is it common for my principal to see teachers in their classroom or his or her office?

• Do the teachers in my school take a collective responsibility for student achievement?

• Have I seen my school leader balance accomplishing a task and considering relationships?

• Do I trust my school leader and fellow teachers?

The Savvy School Leader Transforms Theory into Practice

Suggested Activities for Practical Application

1. The culture of your school. 

1. The class is divided into groups.

• Each group creates examples of what each have seen among the teachers in their school who have exhibited:

1.   Parallel,
2. Adversarial,
3. Congenial   and
4. Collegial relationships.

•  Each group identifies one example of each situation, then develops steps to move the situation from parallel play and adversarial to a collegial culture.

•  The influence of relationship on the potential success of an activity, project or program.

1.   Groups are set up.

•    Each group member is to reflect on an activity or project that occurred at their school that involved a wide range of stakeholders.

•    With each brief presentation, the group members will identify how relationships promoted the success of the initiative.

•   A representative of the group is to report out the results of the group assignment to the class.

• The principal as a role model for developing and sustaining relationships

1. If you believe that your principal is effective at developing and sustaining relationships, explain why, providing three examples.

• If you believe that you principal is not effective at developing and sustaining relationships, based on the content of this chapter, provide three suggestions for him or her to improve.

Let’s Apply What We Now Know How the Savvy School Leader Develops Relationships to a Real-Life Case Study

                                                        Case Study Analysis

 Upon arrival as the new principal of Atlantic Coast Middle School you encountered a toxic culture, that was very much adult centered.  Students were looked upon as losers, and parents were the cause.

 The PTA had been disbanded due to lack of interest and parent teacher conferences had been cancelled for the second consecutive year, due to teachers having called in sick on the scheduled day.

 Teachers had construction paper blocking up the windows in their classroom doors, which were always kept closed even when not teaching.  Small clichés of teachers ate lunch in each other’s classroom. The faculty room was used for storage.

 The previous principal had given up on any type of collaboration and he had not even held a faculty meeting in three years.

      Group Discussion:

1. Describe how you will find out the causes for the current relationships existing in this school.

• Explain the steps you will take to move the culture of this school to be more collegial?

• Who are the key people, you can work with to turn around the culture of this school?

• Identify the characteristics of the savvy school leaders you will use to promote a more collaborative relationship among the teachers at Atlantic Coast Middle School.

                                                        BIBLOGRAPHY

Barth, R. S. (March 2006) Improving Relationships Within the School House. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development 63 (6), 8-13.

Couros, G. (2015). The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent and Lead a Culture of Creativity. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting Press.

Covey, S. R., Covey S., Summers, M and Hatch, D. K. (2014) The Leader in Me. New York, NY: Simon & Shuster.

Fullan, M. (1997). What’s Worth Fighting For in the Principalship? New York, NY: Teachers College Press

Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Gordon, G., Alston, J. A., Snowden, P. (2007). School Leadership & Administration. McGraw Hill.

Green, L. R. (2010. The Four Dimensions of Principal Leadership” A Framework for Leading 21^st Century Schools. Allyn & Bacon.

Heifetz, R. and Linsky, M. (2002). Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Lambert, L. (1998). Building Leadership Capacity in Schools. Alexandra, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development:

Lunenburg, F. C., Ornstein, A. C. (2012). Educational Administration: Concepts and Practices. Wadsworth.

Northhouse, P. G. (2007) Leadership: Theory and Practice (4^th ed.) Sage Publications

Rubin, H. (2007). Through Other’s Eyes: A Collaborative Model of Leadership. Corwin Press.

Sanfelippo, J. and Sinanis, T.  (2016). Hacking Leadership: 10 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Learning That Teachers, Students and Parents Love. Cleveland. OH: Times 10 Publications.

 Quintero, E. (Summer 17). (2017) Elevating Relationships: How Collaboration Shapes Teaching and Learning. American Educator. Vol. 41, No.2.

Taylor, R. T, Chanter, C. (2016). The Coaching Partnership: Tips for Improving Coach, Mentor, Teacher and Administrator Effectiveness. Rowman & Littlefield.

Wagner, T and Kegan, R. et. all (2006). Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming Our Schools. John Wiley & Sons.

Warren-Little, J. (1990). School Success and Staff Development in Urban Desegregated Schools. Education Research Journal

                                           SUGGESTED READINGS

Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Taylor, R. T, Chanter, C. (2016). The Coaching Partnership: Tips for Improving Coach, Mentor, Teacher and Administrator Effectiveness. Rowman & Littlefield.

“The brief mission statement should guide the decision-making process in the school.” Lunenburg and Irby (2006)

       Introduction

      Welcome blog post on the practices of a savvy school leader.

    Let’s have a conversation on the how school leader uses their schools mission statement as a foundation for decision making and planning. 

Questions to Focus the Conversation

  As you read through the text and reflect on the conversation, please keep the following questions in mind to focus on the ways a school leader uses the mission statement for decision making and planning.

• Why it is important for a school leader to use the mission statement as a foundation for planning and decision making?

• How does a school leader use the mission statement to gain support for a decision or proposal?

• In what way can a school leader use the school’s mission statement to create an atmosphere for change to occur?

 “The foundation of effective leadership is thinking through the organization’s mission statement, defining it, and establishing it clearly and visibly.” Peter Drucker (2001)

Over the years I have observed and used the schools mission statement for planning and decision making. It has been my experience that if a school has involved the school community in the creating of a mission statement and that community is fully committed to the direction set by mission, changes, initiatives and projects aligned with the mission will face minimum challenge and resistance.

  Here are a few examples of initiatives and projects I have experienced where the mission statement was used was a foundation for planning and implementation.

                                 Launching Pad for Curriculum Development 

 “Curriculum is a plan or program for experiences which the learner encounters under the direction of the school.” Olivia (1982)

   If we view the school’s mission as representing the purpose of the school as well as setting its direction and the curriculum is the vehicle on how we will travel toward that direction, then the role of the school’s mission statement in the curriculum development process is clear.  The starting point for any curriculum development process or a project to review the school’s curriculum should begin and end with the school’s mission in mind.  When it is time to decide the format, content and/or the scope and sequence that is right for the school’s curriculum, the mission statement can provide the direction. Using the mission statement as a guide in the curriculum development or a curriculum revision process can also be helpful in providing the necessary consistency and continuity among courses and across all grade levels.

  Since the mission statement has had the direct involvement of representatives from a broad-base of the school and community, there should be a general agreement and support for any curricular decisions that align with the school’s mission.

   In the event a professional disagreement among colleagues occurs over what should be included in a course of study, or a parent complaint over subject area content, the schools adherence to the mission statement can be a tie breaker. With the new age of accountability, a challenge for educators is to prioritize the curriculum, which may mean eliminating certain content.  The schools mission statement can be used as a test for determining what content material stays and which is discarded.

                                Direction for the Budget Development Process

“The school budget represents an operating guide, toward the goal of implementing the school’s educational plan.” Lunenburg and Irby (2006)

       All schools will face unpredictable or even foreseen financial conditions and the mission can be used as a guide in determining the programs, courses and activities to be funded and those to be included on the list for budget cuts.

         In far too many cases the school budget is planned and determined with little consideration for the direction represented by the school’s mission statement. The annual school budget should serve and support the mission of the school and be developed following the determination of the educational program planned for the upcoming school year.  Each year, during the budget development process, all school programs should be scrutinized as to how closely they align with the language and spirit of the schools mission statement.

        However, in most schools, the budget is developed first, followed by a determination of what kind of educational program the budget will fund. I recall as a teacher our principal, under tremendous pressure from the superintendent informed all of us teachers that anything not having a relationship to the schools mission would be looked at for a budget reduction.  We worked together to weigh all school programs against the spirit and wording of the mission statement in an effort to justify the continuation in next year’s school district budget.  This experience placed a renewed focus on the schools mission for all of all of us, which was used as a scale for budget decisions many years in the future   As with other decisions and planning, the school’s budget should be developed with the mission statement as its guide. I believe that a school’s budget translates its mission statement in financial terms.

                             Theme for Planning School Construction Projects

“A school project needs to be aligned with their mission, focus on that mission and support that mission. This way the school community will be committed to the project being proposed.” Bill Rosen of Rosen and Rosen Architects (2003)

    The construction of a new school building or major renovation to a current facility can provide the school leader with the opportunity to set the stage on which the mission can be realized. 

    Decisions on the layout of the building, configuration of classroom wings or departments and the design of individual classrooms should be driven the mission.  If the mission of an elementary school is to be nurturing and child centered, a middle school is to be more of an interdisciplinary approach, or a high school is organized into a series of academic academies, the layout and design of the building, classrooms and the selection of furniture, fixtures and technology can contribute a great deal in supporting the success of these missions.

    When the costs of a new building or renovation project becomes an issue, the mission statement can be used as a basis on which to justify the expenditure as an investment in realizing the mission agreed upon and committed to by the school community.  This is especially relevant in that with many states there is a legal requirement to go to referendum vote for approving of new building or renovation projects.  On the other hand, in the case that project budget expenditures exceed the amount appropriated, the mission statement can be used to determine what areas are considered priorities and those that can be reduced or eliminated.

While serving as a superintendent and starting to plan for a major renovation and expansion project, I was invited to attend a state-wide buildings and grounds conference.  During the conference I attended a program on planning for school building projects presented by a team comprised of an architect, a school superintendent and school board member.  The presentation was very informative, with a most interesting comment from the architect member.  The architect said that his firm always starts each school building or renovation project by asking to see the school or school district’s mission statement. He went on to say that if a school or school district is committed to a mission, the facility needs to be aligned with their mission, focus on that mission, and support that mission”.  This way, he said, the school community will also be committed to the project being proposed. 

              Expectations on Which to Base a Student Conduct Policy

                      “This student code of conduct was developed to ensure

“This student code of conduct was developed to ensure our students. parents, faculty, and staff a safe and orderly learning community.” A. Russell Hughes, Superintendent Walton County School District. Florida

    When examining the important issues on the minds of teachers and school staff things haven’t changed much. It has been my experience over the last forty years of serving as a teacher and school leader, student behavior has always been at the top of the list when asking teachers and school staff what they believe is the most important issue facing them as educators. 

      I believe to deal effectively with this long-standing issue of what to do with student conduct we should first examine what the school community’s belief is as to the role students should have in the school, and second, how do we promote that belief through expectations, policy, and procedures.  The school’s mission statement can serve as a guide in examining our beliefs of the role students should have in our school.  If, as a school community, we consider a policy on student conduct to be a learning experience for our students, it too, should be based on the general direction set by the schools mission.  Just as the school’s mission is used to drive the curriculum, budget and building construction, it should also serve as a guide in setting expectations on how student are to conduct themselves and contribute as members of the school community.

       With a mission statement setting the direction, any planning efforts toward the development of a policy on student conduct would begin with a discussion on how we promote students being responsible for their own actions, which would be a completely different conversation than if the mission spoke to controlling student behavior. 

                                                       Criteria for Hiring Teachers

“It is the principals job to acquire human capital by hiring the right teachers.” Fillsn (2004)                            

    What better way is there is promote a school’s mission statement than starting at the beginning, with making it the platform for hiring teachers. If the mission statement is going to set the present and future direction of the school, teachers need to experience its influence at the recruiting and interviewing stage.

   Any teacher applying for a position in the school district where I served as the superintendent  would first become acquainted with the schools mission statement when they saw the advertisement, which read, “looking for an individual to teach in a school district which is committed to the mission “To Empower All Students to Excel as Citizens in a Changing World.  Each candidate for a teaching position, as part of the application process, was asked to write two paragraphs explaining how they would promote this mission through their instruction and service to the school community.

   When the teacher candidate arrived for the interview, he or she was met at the door by a banner displaying the schools mission statement.  The interview process involved a screening by the a school-wide team headed by school principal, which involved questions designed to see how the candidate’s  personal philosophy would both align with the school mission and what he or she would do to promote the mission through their teaching.  The actual interview included representatives of the individuals who the teacher would work with, other grade level or subject area teachers, assistant principals, counselors, library media specialist, school nurse, students (grade appropriate), etc.  Each interviewer would design three questions, one of which was to be directly related to the mission statement according to their area of responsibility.  Each interviewer had a form which only identified their area of responsibility which they would use to list the candidates strengths and weakness, according to the answers they provided. The principal observed the process, to see how each candidate reacted to the questions and the individual interviewer.  The policy of this district was that the principal would make the final decision on the hiring of all new teachers.

                                         Promoting Student Leadership

“Without an understanding of leadership, students are unable to become effective agents of positive change in their lives, in the organization where they work and un the greater community.” Brandon Buchard (2009)

        Referring to our school mission statement, “Empowering all student to Excel as Citizens in a Changing World,” includes the term “empower”, which can easily be related to promoting student leadership. Through the use of such terms, paves the way and certainly make the case for expecting that students, not only taking on more responsibility for their own learning, but to be directly involved in decision making within their school.    

          Our school had a long tradition under a Native American mascot (Redmen).  To illustrate how strong a tradition it was, our home football games began with someone dressed in a Native American costume and rode onto the field on a white stallion. The state commissioner of education had made a statement asking all schools to move away from Native American mascots

     Putting our mission statement where our mouth was, a student leadership club had been established in both the high school and middle school.  The establishing of these student leadership organizations was formed based on and as a result of the first four words of our new mission statement, “To Empower all Students.”  To personally model, (walk the talk) of the theme of our mission statement, I agreed to act as one of the two the advisors to the newly established student leadership organizations.

     The advisors met with the combined membership of both the high school and middle school student organizations and asked them to take on the challenge of changing our current Native American mascot to something not associated with any specific group of people. 

    The student leaders agreed to take charge of the issue and immediately began developing a plan of action.  Included in this plan was a charge to conduct a series of public hearings that would take place in seven different localities throughout the school district. Each hearing was held in a library, fire hall or community center, to avoid only having school related members attend.  The public hearings were entirely run by members of the student leadership organizations. Following the completion of all seven public hearings a survey was conducted throughout the school district, using the individual school websites, e-mail, direct mail and through the local newspapers. 

      Four possibilities for mascot names were generated through the survey. A district-wide election was planned and conducted by the student leaders, to provide the opportunity for members of the schools and community to vote on the new mascot. Following an orientation, provided by a local election inspector, student leaders operated the voting machines.

       A new mascot was selected by a wide margin of votes cast and was unveiled at the annual homecoming football game held in the sports stadium. The new mascot, Red Hawks was readily accepted and to this day is supported by the school district community. From uniforms to a banners, and even the sign on the district stadium displays the new mascot. 

      Our students learned a great deal about organization, planning and dealing with the public. This was an especially excellent lesson that the democratic process does work.  In addition, we learned that when students are empowered with the responsibility for carrying out a mission, they can and will carry out their responsibility to a successful end.

It is my belief that using the schools mission statement as a foundation for planning and decision making, is a practice needed to be performed by school leaders, in order to be successful in our high stakes, socially diverse and increasing challenging educational environment.

      Let’s end this post with a question for personal reflection, Have I experienced my school mission statement used as a foundation for planning and decision making? 

The Savvy School Leader Reflects on His or Her Practice

Questions to Ask Ourselves for Professional and Personal Reflection

1. Have I heard my schools mission statement mentioned during a professional development or curriculum development activity?
2. Does the mission statement for my school set expectations for students and staff?
3. Are the agendas for our faculty meeting aligned to the mission statement?
4. When a teacher candidate is interview, is the mission statement used as a basis of interview questions?
5. Have I observed or experienced my school’s mission statement being used as a foundation for decision making or a launching pad for planning? If so when and where?
6. In what way do I find the content presented in the chapter helpful, in promoting the use of the mission as a foundation for decision making?

The Savvy School Leader Transforms Theory into Practice 

Suggested Activities for Practical ApplicationA

A Determining the direction established for a school by its’ mission statement.

a Examine your school’s mission statement.

b Identify the terms or phrases that set a direction for the future of the school.

B Gaining a commitment from the community for the school’s missioi statement.

a Provide the steps would you take to gain the commitment of the school community to this mission statement.

b Present the strategies would you use to address opposition and resistance to the mission statement.

C The school’s mission statement used as a tool for interviewing candidates.

a Prepare three interview questions, based on the direction for the school established through the mission statement, to use when interviewing a candidate for a teaching position.

b Prepare three interview question, based on the direction for the school established through the mission statement, to use when interviewing a candidate for a principal position.

D Using the mission statement as a foundation for initiatives, programs and decision making.

a Develop five ways the schools mission statement can be used as a foundation for initiatives, programs and decision making, other than those presented in the chapter.

  E   Promoting the School’s Mission Statement

a Offer five practices that would promote your school’s mission in the hearts and minds teachers, staff, and students as they carry on their daily responsibilities.  

Let’s Apply What We Now Know On How The Savvy School Leader’s Utilizes the Mission Statement as Foundation for Decision Making and Planning to a Real-Life Case Study

                                                        Case Study Analysis

James Watson has just arrived to serve as the new principal of Elbridge High School.  Elbridge is a 9-12 school high school with a student enrollment of 1542 students, located in a suburban area boarding a large city. The majority of the students are white and middle class with about 5% minority population also from middle class families.

Upon his arrival, Mr. Watson wanted to find out the current climate and direction established for his new school.  He discovered that no one really knew where the current, some three paragraphs and at least fifteen-year-old, mission statement came from, who was involved in creating it, or even what it actually meant.

Within a few days on the job, teachers, parents, students, and community members came at him with a wide range of ideas on where the school should be heading.  Teachers wanted a focus on student discipline, parents were looking for a more accountability for higher academic standards, students were asking for additional extra- curricular activities and time for socialization, and various community members, including the village mayor and the chamber of commerce wanted an emphasis on job skills.

Through a lengthy process, involving a wide range of stakeholders, the following school mission statement was created.

 The mission for Elbridge High School states that it is “To provide students with the skills to be successful in life and compete in a global society”.

Group Discussion:

1.  Explain why it is important to use this mission statement as a foundation for planning and decision making.

2.    List any other areas, other than the ones presented in this chapter, where the mission statement can be used as a foundation for planning and decision making.

3.    How would you handle a proposal from a teacher, parent, etc. that is not aligned with the mission statement?

4.     Identify and explain which of the characteristics of the savvy school leader Mr. Watson should use in getting the schools decision making more aligned with the mission. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 Bouchard, B. (2009). The Student Leadership Guide. (4^th Ed.) Experts Academy

 Drucker, P. (2001). The Effective Executive. Harvard Business School Review

Lundenberg, F.C., Irby, B. J. (2006) The Principalship: Vision to Action. Belmont, CA:  Thomson Wadsworth’

Olivia, P. F. (1982). Developing the Curriculum. Boston: Little Brown

                                        SUGGESTED READINGS

 Bouchard, B. (2009). The Student Leadership Guide. (4^th Ed.) Experts Academy

Olivia, P. F. (1982). Developing the Curriculum. Boston: Little Brown

The mission depicts an image to the public regarding the purpose of the school and focuses the entire community toward that purpose.” – Lunenburg and Irby (2006)                                 

       Introduction

       Welcome to blog post two on the practices of a savvy school leader.

    Let’s have a conversation on the school leader transforms his or her vision into a school    community-wide mission.

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision to reality – Warren Bern

.       If you have taken a trip or vacation, especially as a family you know it takes a great deal of preparation and planning. However, we first have to agree on a destination. This will determine the method of travel, amount of time and money we will be investing, etc. I know this all sounds reasonable. However too many of our schools operate with little or no collective idea of the destination. So much of the, time, energy and resources are focused on day-to-day operations and not on getting to a future place.

        Alvy and Robbins (2010) use Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address as an example of a mission statement with a rationale and an aligned vision.  Lincoln’s mission was preserving the Union with equality for all, while he had a vision of continued freedom and democracy.

          Our schools are overflowing with great ideas generated from enthusiastic educators, parents, community representatives and the students themselves. The challenge for the school leader is in providing a channel for all of these great ideas. The way the savvy school leader channels all these ideas and enthusiasm is through the creation of a formalized mission statement. The mission depicts the purpose of the school and focuses the entire school community toward that purpose. Lunenburg and Irby (2006) One way a successful school leader is able to harness the energy of individuals and provide a focus for great ideas is to lead the creation and establishment of a school community-wide mission and a commitment to this mission.

Questions to Focus the Conversation

       As you read through the text and reflect on the conversation presented in this chapter, please keep the following questions in mind to maintain a focus on the school leader transferring a personal vision to a school-wide mission.

•  How come it’s important for a school leader’s vision to act as the foundation for a school-wide mission?

• What steps does a school leader take to transfer his or her vision into a school-wide mission?

•  How can the school mission be based on a list of core values and beliefs?

• Why should each word of a school’s mission statement needs to have its own meaning?

• What are the strategies a school leader uses to gain commitment for a school-wide mission?

             I like the quotation from Lundenburg & Irby (2006) when they offer a reason for a school having a mission.

“The mission allow teachers, administrators and other members of the school community to assess their personal actions with respect to the core values.”

            The authors provide an analogy to show the need for a school wide mission. They related the moving ahead with a school’s program without a mission is somewhat like the sea captain lost in the North Atlantic but making the voyage in record time.

      The mission of a school is simple a statement of the purpose for the school, and answers the following questions, as offered by Zepeda (2004). 

Why does the school exist?

What purpose does the school serve?

Who does the school serve?

What we are about doing?

In addition, I suggest that you review the questions Douglas Reeves offered in his book The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvement for Better Results, (2005) for you to ask the individuals who are involved in creating or reviewing a mission statement.

• Where are we headed as an organization this year?
• Where will we be three to five years from now?
• What parts of our organization will be the same and what will change?
• Will there still be a place for me in the future?
• How will my work change?
• What will I need to learn in order to be more valuable to the organization in the future?
• Why will I still want to be a part of this organization in the future?

           Unlike the vision, which I believe belongs to the school leader, the mission statement because it defines the purpose and direction of the school must be a community effort.  It is incredibly important to make sure that everyone who will be affected by the mission is directly involved in the process for creating it.  Snowden and Gorton (2002) suggested that schools are very diverse communities represented by many caring people with very different ideas on the purpose of their school.   The caring people indicated above need to include all stakeholders. I suggest, this depends on the school or organization, as long it involves all the individuals and groups that may be affected by the decisions and outcomes. With a school, I strongly recommend recognized and respected representatives of the teachers, support staff, parents, students and community members. The community representatives, again depending on the community, might include, faith-based organizations, service agencies, political officials, etc. It has been my experience that many school administrators limit involvement in creating or reviewing a mission statement to administration and professional staff. This practice, limits the commitment of those effected by the results achieved by the mission.

   Any process for creating a school’s mission statement needs to take into consideration the existing values and beliefs of the school community, as presented in the following quotation by N. Scott Norton.

“Creating a mission for the school’s future begins with an in-depth consideration of the organization’s part, its historical foundation, beliefs, values and traditions.” – N. Scott Norton (1990)

  I have found that the members of a school community differ widely in their values and beliefs.  In some cases these values and beliefs are in conflict and may not be conducive to promoting a positive and constructive school culture that would support improved student outcomes.   It is sometimes necessary for the school leader to provide the time, opportunity and motivation for members of the school community to openly reflect on their values and beliefs and work toward developing a revised set of commonly held core values and beliefs more aligned with promoting student success. 

    This revisiting and reflecting on a school’s core values and beliefs represents the process of building a foundation for the schools new or revised mission statement.  Many times the actual wording of the mission statement is drawn from this set of core values and beliefs.

       A mission statement need not be a “new beginning” but a rather a rebuilding based on an existing foundation of current beliefs and values. The beliefs and values based on historical events can be used to revise or redirect the school’s mission. To dismiss the set of existing beliefs and values may be perceived as disrespect for the work done by past leaders and staff. These beliefs and values at one time had the support of the school community and may be supported by certain, if not many, members of the current school community. By disregarding or even downgrading the current beliefs and values can have the effect of derailing a leader’s plan for rebuilding and redirecting the mission of the school.

    Table 1 provides a few examples of the school core values and beliefs I have collected for the schools represented by the students in my graduate course on the administration and organization of schools.

Table 6

Core Values and Beliefs Statements

       The mission statement should describe the purpose for the school and who the school serves.  It is the mission statement that communicates the purpose and direction of the school to staff, students, parents and its community. The mission statement should be worded in such a way as to inspire and generate enthusiasm. Stephen Covey (1990) tells us that to be effective, your mission statement should deal with all four basic human needs: economic or money need, social or relationship need, psychological or growth need and spiritual or contribution need.

      The school mission statement requires the commitment from school staff and embraced by the parents and community. When this is achieved, there is now a foundation on which to launch school planning and improvement initiatives, a guide for curriculum development, criteria for hiring practices, priorities for budget development, a plan for school construction, as well as a method for setting standards and communicating expectations for students and staff and serving as a theme for future policy development.  A school’s mission statement can help to focus or re-focus on the many excellent ideas and opinions common to a group of caring and enthusiastic educators.

    A well-articulated mission statement, that has the commitment of the school community, can then be put into action by acting as a foundation for establishing goals and sets of action plans leading toward the accomplishment of those goals. The goal statements need to relate directly to the mission statement, can be easily measured and involve a time frame within which they can realistically be accomplished.  Action plans represent the delegation of authority and responsibility to accomplish a specific task.  An action plan should include: an introductory statement showing how it promotes and supports the school mission. A set of goal statements, a list of activities, assignment of responsibility, method and benchmarks for monitoring progress, funding source, and procedure for providing feedback to all involved and affected by the goals being met.

Starting with the leaders vision, transforming this vision to a mission statement, that has the commitment of the school community, putting the mission statement into action by establishing goals, followed by specific action plans, can make the difference between a planned direction instead of a haphazard happening for a school. The mission is more apt to take off, in addition to presenting it, we actually reinforce it with our decisions. Shaw (2005). The most effective way for a schoolleaders to communicate the school’s mission and keep in “the hearts and minds” of school community while they carry out their duties and responsibilities. Lundenburg and Irby (2006), is to model the spirit and language of the mission through their actions and decisions.

  Once developed the school leader then has the responsibility to clearly articulate the mission in a way that gains school wide support and commitment. Before a school staff, students and parents can support and commit to a mission for their school they first have to visualize where it will take them and their role in realizing it.

    Most schools or school districts have a written mission statement. However, it has been my observation and experience that it is very common for members of the school community to not be aware of their own school’s mission statement.  While teaching a graduate course on the administration and organization of schools, made up a mixture of teachers and administrators, I asked students to bring their schools mission statement to class. This assignment also included reporting on how long the school has had the mission statement and what parties were involved in its creation. I have been surprised to hear how difficult it was for them to locate the schools mission statement and they could not identify the parties involved in its creation.  The reality, as represented by the results of this assignment, has not only been an apparent lack of knowledge of one’s school mission, but the absence of a school wide understanding of the importance it.

     It is somewhat understandable that schools have not spent a great deal of time and effort creating a mission statement.  It is hard work to arrive at a “meeting of the minds” on a school’s purpose, when there are so many individuals with very diverse ideas on both what their school should be and how to go about realizing it. I suggest that school leaders who are serving schools without a current well-articulated and operating mission statement re-think the time and effort required as an investment in both establishing a common direction for their school and gaining a commitment from the school community to move toward that direction. An example of this, offered by Schmoker (2001) is the Milwaukee Public Schools.  Milawukee schools are the poorest and most diverse of Wisconsin. They are considered 90/90/90/ schools. That is 90% of the students are on free or reduced-cost lunch, 90% minority and 90% reading below grade level. The school district stakeholders had created a new mission statement, “Milwaukee Public Schools will be the first urban school district where all student reach high standards”. This mission created excitement and dedication to school improvement. It also allowed teachers to receive clear instruction on what is best for the school and promoted action from staff and students. .

     A mission statement, that has the commitment of the school community, can be used as a catalyst for any school improvement initiative, as well as the foundation for decision making on a variety of levels. It has been my experience that schools are very difficult and challenging places for significant and lasting change to take place.  To achieve the “buy-in” that is becoming more and more necessary for real change in schools, there needs to be some justification of the need to change.  The school’s mission statement can provide this justification and become a stimulus for a significant change in direction.  Regardless of the initiative, issue, or problem to solve, if it is aligned with the school’s mission statement, which has had the involvement and the commitment of the school community it should have the potential to be accepted and supported by the school community.

      At a point in my life while I was contemplating a change in my career, I began exploring openings in school leadership positions across the state.  A friend of mind serving as a school leader in another county suggested I apply for an opening as superintendent of schools in a school district adjacent to his. The district was going through some very poor relations between the school board, administration and teachers.  The students, patents and support staff were caught in the middle of these turbulent times.  The school had experienced several years of low student achievement.  The support from the community was at an all-time low. The prior superintendent had been released from his responsibilities.

   This was just the exciting challenge I was up for, the kind of situation that really gets the adrenaline pumping. I was pumped and ready to head into what turned out to be the best career decision I have ever made.

    As I began this position with having already earned twelve years of experience in school leadership positions, I was confident in my ability and wise to the reality of what I was walking into.  I knew that the school district was in dire need of a mission that would bring the school community together, energize it and set a new direction moving the district from its downhill spiral and out from the black cloud it had been caught under. 

    The process of revitalization began with investing the time and energy to gather as much historical background as possible.  I started with an extensive review of board of education and administrative meeting minutes, and conducting focus group meetings with school staff, parents and especially students. I held a series of coffee hour meetings, in a variety locations throughout the school community.  All school communities have individuals who have had negative experiences while attending school themselves and would be reluctant to participate in a meeting held in a school building. Also, already being aware of the negative relations currently existing in the school community, none of the coffee hours were held in schools. All coffee hours were scheduled for fire halls, community centers, and diners to attract a wide representation of the community, both supporters and naysayers. 

     In my welcoming at the start of each coffer hour I would ask the participants to hit the pause button on their past experiences about the schools and, just for the next hour, focus on what’s right with our school and community.  Included in each coffee hour was an activity that involved identifying and preparing a list the school’s strengths and positive characteristics. This exercise was meant to begin re-build our school district on a foundation of strengths and work around the weaknesses.  However, especially important, I was able to discover the positive attributes that once made this an excellent district, of which many I found still existing.   The school community needed desperately to both raise their expectations and realize a sense of empowerment, both of which became the corner stone for my vision for the future direction of this school district. 

    It is important for a school community to create their own “homegrown” mission statement that will represent the visual interpretation of the school’s purpose and future.  With this in mind, I set out to provide the leadership for a process in which the school community would re-create their own mission statement, and while doing so, remind themselves of their purpose for existing as an educational organization 

    The first step in exercising this leadership was to set up a strategic planning process. An experienced outside facilitator had been employed to direct the process and serve as the convener of the meetings.  The use of an outside facilitator was crucial to the process as there was very little trust among the stakeholders.  In addition, the process was conducted away from the school campus to enhance the attention, focus on the task, and emphasis the importance of the work. 

      With the understanding that the most important criteria for a functional mission statement is gaining the commitment and support of the school community, those to serve on the strategic planning team represented a broad base of the school community. The school community “stakeholders” involved in the strategic planning process included teachers (representing each school), support staff (bus drivers, school lunch staff, custodians, paraprofessionals, secretaries), parents, students, community representatives (civic leaders).  It was also important that the representatives were nominated or even voted upon by their constituency groups. We only wanted individuals who were highly respected, trusted and were empowered to represent their constituency and could make on-the-spot decisions throughout the strategic planning process.

     Prior to the actual planning sessions, an orientation was presented by the facilitator.  In

addition, each of the representatives was provided with a data book that included student and school performance data. 

    During the five days of “deliberations” with the first day experiencing a significant amount of venting and accusing.  There were times I am sure the facilitator felt more like a referee than a convener. Which is an important point I want to make regarding this process.  Before a building can be renovated, sometimes certain portions of the old building have to be torn down.  Anticipating this situation and relying on it to happen, the student and community representatives did not join the team until the second day.

    On the fifth day we had arrived at a mission statement through consensus that identified the direction we all believed the school should be heading.  Following the spending of five days together, the stakeholder representatives actually began liking and trusting each other, but most importantly, we were now committed to a direction for our schools.

Jane Hendrick (2007) in her article, “A Reflection on Leading Educational Transformation, describes a process she had experienced with creating a school mission statement.  The statement was created using a consensus-building process.  This process started with the school stakeholders, defining “Consensus” as “the agreement that an overwhelming majority of the stakeholders could live with the decision and would not block progress toward implementation.”  Hendrick indicates that this type of consensus building requires all involved to share their thoughts and opinions and to move beyond “voting” for impact in the final decision.  She further says that “embedded in the mission creating and consensus-building process was team building”.

     The twelve word mission statement created by these stakeholder representatives over the five day strategic planning process was simple, easy to remember and incorporated the beliefs and values of a renewed and revitalized school community: 

                 “To Empower All Students to Excel as Citizens in a Changing World”

     As a closing activity the facilitator asked for both a professional and personal commitment from teach of the stakeholder representatives.  The commitment was to support and promote the schools mission statement as a leader among the group they represent professionally and among the friends, relatives and neighbors they encounter in their personal lives.  In essence the stakeholders were now ready to pass, what I call, the “barbecue test”.  Upon attending a family or neighborhood barbecue, when asked how they personally feel about the new mission for their school, you have passed the “barbecue test” by responding with something like “I believe the schools mission will lead to the success of our school and a higher level of performance from our students.” Failing the “barbecue test” would happen with a response to your family, friends and neighbors, such as: “Even though I really don’t agree with the new direction for our school, I had to go along with the majority.”     

   The importance of the mission statement created and committed to during this strategic planning process, was that each word included in the final draft of the statement took on its own significance.    

     This mission statement became the glue that held us all together as a community and represented a call to action by the school for the next ten years during my tenure and what I hear well beyond.

     The following is a list of mission statement examples, I have collected from the schools represented by the graduate students in my course on the organization and administration on schools.

Table 7

Mission Statements

    Another excellent example of how a mission statement can provide direction for an organization is derived from my experience while a parishioner of a church organization.  Through the leadership of the church council and its pastor, the parishioners had, through a very intense strategic planning process, arrived at a new mission statement

“To serve the God we cannot see, let’s serve the neighbor we can.”

 With a mission statement and a renewed commitment from the school community to support it, the successful school leader knows that, as suggested by Lunedburg and Irby (2006), she must keep the mission in the hearts and minds of the school community as they go about with their duties and responsibilities.  When the school community “buys in” to the mission statement they will have a since of commitment, as stated by Connors in his book If You Don’t Feed the Teachers, They Will Eat the Students: Guide to Success of Administrators and Teachers (2000), 

“once that mission is believed by others, a sense of loyalty and community is instilled in the school.” – Connors (2000)

 Modeling the use of the mission statement in all planning and decision making is a way that a school leader can continually articulate the school’s mission statement and consistently maintain its visibility in the hearts and minds of the members of the school community. Weaving the mission statement into every aspect of the school operations is how the school leader shepherds the school’s mission.

Table 2 displays just a few examples of how I have seen school leader keep their school’s mission statement in the hearts and minds of the school community.

Table 8                                             

      Keeping the Mission in the Hearts and Minds of the School Community

   Allision Zmuda, Robert Kuklis and Everett Kline in their book Transforming School’s:  Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement (2004) offered school leaders a way to both keep the school community focused on the mission and for them to know when it is being followed. The authors feel it is necessary to piece together a visual picture of what the school will “look like” and “sound like” once the mission is practiced in the hallways and classrooms.  They offer the example of, after the stakeholders agree that their mission is to promote high academic achievement and to ensure equity, they begin working to create “I will see” and “I will hear” statements that draw a picture of what the mission would actually look like and sound like in practice

    What we do communicates tons about what is important. The mission is more apt to be taken seriously if, in addition to having it appear everywhere, we reinforce it with our decisions.  It has been my experience that what the school leader does, speaks loudly on what’s important in the school.

    Kenneth Shaw (2005) then Chancellor of Syracuse University said that, if the school leader wants the teachers, support staff, parents and even students to remain committed and support the schools mission statement, they must see their principal and leadership team use the mission statement to guide their day-to-day decisions, planning efforts and leadership style. In addition, Curry (2013) recommends that schools have a part ib their orientation program for new hires on showing them the importance of the mission and working together to achieve it.

   The behavior of the school leader does more to promote the attention of the school community on its own mission than any kind of campaign.

   Of the many lessons I have learned in regard to school leadership is that people watch what you do more than listen to what you say. Because of this, it is very important that school leaders exhibit consistency between what they say and what is actually happening. If our schools mission statement includes such words as “Empower”, “All Students” and “Excel”, as does the mission statement presented earlier, the school community should be able to observe and experience the school leader engaged in planning and decision making that promotes “empowering” teachers and students, not just a few teachers and students, but “all” teachers and students and to drive for, not just to meet minimum standards, but to “excel”.  

        Once a mission has the consensus of representatives of the school and community it is important to continually and consistently keep it in the hearts and minds.

“A leader understands that to move his vision to a school-wide mission the support from all the stakeholders is heeded.” – Alvy and Robbins (2010)

    One of the best examples I have seen of promoting the visibility of a school’s mission statement came to my attention when I had taken the opportunity to attend a school district board of education meeting to observe a graduate student enrolled in my politics in education course.   The student, who served as a high school principal in the school district, was on the meeting agenda to present the annual report on his school improvement plan.  One of the first items on this nights’ meeting agenda was “Reading. Reviewing, and Revisiting the School District Mission Statement”. When the board chairperson called for the item, one of the board members took the microphone and read the school district mission statement and then said that “this mission is both committed to and supported by the board.”  Then each board member spoke into their microphone to affirm their personal commitment to the mission statement and that it served as the basis for the board’s planning and decision making.

    Upon asking an individual sitting next to me at the meeting, who I later found out was the president of the teacher’s association, when the board started this practice, she informed me that it has been a routine agenda item since we revised our mission statement four years earlier.  She further explained that the school districts mission statement went through a revision upon the arrival of the current superintendent and volunteered the comment that she was pleased he had involved everyone in the process.  This teacher then told me that the responsibility of reading and reviewing the mission statement is rotated among the board members. The teacher also volunteered that she has observed, at prior meetings, where an individual board member or the superintendent would ask an administrator or program coordinator to explain how the new program or initiative they are proposing fits in with the “spirit” of the school mission statement.

    It is obvious that this board of education and superintendent are committed to the mission or direction established for this school district.  The leadership at the top, publicly demonstrating this kind of commitment and support for the district mission, certainly represents keeping the mission in the “minds and hearts” of the school community “as they perform their duties.”

    Talking about keeping the schools mission statement in the fore front, reminds me of a visit to one of the area schools.  As a somewhat new professor in educational leadership at the time and having served much of my career in another state, I thought it may be a good idea to visit the schools of the students in my graduate classes, most of which were currently serving as principals, assistant principals or program coordinators. 

      During a visit to an elementary school, the class member an assistant principal, was showing me her school cafeteria.  First, being impressed with the salad bar and the variety of food stations in an elementary school, I was further surprised when seeing that the napkins, water bottles and food trays all were labeled with the school’s mission statement.  When I asked the assistant principal about the labeling, she replied that her school “is fully committed to our mission”. She further said that in her opinion it is great that school staff, parents, and students are continually reminded “why we all come to school each day”.

Let’s end this post with a question for personal reflection, Why involve the greater community in the development of a school’s mission statement?   

  It is my hope that through our conversation, you can better see how transforming the school leader’s vision to a mission statement, that has the commitment of the school community, can make the difference between a planned direction, instead of a haphazard happening for a school. Blandstein and Kelly (2016). Stress the importance of a school having a cohesive and meaningful mission statement, by saying, “If clarity of purpose is not provided, and initiative implementation will be stalled or unsuccessful.”

The Savvy School Leader Reflects on His or Her Practice

Questions to Ask Ourselves for Professional and Personal Reflection

1. Do I see a direct relationship between my principal’s vision for the school and our school mission statement?

• Who was involved in the creation or revision of the mission statement?

• Can I identify key words in our mission statement that set a clear direction for our school?

• Have I seen my principal model the spirit of our mission statement in her decisions?

• When I interview for my position, was I introduced to the mission statement?

• Can I recite my school’s mission statement?

The Savvy School Leader Transforms Theory Into Practice: Suggested Activities for Practical Application

The Savvy School Leader Transfers His or Her Vision into a School Wide Mission Statement

1. Congratulations on being appointed as the new principal of West Ridge Elementary School. Write down your vision for the future of West Ridge Elementary School.

• Show the step-by-step process you would use to present your vision to the West Ridge Elementary School community.

• Describe the means you will employ to have your vision serve as the foundation for the schools new or revised mission.

2. Moving the principal’s vision to a school-wide mission. Explain the difference between the principal’s vision and a school-wide mission.

• Describe the step-by-step process you will use to create a new or revised mission statement.

• Describe the methods you will use to keep the new or revised mission in the hearts and minds of the members of the school community.

                       Let’s Apply What We Now Know About How the Savvy School Leader Transfers His or Her Vision into a School Wide Mission Statement to a Real Life Case Study

                                                        Case Study Analysis

     Now that you have rolled out your vision for J. L. Cole Elementary School, as a place with a

 nurturing and safe environment, with parents as equal partners in the education of their children, you now want to use it as a foundation for a school wide mission statement. You have experienced pockets of opposition to your vision. Many faculty and staff don’t understand why the current mission statement needs to be changed. It has existed for over ten years, why fix what isn’t broke. A great deal of opposition arose when you suggested that the parents, community and even students be involved in the process of revising the mission statement.

Group Discussion:

1.    How will you handle the previous mission statement, if there is one?
2.   Explain how you will address the opposition to embarking on a new mission statement and the involvement of anyone other than professional staff in the process.

3.    Describe the steps you will take to create a new or revised school-wide mission statement for J. L. Cole Elementary School.

4.    Identify and explain the characteristics of the savvy school leader that you would use in transforming your personal vision to a school wide mission statement for J. L. Cole Elementary School.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Alvy, H. and Robbins, P. (2010). Learning From Lincoln. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Connors, N.A. (2000). If You Don’t Feed the Teachers, They Eat the Students!: Guide to Success of Administrators and Teachers. Nashville: Incentive Publications.

Covey, S. (1990). Principle Centered Leadership. Simon & Shuster.

Curry, C. (2013). Charter School Leadership: Elements for School Success. Lanham, MD: Roman and Littlefield Education.

Kendrick, J. A. (2007). “A Reflection on Leading Educational Transformation”, Out-Of-The-Box Leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.)

Hoy, W. and Miskel, C. (2008). Educational Administration: Theory, Research and Practice. 28

Lundenberg, F.C., Irby, B. J. (2006) The Principalship: Vision to Action. Belmont, CA:  Thomson Wadsworth’

Pollack, J. E. and Ford, S. M. (2009). Improving Student Learning One Principal at a Time. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

 Reeves, D. B. (2005) The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvement for Better Results, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

 Shaw, K. (2005). The Intentional Leader, Syracuse University Press.

 Schmoker, M. (2001). The Results Fieldbook: Practical Strategies from Dramatically Improved Schools. Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Snowden, P.E., and Gorton, R.A. (2002). School Leadership and Administration, McGraw

  Zmuda, A. Kuklis, R., and Kline, E. (2004). Transforming School’s:  Creating a Culture of Continuous

 Zappa, S. J. (2004). Instructional Leadership for School Improvement. Poughkeepsie, NY: Eye on Education.

                                        SUGGESTED READINGS

Covey, S. (1990). Principle Centered Leadership. Simon & Shuster.

Shaw, K. (2005). The Intentional Leader, Syracuse University Press

“Vision is the Principal’s ability to holistically view the present, and to think beyond accepted notions of what is practical and what is of immediate application in present situations to, speculative ideas and to, preferably, possible futures.” Pausl Bredeson in Analysis of the Metaphorical Perspectives of School Principals. 1985

Introduction

    Welcome to blog post one on the practices of a savvy school leader.

    Let’s have a conversation the school leader presents a clear vision.

       The word vision derives from the Latin verb videu which means “to see” Owens and Valesky (2007) suggest that one of the pivotal activities of leaders is to engage constantly in the dynamic process of stating a vision of things to come; then revising in light of emerging events, ideas, and beliefs; and restating the vision “where we are and where we are going, what binds the members of the organization in mutual purpose and resolve”.

          There are many educational leaders and professors of educational leadership who believe that the vision of the school should be a collaborative effort, I don’t agree.  A great deal of research exists and my own experience supports the merits of school site shared decision making. As a matter of fact, my doctoral dissertation was titled The Effect of the Breadth of Participation on the Results of Site-Based Shared Decision Making.  However, I also believe strongly that it is the school leader who needs to have and set forth his/or her own vision for the direction of the school. It has been my experience, even though I support shared decision-making, that if a school leader waits for vision to come from the general school community it will be a very long wait.

Questions to Focus the Conversation

         As you read through the text and reflect on the conversation presented in this chapter, please keep the following questions in mind, to maintain a focus on the savvy school leader having a vision for the direction for the school.

•  Why is it important for a school leader to have his or her own vision for the direction for the school?

•   What is the difference between a school leader’s vision and the school’s mission?

•   How does the school leader articulate his or her personal vision in a way that will revitalize and energize the school community?

•   What does the school leader do to move his or her vision toward a school-wide mission?

                 As school leaders we are called upon to see the future in our schools rather than serving the demands of the past.  It is for this reason visionary leaders matter more than ever. One thing that can profoundly increase a school leader’s creditability is presenting and a compelling organizational vision. The genius of a leader is to articulate a vision simple enough to be understood, appealing enough to evoke commitment and credible enough to be accepted as realistic and attainable. An effective vision is “right for the times, right for the organization, and right for the people working in it.” Bennis (1984)

     Blumberg and Greenfield’s (1980) research revealed that successful principals are proactive and direct behaviors at clearly articulating a vision of what the school is and can become.

     I examined the research on leadership behavior conducted by Conger and Kanungo (1988). These researchers have shown that “the leader must have the organizational vision necessary to direct the organization into the future and the ability to articulate this vision.”

      Burt Nanus author of Visionary Leadership (1992) did an excellent job explaining what it means by the school leader starting with her or her own vision for the school.  Nanus suggested that there are common warning signs of leadership problems in an organization and more often than not, such problems can be traced to a lack of direction or uncertainty about the vision.  The author offers the following questions as warning signs that, if answered affirmatively, may indicate a lack of direction and uncertainty among the organization’s members about the vision for their organization.

1. Is there evidence of confusion about purpose?
2. Do your employees complain about insufficient challenge, or say they’re not having fun   anymore?
3. Is the organization losing legitimacy?
4. Does your organization seem out-of-tune?
5.   Are there signs of a decline in pride?
6. Is there excessive risk avoidance, with people abiding by their narrow job descriptions, unwilling to accept ownership or responsibility for new projects, or are resisting change?
7. Is there an absence of a shared sense of progress or momentum?
8. Is there a hyperactive rumor mill?

         A few years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a national symposium on reinventing the high school and heard Dr. Thomas Houlihan, then President of the State Chief School Officers Association offer what I thought be a great statement having to do with a school leader’s vision.

“The school leader takes the school community places that they won’t go on their own.” Houlihan (2001)

          I believe Dr. Houlihan statement, indicates it is the responsibility of the school leader to visualize a school that others are not currently attending and move them toward the type of school that the leader believes that could be.

           In the fourteen years I served as principal, I had found it is very difficult for the members of a school community to visualize a school different from the one they have, even when the school they have isn’t working for most of the students and adults. The members want to protect the school they have, as it is the only school they know.  Their values, beliefs, and norms created the current school environment.  Part of human nature is that people tend to feel comfortable with the status quo, even though they may not be satisfied with it and schools are certainly no exception. The school leader, as stated by

Dr. Houlihan needs to take the members of his/her school community where “they won’t go on their own”.  I especially like what Green, (2010) who suggested that, through a personal vision, school leaders communicate their values and beliefs on what and how children learn. With a well-articulated and presented vision, the school leader earns the trust and faith in his or her decisions and promotes the transformation process.”

          An activity included in my course on the organization and administration of schools, I had asked students to provide examples of the vision their principal has communicated for the future of their school. The following table represents examples of principal visions.

                                                             Table 5

                                         Examples of Principal Visions

      I have found that a school leader’s vision may collide with the values and believes existing in the current culture of the school and that it is important for the school leader to take the time to identify and understand these values and believes before unveiling his or her vision for the school. This doesn’t mean that the school leader’s vision should be aligned with the school community’s values and beliefs. Especially if those values and beliefs happen to be adult focused not child centered, involve personal agendas instead of collective accountability, or promote mediocrity instead of excellence.

“Results improve when leaders establish a clear vision with a convincing reason to embrace the vision.” Cottrell (2002)

I like what Caldwell and Spinks (1988) suggest, that the vision must permeate the organization, being embedded in its structures, processes, and behaviors so that it shapes its operation and every decision made. The authors mentioned William Demming, A Vision creates a “consistency of purpose throughout the organization.” Deming (1986)”

   Much of what I found is that the school leader has the responsibility for starting the conversation for change and that a good place to start is articulating his or her vision for the school.  It is the successful school leader who understands their responsibility to clearly articulate the vision in a way that gains school wide support and commitment.

“This vision for the future must be formulated in such a way that it will make the pain of changing worth the effort.” Noel M. Tichy and Mary Anne Devana.

     Before a school staff, students and parents can support and commit to a vision for their school, they first have to visualize where it will take them and their role in realizing the vision. I especially like this quotation from Peter Drucker”

“The foundation of effective leadership is thinking through the organization’s vision, defining it, and establishing it clearly and visibly.” Peter Drucker (2001)

       Rarely does a school leader have the opportunity to start his or her position with the opening of a new school.  Most school leaders walk into a school with an already existing culture.  If this pre-existing culture is not working for students, it is the school leader’s responsibility to make the appropriate changes.  However, since the individuals currently involved with the school were responsible for creating or at least maintaining the exiting culture, they will be vested in that culture and will perceive a cost to themselves in changing the way the school operates.

     Leaders must be able to describe their vision to others. They do this by adapting the vision to their audience, highlighting its ideals, selecting the correct language and symbols, using inclusive language, and providing proper tasks and goal specificity. Owings and Kaplan, (2012).

     I believe what puts the savvy leader out front as a member of the school community is his/her ability to have a vision for their school.  This characteristic is what I have always believed leadership to be all about.  I personally like the way Houston (2007) provides us with the words to show the school leaders role, through their clear vision, in building a bridge to the future within their school.

“The role on an educational leader is to build a bridge and lead people across it, because it is only by crossing the bridge that people can find a new place to stand.” Paul Houston (2007)

Let’s end this post with a question for personal reflection, Do you know the vision your principal has for your school?

           It is my hope that following our conversation, you have reason to reflect on how the process of school organization and improvement begins with the vision of a savvy school leader.

            The Savvy School Leader Reflects on His or Her Practice

Questions to Ask Ourselves for Professional and Personal Reflection

1. Do I know the vision our principal has for my school?

2. How did my principal present her vision to the school community?

3. Has the principal’s vision excited and inspired me? If so, how?

4. Can I see the principal’s vision being acted out by his or her practice?

5. Is my principal’s vision aligned with the values and beliefs of the school community?

6. Do I know the difference between a school leader’s vision and a schools mission?

The Savvy School Leader Transforms Theory into Practice: Suggested Activities for Practical Application

A You have recently been appointed to the position of principal for the Jefferson Elementary School. Jefferson is a low performing, high minority, urban school. The parents are disinterested and teachers not engaged.

1. Create your vision for the future direction of the school

2. Explain why you believe this vision is important and will work for your school.

3. List three methods you would use to communicate your vision to the members of the   school community (teachers, staff, parent, students).

B  Reflection on your school principal’s vision.

1. Explain how will demonstrate that you vision relates or address the commonly agreed upon needs of the school.
2. Describe what you will see, hear or experience to know that your vision has been effectively communicated to the school community.

   Let’s Apply What We Now Know About the Savvy School Leader Presenting His or Her Vision for the Future of Their School to a Real-Life Case Study

                                                        Case Study Analysis

      Having just been appointed the principal of J. L. Cole Elementary School, you have the vision for an elementary school as a very nurturing and safe environment, with parents as equal partners in the education of their children.

      However, the culture and conditions of the J. L Cole varies a great deal from your personal vision. The school is adult driven, rule oriented and regimented, with a common belief that parents are the cause of student behavior and their lack of effort and responsibility. The school is not inviting to parents and community members.  By asking veteran faculty members, you have determined that your vision is very much different from that of previous principals.

Case Study Discussion

1. Show your vision for Jefferson Elementary school.

2. Explain how will introduce your vision to o the faculty and staff?

3, Describe how you will use your vision in practices and decision making.

4, Identify and explain which of the characteristics of the savvy school leader you will use to introduce you vision for J. L Cole Elementary School. 

                                                        BIBLOGRAPHY

Bennis, W. G.  (1995). On Becoming a Leader. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books. 

Blumberg, A., and Greenfield, W. (1980). The Effective Principal: Perspective and School Leadership. Boston: Allyn & Bacon

Conger, J. A. and Kauungo, R. N. (1988, July) The Empowerment of Process Integrating Theory and Practice. Academy of Management Review. Pp 4721-482.

Cottrell, D. (2002) Monday Morning Leadership. Corner Stone Leadership Institute.

Drucker, P. (2001). The Effective Executive. Harvard Business School Review.

Gordon, J. (2017). The Power of Positive Leadership . Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, In

Green, R. L. (2010). The Four Dimensions of Principal Leadership: A Framework for Leading 21^st Century Schools. Allyn & Bacon.

Houston, P. D. (2007). Out-Of-The-Box Leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Nanus, B. (1992). Visionary Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Owens, R. G. and Valesky. T. (2007). Organizational Behavior in Education. (9^th ed.) Needham Heights: Allyn & Bacon.

Owings, W. A. and Kaplan, L. S. (2012). Leadership and Organizational Behavior in Education: Theory Into Practice, Pearson Education.

                                             SUGGESTED READINGS

Cttrell, D. (2002) Monday Morning Leadership. Corner Stone Leadership Institute

Nanus, B. (1992). Visionary Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

        In section one the characteristics of a savvy school leader were introduced and discussed. Nowlet’s talk about the practices of the savvy school leader.

                          “Leadership involves purpose and direction.

“Leaders know the ends toward which they are striving. They pursue goals with clarity and tenacity.: Kenneth Leithwood and Carolyn Riel (2003)

       This book was prepared to promote the success of current and potential school leaders, either enrolled in masters, specialist or doctoral programs in educational leadership and participating in local school district leadership development programs.  

           This section is devoted to the practices of the school leaders that I have had the wonderful opportunity to know, work with and learn from.   What I have found during my fifty-years of experience in education, is there are certain practices common among savvy school leaders.   Many the practices I have seen in the savvy school leaders I have known, I have also noticed are often absent from the observations I made of most administrators. These same administrators have exhibited several or certain parts of the practices, but not all or in the right combination. Having these practices, I believe, contributed to their effectiveness and success. Many of these practices have been learned or enhanced through their training in programs preparing educational leaders, hands- on experience and the mentoring efforts of their colleagues and supervisors.

       Through this section you will be introduced to the practices of the savvy school leader. The practices I have presented here are not proposed to be conclusive in a successful school leader, but are those I found common among the savvy school leaders I have known and worked with.

“Leadership is an activity or set of activities observable to others that occurs in a group , or organization, or institution and which involves a leader and followers who willingly subscribe to a common purpose and work together to achieve them. ” Clark and Clark (1996)

                There has been much research which shows that the practices of the school leader has a major influence on student achievement, some of which was conducted and reported on by Robert Marzano and presented in his book What Works in Schools (2003). Dr. Marzano suggests that school leaders spend their time, energy and resources in six areas of responsibility:

 (1) School’s mission and goals.

(2)  The overall culture of the school and the climate in individual classrooms.

 (3)  The attitudes of teachers. (4)  The classroom practices of teachers, (5) The organization of curriculum and instruction, and (6) Enhance the opportunity for students to learn.

Through this section you will be introduced to the practices of the savvy school leader. The practices I have presented here are not proposed to be conclusive, but are those I found common among the savvy school leaders I have known and worked with.

Questions to Focus the Conversation

                  As you read through the text and reflect on the conversation presented in this chapter, please keep the following questions in mind to maintain a focus on the practices of a savvy school leader

• What professional practices are most commonly used among school leaders?

• How are the practices of a savvy school leader different from those of a typical school administrator?

•   In what ways do the practices of the school leader enhance school culture and climate?

•   How do the practices of a school leader promote student achievement?

        The practices of the savvy school leader presented in the following chapters are both aligned and supported by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards. Council of Chief School Officers (1996)

Standard 1

A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all student s by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community.

Standard 2

A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and an instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.

Standard 3

A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by ensuring management of organization, operations, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment.

Standard 4

A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing resources.

Standard 5

A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by acting with integrity, with fairness, and in and ethical manner.

Standard 6

A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context.

        Clark and Clark (1996) include in their definition of leadership, that it is a set of activities, observable to others. This definition combined with the suggestion from Cunningham and Cordeiro (2006) That leadership is shifting from a role of directing and controlling to one of guiding, facilitating, supporting, and coordinating efforts, provides an excellent introduction to the following chapters on the practices of a savvy school leader.

        The Nation Center for School Leadership (NCSL) identified five key aspects of the role of effective principals:

l. Defining and communicating a school’s educational mission

2. Coordinating curriculum

3. Supervising and supporting teachers.

4. Monitoring student progress

5. Nurturing a positive learning climate.

The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) suggest seven practices that are used by competent school principal, which have become benchmarks for standards adopted by several state departments of education, university preparation programs and  professional administration associations.

• Designing, implementing and evaluating a school culture improvement program that utilizes mutual staff and student efforts to formulate and attain school goals;
• Understanding political theory and applying political skills and building local, state and national support for education;
• Designing a systemic school curriculum that ensures both extensive cultural enrichment activities and mastery of fundamental as well as complex skill required in advanced problem solving and technological activities;
• Planning and implementing an instructional program that includes learning objectives, curriculum design, and instructional strategies with the aim of facilitating high levels of achievement;
• Designing staff development and evaluation systems to enhance the effectiveness of educational personnel;
• Allocating human, material and financial resources efficiently and accountably to ensure successful student learning;
• Conducting research and utilizing findings in decisions to improve long-range planning, school operations, and student learning.

I can remember the anxiety I experienced during my first few months serving as a junior- senior high school principal. How was I to arrange the order and priority of the many duties, responsibilities and challenges bombarding me from, what seemed to be all directions. My priorities needed to be established and fast, as the learning curve and what we call the “honeymoon” period is relatively short for new principals.

     The general expectation set for to me by superintendent, was that of maintaining student discipline and managing the school’s operation. However, soon I discovered that it was much more rewarding and appreciated by students and staff for me to take an active role in curriculum, instruction and assessment.  I had then found out that maintaining student discipline and managing the school operations, expected by the superintendent were easier because I got to know and worked closely with students and staff.  I became student focused, searching our opportunities to be with students, teachers and support staff, spending most of my day in classrooms, attending sports, music performances and even riding school buses.

Now, after thirty-five years serving as a principal and superintendent of schools, and from the past twelve years as a professor in the field of educational leadership, reviewing what had been written to date on instructional leadership, I strongly believe as the leading educational organizations in our country suggest that the school leader needs to serve as the instructional leader with a clear vision that focuses student achievement. If I was to spend most of my adult life, working in a field. I decided to practice my trade in a way that brought me the most satisfaction and at the same time, made a positive impact on the students and the adults I worked with.

               There are certain practices that effective school leaders employ to create and maintain high performing schools. The blog posts in this section will provide you some insight into the practices I have seen and experienced being used by the savvy school leaders I have known and highly respected.

                                                              BIBLOGRAPHY

Barth, R. (2006, March) Improving Relationships Within the School House,.  Educational Leadership, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Clark, K. E. and Clark, M. B. (1996). Choosing to Lead. Greensboro, NC Center for Creative Leadership.

Cunningham, W. G. and Cordeiro, P. A. (2006). Educational Leadership: A Problem-Based Approach. Pearson Publishing.

Hoy, A. W. and Hoy, W.K. (2006). Instructional Leadership – A Research-Based Guide to Learning in Schools. Pearson Publishing. 2

Leithwood, K., Riel, C. (2003). What do we already know about successful school leadership? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago.

Marzano, R. (2003). What Works in Schools: Translating Research in to Action. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Pounder, D. and Merrill, R. (2001). Job Desirability of the High School Principal: A Job Choice Theory Perspective. Educational Administration Quarterly 37 (1), 27-57.

                                             SUGGESTED READINGS

Barth, R. (2006, March) Improving Relationships Within the School House,.  Educational Leadership, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Marzano, R. (2003). What Works in Schools: Translating Research in to Action. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

“Executive presence goes beyond image and public speaking, to the core of what a powerful leadership persona is made of.” Paul Aldo (2014)

Introduction

            Welcome to post eleven on the characteristics of a savvy school leader.

Let’s have a conversation on the school leader exhibiting executive presence.

We have all known people that project a certain persona when they make an entrance. The way the individual walks, stands, speaks, dresses and their body language attracts our attention and commands immediate respect and even admiration. Their behavior promotes us to perceive him or her as a leader.  Sell yourself. Communicate confidence.

This means that you should think about your body language. Snowden and Gorton (2002) There is something about their tone of voice, vocal reflection, pace, stance or eye Contact that gives us the impression they are confident, secure and credible. Someone we can trust and believe in. This atmosphere surrounding the appearance of such a person is what Paul Aldo describes in his book Understanding Executive Presence (2014).

Ramsey (2002) says that when communicating with any party, it is imperative to make sure that the tone of voice, words and body gestures match in order to make the receiver of the information feel as ease. We all share a common social language, and that’s behavior. People see us, evaluate us and listen to us, through our behavior. We have all heard the expression that “perception is reality”. Executive presence is all about how others perceive us.

Symbolic leaders inspire us to act by their words and manner, as did Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and Winston Churchill. They appeal to emotions, using symbols to capture our attention. Shaw (2005).

       Through this post you will be introduced to the savvy school leader as exhibiting executive presence.

Questions to Focus the Conversation

          As you read through the text and reflect on the conversation presented in this post, please keep the following questions in mind to maintain a focus on the characteristics of a savvy school leader having executive presence.

• What does it mean to have executive presence?

• Why is it important for school leader to have executive presence?

• How does a school leader exhibit executive presence?

        Executive presence is a persona that we project to others through our behavior.  Is there something about how we behave that suggests to others we look or sound like a leader?  Physical expression is important in establishing our presence. Rebore (2014), suggests that physical expression is important to the principal because parents, teachers and students are always observing what they are doing and how they are doing it. Some of the most common types of physical expression are appearance, face and eye contact, gestures, orientation, posture, and touching.

Is there something about the way we make eye contact, walk into a room, shake hands or smile, that gives people the impression we are confident and secure. Anyone doubting this should watch an accomplished elected official such as former president Bill Clinton weave his way through an audience shaking hands, exchanges pleasantries, and conveying to virtually each individual, that he or she is special to him. Guthrie and Shuermann (2010).

  In a study of 225 teachers and school principals in forty-five states, Stephens and Valentine (19860 involved ten specific behaviors that relate to executive presence: smiles or frowns, eye contact, head nods, gestures, dress, interaction distance, touch, body movement, posture, and seating arrangement.

Lombardo and Eichinger (2006) have presented the nine expressive dimensions that the authors suggest are part of what it mean to have executive presence, referred to as the Lominger competencies.

Executive Presence Expression Dimensions and Leadership Competencies

 Aldo (2014

  Executive presence is much different than charismatic leadership. The myth is that charismatic leaders have a positive effect on the attitude of others and inspire them to perform at higher levels.  Michael Fullan (2001), in his book Leading in a Culture of Change notes that charismatic leaders inadvertently often do more harm than good because, at best, they provide episodic improvement followed by frustrated or despondent dependency. “Superhuman leaders also do us another disservice: they are role models who can never be emulated by large numbers.”                                             

Perception is reality, especially when it comes to establishing creditability and respect as a school leader. A sign of having executive presence, as stated by. Sally Williamson in her book The Hidden Factor: Executive presence (2011) where she said, executive presence defines a leader more than any other quality being measured.

When I hear the term executive presence, the face, disposition, voice and figure immediately reminds of, let’s call him George Weinenbach. George owned and operated the local oil and gas company, in the community where I served as a superintendent of schools.

I first met Mr. Weinenbach at a chamber of commerce meeting. As I sat eating breakfast and carrying on a conversation with the business leaders at my table, I became distracted by a man strolling up to our table. With a warm, welcoming smile, era of sophistication and low well-modulated voice he asked if he could sit with us. He waited until he heard or saw a positive motion from all of us before taking a seat. As he sat, he thanked everyone and pulled out a chair and slowly lowered himself in his chair.

Being new to the school district, I had not heard or met George Weinenback before this morning. Even without knowing Mr. Weinenbach, I immediately knew he was important, not due to being formally introduced, but through the self-confidence and poise he exhibited. When asked a question he hesitated and appeared to think about it before answering.  As someone spoke to him, he gave his undivided attention to the person. He took time to recognize the waitress by commenting on the food and service.

Following breakfast, the chamber president introduced Joe Weinenbach as the speaker for this morning’s meeting and that the topic would be the increase in sales tax being proposed by the county.  George stood, thanked everyone at the table for the great conversation and headed up to the front of the room.

Mr. Weinenbach started his talk by praising the chamber members for their commitment and dedication to making our community the best place in the county for families to raise children and people to conduct business. After clearly and concisely presenting both sides of the issue, without notes I noticed. He had done his homework on the issue.  George gave a passionate plea as to why the proposed sales tax hike would have a negative impact on local business. He expressed this passion in words and body language It wasn’t long into Mr. Weinenbach’s talk, that I knew not only his views on the topic of increasing sales tax, but his vision for the future economic growth of our community.

  It has been my experience that leadership is all about the creditability others have for your conviction and performance.              

“Presence telegraphs you leadership qualities to others.” Hewlett (2014)

             Through exhibiting executive presence a school leader is able to establish trust with others. According to Glanz (2002), leaders who have established trust, are empathetic, “putting people first and policy second”.  These leaders show empathy by listening to all perspectives, respond appropriately, remain committed to others and to the relationship.

Not only is the content of what you say important but the language you chose to deliver it will impact your position. A leader’s body language must always agree with what is coming out of his or he mouth. Goman (2011) said, a speaker must be poised and prepared to give information in a way that will uphold his or her credibility. When you speak, open your mouth and take your time. Mumbling suggests evasiveness, and rapid speech is synonymous with the stereotype of the “fast talking” salesman. Both will evoke resistance in your audience. Griffin (1994).

When someone with executive presence speaks, others take notice and have no doubt of the conviction behind the words. Dennis Sparks (2007), suggests that a person having executive presence cultivates clarity regarding the values and fundamental purposes that are important to themselves and to their organization. Granville Toogood (2005), says that individuals with executive presence, ask the right questions and listen attentively to the answers.

It is my belief that having executive presence is greatly need to be successful in our high stakes, socially diverse and increasing challenging educational environment

  Let’s end this post with a question for personal reflection, Have I ever met a person with an executive presence?  How did he or she behave that gave you that impression

 It is my hope that following our conversation, you have a clearer picture on the importance of having executive presence is to the school leader.

The Savvy School Leader Reflects on His or Her Practice:

Questions to Ask Ourselves for Professional and Personal Reflection

1. Who have I encountered who exhibits the traits of executive presence as offered by Paul Aldo?  If yes, what trait were most evident?

1.  Which of the traits of executive presence as offered by Paul Aldo do I need to work on?

• Is there a time when the way my school leader presented something, that my attitude toward him or her change?

•  What personal traits do I admire most about my school leader?

•   Can I think of one behavior that stuck out, the last time a person really impressed me?

• When I consider a person having executive presence, what are the other characteristics of a savvy school leader do I also see?

The Savvy School Leader Transforms Theory into Practice: Suggested Activities for Application

A  Think of a person you have known, who you believe to exhibit executive presence.

a List the executive presence characteristics you recognized in this person

b  Of the traits he or she exhibited, which did you most admire?

B  Observe your school leader make a presentation on such things as the goals for a new school year or to introduce a new program or procedure.

a      Identify the traits exhibited by the school leader that inspired you

b Identify the traits exhibited by the school leader that “turned you off”

c List the executive presence traits that would have made the school leader’s presentation more effective.

C Identify the executive presence traits presented in this chapter that you believe you routinely display

a Explain how, based on the traits presented in this chapter, you will improve upon or enhance your current level of executive presence.

                      Let’s Apply What We Now Know About the Savvy School Leader Having Executive Presence to a Real-Life Case Study

                                                      Case Study Analysis

The position of high school principal has just opened-up. This is the school you have been waiting for all your career. A.G. Bailey High School is the most progressive school in the district, just having gone fully digital a year ago.

 Dr. Allison Bakke is retiring after twenty-five years serving as principal. There have only been two principals since the school opened in 1985 under the leadership of Arthur G. Bailey.

The superintendent has interviewed you and decided to include you as one of five semi-finalists for the position. An interview has been scheduled, with a school community wide committee, including representatives: teachers, staff, students, parents, and community members.

You are preparing for the most important interview of you career. 

Group Discussion:

1. How will you present yourself at the interview?

• Indicate the actions you will take to establish credibility and trust with the interview committee.

• Most school staffs want a leader who they perceive as confident and secure. Explain how you will provide the interview committee with this perception

• List the characteristics of executive presence that will be a help as you face this important interview.  

                                                     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aldo, P. (2014). Understanding Executive Presence and How to Make it Work for You:  Gin Press.

Hewlett S.A. (2014). Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success.

Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco: Josey-Bass.

Glantz, J. (2002). Finding Your Own Leadership Style: A Guide for Educators. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Goman, C. K. (2011). The Silent Language of Leaders: How Body Language Can Help-or Hurt How Yu Lead. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Griffin, J. (1994). How To Say it Best. Englewook Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall

Guthrie, J. W. and Schuermann, P. J. (2010). Successful School Leadership: Planning, Politics Performance and Power. Pearson Publishing.

Lombardo, M., Eighinger, R. (2006). A Guide for Development and Coaching. Lominger International.

Ramsey, R. D. (2002). How to Say the Right Thing Every Time: Communicating Well With Students, Staff, parents and the Public. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Rebore, R. W. (2014). The Ethics of Educational Leadership. Ally & Bacon

Shaw, K. (2005). The Intentional Leader. Syracuse University Press.

Sparks, D. (2007).What it Means to be an Outside-the-Box Leader. Corwin Press

Stephens, P. and Valentine, J. (1986). Assessing Principal Non-Verbal Communications. Educational Leadership Quarterly 11 pp: 60-68.

Williamson, S. (2011). Hidden Factor: Executive Presence.

                                          SUGGESTED READINGS

Aldo, P. (2014). Understanding Executive Presence and How to Make it Work for You:  Gin Press.

Hewlett S.A. (2014). Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success.