Running head: EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP PLATFORM
Educational Leadership Platform
Stephen Pottage
City University of Seattle
EEA 535
Mr. Dave Khatib
July 14, 2014
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Educational Leadership Platform
Introduction
Over the last two years, my understanding of effective leadership has changed
considerably. Much of my leadership experience and exposure, before I became an
administrator, was the result of my participation in competitive sports. As a coach I believed that
it was my responsibility to motivate, inspire and unite individuals towards a common goal, to
hold people accountable, and to demand the very best effort and attitude at all times. As I moved
into educational leadership positions – first as a curriculum leader and then most recently a Vice
Principal - I found the skills I had developed as a coach transferred to my new positions and
aided me in building rapport and trust with my colleagues. I also discovered that there was much
more to leadership than simply being a good communicator and that my identity and
effectiveness as a leader would require dedication, education and perseverance. According to
Kouzes and Posner (2012), “Accepting the leadership challenge requires practice, reflection,
humility, and commitment to making a difference” (p.6).
During my time as an administrator, I have engaged in a variety of professional
development activities (e.g., conferences, mentorship programs) but none have been as
educational or worthwhile as my participation in the CityU cohort. I have become fully
immersed and engaged in educational research and theory, and I am already thinking of ways
that I can introduce researched-based practice and discussion to our weekly admin team meetings
and how I can use research to build capacity in my teachers. The writers and researchers that
have inspired me the most, and caused the deepest reflection in my current practice are Kouzes
& Posner, Sinek, Hallinger, Whitaker, Barth and Fullan.
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The leadership style that I currently most identify with is the leadership for learning
model. This model encompasses elements from a variety of leadership styles, such as
instructional leadership, transformational leadership and shared leadership. The leadership for
learning model appeals to me because of the importance and emphasis placed on learning and the
learner. According to Hallinger (2011), “Leadership for learning describes approaches that
school leaders employ to achieve important school outcomes with a particular focus on student
learning” (p.126). I am very excited to apply the concepts of the leadership for learning model
to our upcoming high school redesign initiative because of how closely it aligns to the learnercentred vision of Inspiring Education (Alberta Education, 2010).
Vision and Mission
I believe in the vision of Inspiring Education. Our current system, which has remained
largely unchanged in over a century, focuses too much on the delivery of and recall of content,
and not enough on the individual needs and abilities of the learner (Fijal, 2013). A system that
equates time to learning discourages innovative practice, does not account for advances in
technology and alternative instructional methods that can improve student achievement, and
ignores students who struggle in traditional classrooms (Cavanagh, 2012). Our schools need to
become more learner-centred and provide individualized, cross-curricular and authentic learning
opportunities to better meet the demands of 21st century industry and society.
Moving forward, the priority of our educational system needs to focus on learning, but
there also needs to be a greater emphasis placed on moral development and societal identity and
contribution. Students who graduate from my high school will be engaged thinkers, and ethical
citizens who demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit (Alberta Education, 2010).
Engaged Thinker
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Graduates from my school are creative, independent and critical thinkers. They are able
to clearly and creatively explain concepts to others, and can develop and apply a variety of
methods to problem solving. My graduates understand how to listen objectively and analyze
multiple viewpoints. They ask a lot of questions and they use technology on a daily basis to
explore, create and publish. They work collaboratively with peers and support the learning of
others. My graduates are comfortable in both the leader and follower roles. They pursue their
passions and demonstrate life-long learning. They are inquisitive, out-going and personable.
Ethical Citizen
Graduates from my school show respect to others, their community and the environment.
They contribute to society by engaging in ongoing communal discussion, by exercising their
democratic right and responsibility to vote, and by staying informed on local, national and
international news. My graduates understand the importance of relationship building and
communication and make it a priority to always be on good terms with people. They value and
celebrate diversity. They understand the benefits of good health practices and place a priority on
daily exercise and healthy eating.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Graduates from my school dream big and have the courage, motivation and
resourcefulness to pursue their dreams. They understand that innovation comes from risk-taking
and they are not afraid to fail. They have the confidence to try new things and to make difficult
decisions. My graduates always strive for their personal excellence and refuse to settle for
average. They are always looking for opportunities to further their career and education. They
are competitive, self-reliant and resilient.
Leadership Beliefs
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Effective leaders involve all stakeholders in developing a shared vision, and inspire and
motivate others in pursuit of that vision (Barth, 1990b; Hallinger, 2011; Kouzes & Posner, 2012;
Leithwood, Harris & Hopkins, 2008; Shannon & Bylsma, 2008). A shared vision provides
direction and purpose for teacher collaboration, aligned teaching practices, and common
outcomes and assessments. When others are involved in the vision building, they are
empowered and feel more motivated in helping to create a better world. According to Kouzes
and Posner (2012), “Unity of purpose is forged when you show your constituents how the dream
is a shared dream and how it fulfills the common good” (p. 18). The primary considerations
when developing the vision should be improving student achievement, motivation and
development. Schools that align their programs and practices with the foci of their vision are
more likely to positively impact student achievement than uncoordinated systems (Shannon &
Bylsma, 2008).
Effective leaders build a collaborative community whose common goals are aligned
practices and student achievement. Collaborative practices promote ongoing professional
discussion and reflection of the school’s shared vision. Teachers work together to plan, design
and assess curriculum with students’ achievement as the number one priority. According to
Little, several important outcomes, for both teachers and students, result from teacher
collegiality:
Decisions tend to be better; implementation of decisions is better; there is a higher level
of morale and trust among adults; adult learning is energized and more likely to be
sustained. There is even some evidence that motivation of students and their
achievement rises, and evidence that when adults share and cooperate, students tend to do
the same. (as cited in Barth, 1990, p. 31)
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Effective leaders must support collaborative practices by setting aside common planning
and marking time, assigning teachers to curricular teams, modeling collaborative practices, and
supporting professional development activities that reinforce and engage collaboration.
Effective leaders take risks and give permission for others to fail (Fullan, 2011). To
improve student achievement and learning, leaders need to empower teachers to be innovative
and to try new practices and processes. In order to promote innovative practices, leaders must
model risk-taking to their constituents, and create an environment where mistakes are not
negatively judged (Fullan, 2011).
Description of an Effective School
My school will place the learner at the centre of all decisions relating to their learning
(Alberta Education, 2010). Learners’ interests, passions and strengths will be pursued and
developed through non-traditional delivery models such as, authentic learning opportunities, flex
blocks and independent inquiry-based learning (Cavanagh, 2012).
An effective school needs effective leadership. Leadership is second to only classroom
instruction for in-school factors that contribute to student achievement (Leithwood, University of
Minnesota., Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto., & Wallace
Foundation, 2004). The leadership team will develop a school-wide vision and set high
expectations focused on student learning and achievement. Leadership will be distributed
throughout the building based on common subject areas, interests, knowledge, skills and roles
(Shannon & Bylsma, 2007).
School stakeholders will engage in ongoing collaborative and cooperative practices.
Students will use cooperative practices to solve problems, explore and discover interests and
concerns, and develop teamwork and cooperative skills. Teachers will use collaborative
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practices to align curriculum, instruction and assessment to provincial standards and to improve
instruction through the sharing of methods, practices and resources (Klevgaard, Baharally,
Shepherd & Thibeau, 2013).
The education of our students is the shared responsibility of teachers, parents, community
members and the students themselves (Alberta Education, 2010; Gordon & Louis, 2009;
Shannon & Bylsma, 2007). Research by Henderson and Mapp (2002) demonstrate that family
involvement is a key factor in a student’s achievement and that the benefits for students include
improved behavior and attendance, increased social skills, enrollment in more academic classes
and higher marks. Administrators and teachers will build collaborative relationships with parents
and the community to support and link outside learning to the desired outcomes of the school
(Henderson & Mapp, 2002).
Conclusion
As an educational leader it is my responsibility to make learning the school’s number one
priority. I will model and encourage risk-taking to explore better methods and practices. I will
support the individual needs, interests and passions of my students by exploring alternative
delivery methods and offering non-traditional authentic learning opportunities. Finally, my
schools will always demonstrate ongoing collaborative practices. For me, effective collaboration
can significantly impact teacher morale, and improve practice and student achievement,
regardless of the state of the school. As Schmoker (2005) states:
If there is anything that the research community agrees on, it is this: The right kind of
continuous, structured teacher collaboration improves the quality of teaching and pays
big, often immediate, dividends in student learning and professional morale in virtually
any setting. (p. xii)
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References
Alberta Education. (2010). Inspiring education: A dialogue with Albertans. Retrieved from
https://inspiring.education.alberta.ca/what-is-inspiring-education/
Barth, R. S. (1990). Improving schools from within: Teachers, parents, and principals can make
the difference. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Cavanagh, S. (2012). States loosening entrenched 'seat time' requirements. Education Week,
31(23), S12-S15.
Fijal, G. (2013, February 21). High school flexibility enhancement pilot project: A summary
report. Retrieved from http://ideas.education.alberta.ca/hsc/current-projects/flexibilityenhancement-pilot/
Fullan, M. (2011). Change leader: Learning to do what matters most. Hoboken, NJ: JosseyBass.
Gordon, M. F., & Louis, K. (2009). Linking parent and community involvement with student
achievement: comparing principal and teacher perceptions of stakeholder influence.
American Journal Of Education, 116(1), 1-31.
Hallinger, P. (2011). Leadership for learning: Lessons from 40 years of empirical research.
Journal of Educational Administration, 49(2), 125-142.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09578231111116699
Henderson, A.T., & Mapp, K.L. (2002). A new wave of evidence: The impact of school, family,
and community connections on student achievement. Austin, TX: Southwest Educational
Development Laboratory.
Klevgaard, J., Baharally, N., Shepherd, M., & Thibeau, J. (2013). Imagine there's no carnegie
unit. Principal Leadership, 14(1), 30-35.
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Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary
Things Happen in Organizations (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
Leithwood, K., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2008). Seven strong claims about successful school
leadership. School Leadership & Management, 28(1), 27-42.
doi:10.1080/13632430701800060
Leithwood, K. A., University of Minnesota., Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the
University of Toronto., & Wallace Foundation. (2004). How leadership influences
student learning: Review of research. Minneapolis, MN: Center for Applied Research
and Educational Improvement, University of Minnesota.
Schmoker, M. (2005). Forward. Here and now: Improved teaching and learning. In DuFour, R.,
Eaker, R., & DuFour, R (Eds.). On Common Ground: The Power of Professional
Learning Communities. Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service.
Shannon, G. S., & Bylsma, P. (2007). Nine characteristics of high-performing schools: A
research-based resource for schools and districts to assist with improving student
learning. Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.