639 Knowledgeable and supportive school leadership

Knowledgeable and supportive school leadership

Bishop, R., O’Sullivan, D., & Berryman, M. (2010). Scaling up education reform. Addressing the politics of disparity. Wellington: NZCER Press.

This chapter highlights 6 key attributes to effective leadership.  

• The use of measureable goals that enable progress to be monitored. 
• Leaders must support the development and implementation of new pedagogic practice and interactions within the classroom.  
• The implementation of changes in the organisational structure and 
• spreading the reform to include staff, parents and community.  
• Developing the capacity of people and systems that use data to improve student achievement.  
• Promoting ownership of the reform within the school.

639 Reading Key challenges for educational leaders

Key challenges for educational leaders

Duignan, P. (2006). Educational leadership. Key challenges and ethical tensions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

This text considers some of the difficulties educational leaders face, such as dealing with underperforming staff, implementing change, work/life balance, and dealing with confrontational student behaviour. 

It notes that successful leaders develop and communicate a clear, purposeful vision and develop strong relationships with their staff to support the permeation of the values.  Dealing with issues and difficult tasks in a timely manner supports the building of trust and ensures the strategic sense of development can progress.  Ensuring there is time to reflect, relax and regroup is important to all levels of leadership and this must be considered and planned for. 

My thoughts –

-          In a teaching principal position many of the relationship/communication issues highlighted in this text seem to be more manageable.  Perhaps because of the small number of staff to develop relationships with, and also the closeness within which we work.  Dealing with difficult issues quickly is difficult, but if the students are kept as the priority in the situation it is easier to make necessary decisions.

10 claims about successful school leadership

10 claims about successful school leadership

Day, C., Sammons, P., Hopkins, D., Harris, A., Leithwood, K., Gu, Q., & Brown, E. (2010). 10 Strong Claims about successful school leadership. Nottingham: National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services

This article outlines the findings from a three year study in the UK.  It follows on from a previous study.  It concludes that there is no one set model for successful leadership within a school.  However successful leaders use the same set of skills and actions within a flexible structure to meet the needs of their institution.  Key elements of leadership within this study include; having a strong ethical and moral purpose; building layers on leadership within the school; flexibility based on the needs of the school; and having trust and trustworthiness with the staff, students and community.

"Successful leaders:

• – define their values and vision to raise expectations, set direction and build trust
• – reshape the conditions for teaching and learning
• – restructure parts of the organisation and redesign leadership roles and responsibilities
• – enrich the curriculum
• – enhance teacher quality
• – enhance the quality of teaching and learning
• – build collaboration internally
• – build strong relationships outside the school community "

2014's learning journey

A new year a new challenge

This year brings a great change of pace.  Study leave!  This year I will be working away at 4 courses.  This will complete my Master's of Education - endorsed in Leadership.  While the courses will challenge me, I am hoping the time frame won't.  Having completed 3 courses last year while working, I am hoping I will be able to use this year as a re-charger year as well.

So this year's courses:

1. EDEM634 - leadership of learning
2. EDEM637 - Distributing leadership for learning
3. EDEM638 - Curriculum Leadership
4. EDEM639 - Leadership for School and Centre Improvement

What I hope to gain from this is a refinement of my skills as a leader, strategies to improve outcomes for my school, or any school I am fortunate enough to work with, and some new knowledge that I didn't know I didn't know :)