Pitfalls of a First Year Principal

I am one class shy of finishing my graduate certificate in school administration and supervision from Johns Hopkins University. I've been asked to write a post predicting what might trip me up as a newbie adminstrator and explain how I would get past the skinned up knees and carry on with my leadership plans. My colleagues who know me well (or even not so well) would probably answer this the same way. When I become convinced of an effective plan of action or dream up an initiative I'm positive will work, I want to implement it instantly. I dismiss others' hesitations as insecurity and forge ahead confidently. Sometimes this "plan" works and I can fumble through the initial stages of development as it comes to fruition. Other times I find myself frustrated, isolated and cursing my lack of patience. These false starts will most likely come with the territory as a first year principal. I can think of several strategies, however, that can keep me on track. As in many professions, the possibilities of where to expend energy are positively endless. As a building administrator I would first make sure the faculty was on board with a shared vision so all curricular and programatic decisions would align with its goals. A leader is rarely choosing between good and bad, but most often is deciding between good and better. Secondly, I would assemble a leadership team who would temper my enthusiasm with heavy doses of reality. Shared decision making leads to shared responsibility for its implementation. A strong leader sees the potential in others and taps in to their creativity, leadership skills, expertise and passions to build a strong program. Most importantly, I would readily admit to mistakes and model the disposition of a life-long learner to the faculty and students. Teachers would see themselves as part of a professional learning community where collaboration and reflective practice is expected. I am thankful to the administrators who saw me as a teacher leader and allowed me to quietly hone my skills. Those experiences, coupled with this past year of course work, have well prepared me to reach my professional goals--but I'll be keeping the Band-Aids handy!

Wanted: Fearless (Curriculum) Leaders

A hundred years ago, colleges were determining the elementary and secondary curriculum. The humanities had to take a back seat to science and math, and effective teaching methods were determined in a scientific fashion. Later, the work of Dewey and Piaget brought child development to the forefront and curricular experts responded in fashion. During the time of Scholarly Structuralism (1957-1967) academic scholars had a voice in developing content specific curriculum. They determined requirements that should be attained by high school graduates and these “suggestions” were adopted in most schools. Education in the late 60s and early 70’s was what you might guess- student centered to the extreme, buildings with no principals being run by teachers whose main goal was to let children discover their interests and direct their learning. The reaction to this time, Privatistic Conservatism (1975- 1989) was the antithesis of the prior philosophies. School reform, rigorous curriculum and the Critical Thinking movement was designed to prepare students for a technological environment. What naturally followed was an even greater focus on the use of computers and a push for states to communicate and assess educational standards. The No Child Left Behind Act was signed in to law in 2001. NCLB was highly controversial as government funding was directly tied to student achievement. Voucher programs which give families more choice in their child’s education popped up around the country threatening the viability of public schools. This brief (and admittedly incomplete) history of curricular trends in education, illustrate how responsive our profession must be to the societal and political landscape of the times.

Today, technology, specifically the internet, is forcing educational leaders to continually revise curricular expectations. Our students will live in an uber-connected global society with information overload as a daily norm. What constitutes as “digital literacy” changes from day to day and the soft skills a high school graduate will need are becoming much more important than some of the hard ones. We ask ourselves, “What should our students master before they leave us?” We used to take the answer to that question and proceed to design an educational experience that would culminate in a student stepping off the stage armed with the necessary tools to succeed. It is no longer that simple. The society waiting to embrace that graduate has much to say about whom they want her to be and the wish-list seems to change too fast for educators to keep up.

Successful educational leaders are connected to the school community, the local community and the global community. They insist on keeping up with advances in technology and are constantly asking if their curriculum is relevant. They hire teachers not for their mastery of a content subject, but rather for their ability to adapt, to learn and to respond to the needs of a diverse student body. They accept the fact that there will not be a return to “traditional” education, and willingly move in to un-chartered waters. Educational leaders brave the unknown in order to secure the unknown: their students’ future.