Needs Assessment: Collaboration and Communication Collaborating with the school administration team, I was able to gain suffice information about the needs of the school as well as the needs from the community. I was given information about the academic needs of the students as well as the school’s improvement plan, which consists of the school needs assessment. Analyzing the needs assessment and test score data, there is a need for academic improvement is needed in the content areas of English-Language Arts and Math. The school is in need of strategies to improve scores in these areas, but the community can play an integral part in helping to provide the necessary resources, tools, and materials to enhance student learning in these areas. This could be established by community-school partnerships, if the school effectively communicates to the community their need for academic assistance. This can be achieved at PTO meetings, school activities, and local colleges or universities. The PTO of the school realizes that the school is in need of parent support and involvement. There is not enough parent support to develop a wholesome committee. The school is still in need of a Vice President and Secretary to operate the committee successfully. Although administration and teachers are involved in this organization, parents should be also, as the PTO primary goals are to promote child welfare in the home, school, and community. Looking at the community involvement from the PTO viewpoint more support is needed from the community also. Nevertheless, they extend their invitation to local business and non-parent supporters surrounding the school to have their voice and opinion heard concerning school and community issues, but there are... ... middle of paper ... ...er, and what we want to achieve. Involving citizens in cooperative learning practices, partnerships, and other means to make full use of learning resources in the community is a plus and promotes achievements (Moore, et.al, 2012). The last issue to address is leadership. This role is challenging, but with commitment and determination it can be done. Strategies that I can take to encourage great leadership is to first build trust and confidence by fulfilling the school’s mission, vision, policy, and working environment (Drexler, 2007) on a daily basis. To be involved in school activities, in the classroom, at PTO meetings, and community affiliations will establish strong leadership skills. Providing valuable feedback, strategically planning to improve the school, and encouraging community support are other strategies that can be used to enhance leadership.
“Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow” (Kouzes and Posner, p. 30). Over the past two years, Sunshine Elementary School has experienced an extremely high turnover rate. To reduce and improve past destruction, staff will learn to model the way by demonstrating the values set forth by myself. The values are the standard that will assist in the development of an organization filled with a variety of leadership that will create an atmosphere of a superb leadership growth school wide. Sunshine Elementary School (SES) is the pilot for this leadership development blueprint for Pflugerville Independent
A flurry of solutions has been suggested, ranging from school uniforms to government grants. Unfortunately, many of these solutions are merely superficial. Uniforms, Internet access, and new buildings will do little to help overcrowded classrooms, overworked teachers, and disinterested students. The most obvious answer seems to lie in government grants to remedy buildings and supplies and standardized testing to confirm the quality of every education.
Two years ago School District 74 organized a series of leadership workshops designed to strengthen the leadership performance of school administration and teaching staff. Participants were encouraged to think of themselves as leaders and to identify situations in which they were or could be leaders. The idea seemed to be not only that our school system will be improved through the development of strong leadership (on its own an important recognition), but also that anyone (and everyone) can be a leader in his or her own position within the system. This is a ridiculous idea. If leadership is approached as the only label that designates personal merit or importance, then the implication is that followers are less capable, less thoughtful and less important than leaders. If everyone is a leader, then the idea of leadership quickly loses its meaning; leadership implies followership, and without followers leaders could never lead effectively. Past emphasis on leadership has largely ignored the reciprocal relationship between leadership and followership. The purpose of this paper is to briefly discuss followership, and to acknowledge its importance to organizations, especially school systems.
By sharing responsibilities of leadership, staff will collaborate, learn, and be more effective (Nappi, 2014, p. 29). Administrators are the leaders but the silent leaders that run the school at Centreville High School are the different teacher leaders and they make up as the Instructional Coach, Testing Coordinator, Cooperation Team Leads, Instructional Leadership team, School and Safety, Activities Director, and Mentors. All of these leaders make up the school and allow for a more efficient running school. Many administrators encourage teachers to take the role of leader to see the potential and allow for creativity and differences in the school and many teachers know the history of the school. The teacher leaders know their colleagues
Educational Leadership, 56 (6), pp1+. Retrieved on April 2, 2002 from the World Wide Web http://www.ascd.org/readingroom/edlead/9903/extpopham.html.
This engagement must be to involve the stakeholders in the school. The district and school leaders must encourage the community belief that if the school is successful the surrounding community will be successful. Through this partnership the time, talent and treasure of the stakeholders must be solicited to ensure the success of the school. Reciprocity of this investment should be given as well. Students could be required to participate in community service within the neighborhood or take responsibility for cleaning parcels of the area.
In my quest to find a school for my kids, I was disappointed by what my options were. Being that my kids and I are a low-income family we also have limited housing options, were there are the better schools. I decided to give the local area schools the benefit of the doubt and enroll my two kids, Mikkayla and Pharoah. Over the school years I made notes on the things that I saw and learned about the schools and my neighborhood. My goals are to establish ways to improve the school system and help bring about change in the school’s neighborhood.
In professional learning communities, administrators and teachers share a vision for learning and address the needs of all learners. They are “collaborative teams whose members work interdependently to achieve common goals linked to the purpose of student learning” (DuFour, 2006, p.3). Increasing student achievement is at the forefront of the purpose. A professional learning community possesses: (1) shared mission and vision, (2) collective inquiry, (3) shared leadership, (4) action orientation, (5) collective learning, and (6) a focus on results (DuFour & Eaker, 1998; Hord, 1997).
The entire community plays an essential role in the growth and development of children within our community. As a school leader, building an inclusive school culture that is open and friendly to all stakeholders using a variety of effective methods is crucial. There is no magic formula to incorporating a positive school culture, much depends on the leadership of the campus. The leadership on campus cultivates the climate providing support and respect for everyone invested in the student’s education.
Teacher’s leadership roles are based on the understanding that teachers because they have daily contacts with learners, are in the best position to make critical decisions about the students. Teachers need to create a positive learning relationship between them and the students. Teachers can do this by establishing classroom routines and expectations that directly affect the student by engaging the student in the learning process. To be a great leader in the classroom, you must allow the children to lead sometime.
Building Leadership Capacity in Schools by Linda Lambert touched on a number of key ideas. Lambert provided examples from different schools, principals, and her experiences on obtaining and sustaining leadership capacity while developing her character. Lambert points out that to build leadership capacity in schools there should be participation by parents, students, and staff. Also these are the same characteristic as to becoming a great character in society. In this paper I will talk about the staff and there level of participation. Lambert points out that conversation with individuals about their roles as a leader should take place as individuals take on the task of leadership and character development. One key element in the text was the level of participation and degree of skillfulness for leadership capacity while trying to discover your character. Another element in the text that I found key was to break the dependency relationships on staff and the principal. As we work toward building leadership capacity and charcter, it will take time and time is a big factor on building leadership capacity because there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done that we would like to do without strategically planning leadership meetings.
My main vision encompassed providing administrators, teachers, students and parents with the resources necessary to achieve high levels of learning and academic performance. As one of the school leaders for a school with alternative setting, I believe that our over-aged and under-credited students can achieve and become prepared to enter in a post –secondary educational program
We have a responsibility to cultivate a sense of community and belonging. The quote, “It takes a village to raise a child”, rings true in so many ways. Education is a collaborative effort that needs leadership and a strong vision. Co-operation among all stakeholders is essential. A community is an essential extension of a school. Relationships between a school and its’ community, whether educational, entrepreneurial, co-operative or charitable, should not just be encouraged but pursued.
The partnership may involve use of school or neighbours facilities and equipment, sharing other resources, collaborative fund raising and grant applications, volunteer assistance, mentoring and training from professionals and others with special expertise, information sharing and dissemination, networking, recognition and public relations, shared responsibility for planning, implementation and evaluation of programs and services, expanding opportunities for internships, jobs, recreation and building a sense of community.
Education is a very important aspect in the life of a child. The level of success a student has in the classroom is greatly influenced by their teachers. Students, as well as their parents, depend on the teachers to guide them through their education. But who guides a teacher to perform successfully in the classroom? Principals and teachers play an important role in schools. A good relationship among school leaders and teachers is necessary and play an important role in making improvements in the school. Leadership refers to the “process in which one person successfully exerts influence over others to reach desired objectives”. (Okoji, 2015) Good leadership involves honesty, vision, confidence and commitment. It is the ability to inspire a