THE LEADERSHIP PLATFORM

CANDACE S. WILLIAMS

THE LEADERSHIP ROLE

One of the most important responsibilities of being a leader is the development of the people you lead. The focus of a great leader is about paying attention to the people being led and unleashing their full potential. Leadership is ultimately about the ability to influence others.
DuFour & Marzano, 2011

SERVANT LEADERSHIP
In 1970, Robert Greenleaf stated the servant-leader is servant first. Peter Senge also recognized servant leadership as coaching, influencing, and empowering subordinates to participate in learning communities. Senge also stated that leaders are responsible for helping individuals expand their capacity to shape their future. I believe a leader needs to be willing to serve first and help others in their development as their first priority.

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE
LOCATION
URBAN, ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AREA

ENROLLMENT
PRE-K THROUGH 8TH GRADE STUDENTS HOUSED IN 4 SECTIONS: PRE-K, K-4, 5-6, AND 7-8 3 SECTIONS PER GRADE LEVEL 20 STUDENTS PER CLASSROOM K-8 15 STUDENTS PER PRE-K CLASSROOM TOTAL ENROLLMENT OF 585 STUDENTS

STUDENT POPULATION

96% AFRICAN-AMERICAN
4% HISPANIC, WHITE, ARABIC PREDOMINANTLY ENGLISHSPEAKING LANGUAGE BARRIERS WILL BE ADDRESSED AND MET IN A SUPPORTIVE MANNER

PORTFOLIO REFLECTION PROJECT

PORTFOLIOS WILL BE CREATED FOR EACH STUDENT BEGINNING IN KINDERGARTEN AND CONTINUING THROUGH 8TH GRADE THE PURPOSE OF THE PORTFOLIO IS TO IDENTIFY STUDENT INTERESTS THE PORTFOLIO WILL COMPILE MEANINGFUL WORK PRODUCT THE PORTFOLIO WILL SERVE TO TRACK GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT STUDENTS AND PARENTS WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE PORTFOLIO

THE PORTFOLIO WILL ALSO IDENTIFY PERSONAL GOALS

PARTNERSHIPS
COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
PARTNER WITH AT LEAST 4 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO SUPPORT THE INSTRUCTINAL GOALS OF THE SCHOOL
ENHANCE CO-TEACHING PROGRAM CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-QUALITY GRADUATING TEACHERS

SOCIAL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS

SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND FAMILIES

EXTENDED DAY, AFTERSCHOOL & SATURDAY SCHOOL PROGRAMS

3P 6P MONDAY FRIDAY
9A 1P SATURDAYS OFFER TO ENROLLED STUDENTS AND OUTSIDE STUDENTS WITH REGISTRATION ASSIST IN MEETING STUDENT EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OFFER NON-TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS SUCH AS PHOTOGRAPHY, THEATER, CARPENTRY, AND OTHER SCIENCE & ARTS-RELATED SUBJECTS

LOCAL FOOD BANK TO SUPPORT NUTRITIONAL NEEDS OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DAY
OFFER BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND SNACK AS PART OF FEDERAL MEAL PROGRAMS

INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM
READING, WRITING, LANGUAGE ARTS, TECHNOLOGY, MATH, SOCIAL STUDIES, AND SCIENCE WILL BE OFFERED AS CORE COMPONENTS A HEAVY EMPHASIS WILL BE PLACED ON THE SUBJECT OF READING AND ITS RELATED SKILLS PHYSICAL EDUCATION, ART AND MUSIC EDUCATION AND 3 FOREIGN LANGUAGES WILL BE OFFERED THE ORGANIZATION WILL DEVELOP EFFECTIVE METHODS OF EVALUATION THAT DO NOT RELY SOLELY ON PAPER AND PENCIL TESTS AND EVALUATION

FINANCIAL PROFILE
THE SCHOOL WILL UTILIZE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING SOURCES THE ORGANIZATION WILL SECURE 30% OF ITS OVERALL REVENUE FROM GRANTS AND DONATIONS AS A 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION FUNDING STREAMS MUST BE ADEQUATE AND CONSISTENT

PROFESSIONAL STAFF
EXPERIENCE
EMPLOY INEXPERIENCED, RECENT GRADUATES
EMPLOY EXPERIENCED, VETERAN TEACHERS EMPLOY TEACHERS THAT FALL WITHIN THIS RANGE STAFF WILL BE EXPECTED TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER

DEMOGRAPHICS
55% FEMALES 45% MALES

RACIAL BACKGROUND

35% AFRICAN-AMERICAN
35% WHITE 30% HISPANIC, RUSSIAN, ARABIC AND OTHER RACES

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
COLLABORATIVE CULTURE
Collaborative cultures value individuals and individuality because they value people in their own right and for how they contribute to the group. Fullan & Hargreaves, 2012 Leaders who are able to build and sustain a strong community of leaders will thrive in the future Molinaro, 2013

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF LEADERSHIP

REFLECTION Reflection allows for strategic thinking and concise review that may allow things to be seen from new perspectives and looks at every challenge by asking whether tools are being leveraged as fully as possible; whether time and talent are being used as thoughtfully as possible; and whether funds are being spent as effectively as possible. Hess, 2013

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF LEADERSHIP

Establishing, monitoring, and modeling an organizations mission, vision, and policies is a difficult task; however, without direction the organization will become dysfunctional.

SHARED LEADERSHIP
This illuminates the importance of the leader ensuring that colleagues understand the organizations mission and their role in fulfilling it and have the training and tools needed to achieve their goals. Keith, 2008

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF LEADERSHIP

SET HIGH EXPECTATIONS THAT ARE CLEAR, CONCISE AND COMMUNICATED FREQUENTLY Establishing, maintaining, and modeling high expectations as the leader and also for others requires discipline and also exhibiting a delicate balance between managerial and leadership skills. As a servant-leader, the greatest focus on the leader happens in relation to modeling expectations.

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF LEADERSHIP

The organizations vision, values, and goals trump ego and self-interest. This means balancing self-confidence with humility. You also need to set the bar high for yourself as a leader because mediocrity in leadership isnt acceptable. Molinaro, 2013 One of the examples it will be vital for the leader to exemplify is the ability to collaborate with others and work as a team with shared leadership, accountability, goals, and vision. Leaders are not born. Leadership is a quality that is developed through perseverance, personal commitment, selfless interests, and willingness to improve at all costs.

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF LEADERSHIP

FACILITATING CHANGE Sustaining change requires understanding the reinforcing growth processes and what is needed to catalyze them and addressing the limits that keep change from occurring Kleiner, 1999

PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF LEADERSHIP

COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS The community of leaders is based on the reality that no one leader will have the answer; therefore, collaboration is vital to the success of the organization Molinaro, 2013 It is the process of building shared knowledge and the collaborative dialogue about that shared knowledge that builds the capacity of staff to function as highperforming teams DuFour & Marzano, 2011

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Aligned with organizational mission and vision Aligned with individual interests and needs

MISSION AND VISION STATEMENTS

Mission Statement To teach skills relevant to the 21st century that will produce lifelong learners and promote multiculturalism, personal responsibility, and social and community awareness. Vision Statement To develop a community of lifelong learners that pursue continuous personal development and make positive contributions to their community

ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS
MULTICULTURALISM
To explore, experience, and discuss various cultures as they relate to history, the present and the future and to further understand the influence of various cultures upon individuals, groups and organizations

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

To develop professional learning communities amongst and within the staff, parent, and students and illustrate the organizations dependence upon these communities in relation to achievement and forward movement

CO-TEACHING
To implement co-teaching models in an effective manner to better meet student needs, organizational goals, and support professional growth through mentoring, accountability, and collaboration The co-teaching model will allow for one teacher to have a schedule of 7:00am to 3:00pm and a second teacher to have a schedule of 10:00am to 6:00pm four days per week. Teachers will have the same start and end time schedule one day per week.

*This goal is the foundation of the organization.

IMPLEMENTATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL GOAL: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY Students

Parents Families

Local, state, and federal organizations

Governing Authority
Founders and developers

School Leaders and administrators Teachers and staff Community Partnerships