Clinical Field Experience E: Strategic Leadership and Management Functions in Practice

Jessica Quap

Grand Canyon University

EAD-536-O500: Strategic Leadership and Management in a Principalship

Dr. Reida Roberts

July 23, 2021

 Clinical Field Experience E: Strategic Leadership and Management Functions in Practice

Today I spoke with my principal and superintendent to discuss strategic leadership and

their management functions on a daily basis. Both are very involved in the community and are

very well resected. Superintendent Andrus said the best way for him to be in tune with the

community and its needs is to become a member of any board that fits his interests. He is

currently on the parks and community outreach committee. He attends meetings in which they

discuss the needs of the community and allocate and locate resources for needs. My principal

attends all city council meetings is always listening for opportunities for the campus to be

involved in all celebrations in town. We are blessed to be a small community that has a square

where we regularly hold event that our band and spirit teams participate.

In terms of community resources for our campus, our principal said that our student

council and MSST departments regularly reach out to social services and organization within the

community when a family is in need of things such as housing, clothing and shelter. They also

partner with a few local businesses to help set up jobs for families in need. This falls into the

ethical responsibility we have as school leaders to see our community as as a part of our campus

and an extension of our responsibility to advocate for and provide leadership. One of the biggest

factors in student success is family and community involvement. The more of a partnership we

can form with the community, the stronger our connection to families becomes and our outreach

is able to spread further than just our campus walls.

When I asked them about transparency, they both agreed that it is vital to be as

transparent as you can with community resources. For example, if we are partnering with United

Supermarket to give out 100 school supply back packs at the beginning of the school year, we

are going to be able to share that partnership with the community; however, if we are utilizing
our women’s auxiliary to provide meals and clothing for a family, we are going to do that

privately and at the school board meeting only mention our partnership was able to help a local

family. He further stated that we must be very careful as to not accept any monetary benefits

from community organizations unless those funds are going directly to students and families. We

could get into legal trouble if we accepted any money from organizations that would not be

reported properly through TEA, so we just refrain from doing that for the most part. If a

company wants to give us money to purchase flowers for our flowerbed that is one thing but to

give money to our principal or superintendent for discretionary use would be unethical and

inappropriate.

Our mission and vision are centered around student success and pride in our community.

Through our involvement in the community and with families we are furthering our cause by

adding in the critical layer of family and community support student need most. Being in a small

community is amazing and is the only way I will go from now on. I have been in larger school

districts, and it seems that the school involvement in the community does not go as deep as with

a small town. We are all Slaton Tigers in Slaton, Texas and all very proud of it.