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Identifying and Empowering Instructional Leaders

Irving Barraza

College of Education, Grand Canyon University

EAD 533: Developing and Empowering Instructional Leaders

Barbara Erwin

January 24th, 2024

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Identifying and Empowering Instructional Leaders

Structure and objectivity should be involved in the process of identifying potential

candidates for leadership roles. To select leaders who will fulfill their responsibilities the school

administrator must have an established set of procedures for the selection process. For this

assignment, I have read the case study and will discuss my action plan for identifying and

empowering instructional leaders.

Analyze the Case

To begin analyzing the case scenario, I first began by identifying the stakeholders

involved and who should be included in the conversations. I determined that I would involve the

current members of the administrative team in this process, including myself, the assistant

principal, and instructional coaches. To begin I would meet with this team and we would discuss

the qualities we are seeking from instructional leaders, how to fairly select these leaders, and

what the expectations and responsibilities of the role are. Knowing this is a paid position, the role

should have identified responsibilities and a form of evaluation to determine they’ve met those

responsibilities. The next item to discuss would be the training that will be needed for the

instructional leaders, what support they would receive, and who would provide the support.

Having or creating a flowchart may be beneficial for instructional leaders to have if they ever

need support. All of these questions would be discussed by the main leadership team before we

discuss anything further with the selected leaders.

When determining the next steps, it would be important to consider the school’s culture

and previous leadership, as well as the challenges and opportunities that exist. Gathering

information either through a needs assessment or by using the most recent needs assessment can

help identify areas for improvement. To address the concerns there should be a realistic timeline
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that is flexible to things that come up and takes into account the needs and availability of the

leadership team as a whole. Understanding that as the year begins and progresses, many ideas

may be pushed back so prioritizing the teams' concerns will also be done.

Identify the Larger Issues

When first meeting with the whole leadership team including myself, the assistant

principal, instructional coaches, and the current teachers who serve in the role of instructional

leader, we would discuss the plan that was discussed with the administrative team. The plan

would include the role and responsibilities, as well as the rubric of effectiveness that was

devised.

To honor the previous year’s leadership team’s work, I would quickly address the

positives that were achieved by individual teams, grade-level bands, content area bands, and the

school as a whole. Addressing all major areas like discipline, district testing, state testing, and

parental involvement, while celebrating their respective leader will help build trust and

appreciation for the person in that role.

Doing nothing new and keeping everything the same can potentially allow me the roll

through the year with the successes of the previous year. If the previous year wasn’t too bad then

it may be an easy first year. However, by doing nothing, the teachers, whether experienced or

new, would see my lack of effort and dedication. This would be noticed immediately and would

not go well in the future if I tried to make changes or implement new ideas. However, if I do take

action, I may still receive some pushback. Novice teachers are typically not open to change, so

making things different could be received with teachers refusing, complaints, and upset staff

members. On the other hand, taking action and using all available information, and input from

others including teachers, and being on the frontline leading by example, could positively affect
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the staff. By showing my dedication to improving the school, using best practices and research-

based information, teachers will be more willing to implement new ideas or changes.

Lastly, having feedback from all teachers and staff would be beneficial in my decision-

making.

Create an Action Step

To identify and empower instructional leaders who will sustain a culture of collaboration,

trust, and high student expectations, I would create a culture that encourages teachers to take on

leadership roles and responsibilities by recognizing and valuing their contributions. Providing

teachers with opportunities for professional growth and development while fostering a sense of

ownership in the school community will help build upon their leadership skills.

By building established criteria and expectations for leadership positions I will be sure to

maintain a fair and transparent process. The process would begin by developing the rubric used

to assess a leader's qualities and skills, depending on the specific area they are leading. I may

also include a type of project or responsibility in which a new potential leader can demonstrate

their skills. As the process continues, the potential teachers will be made aware of the rubric,

their expectations, and the responsibilities associated with the position. Lastly, all the leaders

who are selected would have scheduled one-on-one to discuss any specific items that may apply

to them and to also establish a good rapport and open-door communication between them and

myself.

Critical stakeholders, including the assistant principal and the instructional coaches,

would be included in the process by motivating the potential leaders, doing observations,

coaching, and providing additional support. As the leadership team is created, I can anticipate

that a challenge may be to motivate the seasoned teachers to be active participants in their role,
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knowing that the paid position is not motivation in itself. To address this, I would seek to find

out what the reason is for their lack of interest. If they simply do not want the position, another

teacher who is eager to take on leadership skills may be better suited. Or possibly the seasoned

teachers weren’t motivated by the previous principal, so I would have to convince them through

my actions, research, and data that the changes or implementation I want are the best for the

school. To then gain teacher support the leadership team will first be in charge of creating

rapport with their team. They must establish good communication, honesty, and willingness to

listen and to lead. The leadership team must also demonstrate that we live by the school's

mission and vision statements to get all teachers to also believe in them.

When having to release the current leadership team members who no longer want to take

part in the role, I would celebrate any successes they’ve had. Before making official changes to

the team I would meet with them individually and discuss the changes, hear out their comments,

and maintain the conversation positive while also offering to extend opportunities for them to

continue leadership roles in the future if they wish to accept. I would share my belief that we all

go through growth spurts and if something isn’t fitting then a change may be what we need

before we once again find our paths.