School Leadership

School leadership is second only to teaching among school-related factors in its

impact on student learning, according to research. Moreover, principals strongly shape
the conditions for high-quality teaching and are the prime factor in determining whether
teachers stay in high-needs schools. High-quality principals, therefore, are vital to the
effectiveness of our nation’s public schools, especially those serving the children with
the fewest advantages in life.
The development and practice of school leadership in the Philippines is
influenced by a rich history that has helped to shape policy and education in a diverse
cultural landscape. Periods of Spanish and American colonization have challenged core
Filipino values of community and kinship and shaped the way contemporary school
leadership preparation and development occur in the Philippines. The role of school
leaders in the Philippines is further framed by kinship dynamics, which have been
consistently integral to the Filipino concept of self and to the way individuals interact
with others. Kinship is the nucleus of the Filipino social organization, from indigenous
groups to colonial aristocratic ethnic and social groups. The Filipino concept of
leadership is derived from a value set that rests on both biological and ritual forms of
kinship, which in turn drives leadership practice in communities and schools.

What is leadership?

Leadership is both a research area, and a practical skill encompassing the ability
of an individual, group or organization to “lead”, influence or guide other individuals,
teams, or entire organizations.

What are the leadership roles in the schools?

They play an important role in: developing and contributing to curriculum

development. providing mentoring, supervision, professional support, counselling and
guidance for teachers. contributing to the leadership of school development planning
and identifying priorities.

Exciting opportunities and pathways for teachers with leadership

capabilities to further their careers.
 Outstanding classroom practitioners can be rewarded to stay in the classroom
becoming expert mentors and/or curriculum leaders or can choose to pursue school
leadership positions.

Senior Teachers

Senior Teachers are experienced teachers committed to high quality teaching and
ongoing professional learning. They play an important role in:

● developing and contributing to curriculum development

● providing mentoring, supervision, professional support, counselling and guidance for
teachers
● contributing to the leadership of school development planning and identifying priorities.
Level 3 Classroom Teachers

Level 3 Classroom Teachers are exemplary teachers recognized and rewarded for their
exceptional teaching practices. They play important roles in providing and supporting
high quality teaching and leadership in schools and exert influence beyond their
classrooms by taking leadership roles in their school communities

Level 3 Classroom Teachers are highly skilled in:

● meeting the learning needs of their students

● developing and implementing student assessment and reporting strategies
● reflecting on and improving their teaching practices
● developing and delivering professional learning for colleagues
● providing leadership in their school communities.
Heads of learning area are curriculum leaders in secondary schools. They also have
line management responsibilities for the teachers in their teams. Program Coordinators
are responsible for specific programs in their school such as student service or
coordination of vocational education and training.

Deputy principals assist the principal with managing the school. Some deputies may
manage the school’s human resources or the middle school in a large secondary
school.

Principals are responsible for the overall management of schools. They maximize
opportunities for teachers and students to be successful. They advocate for the school
and deliver local education solutions to the aspirations and demands of parents and the
wider school community.
10 Traits of Successful School Leaders

Educational leaders play a pivotal role in affecting the climate, attitude and
reputation of their schools. They are the cornerstone on which learning communities
function and grow. With successful school leadership, schools become effective
incubators of learning, places where students are not only educated but challenged,
nurtured and encouraged.

On the other hand, poor or absent school leadership can undermine the goals of
an educational system. When schools lack a strong foundation and direction, learning is
compromised, and students suffer. According to a Wallace Foundation study,
“Leadership is second only to classroom instruction as an influence on student
learning.”

The Makings of a Successful School Leader

But what makes a successful school leader? How do you become truly effective
as a principal or in a leadership position? While there is no one solution to successful
school leadership, there are certain strategies, skills, traits and beliefs that many of the
most effective school leaders share.
The following traits are common among the most successful school
leaders.
1. They Understand the Importance of Building Community
Effective school leaders build and sustain reciprocal family and community partnerships
and leverage those partnerships to cultivate inclusive, caring and culturally responsive
school communities. To build these community networks it is essential that school
leaders are visible in their schools and community, develop trust and create a sense of
transparency and shared purpose with parents, staff, community members and
students.

Megan Tschannen-Moran, author and professor of educational leadership at the College

of William and Mary, discusses the importance that trust plays in building communities
in her book, “Trust Matters: Leadership for Successful Schools.”

Tschannen-Moran explains, “In schools with high levels of trust:

● Teachers are motivated and willing to try new strategies because they trust
leaders to support them.
● Students are motivated and connected to the school because they trust their
teachers.
● Families are supportive because the principal and teachers have built trusting
relationships with them.”

2. They Empower Teachers and Cultivate Leadership Skills

Great school leaders know that they are not running a one-man show; that they cannot
do it all alone. They know that they must surround themselves with great teachers and
colleagues and, not only that, they must fully support teachers and staff by encouraging
them to continually learn, develop and, perhaps most important, become leaders
themselves.
It is no secret that when people are fulfilled and given opportunity for career growth, as
well as autonomy and control over their careers, they are more productive, more
engaged and more effective overall. In a recent Gallup poll, it was discovered that 33
percent of U.S. teachers are engaged in their work, while 51 percent are not engaged
and 16 percent are actively disengaged. These statistics are startling to say the least.

Through offering professional development opportunities and support services to

teachers, as well as by creating an environment where teachers are able to experiment,
innovate and lead, principals can ensure a healthy environment for educators that will
have positive repercussions for students. Another Gallup study found that “highly
talented principals on Gallup’s Principal Insight assessment were 2.6 times more likely
to have above average employee engagement at the schools they lead three years
later.” Gallup has studied the issue closely, even issuing a report titled “Six Things the
Most Engaged Schools Do Differently.”

In his book, “What Great Principals Do Differently,” education author and

researcher Todd Whitaker wrote: “Great principals focus on improving the quality of the
teachers within their buildings. By carefully hiring the best teachers, by supporting their
efforts and their ambitions, by holding all staff members to high expectations, and by
working to carefully support the individual development of each professional, principals
impact student achievement.”

3. They Utilize Data and Resources

Successful school leaders use data, including standardized and school-based
assessments, to drive continuous improvement through site-based decision-making for
the express purpose of promoting equitable and culturally responsive opportunities for
all students. The opportunities that data present are many and the most effective
leaders are able to leverage that data to make strategic decisions to benefit their
students.

According to educational technology company Illuminate Education, “building a

foundation for data-driven decision making” is the first of “Six Steps for School Leaders
to Use Data Effectively.”

A report from the Wallace Foundation asserts that: “When it comes to data, effective
principals try to draw the most from statistics and evidence, having ‘learned to ask
useful questions’ of the information, to display it in ways that tell ‘compelling stories’ and
to use it to promote ‘collaborative inquiry among teachers.’ They view data as a means
not only to pinpoint problems but to understand their nature and causes.”

4. They Have a Vision and a Plan

The very best leaders are also visionaries. They have a goal that they can unite a team
around and a plan to help them get there. Not just that, but they are able to clearly
articulate their school vision and goals.
Vision is perhaps one of the most important qualities a leader can have as it provides
momentum and direction, not just for the team leader but for each and every team
member. Of course, in order for leaders to be successful in pursuing their vision and
enacting their plan, they must pair their vision with unrelenting passion. Vision and
passion from an effective leader should generate inspiration, motivation and excitement
that permeates throughout the school.

According to a “Successful School Leadership” report published by UK-based Education

Development Trust, “Effective headteachers provide a clear vision and sense of
direction for the school. They prioritize. They focus the attention of staff on what is
important and do not let them get diverted and sidetracked with initiatives that will have
little impact on the work of the students.”

5. They Create Collaborative, Inclusive Learning Environments

Inclusive learning provides all students with access to flexible learning choices and
effective paths for achieving educational goals in spaces where they experience a
sense of belonging. The best educators know this and prioritize inclusivity, creating safe
learning environments that nurture every student. Leaders that prioritize inclusive
learning also typically believe that every person can contribute to the greater learning
community and therefore they encourage collaboration between faculty as well as
students.

“Perhaps the most critical role in successful inclusive schools is the role of the
principal,” wrote the Inclusive Schools Network. “The school principal’s active
participation is the single most important predictor of success in implementing change,
improving services, or setting a new course. The school principal is central to facilitating
systemic change and leading faculty to adopt new attitudes and new practices.”

6. They Are Passionate About Their Work

Passion is a critical ingredient for nearly anyone who wants to be successful and happy
in their job. But passion is especially important for school leaders, who typically have a
great influence on their school’s climate and culture.

Passionate people have a contagious energy that can greatly affect teacher satisfaction
and drive as well as student performance. “All the knowledge in the world can’t make a
good leader: It’s the care for the work and the people who collaborate with you that
makes the difference,” wrote Forbes. “This is in large part because people want to
follow a passionate leader. Someone who cares about not only the cause for which he
or she is working, but also the other people who are involved in the effort. Passion for
the projects, for the company and for the people involved are key to successful
leadership.”

7. They Encourage Risk-Taking

What most educators already know is that failure can be the greatest teacher. Just as
teachers should encourage risk-taking amongst their students in order to spur growth,
truly effective leaders encourage risk-taking amongst their subordinates and colleagues
by creating a supportive environment that rewards not just successful ideas or initiatives
but effort as well, no matter the outcome.

“Failure is required for learning, but our relentless pursuit of results can also discourage
employees from taking chances. To resolve this conflict, leaders must create a culture
that supports risk-taking,” wrote the Harvard Business Review. “One way of doing this is
to use controlled experiments — think A/B testing — that allow for small failures and
require rapid feedback and correction. This provides a platform for building collective
intelligence so that employees learn from each other’s mistakes, too.”

8. They Lead by Example

We’ve all heard the saying, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Of course, the irony is that actions
are much more telling than words. Leaders who lead by example position themselves
as tremendous role models for not only the students in their school or district but for
colleagues and parents as well. A leader that leads by example almost always receives
respect and admiration, without which he or she will find little luck in leadership. As
philosopher and physician Albert Schweitzer once said, “Example is not the main thing
in influencing others; it is the only thing.”
9. They Persevere – Staying with a School for at Least Five Years
Change, while good, can also be disruptive when it occurs too frequently. In the case of
school leadership, it has been documented that frequent turnover results in a negative
school climate, which in turn has a negative effect on student performance.

“Committed and effective principals who remain in their schools are associated with
improved schoolwide student achievement. As a corollary, principal turnover is
associated with lower gains in student achievement,” reported the Learning Policy
Institute. “Principal turnover has a more significant negative effect in high-poverty,
low-achieving schools — the very schools in which students most rely on their
education for future success. The negative effect of principal turnover suggests that
principals need time to make meaningful improvements in their schools. One study
found that it takes, on average, 5 years of a new principal leading a school for the
school’s performance to rebound to the pre-turnover level.”

The best leaders, therefore, are willing to commit to a school and persevere despite the
obstacles or challenges. After all, realizing a vision doesn’t happen overnight; true
transformation takes time. A leader’s commitment displays not only passion but
dedication, which can have a tremendously positive effect on school culture.
10. They Are Lifelong Learners

Perhaps the most important of all qualities that a school leader can possess is
the unquenchable thirst for knowledge. As John F. Kennedy said, “leadership and
 learning are indispensable to each other.” The best leaders, no matter what industry
they work in, know they will never know it all. They are humble in their knowledge yet
confident in their abilities. They’re endlessly curious individuals who never stop
questioning, and learning.

The Harvard Business Review put it perfectly when they said: “It takes a real sense of
personal commitment, especially after you’ve arrived at a position of power and
responsibility, to push yourself to grow and challenge conventional wisdom. Which is
why two of the most important questions leaders face are as simple as they are
profound: Are you learning, as an organization and as an individual, as fast as the world
is changing? Are you as determined to stay interested as to be interesting? Remember,
it’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

The report also quotes the noted writer and professor John Gardner, who observed,
“The best leaders I’ve gotten to know aren’t just the boldest thinkers; they are the most
insatiable learners.”
“LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING ARE INDISPENSABLE TO EACH OTHER” —JOHN F.
KENNEDY

It is hard to think of an industry where constant learning is more applicable than

education.

To be a successful and effective leader is no easy feat. Yet, effective school leaders are
desperately needed in thousands of schools and educational institutions across this
country and around the world.

As noted educational leadership expert Professor Kenneth Leithwood stated in

a Hechinger Report article, “Indeed, there are virtually no documented instances of
troubled schools being turned around without intervention by a powerful leader.”

For those interested in following their passion for the topics discussed above in a
top-notch academic program, School Leadership is one of five specializations offered as
part of the University of San Diego’s online Master of Education degree program.

What is an effective school leader?

Effective school leaders develop their organizational knowledge based, in large part,
on their understanding of student data. ... Effective school leaders take an active role
in data meetings, ensuring that teachers understand how the data indicate the
instructional priorities for each teacher's classroom.

How can I be a good leader?

Keep the following in mind in order to become a successful leader at your school.
1. Know your strengths. In order to be a good leader, you need to know your strengths. ...
2. Gain experience. ...
3. Work well with people. ...
4. Be optimistic. ...
5. Be willing to take action.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

The term ‘leadership’ can call to mind a range of different things, depending on
the types of leaders you have been exposed to in the past. If you cast your mind back
over your time at school as a student and your years of teaching, you may be able to
identify a range of school administrator leadership styles. Some of these were more
effective than others, and there are likely to be some leadership models you hope to
emulate and others you hope to avoid. There is always something to be gained from the
past, but preparing students for the future requires forward-thinking, 21st Century
leaders.

Whether you’re a current or aspiring principal or head of school, vice or deputy

principal, team leader or department head, another member of school leadership teams,
or an emerging leader still exploring school leadership jobs that are right for you, you
have a responsibility to understand the art of school leadership in the 21st Century.

21ST CENTURY LEARNERS ARE A NEW BREED

Strategic school building leadership is important because education in the 21st
century is a new frontier, and 21st century learners are a new breed. Many of the
students going through schools since 2015 are from a whole new generation:
Generation Alpha. These children were born from 2010 and beyond, and have grown up
in a different world from older generations. They have never lived in a world without
smartphones, drones, tablet computing, apps, and 3D television. Like Generation Z,
they are extremely comfortable with technology, having grown up using it: many of them
were given smartphones or tablets to play with before they could even walk.
This unprecedented access to technology means our students have more information
available to them than we could have dreamed of, even a couple of decades ago. They
can teach themselves almost anything they want to know using the resources available
to them. They are also unaware of the borders that used to strictly contain our
experience of the world. Small children can communicate with people all around the
world at the touch of a button. They increasingly have friends in numerous countries,
and grow up expecting that international travel will be a common part of their life.

As educators, we are tasked with helping these capable, intelligent children

prepare for challenges we can’t fully foresee. That requires a whole new kind of
leadership schools haven’t required in the past.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A 21ST CENTURY LEADER?

 21st Century school leaders enthusiastically face the challenging task of
preparing young minds for the future, and they think strategically about the goals and
systems that will support this task.

PERSONAL TRAITS OF A 21ST CENTURY LEADER

Personal qualities like curiosity, persistence, resilience, flexibility, responsibility
and hard work are as important as ever for leaders. Whatever changes come, these
school principal leadership qualities are always the key to success. Remember, also,
that nobody is born with all the qualities of an effective school leader fully realised. Part
of being a leader is having the will to work on personal growth and improving yourself
constantly.

Other qualities are increasingly important for leaders: creativity, entrepreneurship,

innovation, constant learning and teamwork are all crucial for today’s leaders.

MINDSETS OF A 21ST CENTURY LEADER

The way you think can change your life and your school. It might sound like a
platitude, but it’s not just ‘woo’. A positive mindset makes you confident and encourages
you to take risks when needed and to think outside the box. To begin with, are you even
thinking about yourself as a leader? Too often, people forget to think about the school
principal as leader. You should be truly nurturing yourself as a leader, not getting
bogged down in administration and the small details.

Read about developing a Growth Mindset instead of a Fixed Mindset, and start to
look at whether you are thinking in a way that promotes growth or that will lead to
failure. Nothing will undermine success in your career and in your school like a pattern
of unhealthy self-talk.

In addition to a positive Growth Mindset, you should also cultivate a global

perspective, and avoid the temptation to think small. Approaching everything with a view
to sustainability, wellbeing and the big picture, and you’ll help create a culture that
encourages students to do the same. Leading and managing change in schools is much
less overwhelming with these big touchstones remaining constant.

SKILLS OF A 21ST CENTURY LEADER

The key skills for a leader in 2018 include teamwork, high EQ, and focus. These
things are crucial for managing yourself, and managing others. EQ involves
self-awareness and social awareness, an understanding of people, and good
relationship management. This allows you to understand and be responsive to your own
needs and the needs of people around you. It fosters communication and collaboration,
which is the path to unlocking collective genius.

Focus is a fundamental skill for everybody in the information age, but especially
for busy people in demanding roles. This includes focus in the moment – being able to
stop checking your emails and immerse yourself in deep work – as well as focus on a
broader scale – knowing what are the key values and goals, personally and for your
school, and keeping them central.

HABITS OF A 21ST CENTURY LEADER

Effective leaders work with those around them, making a habit of seeking
constructive feedback and reflecting on how things can be improved. They recognise
the importance of collaboration to unlocking collective genius, but they also know how to
set boundaries. If you’re a school leader, you know how precious your time is: guard it
as such! Don’t waste time on meetings that could be emails, tasks better suited to
somebody else’s skill set, and things that don’t contribute to either your personal goals
or the school’s goals.

Build healthy habits that create a framework to help you perform at your best.
From getting enough sleep to carving out uninterrupted time with your family, these
non-work habits support your work. Look for things that aren’t working in your life, and
trial new ways of solving the problem. If your solution works, make it a habit so you can
stop giving it so much time and attention.

DEVELOPING 21st CENTURY LEADERSHIP IN YOUR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

TEAM
Building leadership capacity in schools should never be limited to training
principals and heads: an intelligent and committed team who are on the same page is
invaluable. It can be overwhelming to know where to begin developing that. Often
formal school leadership training is assumed to be the answer, in the form of
professional development days, one-off school leadership programs, and school
leadership conferences. While a school leadership conference or some thought out
school leadership courses can be incredibly useful, they can only be truly effective in
the context of an ongoing commitment to change. A school leadership program should
help you establish strategies and tools that you can use over time to drive change, not
simply inspire you in a way that ends along with the event.

Whatever your school leadership framework, educational leadership training will

help make your school a trailblazer, and help make yours a school for global leaders of
the future. Whether you’re leaders of a new school or an established school, whether
you’re part of international school leadership or local independent school leadership,
committing to establishing solid leadership in an ongoing manner can make you a
thought leader school, with others wondering how you did it.

If you’re looking for education leadership courses to get your school leadership
team on the right path, check out my workshop, ‘Leadership for the 21st Century’. It
offers personalised leadership development for your team, and assists you in
developing strategies and systems for the future. I also offer personal leadership
coaching to principals. Leading coaching in schools can assist principals and other
leaders in reaching their full potential. Take control of your career and the future of your
school now, and reap the benefits.
References:

Joseph Lathan, PhD

Academic Director, Master of Education

Dr. Lathan has 18 years of experience in Higher Education Administration with 16 of

those years in Online Education Administration. His areas of expertise include online
learning pedagogy and online teaching and learning best practices.
Dr. Lathan earned his B.S. in Psychology from Empire State College, his M.S. in
Education Administration from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in Organizational
Leadership from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
https://thinkstrategicforschools.com/leadership-in-schools/