Gene E. Hall Summary

The ever-changing landscape of education and school accountability has given rise to a renewed focus on shared leadership. In the past, the principal was viewed as the primary decision maker within a school. However, Glickman (1989) points out that it is impossible for school principals to effectively complete all the necessary instructional and managerial tasks within schools. He contends that some teachers have more leadership abilities than the actual administrators and that “in successful schools, principals aren’t threatened by the wisdom of others, instead, they cherish it by distributing leadership” (Glickman, 1989, p. 8).

As a teacher-leader, I have been assigned a number of wide-ranging and important informal roles in my career thus far that have enabled me to support and contribute towards the success of not only my students, but also my department and my school as a whole. By assuming these diverse leadership roles, I have been able to develop professionally, improve student attainment, positively influence the teaching and learning practice of my peers and contribute towards the culture and ethos of the schools I have worked in.

In a study conducted by S.M. Johnson on the complexity of the superintendent’s role in school district leadership, she identified three types of leadership evident in the practice of successful superintendents: “educational leadership (focus on pedagogy and learning), political leadership (securing resources, building coalitions), and managerial leadership (using structures for participation, supervision, support, and planning)” (as cited in Fullan, 2006, p. 210). For the RTI change initiative, the superintendent showed these three types of

Who school leaders are – what they do, attend to, or seem to appreciate is constantly watched by students, teachers, parents, and members of the community. Their interests and actions send powerful messages. They signal the values they hold. Above all else, leaders are cultural “teachers” in the best sense of the word. (Deal & Peterson, 1990, p. 201)

As with the importance of selecting a highly qualified principal to help raise test scores and closing achievement gaps, the selection and support of staff is also critical. Gregory F. Branch, Eric A. Hanushek, and Steven G. Rivkin’s 2013 study “School Leaders Matter” examined the effectiveness of many principles’ leadership and the effect they had on student achievement ratings. “A primary channel through which principals can be expected to improve the quality of education is by raising the quality of teachers, either by improving the instruction provided by existing teachers or through teacher transitions that improve the caliber of the school’s workforce” (Branch, pg.4). A principal must be able to continually seek out professional development, to research best practices and new educational theories to support their staff and students. If principals are to close the achievement gap, they must be willing to inform and instruct their staff on new teaching strategies. Mr. Canada, from his TED talk, “Our failing schools. Enough is enough!”, states: “You go into a place that has failed kids for fifty years and say: ‘so what’s the plan?’ And they say: ‘Well, we are going to do what we did last year, this year’. What kind of business model is that?” (TED, 2013). The principal willing to venture into new, uncharted waters may succeed or fail, but at least they

Teachers as leaders. Crowther, Ferguson and Hann (2009) in their book, Developing Teacher Leaders (2nd ed.) defined that “Teacher leadership is essentially an ethical stance that is based on views of both a better world and the power of teachers to shape meaning systems. It manifests in new forms of understanding and practice that contribute to school success and to the quality of life of the community in the long term.” They also described the six elements of Teachers as Leaders Framework. (Crowther, F., Ferguson, M., and Hann, L. (2009). P.

Palmer Lake Elementary School refers to a public elementary school located in Brooklyn Park. The school has 678 students with majority being Whites and non-Hispanics. The teachers; population is between 40 and 50 teachers: 6 speech teacher, two reading teacher, 3 gym physical, two music teachers, 28 for regular classes, one media. Accordingly, the ratio of students to teachers is approximately 15:1. Each class has varying number of students ranging from 19 to 28 students. Approximately 54 percent of the students are male and 46 percent are female. The percentage of students eligible for subsidized lunch is 65. This essay examines the leadership skills and styles of Dr. Tim Brown after an interview in his office. Dr. Tim is the principal of Palmer Lake Elementary School and plays the following roles. First, he shapes the vision of academic success and instructional competence for all students and teachers respectively. Second, he plays the role of creating a climate and environment that is hospitable for learning. Third, he cultivates leadership in other teachers. Fourth, he is answerable to external stakeholders such as parents and state education authorities concerning the school’s performances and use of resources. Effective educational leadership is a continuous process that involves self-examination, learning from others, collaboration and sustainable use of resources to accomplish the goals and

Authentic leadership is reflected in the actions and aspirations of Dorothy McFerrin. She applies her practices and behaviors to inspire and enable others to pursue endeavors for better educational communities in Texas. She has a long list of credible leadership experiences including PTO President in the Humble ISD and Chair of the Texas A&M University College of Education and Human Development. Regardless of being an organizer, chairman, entrepreneur or philanthropist, McFerrin challenges the process by searching for opportunities and innovative ways to improve communities. She builds trust and fosters collaboration while strengthening others. By creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and consideration, people are brought together to develop

Throughout the text, Nussbaum compares her work to others in the field such as Amartya Senn. Nussbaum spends a great deal of time using Senn’s work as support for her own work, as well as compare how their ideas are different. The criteria for this review was based on 1) the clarity of the argument presented, 2) the evidence stated for the argument and 3) applications to critical leadership for educators. It is important for this text to have prevalent claims backed up by research that contribute to the formation of critical leadership in our nation’s school administrators, policymakers and teachers.

A community college leadership crisis endures; within the next fifteen years, ninety percent of the community college presidents are expected to retire (McNair, 2015). To remain viable, United States community colleges need an influx of self-motivated, visionary leaders. Currently, there is a gap in leadership; (Anderson, 2014, Claus, 2013, Eddy, 2013, Hannum, 2015, Jones, 2014, Leist, 2013, McArdle, 2013, McFadden, 2013, McNair, 2015, Tunheim, 2015), quality leadership (Anderson, 2014, Ayers, 2015, Claus, 2012, Cornacchione, 2013, Dahlvig, 2013, De-Frank, 2014, Eddy, 2013, Enke, 2014, Floyd, 2016, Fujii, 2014, Gardner, 2013, Goltz, 2013, Grasmick, 2012, Hannum, 2015, Jones, 2015, Kearney, 2013, Leist, 2013, McArdle, 2013, McFadden, 2013, McNair, 2015, Morley, 2013, Myran, 2013, Tartari, 2015, and Tekniepe, 2014), and gender leadership (Catalyst, 2013, Claus, 2012, Cornacchione, 2013, Dahlvig, 2013, De-Frank, 2014, Eddy, 2013, Eddy, 2015, Enke, 2014, Floyd, 2016, Fujii, 2014, Gardner, 2013, Goltz, 2013, Grasmick, 2012, Hannum, 2015, Jones, 2015, Lennon, 2013, Morley, 2013 & 2014, Ortega, 2014 and Tartari, 2015), which is related to the gender wage gap (Claus, 2012, Cornacchione, 2013, Dahlvig, 2013, Enke, 2014, Goltz, 2013, Lennon, 2013, Morley, 2014, Tartari, 2015, Tekle, 2012, Pitts, 2014, and Bell, 2014).

Above all else, I view leadership within the school system as essential for its success. My cumulative experiences provide a strong background that will allow me to excel as a school leader. I possess an understanding of the challenges and intricacies of a wide variety of school systems, ranging from small rural programs to inner-city and sub-urban high schools to research universities. My experience teaching at the college level gives me a unique perspective that will allow me to guide a program aimed at cultivating high school students capable of excelling in their educational endeavors. In addition, I believe that to be a truly successful leader, one must have a clear understanding of the challenges faced by educators. My years as a high school teacher have provided me a keen perspective in this regard. University of Northern Colorado’s Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program will be an invaluable avenue for me to learn from experienced educators as I hone my leadership abilities with the goal of using my life to lead improvements in the public education system. I look forward to the opportunity to develop as an educator,

In the area of multiple pathways to leadership development, researchers examine the institutional makeup of universities, school districts, and third-party organizations about effective educational instruction and preparation. In fact, many reformers agree there are a countless number of approaches an individual can take to become a licensed administrator. However, philosophers haggle over the degree of required administrative competencies of diversified school systems. The diversity of in-service programs raises serious questions about how to evaluate and compare program effectiveness given variations in clientele, training design, underlying theories, and specific learning objectives. (Davis, Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, and Myerson p.14)

Twenty-seven students enrolled in an Educational Leadership Program at Sacred Heart University conducted this research. As post-graduate students, and veteran educators aspiring to leadership positions, we bring a wealth of practical experience through our service in a wide variety of public school districts in Connecticut. As educators who care deeply about the quality of education for all public school students in Connecticut, we are driven by a deep desire for social justice. Creswell (2013) stated that social justice theories involve, “…advocacy/participatory theories seeking to bring about change or address social justice issues in our societies” (p.23). As educators, we recognize the importance of school funding levels that ensure all

Over the years, I have worn many educator hats such as a Director of Resource, classroom teacher, Head Start teacher, special’s teacher, and as a teacher’s aide. My leadership experiences have not been ones in an administrative role, but I have had leadership experiences both informal and formal in nature. My years as a professional educator with a Virginia Collegiate Professional license has allowed me to teach in public settings as well as Catholic schools, at many different grade levels and for me, all of those experiences have influenced my leadership skills.

Those who learn to be instructional leaders acquire many characteristics that are beneficial to their schools and communities. The writer concurs that Instructional leaders exhibit a clear sense of direction for their schools and prioritize and focus attention on the things that really