Quality Leadership

Excerpt from Leading for Instructional Improvement: How Successful Leaders Develop Teaching and Learning Expertise by Stephen Fink and Anneke Markholt (2011)

“We are in schools and school districts - dozens of them each year as well.  We are not at all surprised  that too many of our students are still not learning at high levels and that long - standing academic achievement gaps that divide our nation’s children along lines of race, class, language, and disability continue to persist.” (p. xvii)

“The prevailing leadership strategies and actions employed in many districts and schools across the country are inadequate to improve teaching practices at the scale necessary to ensure quality learning for all students.” (p. xviii)

After reading these two passages I was awestruck.  At first couldn’t believe that it would be true, but then considering all of the districts and schools I dishearteningly realized how true it must be.  I feel fortunate that in my career I have worked for principals that have valued me and my colleagues as professionals.  Furthermore, I feel I have been even luckier to feel that my schools and districts were invested in me, and continued to push me to grow.  As I have taken on more leadership positions I realize I am not the norm, both in my teaching practices and my work ethic.  I do, however, feel that I am in good company and not alone.  I have always been able to surround myself with professionals that are driven and care about our students. My school district has created an Aspiring Leader Program (ALP) to develop quality leaders.  It is a highly competitive program and while there are always hundreds of applicants each year a cohort of about 50 is chosen.  I have heard of other districts creating programs like ALP.  I see this as necessary steps towards a solution to the above mentioned situation.  I wonder, however, while the larger districts have the funds, and staffing to create such a program what then happens to the smaller districts?  I see this as just another way to widen the gap between many of higher performing districts and lower performing districts.  How can this be addressed?  How can we create quality leaders for all systems?