Visionary Leadership:Anyone who works in high-poverty schools knows the importance of leadership in turning schools around and keeping schools turned around. It takes visionary leadership, and a strong commitment to working with staffs.
As a group, the principals in the Denton ISD are among the most impressive that
I have ever worked with. In each of the
schools, the principals had mobilized their school staffs around a bold vision
of “all students learning and achieving high standards of excellence.” Where I was able to observe, I found that the
principals had also instituted strong accountability measures regarding this
vision. A number of principals shared
stories regarding the difficult task of teacher evaluation and systems of
support to improve instructional response.
Principals also shared stories of counseling teachers who were not
performing effectively with low-income/Latino students to consider other professional
opportunities.
Most impressive regarding the Title I principals were their
ability to encourage and support creativity among their school staff. In this post, I have
identified a number of innovative efforts at making schools more interesting,
more exciting, and more effective. I
have rarely seen effective leadership in such evidence.
·
High Expectations for All Learners: One principal described her classroom evaluation
of one of her most effective teachers, working with one of the schools most
demanding groups of students. “How can I
describe this teacher?” the principal asked.
“It was like watching a 16-wheel Mac truck grinding up a long hill. And
when some students continued to struggle, the teacher did not slow down or
stop; it was like she just kept downshifting and pushing forward and upward
with more and more energy. You just knew
that all of the students were going to make it to the ‘top’ academically.”
· Belonging and Place: Ryan Elementary, a poster in the staff restroom was
titled: “What We Love About Ryan,” and teachers and staff members had handwritten their thoughts
all around the poster. Sharing their
feelings about the topic, the theme of the notes all focused on “when we need
help, it is always available” with specific examples of the nature of
particular efforts of assistance. When ready assistance is part of the culture of a school, teachers are free to focus on more important matters, like the students working in their classes.
· One Caring Adult: At Hodge Elementary, I observed the principal meeting
with a student who had been reprimanded earlier in the day for being a “bully.” In the midst of the discussion with the
student, the principal was interrupted by an important phone call.
While the principal talked on the phone, the student opened one of the books that was stacked in front of him on the table. It happened to be one of my books, Saving Our Students,
Saving Our Schools. He noticed that one of the chapters dealt with
“bullying," and he quickly became engrossed in the section. When the principal completed
her call, she smiled and asked, "Would you like to have that book to read?" The student looked up, and replied, "Oh, yes, please." When the principal dismissed him back to class, he tucked the book in his backpack and left.
The next day, while we toured the school, the principal and I walked down to the student’s classroom. In the hallway, the principal introduced me as the author of Saving Our Students..., and asked if he had read any more of the book. He retrieved his backpack and pulled out his copy of my book, handing it to me. I was amazed to see that the chapter on bullying had been underlined and highlighted, with notes in the margins. We talked a bit about what he had learned, and we shook hands before he went back to class.
In the ensuing months, the student continued to meet with the principal to work on his difficulties. The principal provides consistent one-on-one time with the student, even serving as a go-between so the student and I could confer as reader to author via email.
--Bob Barr
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