Leadership experts in the K-12 field Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers wrote about challenges and possibilities for administrators in the 21st century. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: school leadership and district leadership.
Themes of inclusiveness, of passion and purpose, of questioning and listening, and of integrity, respect and courage permeate our five years of writing. They are attributes of leadership that go beyond the knowledge and skill of the work itself.
We wish it were as easy for a respectful leader to build a respectful culture system-wide. It isn't, but it is definitely worth the daily effort. And, it has integrity.
John R. Jones and Misty Henry report: "Today, schools are under tremendous pressure to improve student achievement and sometimes at the expense of failing to help teachers get better at instruction. It seems the emphasis is placed on lack of student achievement and not on its remedy."
Mostly, the public doesn't understand the work of educators. The invisible efforts of the teachers and their leaders that result in successes is often not broadcasted well.
We still hope for some bits of innocence in childhood. We aspire to days that are carefree and playful. We think those days help form us as adults. Schools can play a role.
Guest blogger Amanda Ronan writes, "The harsh reality is that certain discipline practices are the reflections of institutionalized racism and outward discrimination against people of color and other underserved communities."
In all fields, women are seeking and finding greater voice. As they do, we remind all who lead that voice is what matters. Allow a person voice and they will speak and sing, become orators and actors and work together on teams.
It is important to teach children to understand something beyond 'us and them' and 'good or bad'. It is in the opposition of terms that fear, and sometimes hate, can develop.
Guest blogger Amanda Ronan says, "As a school leader, you probably don't need federal guidelines to tell you whether these practices are negatively impacting your school and your students. School climate is under your jurisdiction, so you know what's bubbling up in your environment."
No matter what a leader is facing, when both sides hold strong and in their own way are right, it takes time for a leader to resolve within her or himself how to proceed.
As a leader in any school, it is important to learn and study what great leaders do and have done. One thing that must be learned is that great leaders surround themselves with great people, and then get out of their way and let them do their jobs.
The schedule should be developed to support the curricular needs of the teaching and learning.Teaching and learning should not be forced into a schedule's demands, but they have been and still do.
As school budgets are being developed, in systems where funds are decreasing and student population as well or where priorities are shifting, excessing personnel often becomes a leader's reality.
All content on Education Week's websites is protected by copyright. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the written permission of the copyright holder. Readers may make up to 5 print copies of this publication at no cost for personal, non-commercial use, provided that each includes a full citation of the source. For additional print copies, or for permission for other uses of the content, visit www.edweek.org/help/reprints-photocopies-and-licensing-of-content or email reprints@educationweek.org and include information on how you would like to use the content. Want to seamlessly share more EdWeek content with your colleagues? Contact us today at pages.edweek.org/ew-for-districts-learn-more.html to learn about how group online subscriptions can complement professional learning in your district or organization.