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This page was last updated on November 22, 1998
Education consists of many components, where parents, students, and teachers are the most important. Education is a profession that requires these components to move in a direction which allows students to experience intellectual challenges and childhood experiences. When schools and their surrounding communities reach and maintain these goals, schools will be successful and respectable. In order for these components to work together and accomplish goals, leaders at the school and district levels must be the glue that brings them together.
Leaders should possess the ability to assemble people of different ideals and philosophies and lead them in a direction that satisfies the needs of every student. Assembling people of different backgrounds and philosophies results in different points of view traveling in different directions. These points of view will uncover faults and deficiencies of schools and school districts that need addressing and correction. Leaders can accept these points of view as a necessary part in the correction and implementation process of new and innovative programs necessary for successful students, while recognizing contributions of those involved, regardless if the leader disagrees.
Leaders must be knowledgeable of education laws, state expectancies, and community demographics. It appears to me that these three do not contain the same philosophies regarding education. For example, parents know they want their child to grow intellectually while being safe at a school site. Laws and state expectancies rarely take into account gang violence, domestic violence, teen suicide, and other issues that plague many communities. A leader must know what the community expects of the school and school district while involving the community, because it is the community that will determine if school programs are successful.
If a program is to be successful, a leader must sell the program to the teachers, students, parents, and community. Therefore, a leader must be charismatic and sincere when addressing the public. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, a leader must know the community expectations, limitations, concerns, and strengths. When a leader knows the community, the leader can then be prepared to address any questions, concerns, or comments before they ever ask them. A leader can never be prepared for every possible argument, but studying the main topics of an issue can put the leader in a position to sell the program, never in a position of defending his/her beliefs.
Most important, a leader must be able to recognize the time when to be the driving force in a group discussion and when to let the group discussion be the driving force. Leaders should be facilitators, not dictators. For example, there are times when a group discussion hits a mental wall as everyone does at some point. This is the time for the leader to intervene and throw ideas to the group to spark a new train of thought. When they spark a thought, the leader should sit back and allow the group to come to a solution or answer without the intervention of the leader. In this manner, the leader allows the individuals in the group to be just that, individuals, who express their concerns and solutions from a personal point of view.
When a leader allows individuals to express their thoughts without the threat of being intimidated, then true and honest suggestions result. These are the types of discussions necessary for progress in our schools. As I stated before, the leader must know the legal aspects of topics being discussed so if there are any questions concerning a policy, the leader knows the answer or knows where to find it quickly. There are times when the group will not get what it wants because of a legal matter, so the leader must be prepared to deal with this possibility and give an honest and fair explanation to the group.
Above are a few qualifications I feel are necessary for an effective and respected leader in today's schools. Some are more important than other depending on the dynamics of the situation, so the leader must be capable of identifying appropriate strategies. I feel I possess the qualities necessary to be an effective and respected administrator at the school and district level. I am looking forward to attending California State University, Long Beach, with the intent of obtaining my Masters in Educational Administration and my Preliminary Administrative Credential.