The K-16 CFG met Monday evening in my dining room. It was a smaller group--Cat, Tim, Christian, Michaelann, and me--than I had hoped for, but we had a meaningful meeting nonetheless.unlocking icy 400 server full
After starting with yummy sandwiches and salads from Murphy's Deli and the Bookcover Icebreaker, we delved into a dilemma that Cat brought. Using the consultancy protocol, we struggled with the idea of school leadership. How do we best coach and support principals in the reform work of their schools? What is the principal's role in school reform? Where does the true leadership of a school lie? How can we use honest feedback and build trust when principals are not rewarded by the district for being transparent about their needs and weaknesses?unlocking icy 400 server full
Here are excerpts from the reflections.unlocking icy 400 server full
"The consultancy brought up a universal issue that applies to working with all principals in various forms of school reform. That the group could use the protocol loosely--going in and out--helped me see a 'big picture' in this particular dilemma. Helping each other often clarifies our own work."unlocking icy 400 server full
"I can appreciate a group that can relate to and provide meaningful feedback about a serious topic such as this one. Catherine's transparency and willingness to be so open and honiest is to be commended. I feel comfortable sharing with this group."unlocking icy 400 server full
"I thought the consultancy went great. I enjoyed hearing that everyone is in the same boat and that misery loves company."unlocking icy 400 server full
"Today's consultancy really pushed my thinking. . . . The process flowed easily and we even seemed to have trouble stopping the consultancy. I wish more people could be here--the diversity of ideas is such a treat."unlocking icy 400 server full
Posted by Donna at November 14, 2003 08:39 PM
I agree I thought the work was meaningful and I also wondered about the size of the group. I find it interesting that was mentioned in the reflections. What are we looking for in this group and how many if enough?
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Posted by: Michaelann at November 16, 2003 07:31 PM
Thanks for making this conversation public...and helping us all have the opportunity to be a part of the conversation. In thinking about Cat's question about principal leadership and school reform...I'm left with many questions which we all face in our work. In particular, I wonder:unlocking icy 400 server full
*What kind of professional development does a principal need in order to understand the nature of school reform and to be able to act upon that knowledge?
*How does a school leader effectively "lead" a school as an instructional leader, manage school budgets, and negotiate competing demands?
*How does a principal build leadership capacity and share leadership within a school...so one isn't making decisions in islotation or outside the "real" work and issues of a school?unlocking icy 400 server full
Hmmm? Can a school make real reform that can be sustained without the intimate connection and partnership of the school's leader? Is bottom up leadership alone enough?unlocking icy 400 server full Posted by: Lance at November 17, 2003 04:29 PM
I continue to think on this dilemma - it is heavy on my mind. The consultancy really helped me through last week, because the relevance and insight it provided me was immediately applicable in my work with schools just last week. I'm left with this question, "What is the work of the principal?" How is the Principal role different, if at all, from other school community members? Is the Principal role different at different schools? The power and potential of the bottom-up development of leadership is undeniable, but I wonder how the Principalship can influence this leadership capacity in positive ways. More questions...unlocking icy 400 server full Posted by: Catherine at November 18, 2003 09:58 AM
Are we thinking of principal as leader or manager? Principals manage the working of the building, but are not the leaders of this work. Principals evaluate the effectiveness of the instructional programs, but he or she is not the instructional leader. As manager, the principal will be outcome driven. How can the principal (manager) see that the work of a CFG can positively affect his or her position? I believe that building leadership capacity through the use of CFGs can be an effective tool that affects outcome, and not undermine the authority of the principal. Bottom-up development is authentic, but it's time consuming. It may be preceived as a threat to the authority of the principal. School leaders develop at the will of the principal (who may be driven by numerous motivators). The most reliable motivator is job security.
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Posted by: Marilyn at November 18, 2003 03:14 PM
This is a very powerful conversation. It is amazing though how we keep talking about what they, principals and administrators, need to do. I think we need to look at how we can work and change the system - we all know that you can't change other people. So what do we have to do in changing the way we interact with administrators? How can we in critical friends look at the interaction of CFG coaches and team facilitators to maximize out interactions with principals?unlocking icy 400 server full Posted by: Michaelann at November 24, 2003 08:41 AM
Marilyn makes a good point about job security being a powerful motivator. If a person lacks job security, or is told point-blank that they will lose their job unless such-and-such happens, I can hardly blame them for wanting to act, and act now!unlocking icy 400 server full
How can teacher leaders on a campus share leadership without sharing the accountability that principals face? And what happens when a CFG or other teacher leaders' group works with a principal to "affect change," and the change turns out to yield a decrease in test scores? On our campus, it could have been a factor that resulted in a new principal.unlocking icy 400 server full
What other stories are out there about teachers sharing leadership, decision-making, and accountability with their principals?
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Posted by: Paul Gray at November 24, 2003 06:48 PM