• What are the essential attributes of a leader?
I believe leaders must possess a variety of attributes. They must be knowledgeable in their field, possess passion for their subject area along with personal and professional integrity, able to orchestrate, facilitate, and provide vision to those that follow. They must be able to build and maintain relationships, and furthermore, encourage growth, performance, or desire productivity from those that are lead-this includes the “drawing out” of one’s talents for the benefit of the bigger picture.
• How do you orchestrate and manage change?
I try to first share vision, reason for change, desired goals and outcomes, and provide a why (shared data) something more substantial than administrative gut instinct or a flexing of administrative authority. To orchestrate this change I try to build buy in by creating a team approach to the planning of the change at a school setting. The committee is usually built from respected teachers and faculty who not only provide valuable input to the design but also will be able to lead others and share this same vision to gain further buy in. To manage this change, I tend to over-communicate initially. Although a time consuming task, the first year of any change requires communication and follow through. If any team thinks the change might be temporary, it’s easy to fall back into old habits.
• Could you give me an example of a decision you’ve made using data?
I serve as an administrator in a respectable high school with a very traditional Language Arts department. We did not make AYP in 2008-2009 and the school is particularly struggling in effective instructional practices in this area. To respond to this issue, I orchestrated several professional development meetings with the staff where we analyzed reading assessment scores of current 10th grade students and 9th grade students who had 8th grade reading assessment scores we could review. I brought in the district’s instructional coach and we literally spent the day “unpacking” the indicators, a process where the group identifies the reading indicators where students scored the lowest in. From this data, we were able to create individual student improvement plans as well as discussing effective instructional practices to improve student performance in these areas.
• What component of No Child Left Behind legislation most affects your school?
My answer would be what component of NCLB doesn’t affect our school? To name a component that most affects our school, I would state the broad issue that the school is held accountable to a higher standard of excellence each year and the school’s credibility is now measured in several high stakes tests. The community at large doesn’t understand the details of NCLB legislation and doesn’t seem to understand that a subgroup can hold us back from making AYP. All they read is the headlines and begin to question staff, curriculum taught, and make assumptions from there.
• Give an example of how you measure success using student outcomes.
I tend to encourage teachers to analyze student assessment performance data in relation to student growth. We have broken data down this year to classrooms for additional data to give teachers. In KS we also give students a MAP test that measures extensive components in reading and math. We use this data in correlation to assessment data, and state and federal standards to measure success for each student.
• What is your philosophy about teacher development and supervision?
I view teachers as professionals and masters of their craft. All professionals in any career need additional training to maintain their skills and compete in today’s society. Teacher development should be implemented in a variety of forms, from professional development days, to professional learning communities. I do believe that teachers can train other teachers, and we often overlook utilizing some of the talents within the building and automatically look outside our school walls for professional development. Teacher supervision is a tougher issue. I believe teachers are professionals and should act as thus. Standards, policies, and procedures should be given to teachers and those that violate these procedures should be dealt with individually. From an instructional standpoint, I believe an administrator should be an instructional leader and should be very familiar with what is being taught inside their classroom. Forms of supervision for teachers in reference to curriculum may include classroom walkthroughs, visits from instructional coach, peer evaluations, and formal administrative evaluations.
• What do you feel are the main strategies for classroom management?
Clear expectations of student behavior and consistency in enforcing classroom rules. A teacher needs to truly be confident in managing the classroom or the students will pick up on this and misbehave. Establishing relationships with students is another necessity to run an organized classroom.
• What are the three most important challenges facing you?
1) Continuing work with at-risk students and At-Risk Programs at the high school
2) Balancing current work load with additional challenges I desire to take on
3) Showing growth in current profession-improving instructional leadership each year
• What are your three greatest concerns?
1) Overburdening teachers b/c of issues students now have. We ask a lot of teachers and it’s not getting any easier. It’s no longer a career but a mission field adults enter.
2) Personal burnout
3) Growth and direction of school culture, academic pressures of NCLB, and teacher buy in
• What are the top three areas in which you spend your time?
1) Student discipline
2) Freshman and Sophomore At-Risk Academy Program
3) Language Arts Administrator
• What are the top three areas in which you would like to spend your time?
1) Instructional Leadership-Curriculum and Data
2) At-Risk Programs
3) Human Resources/Teacher Mentors/PLC development
