Leadership in Learning: Week 3

The Role of Teacher Leaders in Shaping The Schools we Need: The Question of Equity

Essential Questions:

• What does equity look like in an educational setting?

In educational settings, equity should look like widespread student success.  However, in reality, schools have been aiming at achieving scores instead of individual student success in learning.  I find the categories of change needed in "Creating excellent and equitable schools” to be very clear and helpful in terms of setting guidelines for equitable schools.  Organization & Governance highlighted professional accountability over bureaucratic accountability.  Human capital address investing in personnel as a means to entice quality people as educators.  Curriculum and Assessment needs are clear in the quote, “The performance assessments the five schools resemble those used in high-achieving countries, such as Finland, Hong Kong, Canada, and Australia. There, local assessments require students to conduct research and scientific investigations, solve complex real-world problems, and defend their ideas orally and in writing. Such assessments promote serious intellectual work. Although the schools in this study attend to the demands of California's accountability system, they find that the state's multiple-choice tests do not promote the kind of 21st-century learning that enables students to find and use resources, analyze and synthesize information, produce and explain ideas, apply knowledge to novel situations, use new technologies, and work productively with others.” (1)  Finally, Funding seems like a no-brainer in terms of needing revamping.  To be equitable, “increase and equalize funding for schools by establishing weighted student funding formulas in which funds follow the student and additional funding is allocated for students with the greatest needs.” (2)

• How can teacher leaders promote equity for all?

My first note for the week and biggest “Aha” was that long term, lasting, results in creating equity needs more than teachers “trying harder.”  Students will rise to meet what ever bar you set for them, so set expectations high and help them get there.  I’ve also always been a big fan of what I call, Failure Based Learning.  Although students feel stress when things don’t go well, they also feel incredible empowerment when they overcome roadblocks and solve problems.  I believe in being the voice of safety and, “that’s ok, now what?”  Teacher leaders have the most power to promote equity as we are the front line for students and can also be a buffer for administration and parents putting pressure on results instead of successful learning for students.  

• What is my schoolʻs reality?

The “Transformation Barriers”  I see in my school, form Kotter’s list are #3, Lacking vision, #4, Under communicating vision, and #5, Not removing obstacles to vision. “Nothing undermines change more than behavior by important individuals that is inconsistent with their words.” (John P. Kotter)(3) Assets population has evolved over the past few years to include a different profile than we had become so good at working with (dyslexic students).  If we are going to continue to grow to serve more students, we need to include that in our vision and take steps to improve our strategies to meet the growing needs. In terms of obstacles, much of our faculty are invested in progressive learning strategies.  However, we are stretched for time needed to develop new initiatives and closely monitor implementation with feedback.  A few of us regularly take our off hours time to help one another process and think through new plans.  Ideally, regular time for feedback built into our work day would foster our readiness for change to match better with our willingness.  

• What systemic challenges do we face when initiating change?

In “Helping Schools Overcome Barriers to Change,” it seems like the two most critical challenges we face have to do with not having a cohesive vision, and then the problems with implementation as stated:

1. Technical challenges- tools, know how, time
2. Cultural challenges- norms, beliefs, habits
3. Political challenges - competing interests
4. Insufficient control over personnel challenges - bureaucracy of hiring people who fit (4)

In terms of educational systems as in the universal entity, the major systemic barrier is policy makers who are very far removed and out of touch with the realities of the classroom and learning.  Everyone in a position of power in education should have to do ongoing professional development in the form of comprehension of the latest research in order to keep the decisions in line with the truth.  

• Why is Change Leadership so Challenging?

Change leadership is a challenge because it has to come from within us and motivation can ebb and flow as we muddle through the difficulties of realizing change.  I found myself turning inward on this after taking the “Motivation Survey” (5) that determined what motivates each of us.  The categories are:

1. Discovery & process
2. Creativity & expression
3. People & relationships
4. Things & function

I fall strongly into the “Discovery and Process” style, which was only mildly surprising, but found my second highest category, “Creativity and Expression” to be a bit of a shock.  I don’t think of myself in the “creative” mind very often.  The best language for examining my work then, is articulated in the questions:

Is there a better way to do this?

Why did this happen?

What steps are needed to get this solved?

What was different this time?

Can you find a solution?

Did you discover something new?

Using tools like this helps to consider whether or not we’re going about something in a way that is likely to keep us engaged all the way through.  Surveys and personality trait tests simply point us in the direction of where we might work best.  However, having a strong desire to be something we’re not may be an indicator of what might motivate us more if we let ourselves “become” that other style/type.  Perhaps if I aim on what truly motivates me as I begin to instigate change, and also solicit creative expression as I do so, I might find the path to improved education less arduous overall.  

References:

1-2) Darling-Hammond, Linda, and Diane Friedlaender. "Creating excellent and equitable schools." Educational Leadership 65.8 (2008): 14.

3) Kotter, John P. "Leading change: Why transformation efforts fail." Harvard business review 73.2 (1995): 59-67.

4) "Helping Schools Overcome Barriers to Change | Education ..." 2009. 24 Jun. 2015 <http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Helping_School_Change/>

5) Motivation Survey PDF