Runninghead:LEADERSHIPACTIONPLAN

LeadershipActionPlan:

ANewLeaderinaSpecialEducationSchool

RobinderKahlon

UniversityofOntarioInstituteofTechnology

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TheContext

ASpecialEducationprogram,consistingofapproximately100teachers,4viceprincipals

andaprincipal,operatesinalargeurbanschoolboard.Itservesstudentswithvariousissuesthat

requirethemtobeoutofthemainstreamschoolsystem,inspecialclasseswheretheyreceive

treatmentfromanagencyoutsideoftheschoolboard,e.g.amentalhealthagency,ahospital,an

agencythatspecializesindevelopmentaldelays,agenciesforyoungmothers,etc.Whileina

treatmentprogram,whichmaytaketheformofgroupsessionswithaChildandYouthWorker,

theyarealsoenrolledinaneducationalprogramstaffedbyteachersfromtheschoolboard.The

programisspreadacrossthecity,indozensoflocations,withoneortwoclassroomsateachsite.

Thisprogramisoftenconsideredaplacetosendstudentswithwhomprincipalsdont

knowwhatelsetodo,thereforeteachersinthisprogramcanfacegreatchallengesinteaching

thesestudents.Becausethestudentsaresochallenging,classsizesarekeptsmall,about6to8

students.Manyteachersrisetothechallenge,carefullycraftingindividualizedprogramsto

meettheneedsoftheirstudents,supportingthestudentsemotionallyinordertobetterteach

them.Otherteacherstakeadvantageofthelackofdirectsupervisionofaprincipalanddolittle

fortheirstudents.

Tomakemattersworse,eachyear,manyteachersfromtherestoftheboardarebumped

intothisprogram,thatis,theyarepushedoutoftheirteachingpositionsinthemainstream

systembysomeonewithhigherseniorityandaplaceisfoundforthisspecialprogram.They

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mayhavenointerestorexperienceinteachingstudentswithspecialneedsandareoftenineptor

resentful.

Anewprincipalbeganherrolethreeyearsago.SheisanexpertinSpecialEducation

withapassionforservingneedsstudents,shesought:

tomaketheteachersmoreaccountablethroughamorerigorousinspectionprocess

togivetheteachersmoreprofessionaldevelopmentthroughfrequenttrainingsessions

tomaketheschoolmoreofacommunitythroughscheduledstaffmeetingseverytwo

weeks,forcingtheteacherstotravelfromalloverthecitytoasinglelocation

Herreformshavebornefruit.Sheschoolhasbecomemoreofacommunity,with

disparateteachersformingrelationshipswitheachotherandsharingwitheachother

professionally.Becauseoftheprofessionallearningsessions,someteachershavegainednew

skills,gainingaccesstoknowledgeregardingneweducationalinitiativesthattheyneverhad

before.Thegreaterlevelofaccountabilityhasmadeteachersdoabetterjobintheclassroom.

Despitethebenefits,however,manyteachersarefeelingpressuredbythesereforms.The

principalisperceivedasautocratic,domineering,critical,andnotappreciativeoftheirefforts.

Whiletheprincipalhashadapositiveimpactonteacherpractice,teachers,viceprincipals,and

supportstaffarenothappyintheirjobs,feelingthatnothingthattheydoisgoodenough.

Theprincipalhadcomein,seenaprogramindireneedofanoverhaul,anddespitea

greatdealofresistance,mademanypositivechanges.Itisnowtheendofher3yearterm.How

shouldanew,incomingleaderhandlethesituation?

SituationalLeadership

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Inthesituationalapproach,theleaderadjustshisorherapproachdependingonthe

characteristicsofthestaff.

ifthestaffislowcompetence/highcommitment,theleaderwillemployadirecting

approach

ifthestaffhassomecompetence/lowcommitment,theleaderwillemployacoaching

approach

ifthestaffhasmediumtohighcompetence/lowcommitment,theleaderwillemploya

supportingapproach

ifthestaffhasahighcompetence/highcommitment,theleaderwillemployadelegating

approach

(Blanchard,2015)

Inthiscase,theoutgoingprincipalemployedadirectingapproach.Sheassumedthather

stafflackedtheskillstodoabetterjob,soshefacilitatedplentyofprofessionaldevelopmentfor

them,andsheassumedthattheyhadacommitmenttotheirjobthelowcompetenceand

highcommitmentledtothedirectingapproach.Instead,herstaffwouldhavebeenbetter

characterizedashavingsomecompetencebutlowcommitmentabletodoagoodjobbutnot

motivatedenoughtodoit.Theincomingleadershouldemployacoachingapproach,offering

bestpracticestothestaff,butnotforcingthesenewideasuponthem.

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Infact,concurrentlywiththeprincipalsdirectingapproach,oneoftheviceprincipals

usethecoachingapproachwithgreatsuccess.Thisviceprincipalhadanextensivebackground

incoaching,havingservedinanothercapacityasaliteracycoachwiththeschoolboard.The

portionofteachersthatwereunderthisviceprincipalsmentorshipreceivedpersuasive

coaching,neverforcedtoimplementnewideasbutshownthevalueofthemintheclassroom.

Theviceprincipalwouldactuallycoplanandcoteachaclasswiththeteacher.Thisapproach

workedverywell,influencingmanyteachers.

Theincomingleadershouldthereforesetagoaltocoachtheteachersinbestpractices,

modellingthesepracticesintheclassroomduringvisits.

TransformationalLeadership

Theprinciplesoftransformationalleadershipare:

idealizedinfluence

inspirationalmotivation

intellectualstimulation

individualizedconsideration

(Cherry,2015)

Howdidthecurrentprincipalfarewhenmeasuredagainsttheprinciplesof

transformationalleadership?

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idealizedinfluenceShecameinwithastrongvisiontoimproveconditionsforstudents.

Shewasexceptionallyclearaboutthisvision,however,duetohercoarsemannerwiththe

teachers,manypeoplemisinterpretedheractions,perceivingherassimplyexerther

poweroverthem,notperceivingheridealizedmotivesofdoingthebestforthestudents.

inspirationalmotivationWhileherpassionforherworkmotivatedsometeacherstorise

tothechallenge,other,lesstaskorientedteachersfeltoverwhelmedandinadequate,

leadingthemtoresentherreforms,andtoresistthem.

intellectualstimulationAllteacherswerestimulatedbytheregularprofessional

developmentseminars,butmanyfeltliketheywerebeingoverloadedwithinformation.

Manyreportedfeelingconfusedbyallthevariousdirectionsinwhichtheywerebeing

pushed.

individualizedconsiderationShedidnotconsulttheteachersonwhattheirprofessional

growthgoalswere.Shesimplyimplementedhervisionregardlessofindividualneeds.

Whatwouldatrulytransformationalleaderdotorepairthissituation?

IdealizedinfluenceThenewleadershouldclearlycommunicatehisorhervisiontothe

staff.However,thisshouldbedonewithahighlyrelationalstyle.Iftheprincipalis

aimingtopromoteanimprovedlevelofserviceforthestudentsoftheprogram,the

principalherselfshouldmodelthisbydemonstratingaserviceorientedattitudetowards

theteachersintheprogram.

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InspirationalmotivationThenewprincipalshouldsharehisorhervisionwiththe

teachersinamannerthatinspiresthem.Manyexamplesofinspirationalleadersexist,

notablySteveJobs,whothroughsimpletalkswithhisstaffandbyrolemodellingthe

valuesthathebelievedin,wasabletoinspirethem.

IntellectualstimulationTeachersarereceivingplentyofnewideaswhenattending

professionallearningsessions.Thisreformthattheoutgoingprincipalhasmadehasbeen

asuccessfulone,thoughmoreteacherinputshouldbesoughtonthecontentofthe

professionallearningsessions.

IndividualizedconsiderationTheteachersvoicesshouldbevaluedbythenewleader.

Teachersshouldbeconsultedontheirprofessionalgoalsandtheleadershouldfacilitate

theachievementofthesegoals.Theleadershouldnotimposeprofessionalgrowthgoals

ontheteachers.

SMARTGoals

BasedonideasfrombothSituationalLeadershiptheoryandTransformationalLeadership

theoryexplainedabove,thefollowinggoalswouldbeadvisableforaleadertopursue:

1. Coachteachersinbestteachingpractices

2. Haveteacherscreateprofessionalgrowthplans,outliningwhatareastheywouldliketo

grow,howtheyplantoachievethisgrowth,whatresourcestheyneedfromthe

administration

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3. Establishavisionfortheprogram

Theschoolboardusesaparticularframework,intheformofatable,fortheexecutionof

SMARTgoals.Thetableconsistsoffourcolumns:

Goals:ThisistheSMARTgoalitself.

Actions/Activities:Whatactivitiesdoestheindividualordepartmentplantoundertaketo

meetthegoal?

Measures:Whatmeasureswillbeusedtodetermineprogressontheattainmentofthe

goal?

Impact/Evidence:Whatistheevidencethatthegoalwassuccessfullyachieved?

Forthethreegoalslistedabove,thefollowingActions/ActivitiesandMeasuresareappropriate:

Goals Actions/Activites Measures Impact/Evidence

1.Coachteachersinbestteachingpractices

Visitwithteachersindividually.Coplanalessonwithateacher.Coteachthatlessontodemonstratethevalueofanewteachingtechnique.

Createanenvironmentwhereateachercomfortablyexpressadissentingopinion.Inadebriefingsessionafterthelesson,allowtheteachertoexpresshowheorshefeltthatthelessonwentandwhatimprovementscouldhavebeenmade.

2.Haveteacherssettheirownprofessionalgoals.

Haveteacherscreateprofessionalgrowthplans,indicatinghowtheyplantoachievethesegoalsandwhatresourcestheyrequirefromtheadministrationtoachievethem.

Attheendoftheyear,haveteacherssubmitasummaryofwhatprogresstheyhavemadeinachievingtheirgoalandrevisethesegoalsfornextyear.

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3.Establishavisionfortheprogram

Incollaborationwiththeteachers,developandcommunicateamissionstatementabouttheoverallpurposeofthisprogram.Conductprofessionalactivitiesthatalignwiththismissionstatementtoreinforcethesevaluesonanongoingbasis.

Atregularcheckpointsduringtheyear,facilitatediscussionsduringstaffmeetingsaboutthemissionstatementandhowitisimpactingteacherpractice.

TheImpact/Evidencecolumnofthistablecanonlybefilledoutoncetheleaderhasexecutedtheactionsandmeasuredtheoutcomes.ReferencesBlanchard,K.(n.d.).KenBlanchardTheSituationalLeadershipModel.RetrievedJune12,2015,fromhttp://www.mftrou.com/kenblanchard.html Cherry,K.(n.d.).WhatisTransformationalLeadership?RetrievedJune11,2015,fromhttp://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/a/transformational.htm