"Reflections"

The annual Day of Reflection for Principals and Cabinet took place this week.

This dedicated day involved leadership reviewing as well as reflecting upon their work within the context of leadership standards. The process also included writing and dialoguing with a critical friend. The role of critical friend was to ask questions to cause deeper, more penetrating examination of practice or to provide clearer understanding.

The results of the day were captured in a written form that will eventually become an artifact in each principals and cabinet members year-end evaluation.

Principals were asked, what did they do, what did they learn, and what implications for their leadership were gleaned from their learnings in the following leadership areas:

I. Strategic

II. Instructional

III. Cultural

IV. Human Resource

V. Managerial

VI. External Development

VII. Micro-Political

In a like manner, Cabinet was asked to reflect on their work as defined in the Annual Planning Table, their contributions, effect, and learning informed by the Organizational Assessment and/or Comprehensive Needs Assessment. Within the context of areas identified as needing improvement or threats, each cabinet member reflected and wrote their responses to the following:

· How has my work supported, validated, or affirmed identified strength area(s)?

· What two examples can I cite to support my response to the aforementioned question?

· What implications do the area(s) needing improvement or area(s) identified as threats have for my leadership?

· What two examples can I cite to support my response to the aforementioned question?

Lastly, Cabinet members wrote their reflections to these two prompts:

1. What must I do to increase my leadership “effect” to ensure that improvement, measurable improvement is continuous in those areas I have responsibility, accountability, and authority?

2. What must I do to ensure that principals, teachers, and support staff are effective in improving both teaching and learning?

Suffice it to say, the day is a very productive, informative, and exhausting day.

Different from years’ past is a very significant factor – that is, principals and cabinet level leadership are aware and understand now more than ever “what” needs to be done!

The challenge remains – doing it.

As June rapidly approaches signaling the end of the instructional year, leadership will prepare for reconvening our learners on 25 August 2011. There will be little, if any, idle time as leadership engages in their annual leadership advance (June 15-17). As a warm up for the Advance, Leadership will participate in training on 14 June with Department of Public Instruction staff focused on unpacking school Comprehensive Assessment Needs reports with the expectation that they will, in turn, facilitate with their staff the same process in the Fall.

We will have teams of teachers and Leadership attending and presenting Discovery Education (June 20-24), AVID (June 20-24), (Model Schools June 27-29), (Co-Teaching 27 June – 1 July), (Make Your Day 27 June – 1 July) and various state meetings (June 25-29).

July will find no relief from training. Leadership will participate in Total Instructional Alignment/Common Core training 18-22 July and Learning Development Center training (July 26-28).

I will stop here – August is equally full.

What is clear, each of these trainings, learnings are designed to meet identified needs – focused on implementation – doing it!