Can System Reform Equal Individual Reform?

As I was reading “The Economist,” I found an editorial entitled: Class acts: England’s schools are radically different. Now make them better. This of course piqued my interest as I am always intrigued by how governments and different countries view reform and success in the education context.

The gist of the article reviewed the systemic overhaul in England’s system with the number of academies, “Free Schools” (charter schools in the Alberta context), combined with some comments on the rigour of annual exams, accountability issues and inspection. All of this was pulled together at the end with a question about the quality of teachers and the importance that regardless of system reforms, the heart of the matter may also lie in having quality teaching occur in each school.

From my perspective of principal, I had to pause and reflect as I certainly believe that aspects of systems can have significant positive and/or negative effects on the success of students. I also believe that if one only considers the alteration of documentation, reporting, hierarchies of formal leadership, policies and procedures that the system will still miss the mark. Even going back to Roland Barth’s (1990)  Improving School’s From Within, he identifies the importance of avoiding list logic where we reduce reform to a series of steps which can be checked off. Twenty plus years later, systems and individuals still seem to be grappling with this concept. Neat checklists are easy to review, provide structure within which to work, and theoretically should help avoid the pitfalls of ‘missing’ a step. However, there are not enough checklists or even graphic organizers if one wants to go there, to account for the complexities of human interaction and ensure the leaders understand the impact within a system.

In my mind, whichever aspect of a system being addressed, one filter through which any changes must be analyzed is: how will this support the individual school, the individual teacher, the individual student? If we undermine the ability to ensure quality human interaction and learning, our system may be different – it most certainly will not be better.

 

The Space of Grace

As I attempt to yet again expand my network of those who influence and shape my thoughts specific to the area of educational leadership, I am caving in to the online communication different from my usual (and still well loved) journal.

That being said, I find it intimidating to pen this maiden post. I read on a random site  one should blog for no other audience other than oneself. So, until my research and experiences lead me to believe otherwise, I will commit to presenting my thoughts, activities, and experiences as a school principal, member of a professional learning team, and aspiring speaker/writer on educational leadership and system learning.

As I continue to prepare for the first day with staff (in 2 days!), in addition to the first day of students, it is apparent to me that above all else I must commit to a level of resilience that will move me past my own worries or concerns, and into a space where if a job needs doing, I’m ready and able to support staff members, students, and families.

Furthermore, as these “firsts” occur, it is easy to jump to conclusions when people are involved whether child or adult. This thought was precipitated by a reflection from a few days ago where I reminded myself again of the importance of allowing others to get to know me despite my reticence at being open in specific meetings, casual encounters, or planned discussion points. Parents, students, staff, even district level staff – everyone has some insight as to “who” I am or “how” I run things; this is especially evident after completiing my first year as principal. Don’t get me wrong, I’m nowhere near the fame of the widely spoken about Prince Harry and his pool side shenanigans, but certainly some supper table or parking lot conversations may have included some juicy detail about the local community school principal. On the surface, this reality just comes with the position good or bad. However, on a deeper level, I found I was resentful of the assumptions of otherrs and even wanted to pull back from sharing myself with those whom I serve. I want a space large enough to allow for me to change, address areas of need, and focus on strengths without the accompanying box which is usually characterized by a mundane list of tasks or paperwork. Working through all of this, my final conclusion and challenge to myself was the question:

“If I want the space to grow and change without being hampered by the assumptions of others about who I am and what I can do, how do I create this same space for staff, students, and families we serve?”

If you were to ask me what characterizes my leadership style – it could be summed up in three words: Grace, Learning & Passion. And so, my wish for this year, is that I extend to those around me, the same that I ask of them: grace to become who they should be.