Urban Operational Leadership Platform
As a Transformative Leader, my purpose is to advocate for justice while working to dismantle the systems of oppression. This platform will showcase my core beliefs and principles surrounding operating and managing a school. It starts with a clear mission and vision, establishing a healthy climate and culture, and effective budgeting. I invite you to take a closer look at the attached document.
Mission and Vision
The biblical proverb states “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” The same is true for our schools, students, teachers, and community depending on a clear mission and vision. A vision shares where we are going while our mission lists the steps to achieve the mission. The mission and vision should be conceived with the community, faculty, and staff. Our mission and vision should reflect our core values of equity, diversity, and community. It is crucial that we also reflect on how to support our learners using technology and other platforms regardless of race, ability, gender, economics, and other intersectionality.
Leaders demonstrate the capacity to incorporate NELP Standard Component 1.1 by collaborating with teachers, staff, students, families, and community members to establish a shared set of core values and construct the mission and vision. This looks like bi-weekly meetings with a community team who can meet to establish, evaluate, and implement with fidelity. During my practicum, I had the privilege of observing our administrator launch the school year. Our theme is Unlocking Our Potential so we can achieve one and a half years of growth. This brings uniformity to our school community. Regardless of your job description or volunteer status you are aware of the school's theme and our goal.
Climate and Culture
The climate is the temperature of the building, which is how people are feeling and what they think about the environment in which they work, learn, and grow. Culture is the overall community and connectedness of the building. A healthy culture has buy-in from everyone involved ranging from school staff, students, and volunteers. The culture of a building is like thread. It builds cohesiveness surrounding areas of inclusion, diversity, rigor, and excellence.
During my practicum, I had a chance to administer my survey which was geared specifically toward teachers. NELP Standard 3.1 is evident in practice as a leader should be constantly evaluating its school climate and culture. I wanted to analyze why our teaching profession has such a huge turnover rate. As a former teacher, I know how it feels to be in a toxic environment, where I was rarely supported. Support for teachers varies, as your first-year teachers need more support than your seasoned teachers. Some teachers just need someone to listen to and a shoulder to cry on. I was alarmed by the number of teachers who have contemplated suicide because of their profession. This is where leaders should be intentional about knowing their staff as individuals and not just the third-grade teacher in room 210.
Budgeting
“Perhaps the greatest injustice is funding our urban schools equally.” (Danie Casterson) There is no way you can be an effective operational leader if you cannot advocate for an equitable budget and resources. NELP Standard Component 6.2 states that we must advocate for equitable resources that support school improvement and student development. Too often, our urban schools are operating off of pennies. We start each school year with not enough curriculum books and teachers to name a few. As an operational leader, you need strategies to pull resources from community partners that can aid in fulfilling the needs of your school.
Over the summer, I was able to see my budget course live and in action, as we worked to staff our school building. The principal was transparent and relied on his leadership team to support his decision-making. He showed us the money we had available in our general fund and how he was able to advocate for the money to be shifted out of operations and into the general fund. Though your funds as an operational leader may be limited it is critical that you seek opportunities beyond your district. This is why establishing strong partnerships is instrumental to the survival of a school. I was able to ask and coordinate our CEISL partnership to staff two math assistant positions. This took tons of planning and involved creativity with the approved dollars.