The introduction to school leadership class was beneficial for several reasons. The component regarding Strengths Finder was one of the most rewarding parts because it helps present each student’s strengths in a new way, whereas previous assessments encountered tend to focus more on personality characteristics or job specific takeaways. The section on strengths was a fitting segue as the course transitioned into the role of HR in public education and in terms of helping support the unique needs of special education students. Also, the discussion regarding the use of data driven meetings in schools helped remove some of the anxiety surrounding the use of data in educational settings. The portion of the course on discipline in public schools provided clearer boundaries as to what punishments are considered acceptable in school settings. Learning about support staff training procedures will also pay off in the long run because there are quite a few collaborative opportunities that exist between teachers, administrators, and support staff. Finally, while not the most fascinating part of class, the sections on Kentucky’s public school budgets illuminated how funding works in the school system. As such, this reflection paper will expand on these key points and what some of the student’s major takeaways were for each section.
Strengths Finder
The most rewarding component of the introductory course was the Strengths Finder component, where I learned my style of leadership reflects the influencing and relationship building leadership types. Leaders who use the influencing style excel by helping their followers find their voice and seeing to it that the right people listen. People who lead using the relationship building style leverage the collective constituency of their social networks to keep teams focused on shared goals and a common cause. While learning about these two leadership styles, they reminded me of how transformational leadership works, which is a leadership theory that I would like to represent as a leader.
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Human Resource in Public Education
Human resources are the lifeblood of an organization, no matter what sector or industry it operates in. In education, human resources are essential because they represent human capital and consist of different forms of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs). Specifically, in the case of a building leader, human resources are even more important because the workforce building leaders establish are liable to become part of the rock bed of the organization’s culture. However, simply recruiting teachers and support staff to fulfill hiring quotas is not only inadequate, but it is counterproductive. Instead, leaders need to identify what KSA building blocks are needed the most, and then follow suit with a commensurate recruitment strategy.
Special Education
Special education students require customized instructional resources, additional support, and creative solutions to support their learning needs. Part of being a leader in special education involves understanding the Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) as a right belonging to disabled children within the United States school system. Like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, FAPE is structured to augment the needs of children with disabilities to help ensure they have an equitable learning opportunity. Likewise, FAPE and accompanying district regulations mandate that a difference set of disciplinary procedures be used when working with students who have disabilities. School leaders should be on the front end of these trends to ensure compliance and commitment among teachers and staff who serve this student population.
Data in Public Schools
Before taking this class, it was my interpretation that the use of quantitative data was an intimidating undertaking. However, after class and from some of the reading I completed, data in public schools is essentially nothing more than educated decision-making. As educators and leaders, it is not always clear what works and why, and data helps decision-makers and teachers alike make better decisions by using evidence.
Discipline in Public Schools
The disciplinary practices used in schools are controversial, and quite a few experiences throughout the course highlighted how quickly disciplinary issues can get out of control, especially when teachers do not fully understand their options. Although we did not discuss every aspect of discipline in public schools on a granular level, course discussions and readings helped provide a firm set of initial boundaries. Overall, my takeaway on this topic is that it is always better to err on the side of caution and legality to avoid co-creating a bad situation.
Support Staff
Having known several people who work in school support staff positions before taking this class, I was privy to some of the challenges and issues they face in their roles. The course content on this topic reinforced what I already know. Support staff do not work for teachers. Instead, they are valuable team members and should be treated as colleagues.
Public School Budgets in Kentucky
While accounting and finance are not my strong suits, the course’s coverage of school budgeting systems helped clarify how money streams work in school systems. Although I still have a lot to learn in this topic, I appreciated this course’s focus on simplicity. When in doubt, or when school leaders are unsure how to handle a particular situation, simply access the Kentucky Department of Education’s Redbook to find an answer to any questions. In my opinion, one of the problems with financial knowhow in the education sector has to do with difficulties surrounding information management and accessibility. However, the Redbook quick reference manual essentially serves as a quick reference for educational staff, teachers, and leaders in situations where compliance and protocol are a concern. Naturally, situations are bound to arise that exceed the scope of the Redbook. Nonetheless, for the majority of issues that surface, the Redbook will likely to an adequate job directing educational staff accordingly.
Closing Thoughts
Being a leader in education is challenging, even when you do all the right things. However, my perspective after this course is that quite a few of the problems we face in education stem from misinformation, bad choices, and poor organization. This course taught me to be a change agent when it comes to these aspects of educational leadership and teaching, whereby focusing on these areas, quite a few problems can be prevented or overcome quickly with the right solutions.
