THE ROLE OF EDUCATION LEADERS

The Role of Education Leaders

The Role of Education Leaders

Role Of Education Leaders In Critique And Reform Of Education

Teachers must believe that the educational leader is acting in the best interest of all stakeholders. In order to achieve this buy-in the educational leader must set clear goals and objectives; for example, enhancing the academic achievement of diverse students through a more culturally inclusive pedagogy. Bryk and Schneider also stress the need to provide professional development resources to prepare teachers to become more creative and culturally inclusive in the classroom(Hawley 2004).

In Schools that Learn, Peter Senge (2000) categorically believes that a forced change by a well-meaning and capable principal will most likely fail. Senge describes possible strategies an educational leader may try in order to avoid failure. First, she must make it clear that this initiative is a first effort to solve a problem. An effective leader should attempt to create a team-based process that will build a sense of ownership on the part of all stakeholders. (Harmer 2001) Second, she must reduce the intensity of the change by allowing changes to the curriculum to come in stages. Therefore, teachers have more time to adapt to it and make it their own. Finally, she must avoid the need for major changes by having ongoing and open discussions that address achievement inconsistencies(Hargreaves 2005).

In Leading Effective Secondary School Reform, Loughridge and Tarantino (2005) ardently state that no educational leader or administrative team can create school-wide change without the support of teacher leaders who serve as pivotal members of committees and provide professional development and coaching to staff members. They go to say that, educational leaders should encourage the opportunities for teachers to engage in subject matter workshops, as well as reflective problem solving conversations that focus on improving the delivery of a more culturally inclusive pedagogy(Ellis 2006). Teacher education is a powerful way to ensure that teachers are better prepared to effectively respond to culturally diverse students.

(1) Who controls the schools? Who makes the policies that govern schools? Who determines the ethical, social, and economic goals of education? Who sets the curriculum? Who determines instructional materials used in a school/classroom?

It is critical for schools to plan to prevent disease transmission and protect students and staff, as well as local communities, from flu infection. Depending on the timing and severity of an H1N1 wave, interventions could include: extra measures to ensure that commonly touched surfaces are disinfected, strict enforcement of exclusion policies for students and staff with flu-like symptoms, or extended school closures. In addition, because schools could be used as vaccine distribution locations, schools should consider how they might accommodate such requests. While all of us want to do all we can to keep students engaged in learning and maintain a sense of normalcy, we need to be ready for whatever the flu season brings. (Dörnyei 2001)

While there has been a dramatic shift in the demographic educational landscape of the United States, to a more culturally diverse student population, the characteristics ...