School Leadership

 

 

Scratch the surface of an excellent school and you are likely to find an excellent principal. Peer into a failing school and you will find weak leadership. In today’s climate of heightened expectations, principals are in the hot seat to improve teaching and learning. They need to be educational visionaries, instructional and curriculum leaders, assessment experts, disciplinarians, community builders, public relations experts, budget analysts, facility managers, special programs administrators, and expert overseers of legal, contractual, and policy mandates and initiatives. They are expected to broker the often-conflicting interests of parents, teachers, students, and district office officials. They need to be sensitive to the widening range of student needs. This job sounds overwhelming, however to be a school leader is not just something a position or a prestige. School principal undergoes a critical role since the success of the school greatly depends on them.

Principals play a vital role in setting the direction for successful school. However, the knowledge on the best ways to prepare and develop highly qualified school leaders are rarely to be found.  That is why we can only pinpoint principals that are really effective. School leaders need to have effective leadership. If they don’t have this, for sure minimal learning will take place. School leaders, beginning with the principal or head teacher must provide strong leadership that sets a tone for the daily operations of the school community. In the absence of such leadership, discipline breaks down and academics falter. School leadership is not just about walking the halls and telling students to “tuck in their shirts.” Rather, it is about dynamic modeling that encourages and promotes excellence in every aspect of the school community.

In the school where I am teaching, there is indeed an evident of effective school leadership. And that is because we have an effective school leader. The characteristics of being an effective leader can be mirrored to our principal. She knows how to deal with all the people in the school community, make good decisions, handle her teachers professionally and make plans constructively. She knows how to deal problems of students, teachers and even parents. She is a visible principal. You can always see her in her office, corridors, classrooms, and faculty room. She is also a dynamic school leader. She enters the classroom not to find problems but to offer solutions, share recommendations, and encourage and affirm good performance. She encourages excellence while promoting a community spirit of collaboration. She is able to identify emerging issues and problems and swiftly deal with them in a positive way. She is indeed a good and effective leader.

That is why, if given a chance to be a school leader in the near future, I would likely to be the same with our principal. A principal with vision, character and commitment for the success of the school program and fulfillment of the school’s mission, vision and objectives. All for the greater glory of God.