Integrative Essay & References

by Susan Neault (EAD 610 - Spring 2003)

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Who is this person we call principal? What are the roles and responsibilities required of the individual who aspires to undertake this job? Why do some principals succeed when others don’t meet the expectations of parents, administration and teachers? The readings, speakers and class activities I have participated in have all helped me to begin to look at the principalship in a way I never did before and to assist me in beginning to answer some of the questions I posed.

Historical View

Historically the principal was a leader who represented the community as a spiritual guide and was expected to uphold the mores of the society as well as be a head teacher (Daresh, 2002). Each historical era has brought a new facet to the role of principal. The principalship has evolved to meet the changing demands of society and also to incorporate theories of leadership. Over time the principal has been recast in a variety of roles from bureaucrat and supervisor, to community leader and visionary, educator and moral agent. Current expectations reflect some of the original qualifications desired of the spiritual leader and the principal teacher (Daresh, 2002). Today the emphasis on improving assessment scores, coupled with the expectations for schools to be safe and secure environments that will instill moral and ethical values, requires the principal to encompass the past and the present in their duties as a building administrator.

New Information and New Perspectives

The literature makes it clear that the principalship has evolved over time. However this evolution is not one dimensional, but rather multidimensional. The principalship has not exchanged one skill for another, but rather the role has been expanded and a variety of skills are required. Broadly speaking these skills could be categorized as technical skills like budgeting and scheduling, and secondly as theoretical skills, such as understanding conflict and decision-making as well as motivational techniques (Daresh, 2002). Daresh and other authors suggest that there is yet another very important aspect that is essential to those wishing to be effective administrators; that is the focus on core beliefs and the adherence to these beliefs as a guide for professional behavior. He places self at the core or center of his model for understanding the principalship (Daresh, 2002).

Prior to this course, my perspectives were based solely on personal experience and observation. My views were one-dimensional and did not take into account the true scope of the job or the multifaceted roles the principal must perform.  In the following sections I will divide my newly gained understanding into five broad categories as a method for organizing my views, followed by a compilation of best practices gained from the class interview task.

Roles and Responsibilities

Our educational administration coursework has led us from looking at theoretical models of leadership to exploring the research and literature on the principalship itself. The lists of skills and bulleted characteristics were initially daunting and no pattern emerged in my mind. As I read more and reflected more, some themes began to surface. I settled on five leadership themes. I was inspired by our “C concepts” so I chose five categories that will allow me to incorporate the multitude of skills and attitudes I have identified so far:

1. The Committed Leader
2. The Collaborative Leader
3. The Connector
4. The Caretaker
5. The Champion

The Committed Leader

Our course reader and the books I chose all made reference to the development of personal vision, core beliefs and goal setting. These readings repeatedly referred to learning communities and the importance of producing life-long learners. Both theory and practice indicate that principals need to keep student learning and student success at the center of their vision. To accomplish such a task the administrators must have established their own personal philosophy. They must have looked within, chosen their priorities and set the standards by which they will proceed. Arthur Blumberg said, “A principal can choose, for the most part, how he/she wishes to organize his/her work life, that is, choosing what things will have priority” (Blumberg, 1980, p. 81).

Building a school learning community must be a priority and committed leaders will make that a primary goal of their administration. Roland Barth said, “Schools exist to promote learning in all their inhabitants” (Barth, 2002, B36). As chief administrator the principal must be the guardian of the commitment to student learning. All of the building’s goals and the vision for excellence must be measured against the backdrop of student learning. The executive director of the National Association of Elementary School Principals, Dr. Vincent Ferrandino, stated that idea very succinctly in an outline of standards for principal leadership, “Student learning must be at the center of what schools are about and should drive all the decisions school leaders make. Principals themselves must reflect on the way they work” (Ferrandino, 2003, A47).  The committed principal’s first question will always be, how does this impact student learning?

The committed leader will guide staff to focus on the learning process and set the tone for the entire school community by acting as the standard bearer for student achievement.

The Collaborator

The greatest revelation I experienced in my reading and research was the persistent references to the principal’s role as collaborator. I began my teaching career when the duties of principal were less multidimensional; they acted as managers and directors. One of the videos we watched in class showcased two administrators as instructional leaders. It was truly inspirational to me. These administrators and teachers were shown working as a team. It was obvious however that the principal had worked very hard to develop, promote and support this environment of collaboration. Using Marsha Speck’s (1999) role descriptors, this school is where the educator and the leader combine to provide a powerful climate for learning. The wonderful combination showed teachers practicing new classroom techniques and discussing philosophy in order to facilitate and improve student learning. Speck suggests that the principal, given the complexity of today’s curriculum, should

…raise questions, examine the school environment, clarify issues, stimulate thought and learning, encourage reflective practice on the part of the staff as well as themselves, and carry on a dialogue about what types of learning experiences and environments are conducive to a learning community. (Speck, 1999, p. 35)

The collaborative principal would model and support inquiry. They would encourage team-based problem solving whenever feasible and they would also provide time and training for practice and reflection. A collaborative leader would work to build an environment in which teachers are encouraged to be a part of the design, evaluation, and sharing of strategies and programs that promote student learning. A collaborative principal would build trust and challenge staff to identify problems and seek solutions.

This trend in thinking is often referred to as empowerment. Two books I read dealt with this idea in two very different ways. In Zapp in Education, William Byham wrote a fable about viewing an imaginary school from the Twelfth Dimension. He depicted teacher Ralph observing principal Joe in what he called “sapping” (Byham, 1992, pp. 61-64). Principal Joe kept a notebook and listed things like, a) lack of responsibility, b) no challenge, c) no authority and d) no time, as examples of sapping (Byham, 1992, p. 65) When administrators try to be and do everything, progress is limited and the staff feels a lack of trust. The simple concept here is strength in numbers. By working with his staff, principal Joe began to realize that the converse of “sapping” is “zapping”, or the giving of power (Byham, 1992, p. 67).

More poetic in tone but very similar in meaning was the idea of authorship proposed in Lee G. Bolman and Terrence Deal’s book, Leading with Soul (2001, p. 10). Bolman and Deal conjectured that by relinquishing power, a new feeling of satisfaction would be gained. They said, “Trusting people to solve problems generates higher levels of motivation and better solutions. The leader’s responsibility is to create conditions that promote authorship” (Bolman and Deal, pp. 111-112).

Although the concept of working together seems obvious from an organizational standpoint, the culture of education has not always promoted teacher empowerment. Neila A. Connors used an amusing format in her book, If You Don’t Feed the Teachers They Eat The Students (2000) but her message is clear.

Administrators, who make it a priority to treat teachers with respect, recognize invaluable contributions, and realize teachers are their best allies, see great things happen. The returns are unlimited! Teachers are extraordinary resources that outstanding leaders acknowledge as vital components of successful schools. Connors, 2000, p. 21)

That arms my hypothetical administrator with not only a commitment to student learning but also a call to tap into the power of effective teaching and team building to improve performance. Trust must be established and recognition given. To accomplish those goals the leader will also need to make connections by using effective communication and creating a setting in which learning can thrive.

The Connector

Committed to a personal vision and aiming for collaboration, the effective principal needs skills and strategies to express that vision. The successful administrator needs to connect with a variety of stakeholders if exchange of ideas and improvement are to take place. What, how, and to whom the principal communicates and connects will be critical to learning outcomes, student and staff morale, and community perception of the school. Like Bolman and Deal, Judith R. Azzara raised the issue of human interaction (2000, B6). In her article entitled, The Heart and Soul of Leadership, she challenged administrators to focus on people. She stressed the importance of face-to-face contact. Azzara gave preference to verbal communication over email. She claimed that, “… if school leaders don’t have skills in human relations, they will perish” (Azzara, 2000, p. B6).

Communication cannot focus solely on being articulate; administrators need to connect with people in a positive way. The student communication group I interacted with in the class jigsaw activity laid out some techniques of good communication. They showed clearly how good communication requires developing good listening skills and other techniques like face-to-face talking, an open door policy, informal conversation and visibility to promote the administrator’s understanding of what is going on in the building (J. Tocornal, personal communication, March 4, 2003). Such behaviors are a conduit for the staff and students to receive messages about what the principal values from this type of communication. A skilled practitioner of this style of communication would have opportunity for expressing his or her own beliefs and maintaining the focus on learning.

Over a period of time, the processes a principal establishes for making connections and the style of his or her communication will be a basis for the relationship he or she will establish with students, staff and community members. This requires the principal to have skill in dealing with confrontational situations. Disagreements, complaints and even hostility are occasions for the principal to communicate his/her own value system. It is a time to reaffirm the district’s or the building’s policies and goals and also to assert personal leadership. Creating a culture of open communication coupled with a commitment to maintaining a learning environment that calls on the expertise of all community stakeholders requires yet another broad element if a principal is to be successful. The ability to manage and organize will provide the framework in which the other elements can function. I call this principal a conscientious caretaker.

The Conscientious Caretaker

Every school, large or small, has systems that must be maintained. Management skills are essential because they represent the key to the smooth functioning of a building on a daily basis and over the course of each school year. The caretaker principal must be a planner, a manager, an organizer, a decision maker, a problem solver and an activities director, just to name a few. All of these tasks overlap and the conscientious principal will constantly assess and evaluate the status of the building and of the various systems in place to make certain these are all functioning to provide a broad base of support in which teaching and learning can take place. Marsha Speck (1999) made it clear how difficult this can be when she said, “The complex nature of the principal’s managerial work is characterized by brevity, variety and fragmentation. The managerial activities are not only varied, but also without patterns, disconnected, and interspersed with trivia” (p. 70).

The principal interviews, conducted by my team, reflected that very description. All of the administrators interviewed indicated that no two days were ever alike. That is when careful planning, and time management paid off. The conscientious administrator has systems in place that direct the recurring activities of staff and of students. This gives everyone a sense of stability, direction and purpose. Good scheduling, notice of changes in schedule, setting and keeping deadlines and training and support for use of technology all support the learning community. In this way, time is used effectively and chaos is limited.

Technology has become an integral part of the educator’s world. Bonnie Ladd (B. Ladd, personal communication, March11, 2003) made it clear, in her presentation, that knowledge and use of technology can increase a principal’s productivity and provide an efficient means of communication and organization.

Therefore a school learning community needs a caretaker principal who will set up, support and maintain management systems and protocols that will provide structure and support and the opportunity for ongoing growth (Speck, 1999, p. 73).

Another facet of the caretaker role should be accountability. A good manager incorporates a process for reflection, and evaluation to see if success is being achieved. Identifying problems and seeking solutions really requires the principal to use a combination of skills. I include accountability here because it is ultimately the responsibility of the principal to assess achievement of long term goals. Data and observation must be used to determine if goals are being met. The principal must be the keeper of the school vision and if the flame is becoming dim, it is up to the administrator to marshal the resources needed to sustain and kindle change and improvement. It is the caretaker principal who will refocus the leaning community and who will maintain commitment over time. What kind of person has the staying power to oversee the organization while at the same time providing inspiration? It is the champion principal!

The Champion

I chose champion as the final element of my synthesis of the dynamics that make a principal effective. Several authors in our reader made reference to risk-taking, courage and seriousness of purpose. A courageous principal does not charge on alone or without purpose. They gird themselves with a set of beliefs that guide them in all facets of the job and those principals maintain confidence that good things can and are being accomplished. An effective principal respects the traditions of the school but challenges the staff and students to reach beyond their present level of achievement. The champion administrator is on a quest, so they are always predisposed for action. A principal does not undertake the quest alone, he or she must be people centered. The champion principal must incorporate democratic leadership and promote professional development so that teacher leaders can join him or her on this quest for learning. This principal must be a champion of learning, and in fact must be the chief learner in the school. By promoting inquiry and supporting staff growth and improvement, the principal will be part of a championship team.

Of course, this committed, caring, conscientious person cannot be a champion if they do not attend to their own physical and emotional self. Almost all of the literature emphasized the importance of physical and emotional strength.

Our team interviews also provided insight into this facet of the principalship. Each principal interviewed had personal interests outside of the school that provided relief from stress. More importantly several mentioned the need for setting limits and boundaries. A successful leader must learn balance.

Bolman and Deal (2001) based their whole leadership parable on the need to be introspective. Steve, their main character, a disillusioned executive, wanted quick answers or some kind of a quick fix from Maria, Steve’s spiritual guide. She helped him, through a series of lessons that taught him to seek answers by first understanding himself better.

Marsha Speck (1999) is eloquent in her description of the inner person factor. She makes it very clear that this is a component to leadership equal in importance to all the others. She sees the strong inner person as the source of strength that will sustain the principal in the performance of all the other roles. (p. 81)

So the principal who acts as a champion is the leader of the mission to improve student learning. This person has inner strength that provides the motivation needed to remain at the forefront of educational leadership.

The five categories I chose, commitment, collaboration, connecting, caretaking, and championing are broad categories that I see as forming a blueprint for building a strong philosophy that will lead to being a successful principal. Keeping those precepts in mind I would also like to highlight some of the best practices that represent translating those philosophies into actions.

Best Practices

As I read, the complexity of the principalship became evident. The literature shows how the dynamics of the job have changed over time. The complex role requires a multitude of skills to be able to do everything required, and do it well. One of the benefits of the principal interview process was the window it provided into some of the proven practices that these successful principals currently use.

The eight principals interviewed spent the majority of their time dealing with issues and tasks that involved people and they all said that students were their number one priority. Our team questions about climate and culture revealed the importance of being able to function in a people centered job. The administrators stressed how critical it is to work positively with students, staff and parents. Our interview group of principals said fostering a climate and a culture that encourages a community of learning is an essential aspect of the principal’s role. Ideas for accomplishing that goal included: a) modeling professional behavior, b) being respectful and positive, c) being open to different ideas and d) willingness to consider different ways of doing things. Additionally, the interview group made it clear that communication is another skill needed to ensure such an environment. Strategies suggested included: using ITIP, Instructional Theory into Practice, to create a common language for discussion of program and pedagogy, creating schedules that allow for team planning, and hiring of staff that share philosophies similar to one’s own. Several principals stressed the importance of listening. Good listening skills give students and staff a feeling of being valued. In a related strategy, several administrators spoke about visibility as a means to increase communication, build confidence and as a time management device. Other methods used to foster a culture of community learning included use of professional development time to work on building and district goals and planned social events outside of the school setting.

Another important strategy for community building that surfaced in the interviews was the various ways used to recognize the accomplishment of both students and staff. Elementary Principal, Carolyn Costello, spoke passionately of her continuing efforts to recognize staff and students using different media opportunities, including seeking statewide recognition for the school nurse (C. Costello, personal communication, March 4, 2003).

These practices stem from a deep commitment to a particular theme. One veteran principal advised us to pick a theme and let all of our actions be unified under that idea. Such a commitment was echoed in a statement from Olivia Cambs, principal of Baker High School. Ms. Cambs said, “I want to promote advocacy for students and not have teachers limit their focus to promoting their content area. I am vigilant in reminding teachers, staff and parents that the students are in the end just kids and not mini adults” (O. Cambs, personal communication, February 3, 2003).

What style of leadership seemed to work best for this group of principals? The adjectives that came up most frequently were firm, fair, consistent, humanistic, supportive, sincere and articulate. All of those adjectives are positive and show that these principals care about creating positive outcomes. Those descriptions show respect for students, teachers and parents.

That brings me to the most important practice of all. Although they may have used different phrases, each principal made his or her focus on children obvious. The strategies they employed when dealing with students and with parents, the culture building techniques used and their concern for success for all students indicated an unflagging commitment to children, a kids first attitude.

Conclusion

There are certainly human traits that are often identified with leadership. The good news I learned is that there are also identifiable behaviors, skills and practices that one can learn on the way to becoming a leader. Trying on the role hypothetically made me realize how much there is to discover and to master. I can see that the journey I began in EAD 601 has gained new meaning. I have expanded my understanding of the demands of the job of principal and I have gained new respect for the knowledge and skill level required. It seems a daunting task but I take heart when I look at this quote from an elementary educator when asked why she stays in the field of education, “…but we have the best possible job. It’s meaningful, creative and provides at least nine belly laughs per day” (Parade, 2003).