RunningHead:LEADERSHIPPLATFORM

LeadershipPlatform

AshleyL.Rossiter

CaliforniaStateUniversitySanMarcos

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VisionStatement
Asaspiringeducationalleaders,wearededicatedtobeingcaring,collaborative,andequitable
indevelopinglifelonglearnersandpassionate,knowledgeableeducators
(CSUSMEd.Admin.Cohort,VisionStatement,2015).

PrinciplesofLeadershipIntroduction
Theultimategoalofanyschoolisthesuccessofallstudents,andschoolleaderscanhave
atremendousimpactonthisgoal.Thefirststepinachievingthisgoalistohaveaclearvision
thatguidesdecisionmakingandactions(Kouzes&Posner,2012,p.42).Asanaspiringleader,I
looktomyvaluesinestablishingmyvision.ThroughouttheEducationalAdministration
programthroughCaliforniaStateUniversitySanMarcos,Ihavelearnedthatbeingclearinyour
valueswillguideyoutobecomeastrongleader.TheeducationalvaluesthatIholdhighestare
establishingapositiveschoolclimate,fosteringcollaboration,beingastronginstructionalleader,
promotinghighexpectationsforallstakeholders,andmaintainingstrongethicsandintegrity.
SchoolClimate
Establishingandmaintainingapositiveschoolclimatesupportsthelearningofall
students.AccordingtoDealandPeterson(1999),apositiveschoolclimateimpactsmany
aspectsofaschoolincludingfosteringeffortandproductivityinbothteachersandstudents,
improvingcollegialrelationshipsthereforepromotingcollaboration,communication,and
problemsolving,andfocuseseveryonesattentiononwhatisconsideredbyalltobeimportant
(ascitedinTheCenterforComprehensiveSchoolReformandImprovement,p.2).

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Inmyexperiencesasateacherforthepast11yearsandinmytenureintheCSUSMEd.
Admin.program,Ihavelearnedthatfosteringandmaintainingapositiveschoolclimateis
imperativeforsuccess.Inordertoeffectivelyimplementthefollowingvaluesandgoals,a
positiveschoolclimatemustfirstbedeveloped.Throughmyobservationsofadministrators,I
wasluckytoobserveschoolleadersthathavehelpedtodevelopandmaintainapositiveschool
cultureattheirsite.InmyobservationofCesarMoralesandBillLordatSageCreekHigh
SchoolinCarlsbad,CA,Isawastaffthatwaspositive,energetic,passionate,anddedicated.
Theywillinglycametoameetingduringtheirplanningandcollaborationtimetoparticipateina
lastminutepresentationonthenewcollegeentranceexams.However,theynotonlyattended,
theydidsowithsmilesontheirfaces,readytolearnwaystobestsupporttheirhighschool
students.Later,atthesameschool,IsatinonaPTAmeetingwheretheparentsenergetically
discussedwaystosupporttheteachersandstudentsattheschool.Everyoneinthisschool
communitywasfocusedonthevisionassetforthbytheleadership.Duringanotherobservation
ofTomBloomquistandJulieSteitzatValleyMiddleSchoolinCarlsbad,CA,Iparticipatedin
decoratingaredcarpetwalkwayforateacherwhorecentlywonthehonorabledistinctionof
CaliforniaTeacheroftheYear.Theadministratorswentoutoftheirwaytocelebrateateacher
oncampus,andgottheotherteachersandstudentsinvolvedaswell.BothoftheseschoolsI
visitedhadafeeling.Beingonthesecampuseswasinspiringbecausethepositivity,
collaboration,passion,anddedicationwastangible.Indiscussionwiththeprincipals,this
feelingdidnotoccurbyaccident.Theythoughtfullyimplementedpracticesthatledtheir
schoolstoapositiveschoolculture.Asafutureleader,Iwillstrivetodothesame.Manyofthe
followingvaluesarereinforcedthroughpositiveschoolculture.Theinterconnectednessofeach

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ofthesevaluesshowhowimportanteachisindividually,butalsohowtrulypowerfultheyareas
acomprehensiveapproachtoleadership.
Collaboration
Collaborationandcommunicationisimperativetoasuccessfulschool.Collaboration
musttakeplacebetweenallstakeholdersinaschoolincludingtheadministration,teachers,
students,staffandcommunity.AsassertedbyKouzesandPosner(2012),Worldclass
performanceisntpossibleunlesstheresastrongsenseofsharedcreationandshared
responsibility(p.218).
DuringthecourseofthisprogramIhaveengagedinmanycollaborativeactivities.Ihave
servedonboththeschoolanddistrictleadershipteams,Ihavecollaboratedwithstaffandparents
toplanandimplementaschoolwidescienceday,ledtheteamof5thgradeteacherseachweek
inourgradelevelcollaborationmeetingsasgradelevelleader,andworkedwithateamof
teacherstowriteanapplicationfortheGoldRibbonaward.Eachoftheseexperienceshasled
metofurtherdevelopmyleadershipskills,whilealsoreinforcingmybeliefthattheoutcomeis
betterwhenpeopleworktogethertoachieveacommongoal.Uponreflectionofwhichofthese
activitiestrulyfeltcollaborative,productive,andprofessional,itisclearthatnotallcollaboration
iscreatedequal.Marzano(2003)suggestsestablishingnormsforcollaborationthatdetailhow
staffwillresolveconflicts,solveproblems,shareinformation,communicate,andbehaveduring
collaborationtime(p.65).Ibelievethatwiththesenorms,themeetingsthatsometimesgooff
trackorloseasenseofprofessionalismcouldbeimproveduponforthebenefitofallinvolved.
InstructionalLeadership

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Teachersandschoolpersonnelareconstantlyfacedwithchanges.Currently,schools
continuetoworktowardthesuccessfulimplementationoftheCommonCoreStateStandards
(CCSS)andinaddition,willsoontakeonthenewNextGenerationScienceStandards(NGSS).
Ibelieveitistheprincipalandschoolsiteleadershipsresponsibilitytoguideandsupportthe
teachersinthesetransitionaltimes.Throughoutthisprogram,Ihavefoundapassionfor
supportingteacherstobecomethebestversionofthemselvesthroughexample,advice,
professionaldevelopment,andcollaboration.
IntheLeadingInstructioncourseweweregivenanopportunitytoconductan
instructionalobservationwithacolleague.ThroughthisassignmentIgainedgreatinsightinto
theimpactthatbothformalandinformalobservationscanhaveinhelpingteacherscontinueto
growaseducators.Duringthepostobservationreflection,theteacherIobservedsharedwithme
aninstructionalstrugglethatshehadbeenhavingthroughouttheyear.Iwasabletogiveher
someadvicefrommyownteachingexperiencetohelpguideher.Thenextweeksheapproached
mebeaming,andinformedmethatshehadtriedthesuggestioninherclassroomandwas
amazedattheresultsshewasalreadyseeing.Uponreflectionofthisactivity,Irealizedthat
whenadministratorsdontspendtimeinclassroomstheymissopportunitiestoguideand
developtheirteachers.Furthermore,administratorscanhaveatremendousimpactonthe
daytodayteachingandlearningthatoccursineachclassroom.Byhavingapresencein
classroomsandaroundcampus,administratorscankeeptheirfingeronthepulseoftheschool,
ensuringthatstudentsandteachersareupholdingthevisionandvaluesoftheschool.This
visibilityalsoallowsaprincipaltosupportteachersandstaffonadailybasisbyguidingthem
withdiscipline,instruction,andbeingavailableforwhatevertheirneedsmaybe.

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ThroughthisprogramIhavealsofoundapassionandinterestinprofessional
development(PD).Irecentlyresearched,budgeted,andproposedaPDopportunitytomy
schoolsiteleadershipteam.ThisproposalwillhelpteacherspreparetoimplementtheNGSS
throughaseriesofworkshops.Theleadershipteamwasveryexcitedaboutthisopportunityand
unanimouslyvotedtoproceedwithit.Asanaspiringleader,Iamexcitedtohelpsupport
teacherswithrelevantprofessionaldevelopment,andguidethemasaninstructionalleader.
MotivationandHighExpectations
AccordingtoLizWiseman,authorof
TheMultiplierEffect:TappingtheGeniusInside
OurSchools
(2013),TalentFindersseegeniusallaroundthem.Theyseeitandtheyputitto
use,stretchingandstrengtheningthetalent(p.26).Astrongschoolleaderisabletoseethe
geniusintheirstaffandhelptofosterthatgeniusinawaythatbenefitseveryone.Atarecent
schoolsitevisit,principalofVistaInnovationandDesignAcademy,EricChagala,spokeof
allowinghisteacherstoexploretheirpassions.Throughthisfreedom,theschoolhasestablished
manyspecialclassesgivingstudentsopportunitiestheywouldlikelynothaveotherwise.In
addition,teachersaremotivatedtocontinueworkinghardfortheirstudentstobringthemnew
andexcitinglessonsandclasses.Thisisevidencethatagoodleaderhasthecapacitytofuelthe
creativityandpassionofthepeoplearoundthem.
EthicsandIntegrity
KouzesandPosner(2012)write,Itsvitallyimportantthatleadersandconstituents
arriveatconsensusonsharedvalues,becauseoncetheyarearticulated,thosevaluesbecomea
pledgetoemployees,customers,clients,businesspartners,andotherconstituents.Theyarea
promisetopeoplethateveryoneintheorganizationwilldowhatthevaluesprescribe(p.61).

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Furthermore,effectiveschoolleadersmustbeadailyexampleofthosevalues.Kouzesand
Posnerfurtherexplain,Howyouspendyourtimeistheclearestindicatorofwhatisimportant
toyouVisiblyspendingtimeonwhatsimportantshowsthatyoureputtingyourmoney
whereyourmouthis(p.76).Havingastrongsenseofyourvaluesandwhatisimportanttoyou
asaleaderisthefirststep.Showingthesevaluestothosearoundyouonadailybasisisequally
important.
Conclusion
KouzesandPosner(2012)write,Thereslittledebatethatleadersmakeadifference.
Theonlyrealquestioniswhatkindofdifferencetheymake(p.335).Ihavenodoubtthatthe
Ed.Admin.programthroughCSUSMhaspreparedmetobeastrong,positive,andinfluential
schoolleader.AsIlookbacktowhereIstarted,IamproudofthetremendousgrowthIhave
madeoverthelasttwoyears.Ihavelearnedinvaluablelessonsthroughmycoursework,
conversationswithprofessorsandcolleaguesinmycohort,andapplicationthroughfieldwork
andleadershipopportunitiesIhavesoughtoutasaresultofthisprogram.IknowthatIwill
continuetogrowasIputmoreoftheselessonsintopracticeandlookforwardtotheleaderIwill
become.

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Resources
Kouzes,J.,&Posner,B.(2012).
Theleadershipchallenge
(5thed.).SanFrancisco,CA:The
LeadershipChallenge.
Marzano,R.J.(2003).
Whatworksinschools:Translatingresearchintoaction.
Alexandria,
VA:AssociationforSupervisionandCurriculumDevelopment.
TheCenterforComprehensiveSchoolReformandImprovement.(2006,December).
School
culture:Thehiddencurriculum.
(IssueBriefNo.???).Washington,DC:Jerald,C.D.
Wiseman,L.,Allen,L.,&Foster,E.(2013).Themultipliereffect:Tappingthegeniusinsideour
schools.ThousandOaks,CA:Corwin.