LEADERSHIP

PLATFORM
Kelsey Batey

Organizational Profile

Lake Elementary, Mentor Public Schools

Student and Faculty Population:

329 students: Kindergarten 5th grade

School Psychologist, Occupational Therapist,

Speech and Language Pathologist, ELL
teacher

Female: 155

Male: 174

Guidance Counselor

1 Building Principal

16 regular education classroom teachers

4 related arts or specials teachers (physical

education, art, music and technology/library)

2 Intervention Specialists, 1 structured

language autism Intervention Specialist with
2 classroom assistants

2 secretaries

1 day custodian, 2 night custodians.

1 lunch lady

Title One teacher, Title One district

coordinator and Instructional Coach

6 classroom assistants

Organizational Profile

Lake Elementary, Mentor Public Schools

Language:

Race:

English (Majority of students)

Caucasian

Spanish

African-American

Croatian

Asian

Yoruban

Hispanic

Macedonian

Bi-Racial

Organizational Profile

Lake Elementary, Mentor Public Schools

Socio-Economic Status:
Medium/High

Parent/Community Demographics:
Mentor-on-the-Lake, OH

57% students receive free

and reduced meals

Small community still part of

Mentor Public Schools

Breakfast and Lunch is

served

Many students come from

one parent homes, divorced
or spilt family homes, or
blended homes consisting of
grandparents or other family
members that they live with

Meals go home on weekend

with 10-12 families in need

Organizational Profile

Lake Elementary, Mentor Public Schools

School Culture:

Lake Elementary builds a school culture by promoting

students to be CARDS students. This stands for students
who help create a Caring And Respectful Dynamic School.
Students are encouraged to be respectful, responsible and
safe throughout the day. Students who show this
behavior are rewarded with CARDS tickets and entered into
a weekly drawing to win a prize. They also can earn a
CARDS Positive Referral where they are recognized over
the speaker and earn a positive call home and a special
treat from the principal.

Philosophy of Leadership
Technology:

Technology utilization is changing the way teachers and students are able to work
and learn within a classroom. It allows students to be creative, find more
resources worldwide, connect with people of different backgrounds and cultures,
and learn at their own level and pace. I fully believe that technology, if used
appropriately within a classroom can help develop students to become lifelong
learners and be successful global citizens. It can prepare students for the 21st
century and beyond. Some teachers, however, are utilizing technology as a way to
have students teach themselves and complete busy work. This is not the
approach to how technology should be utilized. There are a lot of programs that
students can use to help give extra practice and reteach skills that are missing,
however it can never replace the connection of a teacher and student relationship.
Nothing is more important than a teacher teaching with students and making daily
connections with academic content as well as personal connections. Technology
should be the piece to enhance lessons, not replace lessons. There are various
amounts of creative applications for iPads, websites for computers and so forth
can allow for students to show their understanding and transfer their knowledge
into real life situations. Teachers should be given professional development to
learn how technology can be used with best practices to help support students
for the 21st century and beyond.

Philosophy of Leadership
Student Success:

Student success should be the number one priority of all educators. Ensuring that
students are receiving the best education is the priority of school leaders. It is
vital to provide teachers with professional development on best teaching practices.
Also, teachers and leaders should be analyzing utilizing individual data on students
to help influence instruction based on individual needs. Students should be
receiving differentiated instruction to help support their needs as well as
interventions and challenges to help each student grow academically at their own
level. In order to provide the best environment for students to work at their
level, collaboration is a vital part to making this type of teaching a success. Grade
level teams, intervention specialists, and other support staff should be working
together to build schedules to provide the appropriate time that they are able to
provide for students. This includes students of all ability levels not only those who
struggle but also those that are identified as gifted. Collaboration with these
teachers and sharing students based on abilities and needs can also help provide
equal services to all students.

Philosophy of Leadership
Conflict Resolution:

Conflict resolution is a key factor in promoting a successful school.

Teachers and other staff need to be able to work together
collaboratively to implement the mission and vision of a school and
district. As a leader, it is important to allow for open communication
and dialogue with staff members. There should be a community of
respect and open mindness that is shared from the leader onto the
staff. All people should feel like their questions and concerns can be
voiced and heard no matter what the situation is. When conflict
arises, the leader should keep a professional approach and allow for
the resolution to be made with those involved. When a leader has
this policy and approach to keeping conflict to a minimum, it can set
an example of how staff members should interact with each other.
This can then be shown to students in order to promote positive
conflict resolution among students as well.

Mission of Mentor Public Schools

In concert with our community, the Mentor
Exempted Village Schools will:
Ensure the foundation for scholastic, personal, and
career successes of all students;
Enhance all relationships within our community;
Exercise the best management of our fiscal
resources and all of our other resources.

Vision of Mentor Public Schools

Meet and exceed the instructional needs of all students
while preparing them for the 21st century and beyond
Maximize the capacity, effectiveness and efficiency of all
our current and future resources
Communicate and collaborate with internal and external
stakeholders
Provide a safe and secure environment in which students
can grow academically and socially

Leadership Goals:
1. In order to provide a safe and secure environment for
students, Lake Elementary will allow time set out aside once
a week for students to discuss feelings, personal interests
and any problems that are occurring in school. This will be a
common time for all grade levels on the same day. Meetings
with all classes combined within the grade levels will ensure a
positive climate by incorporating uplifting activities for all
students to engage in.

Leadership Goals:
2. Technology can prepare students for the 21st

century and beyond. Students must be given the

opportunity to use technology in a meaningful way to
enhance their skills and problem solving. Students will
be able to participate in project based learning at least
once a semester with topics that relate to their
interest. They will utilize technology to organize,
prepare and implement a project that connects with
the real world.

Leadership Goals:
3. Student learning should be shared with all those that are
involved within students lives and the community. Parents,
administrators and other community members that are
involved with students should be invited to witness student
learning with the display of projects, presentations and other
student work. Once a semester, students will be able to
showcase a major project or learning growth of their choice
that they feel is important to them at a family and
community night. Students can present and share their
learning with family, community members and
administrators.

Implemented Goal:
The goal that I have decided to implement is goal number
3, the goal connecting student learning with parents and
community members. This goal is important because as a
school we believe that parents and community members
play a vital role in supporting students. With a connection
between school, home and our community, students can
become more successful, and motivated to become
lifelong learners. This goal aligns with our school districts
mission goal Enhance all relationships within our
community.

Group I Discussed Goals With:

I shared this goal at our principal led PLC meeting which contains
fifth grade teachers, instructional coaches, title one teachers,
intervention specialist, gifted specialist and our building principal. I
shared my leadership platform PowerPoint with the group first
discussing the make-up of our school and looking at the mission and
vision of our district. I then discussed the goal in detail and asked
each person to respond with thoughts and concerns they thought
could arise by trying to implement the goal. I decided to start with
this group because the goal is something that could be difficult to
start with the entire building. I thought by trying to implement this
goal with one grade level to start, there can be a reflection on what
works best and can be fixed before implementing as an entire school
wide plan.

Feedback:

After talking about the desired plan, the entire group

thought it was a great idea. They stated that many times
we only meet with parents at parent teacher conferences
and go over data but do not have time to show student
work and the fun things that students can do throughout
the day. They also agreed that many times parents come
to concerts, holiday parties or various PTA events but again
are not able to see what students are actually doing during
the day and the various things they are learning. They
agreed that presenting projects or other various things
throughout the year almost like an open house but at the
end of each semester is a great way to show parents and
community members how their influence at home and
during other times can help students become motivated
and positive about their learning as well

Challenges:
Students have busy schedules with sports and other after
school activities, they may not be able to make it for a
night activity
Parents have busy schedules and many of our parents
work 2nd or 3rd shift and would not be able to make it
Teachers can not be forced to stay after school and may
see this is just one more thing they have to do outside of
the regular school day.

Suggestions:
Day time practice session that parents could attend if
they worked at night time in addition to having the night
time presentation as well.
My principal suggested having this night as a substitute for
spring parent teacher conferences. Our spring
conferences are not mandatory for all families, just those
of students who are struggling. We could still have an hour
designated towards meetings and then afterwards have
the open house style presentations for families.
Have a topic or theme that all classes would focus on. For
example, all classes would showcase their writing for the
year so it was the same across all grade levels.