Millersville University Matthew J.

Monahan
EDLD 610 November 19, 2014

Vision of Educational Leadership

No work is more important than that of an educator. Education, and more specifically

formal schooling, constantly affects societies worldwide. For those who have access to quality

education in the 21st century, doors of opportunity open to almost limitless possibilities. Those

who are unable, or unwilling, to take advantage of quality educational opportunities languish in

disadvantage.

The purpose of schooling is to produce well-rounded people who are lifelong learners

who actively contribute to the advancement of society. Schooling should prepare students to be

problem solvers in a rapidly changing world. It should focus on outcomes, that is, what students

are able to do as the result of their education. Quality education prepares students for lifelong

learning by teaching them not what to think, but how to learn. Educational vision should inform

school systems that reflect the ideals of a society. These systems, and vision, must also be agents

of societal change. In the United States, quality schooling contributes to the democratic process

by preparing students to be critical thinkers and active citizens.

Quality schooling requires quality educational leadership. My school-specific philosophy

of leadership is democratic, applies a power-with approach, and strives for integrative thinking.

The most significant influence in my conception of leadership as democratic is Mary Parker

Follett, who challenged the hierarchy-based industrial model of leadership as a writer and

speaker during Americas Progressive Era. Follett is clear that leadership needs a fresh approach

in a rapidly changing world. Leaders are ultimately responsible for outcomes. However, the

ways in which organizations achieve outcomes must evolve. The industrial model of managers

at the top of an organization making unilateral decisions is anachronistic and ineffective

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compared with a collective approach that employs the gifts, talents and experiences of everyone

with a stake in the organization. Because schools affect, and are affected by, many interested

people school leaders should involve input from stakeholders in decisions.1

Follett challenges the notions of power and authority that prevailed in Americas Gilded

Age. She argues that leaders who wield their titles as weapons against perceived challenges to

their power have a misplaced focus. Follett advocates for a conception of power-with, a

jointly developed power, a co-active, not a coercive power.2 Rather than dealing with situations

by striving to gain control of people, leaders should work with people to address situations.

School leaders who work with teachers, students, parents, and other stakeholders in the

community are likely to enjoy success and feel fulfillment. I would suggest that such positive

feelings are rooted in the leaders genuine attempt to serve the community.3

Integrative thinking is an exciting, and potentially frustrating, challenge for leaders. My

introduction to integrative thinking has come though reading the work of Follett and Roger

Martin. For Martin, integrative thinking is the, predisposition and the capacity to hold two

diametrically opposed ideasto produce a synthesis that is superior to either opposing idea.4

When approaching a problem, several authors whose work we have studied in this course advise

against binding oneself to rigid positions that require defense. I appreciate the potential for

collaboration and inventiveness that this approach demands, and wish to encourage it as a leader.

Of course, integrative thinking can frustrate the uninitiated because it is time consuming and

invites conflict. Folletts conception of conflict as opportunity, as opposed to a negative to be

1
Mary Parker Follett, Prophet of Management (Washington, D.C.: Beard Books, 2003), 171. we now
haveconsent of the governing, the suggestions coming from below and those at the top consenting.
2
Ibid., 103.
3
Roger Fisher and William Ury, Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (New York: Penguin
Books, 2011), 29. If they are not involved in the process, they are unlikely to approve the product.
4
Roger L. Martin, The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking
(Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press, 2007), 6.

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avoided, has led me to reevaluate the ways in which I view conflict and collaboration. By

challenging others, and accepting challenges, in constructive ways, conflict can lead to

integrative solutions.

I wish to encourage colleagues to move away from the constraints of conventional

thinking and toward the limitless possibility of integrative thinking.5 The trick, and it is a

challenging trick, is to abandon what Roger Fisher and William Ury call positional

bargaining.6 The goal of integrative thinking is to keep a problem in mind, not a preconceived

notion of a desired outcome. If leaders can encourage people to detach themselves from these

preconceptions, and focus on solutions, the thinking of a group may bend enough to achieve

integration.7 The goal is achieving a creative solution that satisfies the needs of stakeholders, not

winning an argument.

School leadership is school-specific. Richard Wallace and David Engel define

educational leadership as, the capacity to influence the future direction of the school or

district.8 I wish to facilitate a progressive approach to schooling because I believe that the

industrial model of education has applied models of business management to schools, and these

models do not fit schools. Thomas Sergiovanni and Steve Denning argue that the factory model

of management is outdated and inappropriate for schools. This model treats schools as

businesses and administrators like owners. Schools are schools, and an educational leader will

do well to keep that in mind and remind stakeholders of that distinction.

5
Ibid., 48.
6
Fisher and Ury, 3. Each side takes a position, argues for it, and makes concessions to reach a compromise.
7
Follett, 75.
8
Richard C. Wallace Jr. and David E. Engel with James E. Mooney, The Learning School: A Guide to Vision-Based
Leadership. ( California: Corwin Press, 1997), 5.

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 As a school leader, I want curriculum to serve the needs of students in a rapidly changing

world. A progressive vision for education is necessary to achieve this because the industrial

model of schooling has become standard. Although thinkers like Follett have been writing about

the need for a change in outdated management styles for nearly a century, application of this

change has been slow. As a teacher, I share Sergiovannis frustration that, in the industrial

model, assessment emphasizes following directions, passing and failing. Students and educators

have been rewarded for following the rules rather than solving problems.9 It seems clear to me

that school leaders have a choice: perpetuate the industrial model of education, lead education in

a more progressive direction. I hope to be counted among the latter because I believe that a

progressive direction will ultimately serve all stakeholders more meaningfully. I want to

promote integrative thinking among students, teachers, parents, and building leadership so that

problem solving and learning are of utmost importance. An evaluation and revaluation of

curriculum can help make that happen.

I believe that students value the experience of school when they understand that the

school community values them. It is easy for teachers to focus on testing, evaluation scores,

initiatives, and expectations. I appreciate the fact that we read an excerpt of Nel Noddings work

early on in the semester because her work has influenced my approach to teaching regularly this

year. Her relational approach to education is the cornerstone of my vision of school leadership.10

Students are extremely perceptive and know when adults care about them. Verbalizing that one

cares about students is insufficient. Showing students that one cares through actions can speak

more effectively than words. Frank DeAngelis, the principal at Columbine High School, exuded

9
Thomas J. Sergiovanni, Leadership for the Schoolhouse (California: Jossey-Bass, 1996), 11, 25.
10
Nell Noddings, Caring in Education, infed.org, August 26, 2014 http://infed.org/mobi/caring-in-education/,6.
The caring teacher strives first to establish and maintain caring relations, and these relations exhibit an integrity
that provides a foundation for everything teacher and student do together.

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a relational approach to students to the point of embracing a duty that many educators do not.

Lunch dutyI love it down there. Thats when you get to see the kids. Thats when you get to

talk to them.11 As a school building leader I hope to feel as excited to see my students as Mr.

DeAngelis did, and to foster a community in which educators and are excited about our

collective experiences.

This relational approach can lead to a meaningful sense of community in which all

members internalize their value. Noddings admits that the relational view, in the context of a

community, is difficult for many Americans because of the emphasis that our society places on

individualism. If we can help individual students and teachers feel valued as members of a

community, we may just find an integrative approach to identity in education. It is the quest for

community toward which the roots of school leadership must be directed.12 Noddings is right

about the interconnectedness of the individual and community, stating Although no individual

can escape responsibility for his own actions, neither can the community that produced him

escape its part in making him what he has become.13 Individuals and communities shoulder an

enormous responsibility producing learners, thinkers, citizens, and actors.

Educators in the 21st century bear the enormous responsibility of keeping students as safe

as possible. Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers are sobering in commenting that educators, were

not prepared to work in violent environments but they have come to us. So now, we wrestle with

how to prepare for this new reality.14 Crucial to this preparation are well-conceived and well-

practiced emergency plans. Threats to school safety can present themselves in many forms. It is

the responsibility of school building leaders, with input from, teachers, law enforcement, and

11
Dave Cullen, Columbine (New York: Hachette Book Group, 2009), 14
12
Sergiovanni, 97.
13
Noddings, 5.
14
Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers, School Shootings: Mental Health Matters, edweek.org, October 22, 2013
http://edweek.org/edweek/leadership_360/2013/10/school_shootings_mental_health_matters.html, 2.

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medical professionals, to devise plans in the event of potential dangers. The consequences of

failure to plan effectively can be dire.15 I believe that educators and students should understand

emergency procedures, and the rationale for the procedures, so that they can be drilled

effectively and implemented in real emergencies.

Educators have a responsibility to help keep students safe by being aware of, and

sensitive to issues of mental health and depression. A horrifying spate of school shootings,

beginning with the Columbine killings in April of 1999, has placed mental health issues at the

forefront of the American consciousness. Diagnosable mental illnesses are much more prevalent

than many Americans realize. Because of a lack of awareness, and stigma attached to mental

illness and depression, an enormous percentage of people with mental illnesses go untreated.16 It

is crucial that educators be educated in mental health issues and pay attention to warning signs

that students may be suffering. As a building leader, I would focus professional development to

this issue annually. It is my hope that this focus could help students who may be suffering, and

possibly prevent potentially violent situations from occurring.

Educators must take student threats of violence seriously and intervene when they

become aware of such threats. I am not advocating a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of

violent speech and expression. However, student expressions of violence are serious and must

be investigated. If something seems off, even minor intervention can be extremely important.

An extreme example is the lack of intervention by adults when one of the Columbine killers

received a phone call about ammunition clips. Adult intervention could have possibly prevented

15
Cullen, 57, 145. Regarding the day of the Columbine High School massacre, Nobody seemed to be in
chargeWhose plan was this? Where had it come from? the system was a disaster. It was utter chaos.
16
Berkowicz and Myers, 2. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 1 in 4 Americans suffer a
diagnosable mental illness in a given year and that 60% of people with mental health issues do not receive treatment.

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a national disaster.17 Of course, not every threat of violence results in mass murder, however

threats can be cries for help by troubled students. An FBI report discounts the notion that

shooters are loners who snap and go on murderous rampages. Instead, The push toward

violence is an evolutionary one, with signposts along the way.18 Educators must learn to

interpret this evolution, and these signposts, to protect students, school buildings, and

communities.

The teachers role in education should focus on making meaningful, professional, and

appropriate connections with students. As a building leader, I would encourage teachers to place

student relationships, rapport, and positive learning environment at the forefront of their efforts.

Students learn effectively from teachers in whose classroom environments they look forward to

participating. If teachers focus on relationships first, learning will be more manageable and

meaningful.

The role of teachers in an educational community should be as colleagues and

collaborators. The prevailing models of leadership and education make this challenging.

Sergiovanni states that, our present theories assume that hierarchy equals expertise.19 This

is problematic because relegating a school to what the building leader knows limits the

effectiveness of the organization. As the world changes and becomes increasingly more

complex, the idea that one person can master the skills, knowledge, and approaches necessary for

success is unrealistic. Because universal knowledge is unrealistic, it is important for educational

leaders to make use of the gifts, talents, experiences, and expertise of those around them. Martin

17
Cullen, 295- That could have been the end of it right there. If either one of them [Wayne Harris or the clerk from
Green Mountain Guns] had handled that phone call differently, the entire plan might have come crashing down, Eric
[Harris] said. But they didnt.
18
Ibid., 322-323. 81 percent of shooters had confided their intentions. More than half told at least two
peopleThe danger skyrockets when threats are direct and specific, identify a motive, and indicate work performed
to carry it out.
19
Sergiovanni, 7.

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refers to these powerful cooperatives as renaissance teams.20 In order for me to succeed as a

building leader, I would benefit from establishing renaissance teams with which to collaborate

for the promotion of meaningful learning.

The simplest, and perhaps most important, way in which would support teachers as a

building leader would be to listen to them. Fisher and Urys contention that conversations and

negotiations can be fruitful if people feel heard makes sense to me.21 I want teachers and

students in my educational community to feel valued. I also understand that listening to others

will make them more receptive to my communication. As a building leader I want to empower

teachers. I believe in teaching and I believe in teachers. Follett warns, It is one of the things we

should be most careful aboutnever interfere with the workers pride in [his] work.22 In terms

of pedagogy, I do not want teachers to perceive me as a boss who appears in their workspace in

search of fault. Instead, I want teachers to welcome my presence in their learning environment

as a champion for the cause of education, a fan of the learning that they facilitate, and a

colleague with whom they can discuss their craft. My philosophy of education cannot be

realized if teachers become nervous or fearful when I darken their doorways with my presence.

The least attractive aspect of building leadership to me is the thought of leaving the classroom

and missing teaching social studies to students every day. The most attractive aspect of building

leadership to me is the potential for positive learning that I could facilitate as a principal.23

I would support teachers as a building leader by using aspects of Folletts power-with

approach to management. I would strive to work with teachers to achieve integrative solutions to

20
Martin, 82.
21
Fisher and Ury, 53. People listen better if they feel that you have understood them. They tend to think that those
who understand them are intelligent and sympathetic people whose own opinions may be worth listening to.
22
Follett, 126.
23
Fullan, Michael. The Awesome Power of the Principal. Principal, March-April 2010., 14. It has been
observed that the principal is second only to the teacher in his or her impact on the studentthere is clearly a
multiplier effect if the principal helps, directly and indirectlyteachers become dramatically more effective in their
teaching.

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a variety of issues and problems that arise. If the power-with approach works properly, teachers

would feel comfortable challenging my ideas and disagreeing with me. Likewise, teachers

would feel comfortable hearing challenges and suggestions from me. If we are to arrive at

integrative solutions as educators, we should expect a certain level of disagreement in our

discourse. If quality education is the collective focus, problems are kept in perspective and these

discussions can produce integrative results.

As a new building leader, I would have to be wary of the potential pitfalls that precedent

may present. Follett clearly warns, We cannot be too careful of the power of previous ideas.24

My intention would not be to change everything about a school. I would work to build upon the

successes of the school and work to improve any areas in which it may exhibit room for

improvement. My leadership philosophy would dictate a democratic approach and I would seek

feedback from stakeholders. After all, these stakeholders are those whom I would ultimately

serve as a building leader. Teachers can feel overwhelmed by the real pressures of their roles.

At times initiatives undertaken by administrators can seem random or insincere. It would be

difficult for me to promote my vision as a building leader if teachers felt like I was enacting

initiatives simply for the sake of doing something. I would take Michael Fullans advice and

focus on a smaller number of core prioritieswhile avoiding innovation overload.25 My

hope would be that teachers would understand the philosophy and rationale behind initiatives

and be excited by the opportunities that they present. I do not want to make teachers feel as

though I am unnecessarily burdening them with additional responsibility and addendums to their

job descriptions.

24
Follett, 135.
25
Fullan, 14.

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 I will articulate my vision as an educational leader through a clear vision statement that

gives insight into my mental image of the direction of my school. Wallace and Engel contend

that, Translating a vision statement into the daily operations of the school is the primary work

of the educational leader.26 Because I agree with this concept, I would focus my energy as a

building leader on implementing and stewarding my vision. I would lead by example by living

the democratic, power-with, integrative, school-specific philosophy that my vision requires. At

the least, my actions would help me stay true to my own convictions as an educator. Ideally, my

approach would encourage others to buy in to my educational philosophy and vision, leading to a

continuation of effective practices and positive change wherever necessary. Follett argues that

leaders who follow live their vision, and follow their own rules, reap the benefits.27

If I, as an educational leader, am the carrier, facilitator, and protector of the schools

vision, it is my responsibility to constantly remind all stakeholders of our collective goals and

purpose. By welcoming community input in decision-making whenever possible, and inviting

community involvement in school activities as appropriate, we will share in the vision and

ultimately serve our students and community in meaningful ways. This echoes Folletts belief

that, When the accomplishment of a department is the result of a feeling of joint responsibility

on the part of all concerned, that accomplishment is likely to be of a higher grade.28 I would

rather have the community feel as though our school is accomplishing goals and realizing our

vision together than for the community to feel as though I am pushing a vision on them or doing

things for them. If teachers, students, building leaders, parents, and community leaders take an

actively relational approach to each other and actively participate in a democratic vision focused

26
Wallace and Engel, 11.
27
Follett, 172. The best leaders get their orders obeyed because they too are obeying.
28
Ibid., 127.

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on integrative problem solving, my vision will succeed in promoting my conception of the

purposes of schooling.

Vision Statement: Matthew J. Monahan

Members of the school community will actively engage in instruction, programs,

initiatives and extracurricular activities to help students learn to solve problems in a rapidly
changing world. Success in the school community will be measured by what learners produce
and the value that learners place on outcomes. This inclusive, diverse and democratic
community requires participation from all stakeholders.

* This statement is designed for a high school of 200-300 students per grade (9-12). The setting
of this school is suburban to a city with a population of 40,000-45,000 people. The
socioeconomic conditions of this school district reflect a median household income significantly
higher than the city to which it is suburban, as well as a higher median income than most of the
county in which it is located. The student population is approximately 75% white and 25% non-
white.

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 Bibliography

Berkowicz, Jill and Myers, Ann. School Shootings: Mental Health Matters, edweek.org,
October 22, 2013
http://edweek.org/edweek/leadership_360/2013/10/school_shootings_mental_health_matt
ers.html

Cullen, Dave. Columbine. New York: Hachette Book Group, 2009

Fisher, Roger and Ury, William. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In.
New York: Penguin Books, 2011
Fullan, Michael. The Awesome Power of the Principal. Principal, March-April 2010

Follett, Mary Parker. Prophet of Management. Washington, D.C.: Beard Books, 2003

Martin, Roger L. The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative
Thinking. Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press, 2007

Noddings, Nell. Caring in Education, infed.org, August 26, 2014

http://infed.org/mobi/caring-in-education/

Sergiovanni, Thomas J. Leadership for the Schoolhouse. California: Jossey-Bass, 1996

Wallace Jr., Richard C. and Engel, David E. with Mooney, James E. The Learning School: A
Guide to Vision-Based Leadership. California: Corwin Press, 1997

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