Problem Solving and Visionary Leadership
Individual Paper
EDL 530-51567
Problem Solving and Visionary Leadership
Nova Southeastern University
To be effective leaders in education requires developing skills in various arenas, including leading change, focusing interventions, managing resources, improving instruction, and analyzing results. This type of leadership needs to meet all the standards including vision, managing the learning environment and decision-making strategies in order to be a successful leader.
Vision provides guidance to a school by articulating what it wishes to attain. It serves as "a signpost pointing the way for all who need to understand what the organization is and where it intends to go" (Mendez-Morse, 1993). In other words by providing a picture, vision not only describes a school’s action or goal, but also the means of accomplishing it. It guides the work of the organization. The writer works at a school where vision is a picture of the future for which the administration, faculty and staff are willing to work. The writer’s school vision is the following: “Weston Christian Academy (WCA) is a covenant school that partners with the home and church to foster excellence in each student while developing spiritual leaders who are fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.” WCA takes very serious their vision and mission statement and shares it with the faculty, staff, and students to help achieve it. From the time this writer started to work at WCA, she has seen the school’s devotion to develop spiritual students who are devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
Although the specific mission of a school and pedagogical approaches may vary, effective schools have a clearly articulated vision. This vision permeates all aspects of school culture with consistency, clarity, and stability. Principals in these effective schools also have many of the characteristics of entrepreneurs: they take risks, seize opportunities, and work to establish a cohesive, likeminded network of
EDL 530-51567
Problem Solving and Visionary Leadership
Nova Southeastern University
To be effective leaders in education requires developing skills in various arenas, including leading change, focusing interventions, managing resources, improving instruction, and analyzing results. This type of leadership needs to meet all the standards including vision, managing the learning environment and decision-making strategies in order to be a successful leader.
Vision provides guidance to a school by articulating what it wishes to attain. It serves as "a signpost pointing the way for all who need to understand what the organization is and where it intends to go" (Mendez-Morse, 1993). In other words by providing a picture, vision not only describes a school’s action or goal, but also the means of accomplishing it. It guides the work of the organization. The writer works at a school where vision is a picture of the future for which the administration, faculty and staff are willing to work. The writer’s school vision is the following: “Weston Christian Academy (WCA) is a covenant school that partners with the home and church to foster excellence in each student while developing spiritual leaders who are fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.” WCA takes very serious their vision and mission statement and shares it with the faculty, staff, and students to help achieve it. From the time this writer started to work at WCA, she has seen the school’s devotion to develop spiritual students who are devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
Although the specific mission of a school and pedagogical approaches may vary, effective schools have a clearly articulated vision. This vision permeates all aspects of school culture with consistency, clarity, and stability. Principals in these effective schools also have many of the characteristics of entrepreneurs: they take risks, seize opportunities, and work to establish a cohesive, likeminded network of
References: Arterbury, E. (1991). Site-Based Decision Making: Its Potential for Enhancing Learner Outcomes. Retrieved July 8, 2009, from http://www.sedl.org/change/issues/issues14.html Fridell, M. (2005). A Framework for Principals: Promoting Student Success Through Leadership And Collaboration. Journal of College Teaching & Learning, 2(9), 5-18. Harrison, C. R., Killion, J. P., & Mitchell, J. E. (1989). Site-Based Management: The Realities of Implementation. Educational Leadership, 46(8), 55-58. Mendez-Morse, S. (1993). Vision, Leadership and Change. Retrieved July 7, 2009, from http://www.sedl.org/change/issues/issues23.html