Developing leadership capacity . . .

Today, we had the opportunity to support leadership teams from the Junior High, Glacier Park, and Tahoma Middle School.  Over the next two days we will have the same opportunity with our other schools and a Special Services Leadership Team.  These are for me energizing and rewarding days as we support these teams on their learning journeys.  It will be one of the opportunities that I will miss the most as I transition in my life.

One of our learning targets for the day is focused on creating deeper understanding of an additional component of our Classroom 10 learning practices, success criteria.  These can be found in Criterion 1, 3, and 6 of the state framework.  Our second learning target for the day is focused on increasing the knowledge base and skill set of those in leadership positions in planning for and facilitating efficient and effective meetings.

In the afternoon of these days, teams are given the time for reflection on the morning's learning and planning as they identify the leverage points to support growth at the building level.  To support understanding of success criteria and use of the planning time, we identified a learning target for the team that can be used to assess their efficiency and effectiveness in using the time to support their learning journey.

A third component of the work for the day is to revisit the team's Current Reality/Aspiration Map that was developed during the August Retreat.  The purpose is to place the team in a position to be reflective about what has taken place to close the gap, what future strategies and structures have the greatest likelihood of closing the gap, and whether the aspiration continues to be the primary focus of their leadership work.  The Teaching and Learning map found below is an example of this work.

I believe that for change to scale across a grade level, department, or building and sustain over time, those in leadership positions must identify their current reality and create clarity around a shared aspiration.  This framework then provides the information necessary to identify the structures and strategies with the potential to close the gap in practice between their current reality and that preferred place described in the shared aspiration.

Can you identify the Aspiration identified for your building?