Page 25 - EdViewptsSpring2020

1. Create a Focus Team(s). 2. Set Realistic Walkthrough/ 4. Use Social Media as an

This first step is paramount, espe- Visitation Goals. Asset.
cially in a large district where it is not District administrators who want to be Social media can bring many benefits
feasible to be present in all of the seen can also run the risk of over- when used appropriately. Twitter is our
buildings every day. As an administra- whelming themselves. Therefore, it is district’s primary platform. Not only can
tor in a new district last year, I needed important to set reasonable goals. I teachers and community members
to familiarize myself with the programs began this year with the goal of focus- see what I am up to at the district
and initiatives in an efficient and equi- ing on one building per week. Within level, but I can also see what others
table manner. Looking at the available that week, I may have also traveled are doing in-and-around the district. I
curriculum and resources only tells to several other buildings, but I had a love seeing the progress our students
one part of the story; our teachers focus. I wrote my focus on my Google are making, especially when it is a
and students are the ones directly calendar each week with chunks of lesson or event I normally would have
impacted. To improve communication time allotted. Let me repeat: I wrote missed.
between administration and staff, we my focus down. It is much easier to
created an elementary focus team that come up with excuses when you do 5. Attend and/or Run District-
consists of one-three teachers from not have a definitive plan (I have this Wide Events.
each building who currently serve on report due, I have not checked my
their building’s School Improvement emails in an hour, and the list contin- District-wide events allow all schools
Panel (ScIP). Additionally, several ues). Believe me, there are days when to showcase their talents in a single
central office administrators directly in- I have so much to do that I want to location. It provides a sense of
volved sit on the committee. We meet close my door and plaster a “Do Not community, and it helps promote
face-to-face two-three times per year, Disturb” sign up for everyone to see. equity in experiences. Building-based
allowing teachers’ voices to be heard. But at the end of the day, what is go- events are wonderful too in their own
During our initial meeting, I was able ing on in the classroom is what is most ways, but district-wide events work
to find out what is already going well important. And yes, we absolutely particularly well for administrators who
in the district, and we were able to fur- cannot forget the importance of the cannot be everywhere at once.
ther investigate and create actionable building principal in this puzzle. Their
steps for areas needing improvement. instructional leadership is crucial; they 6. Meet Regularly with Key
Our committee prioritizes: “Better are in their buildings each and every Stakeholders.
to develop short plans (two or three day with their teachers and students. Last but certainly not least, we cannot
pages) that are inspiring, ‘sticky,’ ac- However, in order for district leaders forget the importance of our building-
tion oriented, and alive for implement- to make their important decisions, it based leadership. With the support of
ers” (Kirtman & Fullan, 2016, p. 22). is necessary for them to experience our superintendent, we have created
The committee has helped us grow and celebrate the culture of the entire monthly elementary administrative
as a district in several valuable ways: district too. meetings. These meetings are in
I now have a better understanding of addition to our administrative council
what we represent as a district; we all 3. Make Emails/Online and curriculum department meetings.
know what is occurring at each of our Communication More Since the implementation of elemen-
buildings to ensure our students have Interactive. tary administration meetings this year,
the same opportunities to succeed; I have only heard positive feedback.
and we were able to address pressing Memorandums certainly have their We are all very busy, and this gives us
curricular gaps in a timely manner. Af- place and purpose in the communica- an opportunity to pause, think about
ter less than a year of implementation, tion continuum. But what about when what our priorities are for the upcom-
we have created three sub-commit- you want teachers to be engaged in ing months, and ask the questions
tees (writing, math, and science) and new initiatives and cannot be present in that need to be asked and answered.
invited any staff member interested to all of the buildings at once? There are There is less confusion, and we are a
sit in on these meetings and be part of several ways to interact with staff mem- stronger unit together. Plus, let us face
our discussion. Our committees have bers. I have personally used Google it: it can be lonely at the top. None of
prompted professional development hangouts, Skype, and Zoom, but there our elementary buildings have as-
opportunities, made us think about are many other ways to host a live sistant principals, so they are often
our “why,” and more. As we look to the discussion or webinar. I also have used on their own to make decisions on a
future, we aim to involve students and Screencastify when sharing out presen- daily basis. It is nice to have a team
other key stakeholders as well. These tations (e.g., Curriculum and Instruction to bounce ideas off of and gather
working relationships have grown in Updates). The program allows you to information. Never underestimate the
ways only possible by stepping out from create voice overs, providing the oppor- power of the collective “we.”
behind the desk and being present. tunity to explain and clarify information
in a more interactive way.

Educational Viewpoints -23- Spring 2020