LQS 9- Understanding and Responding to the Larger Societal Context
"A leader understands and appropriately responds to the political, social, economic, legal and cultural context impacting schools and the school authority" (Alberta Education Leadership Quality Standard, 2014, p7).
You know sometimes one just has a premonition or a sense about something. Well, when I chose to leave the comfort of my long-time school of 16 years for my secondment, I just knew that I would be placed on the North side of my city. In my city, this meant challenging schools of low socio-economic status. The reason this was a mental barrier I had to overcome, was that my entire profession I had been teaching in a privileged middle-class school. When we did get a “spicy student,” as I like to refer to students with complex learning needs, the entire school would work together to help support this student and the teacher. I knew north side schools were filled with “spicy students” that overwhelmed and exhausted the teachers and administration. I felt I did not have the skills, experience or relatability to work in these schools let alone lead. There is a running joke, that only those that grow up in the north or teach in the north can make north side jokes, you have to earn your stripes. Three years later I have earned my stripes and I wear them proud, but they did not come without a few knock downs and tears behind closed doors. This is why I chose this competency; working with poverty, mental illness, addiction and cultural differences has always been out of my comfort zone. I feel I have grown a great deal in this area over the last three years, but there is so much more room for personal growth.
When Rhodes (2020), stated in her notes that making generalizations or judgments based on previous experiences or bias will get in the way of collaboration, and school leaders must learn to value diversity as a path to strong decision making really summed up my learning this year. I brought a great deal of my experience from my previous school to my administrator role this year, and quite regularly my Principal would have to gently remind me about my bias or predetermined ideas and how they would not fit in to my current context. It took a great deal of time to change my lens or alter it when I was planning or implementing ideas. It was small things like; interview format, parent council, field trips, or even the content that was placed on the outside tv display. At the same time, I had to let go of my judgments and frustrations with parenting choices, parent responses and decisions made by community members that were involved with my families. I need to start moving out of my comfort zone, listen to difficult conversations, stop taking thing personal and to understand my community in order to help my students. I had to start excepting my community, judging less and working alongside the partnerships we had in place. I was constantly observing and in awe with my Principal as she navigated our diverse community of parents and stakeholders, she always knew the right approach, and had the right words. I would her to a head of an emergency room, she knew how to triage, to counsel, to keep everything calm and everyone on task and focused. We are lucky in our school as we have so many groups that want to help out. We have a ten-year committed group of reading ladies that read with our kids daily, Rotarians that brings us hot breakfast monthly and read to our kids, a daily crew of breakfast volunteers that feed our kids every morning, organizations that donate us food and school supplies, and other donators that support us financially. My administrator recognizes the value of these partnerships and works hard to sustain them for our school. Organizing, garnering supports and writing grants so our kids can overcome barriers to learning is just one more administrative task that I have become more aware of and the workload involved.
It is just not local partnerships, but working alongside my counsellor, making connections worker, or my district staff that has stretched and taught me so many things these past three years. Having strong communication and a relationship with them so we are all working together on common vision and values with our students is important. As stated by Little (2011), strong and sustainable partnerships need relationships that are built at multiple levels (for example, at the district, school, and classroom levels) and among multiple school staff, including district and nonteaching staff.
Knowing, when to advocate harder for our school so teachers, educational assistants and parents are supported has been a component of my learning. It has become apparent, through my administrator, that there are times I need to put our school agenda and needs priority and I need to voice my concerns and advocate even if it makes me uncomfortable or puts me out of my comfort zone.
Success:
Become more comfortable with the issues that occur in the school. I have a better lens and can problem solve to a great capacity.
Two years to work with the same FLC to establish a strong partnership
I have solid relationships with the families, and community partners
Just simply know my role betters, feel comfortable to make decisions.
Growth
School Council relationship and navigating this area for them to work with me
Rotary and developing a strong partnership
Stronger understanding and knowledge of policies division and school act
Developing a more confident voice with my leadership group