Year of Change: Leadership in the Principal's Office

Iraq. And school were right on issues that weren't really important in the Civil War and instructional missions. They were issues of of behavior and conduct and discipline and it was really very sad for me as a teacher. There were many many instances. Where I thought. God if I were the principal I would never do that. I'm very passionate leading to the belief that education is definitely one of the keys to success particularly for children of color particularly for poor people. I see this as a sort of a mission and a calling to be able to help

children. Good morning. I can make a difference. There is a child out here somewhere who. Needs an opportunity to get through. That high school maybe the school that's going to deliver him up. I was born in the McCain Republic. I came here when I was seven years old I was raised in a school where it was an English class or English only a little single sample. That is one of my main goals to provide opportunities for children to come home. I will contest. These three educators who are in the first wave of 77 new principals trained in New York City's Leadership Academy. Then falls the task of transforming the troubled school system. Their directive from the school's chancellor to remember this simple challenge. How would she change the system and how much is the system changing. We watch them learn to lead and now we'll watch them as they take over their own school.

Funding for a year of change leadership in the principal's office provided by the Wallace Foundation supporting ideas sharing solutions expanding opportunities additional funding for New York Voices provided by the members of 13 Michael t Martin and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. In the summer of 2003 90 aspiring principals began a program designed to teach problem solving 77 would eventually complete the training the overreaching also to create a transformational leader. We framed the role of the principal as the instructional leader that their job is to align all resources time money staff parents everything in the interest of instruction and teaching and learning in the classrooms. In order to make them agents of change. Each team is given a fictitious school of the room

a comprehensive collection of simulated problems waiting to snag them. The lesson is clear. Principals have to play the hand they are dealt. The problem based learning really creates a simulated environment where participants get to practice being the principal. You're not going to develop yourself your reading Arsenal emotionally intellectually and then there's the academic learning the logistics of being a principal you have to build a lot of relationships. In order to work as a team and work effectively we created for the problem scenarios one for each school level so there was a school called Change elementary school which I wrote with a number of collaborators problem scenario that describe the school in great detail. We also gave a budget for the school in case we have 11 classes. So obviously we have. Four more and then we quit for post war. Yes. But that's the exercise you exercise you work out the

dollars your dollars to your resources and see if you can manage your budget during the course of the summer intensive. They were having very intense conversations with one another where they were getting very good at stating their perspectives but not very good at getting to yes negotiating that really collectively problem solving and figuring out what the right question was to move the conversation forward rather than stating a perspective. Over and over again. So let's say you're working with somebody because we want a teacher and we want them to. A different approach. OK and we want can we see somebody doing nary a lecture. My word you're a top notch on. This. You know you can. Be. Right. OK so out.

The teacher in your mind have you seen this teacher. That in your mind. And a. Question You would want to ask the teacher if you want it to be your purpose. Of trying out a different type of instruction and he might have to ask a series of questions. And you know the first maybe what what went well and just leave it open and what you feel you would like to work on more and hopefully you get something from there. Now if you don't I guess you have to be a bit more direct. Give you my beliefs that very day to. You. And what's the strategy for talking to them and. They would then recognize that this is what. Is happy or at least a bit silly. Why are you telling. Me This Way. Do you agree with the result. Might be they might think that your mommy and.

Daddy say my life was our last question for you what you are because you can totally turn a person off making friends. I'm trying to learn from this experience I'm really looking at. And leadership styles. And the systems that are in place to make the building work affected me to take place effectively and to see how community and is built. And how relationships are set up and how relationships are valued. Building that community is key to successfully setting a new direction for a school to foster that process. Each aspiring principal is assigned to a real school and then a mentor principal Rafaela spends part of each week in Brooklyn at P.S. to all five under the leadership of principal Neal Oprah Mala. We visit classrooms more than once a day. You need to be there to support teachers to to make sure that you know instruction is going on

and that it's the key it's the quality of instruction that that you desire. Most effectively interests are visible. Good morning. And we need to be visible. I definitely wish I had the training that Rafael is receiving. Only because it's a real experience. I mean she has the opportunity while she's not ultimately responsible what happens in this building. She is the one force all the time she spends here or is in every sense of the word a principle as far as my internship had to be done piecemeal and it wasn't a real experience for almost a full school year. Sandy Ferguson is Larry's mentor principal at Brooklyn's Ayas 497. What makes Andy's mind such a good mentor for me is that he is a learner. He is not someone who says you know what I've been in the system 20 years I've

paid my dues I'm the principal I'm in charge. It's my way or the highway. So now you're going to school next year. Andy you're going to be initiating a lot of things. I mean what have you taken away in terms of the pattern of change in the school. I can't expect my students to learn if I'm not expecting my staff to learn as well if I'm not expecting myself to learn as well. I think that I always see you pushing the envelope I always see you pushing us to reflect on our own practices and reflect on what we do why we're doing it and how we can do it even more effectively. Larry is now principal reading razors intergrated has high school in her North. The border is where the school year began where he decided to take the incoming freshman on a field trip to the pagans. The idea of a really good piece on the orientation was to support instruction for freshmen as they arrive Monday and

the pastor that I wanted the students to take in that environment is the same posture that I want to take in this one and that is the posture of the learner and I believe there are certain traits that a learner evidences among them. Observation of the benighted were not yelling over traffic but not yelling over fire and talking down why down open your hearers open your eyes. See when there is observation skills was so key there so necessary they are germane to learning they are germane to understanding and it's a part of observation skills are something that you're going to need and use for your entire life on this planet. We've never had this orientation week before and today in particular is what was thought of by lista Wilson because he felt that it was important for the children to have time to see them together to know each other. Yes.

Yes I heard Chancellor Klein say and Bob no say and Sandy Stein say and Liz and say Don't be afraid to be bold. Well you know let me make one. And also the payoff that we're also looking for I mean all of this is how did this support instruction. We know that we're going to have at various times throughout the academic year and in various classes children working collaboratively. They need opportunities to form. And as a community. He's advancing I think the deafening nature. And it was a day of community building and again confidence building. This freshman class will be the first to experience the school solely under the leadership of Larry

Wilson. But the school has had three principals over the past three years. In May Larry was asked to finish the year of his predecessor who resigned under pressure from the Education Department. So cool performance. Arriving mid semester. Larry had to get to know the students and different terms. Glad to see you are not happy about the time. Thank you for taking off your do rag is actually my favorite part of the day because I get to be outside. I get to see all of my students. At first the kids weren't used to it they were looking at me like they were guilty of something. But now they're pretty much gotten used to it. Good morning sir. Thank you for taking off your do rag one of Larry's first test of leadership. It was his decision to regain control of the library and there was no money for a librarian and without supervision. Things were out of control Larry. Shut it down. Like the library just seemed to be this wound that was not a place to study. It was not a place where students who wanted to work who needed to

work. Could get work done. I want you to just be mindful that there are people who aren't working. If they look like they're destroying the books if they're doing graffiti I want you to. Kick them out and if they refuse to leave they want you to call Cannady all right and the safety officer is on the floor he has a radio tell it so because I just I'm trying to save this library until we got us a library and that's the best way to get a real understanding. Real quick was shut it down all together. Those kids who have the most pressing needs would make themselves now. On. I'm a citizen right. Do you not understand that they. Don't want those arrangements were made without my knowledge but right now it's too late to correct that you're still going to have your 7 here and you still have those periods after your free schedule to get in. I'm not blocking it out from everybody but it's. Got to control the. Flow of the library. Destroy. The why not ban of.

All that's actually what's happening. Today. Tho good Miss Wolfe made special arrangements with Mr myself. But. For the rest of the day. Thank you. For the hat and the headphone and the rack. For today though you'll have to focus on your schedule for first period. You. Do something else. See if you can work something out. Let's assuming. You're going to have to work together on this. You will still be in the library but it will be first. To see what I need to get paid. My bank information on a rag and they try to get paid by trying to be immediately what does not mean claiming that my. But. I mean. I can tell you yes they are still without any doubt. That's right if you could somehow that's what I am saying I want in my time I can hide. To Peggotty. This is what you're going to do. You're going to work on writing out for now your revisions. And then when you can get in there for the next period for the remainder of the day then you can type them and. Just hand write the revisions I need to work with more compromise on this. All right. And tomorrow it will not be an issue but I do need you guys to finish up as quickly as possible.

Oh sure. I like this place. And that young lady really broke my heart because to hear a student say I have to get my work done I have to get my work done and to be so adamant about it and to be so persistent. I really respected her you know. And also it was an issue it was a problem that I was learning to solve. And that was part of learning to solve that problem. Handling tough customers is part of building a community. But how does a strong leader deal with confrontation in role playing exercises throughout the year. The aspiring principals are a challenge to deal with problems and examine leadership moves that could create trouble down the line. When you're doing a simulation the possibilities are endless because you don't necessarily get the push back and we actually want to model more of the pushback here and that's part of the activities where we do the role play where you put something out and you get the response you get the

resistance they are provided for the front foot right hand the principle. Can I help you. Yes I have an issue my child went to go pick it up yesterday. Well actually today from. Her dismissal site and she was not in the location where she was supposed to be. No I was never notified and I was running all around the building trying to Farmer tar. In the distance. The change in the dismissal goes to you know central made us make this change and I mean that we try to notify everybody but there wasn't even time I mean our hands were for I mean we had to do this. I fought it actually and now I see the consequences for these decisions the Central is making. Alright let's debrief that for a second you can go back to OK. That is a weak leadership move folks. Even if that's the case even if it's true that it was something that you didn't want to do that came from somewhere else. You are the leader of the building and appealing to the authority is actually a sign of weakness not a strength. We've had to deal with an irate prayer and we've had to deal with the nightly teacher and that was in the

summer and this part of the year we are role playing with each other and role play in real situations that people have encountered in their residency site. Now what's your child's friend. Julie Julie Wylie really Mara. And what class this year. She was in this class. And I wanted her to be in that class why would you move her I don't understand what's the problem. All of her awful things about that as a teacher. Well I didn't make that most. So let me go get you did make the move on to the principal. Yes. I am the president by making movies you know who made the movie that's ridiculous I know exactly who made the move and I'm just trying to find out what happened. I don't blame the man. Rafaela has now taken over as principal of P.S. 147 in Bushwick a school that has been designated as needing improvement for two years in a row. In her first week on the job role playing exercises gave way to reality.

We didn't get you know with us you know in the end I have a really big issue with battle that's why this is this school. I want my son to school yesterday. That's the first time I heard that you don't have a job. I registered him last week. If they. Did they make the decision yes it was a something that was not. I didn't find out until I come in and I. See Joe and she says. That's not true. You know that's not acceptable. Thank god I'm home. So there was an issue for me. You know they're just. Concerned again you know. Coming in a new. Program. Apologies. We didn't have registration last week. So did you go to the region and I would start with. And. I saw you in in the. Yes I came and. I was also combat. The eighth. I came a day so I came in on a night.

And we were you know we were trying to get a little. And our system has been also really. I mean this is not a problem and I knew that one of my concerns and please join us and I'm going to need you know school leadership. We're going to need you. You know whatever I can do. And I will try to definitely make myself available. To. You. Great. Great. Thank you thank you. The issues that come with unhappiness. Is inherent in the systems of one place. And the existing culture. And if that doesn't align with your own vision and values. Then comes the challenge. We have Chancellor's ideas from. Day one. Now we come in with this new administration with their ideas their perspective Pete you know now we have another person coming in. So that's that's a lot. It's you know it's a lot for a child disallowed for a teacher.

We are all individual eyes and we want to see what our own individual I would see in our classroom so it's very hard. So Kathleen listen to others telling us how to do this and how to do that. But we're educators and we're flexible and we're going to do it. Every new principal means to build a team. In the weeks before school opens Rafaela has her staff work on exercises to build trust and camaraderie. One of my favorite things that happens at the end of the day when we meet upstairs and gather there. And we put our books there symbolically reflects to me how we've become a community in such a short time. I'm working on building community. I thought that. Decorating a writer in the same way we want to get to know children have to get to know my teachers so this is a way by their cover of their notebooks I get to know them a little bit of personalities. This is the kind of activity you want to do with your children or even as a weekend project. So there are a lot of.

Different reasons for that activity besides just decorating and. While Larry Rafaela faced with the challenge of transforming an existing school Alexander was given the opportunity. Many ways myself having accomplished the American dream that my parents set out to accomplish. When they came to this country I want to share that with kids who like myself came from another country and to this country. It is August 24th and Alexandra and her new staff are discussing how they will approach the school year and the first few weeks of class. One of the reasons why the teachers I hired were hired was because they were

very open to. Doing the work differently and working very hard at it. So having that mixture of nervousness and excitement 10 and down and confidence really makes me feel good about the work that we're doing. Alexandra has decided on an integrated approach to teaching using one theme to teach various subjects. The first unit is the Brooklyn Bridge. You do it from all the right angles like the stuff you said he's a really great man. None of the signs if you go back to Brooklyn Bridge you extend it to a bigger unit then you may have. Students talk about bridges in their own country. When students are exposed to the same themes over and over throughout the day they're going to be not only more able to learn the vocabulary because that's repeated from one class to the next but also to have more access points to the concepts that. They're trying to learn. Really I mean the whole idea of developing an interdisciplinary project as a way to kick off our school year is

important because that's what we do we are a school that develops language through interdisciplinary work that is language rich that is project based. And. We. Would be hypocritical if we said that that's what we are and then not. Do that first drink. And do what we do. This is what we do. The challenge is for us. My life. Right. Here. Not yet where I did all of this for the British to get me to think it's really really the first thing that really excites me thinking about this but I really love working with everyone here. The next best thing after this is the closure of the city. Three days into the school year the students teachers and their new principal head out to the Brooklyn Bridge.

I really am very committed to being in the classrooms today. Having discussions that have to do now with administrated duties. But with curricular issues. The leadership academy did a terrific job placing us in situations. Where we would. Be able to use our leadership skills and further develop them. Particularly in my case being a branch international her whole year. I don't know that I would be. As well. Trained at doing this or as prepared for doing this if I hadn't been there. For a whole year. These three principles have taken the first steps in turning their schools in the system around the goal of the challenge for every principal is to make just one good school. I believe passionately today what I believe passionately the day I enter the Leadership Academy. Education then beyond all other devices of human origin is the great

equalizer. It is the balance wheel of social machinery. Horace Mann. I passionately believe that. That is the power of education. Doesn't matter I can be allowed big mouth guy. I can be Hawaiian. It's the quality of my education it's the quality of my experiences and my ability to bring that to this Marine experience. That's. What. Determines how successful. We will be. Those times when you feel. Like I will welcome door certain things in any place you remember the children come first. So it it it. It kind I think will make the date easier. Because there's a constant reminder. I think that I'm very fortunate. I love this school. I know. That. I love my students. I love this job. And you know I'm not sleeping as much as I want to and I'm not eating at regular times but. I'm not. Every second of. Funding for a year of change leadership in the principal's office provided by

the Wallace Foundation supporting ideas sharing solutions expanding opportunities additional funding for New York Voices provided by the members of 13 Michael t Martin and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.