Teachers Rally Around Writing

Shared leadership transforms low-performing Colorado elementary

Emerging leaders across the country accept principal positions with courage and conviction about what’s right for their teachers and their students, and they quickly learn that the task at hand cannot be accomplished alone. To improve the quality of instruction and the achievement of all students, effective school leaders “develop capacity, advocate, and create support systems for professional learning,” according to the Leadership standard of Learning Forward’s Standards for Professional Learning (Learning Forward, 2011). Creating a team of teachers to share leadership — a dynamic process of mutual influence, responsibility, and accountability for achieving collective goals — is essential. This was the task of a first-time principal and his staff at Sedalia Elementary in Sedalia, Colo., south of Denver. Situated in Douglas County, a flourishing,

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Authors

Dana Frazee, Kay Frunzi, and Heather Hein

Dana Frazee (dfrazee@mcrel.org) and Kay Frunzi (kfrunzi@mcrel.org) are principal consultants and Heather Hein (hhein@mcrel.org) is a writer/editor at McREL in Denver, Colo.

Sedalia Elementary School

Sedalia, Colo.

Grades: K-6

Enrollment: 274

Staff: 42

Racial/ethnic mix of students:

White: 62.2%

Nonwhite: 36.8%

Limited English proficient: 19%

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

Free/reduced lunch: 50%

Special education: 14%

Mobility rate: 31%

Contact: George Boser, principal

Email: george.boser@dcsdk12.org

Traditional vs. shared leadership
Traditional leadership	Shared leadership
Leadership is defined by position. The principal is the leader.	Leadership is defined by people’s acceptance of mutual responsibility and accountability. People take on leadership roles, depending on the situation and their strengths.
The leader solves problems and provides answers for others.	People work together to solve problems, find answers, and improve results.
The leader is seen as independent of followers. There is an emphasis on the differences between leaders and followers in terms of skills and other characteristics.	There is a sense of interdependence and recognition that all staff members have strengths and expertise that contribute to their leadership ability.
Communication tends to be formal and focuses on transmitting information from the leader to followers. Information flow is often restricted.	Communication is two-way and focused on developing shared meaning. There is an emphasis on open and honest communication and free flow of information.
The leader develops the vision; others must buy into it.	Everyone is responsible for promoting a common sense of purpose and a focus on collective goals.
The leader may or may not solicit input, depending on the situation, before making a decision. The leader bears responsibility for all major decisions.	Decision-making processes are clearly defined. Those affected by a decision are involved in making it. Everyone has a stake in making effective decisions and producing positive outcomes.
The leader is responsible for leading and managing change initiatives and their effects on stakeholders.	The leader is responsible for leading and managing change initiatives and their effects on stakeholders.
The leader monitors the quality and results of instruction.	Everyone shares responsibility for collaboratively monitoring the quality and results of instruction.
© McREL 2009. Used with permission.

5 Stages of Continuous Improvement

teachers-rally-around-writing

10 Steps for Initiating Shared Leadership

Assemble a representative team of teachers and support staff as your leadership team.
Decide on the team’s key areas of responsibilities.
Set norms for working together.
Decide how the team will make decisions.
Schedule team meeting dates.
Establish roles for each meeting: facilitator, timekeeper, recorder, and process observer.
Use an agenda template that includes: the team’s norms, the team’s responsibilities, the meeting roles, and outcomes for the meeting.
Use a timed agenda.
Set up a communication chain: Each team member is responsible for communicating to a certain group of staff members all the decisions made in the meeting and for seeking input from that same group for future agenda items.
As a team, present all the decisions made in steps 1-9 to the entire staff.

References

Learning Forward. (2011). Standards for Professional Learning. Oxford, OH: Author.

Learning Forward

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Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.

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