Creating+a+Shared+Vision

__professional learning communities, collaborative leadership ;__ //__building relationships;involving all stakeholders__//


 * Check out Dufour, Fullan, and Doug Reeves resources on professional learning communities, etc.
 * This We Believe in Action (NMSA)
 * BRIM Cornerstone #7--structure of leadership systems (p.17)
 * NMSA Research Sumary--Courageous, Collaborative Leadership (February 2008)
 * MSJ--Januay 2007--What Research Says: Teachers as Leaders

** Creating a Shared Vision **

// ~Nelson Mandela // ** "The very essence of leadership is you have to have a vision. It's got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet." ** // ~Fr. Theodore Hesburg // Walt Disney had a vision of a “magical park” where parents and children could have fun together. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream of a future where his children would live in a nation that did not judge them “by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” And while Larry Page and Sergey Brin may not be familiar names, their idea led to the creation of a company whose name has become synonymous with searching the web – quick, when was the last time you “googled” something? Because these individuals had a vision, the world changed. Yet without the leadership ability to capture that vision in the hearts and minds of others, nothing would have happened. It takes a leader who understands that creating and implementing a shared vision is not about telling, but rather about leading collaboratively – nurturing, educating, motivating, and modeling so that others are inspired to catch and carry the vision forward.
 * "A vision without action is just a dream; an action without vision just passes time; ** a vision with an action changes the world."

Yogi Berra probably wasn’t thinking about schools when he said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you will end up somewhere else,” but his statement does in fact remind us of a critical aspect of middle level leadership – that the first step in developing an effective school is being able to articulate where you want to go in relation to where you are. To become a reality, the vision can’t continue to belong only to the school leader but rather must be collaboratively built around a set of core beliefs so that it becomes understood, expanded, owned, and supported by the larger school community. Michael Fullan says it well, “School leadership is a team sport.” (// The Moral Imperative of School Leadership //, pg 24) However, it is essential that the foundation of the school’s vision rests on proven middle level concepts. These essential elements and best practices, as described in // This We Believe, Breaking Ranks in the Middle, Turning Points 2000 //, and the // Schools to Watch // criteria, should be used to shape the school's core beliefs and serve as the measuring stick against which school improvement decisions are made.

Growing out of this shared vision, the mission of the school emerges. While the school's vision provides a picture of the future, the school's mission describes how the vision will be achieved. In // Shaping School Culture // (Jossey Bass 2009), Deal and Peterson forge the link between a school's culture and its mission and purpose: "At the hub of a school's culture are its mission and purpose - the revered focus of what people do. Although not easy to define, mission and purpose trigger intangible forces that inspire teachers to teach, school leaders to lead, children to learn, and parents and the community to have confidence and faith in their school. Mission and purpose shape and reflect what the school hopes to accomplish, desires that vary from place to place. Most important is that people share beliefs of what the school wishes to realize." (pg 61). Effective middle level leaders understand the power of vision and, based on a deep understanding of the needs and nature of the young adolescents served by the school, have developed a clear personal picture of what the school can become. Since we are often judged more by what we do than what we say, it’s important that a school leader’s personal vision be played out in his or her actions. What does this look like? If a school leader believes that the school should present a welcoming atmosphere for parents and other visitors, then you might see him picking up trash off the front steps as he walks from the parking lot into the building, the sign by the front door might read “welcome to our school, we’re glad you’re here, please don’t forget to stop by the office to let us know you’re visiting” instead of “all visitors must report to the office and sign in,” and the front office receptionist has been instructed to greet all visitors with a smile and “how can I help you?” A school leader who speaks passionately about building connections with students would be seen in the hallways and the cafeteria interacting with students, keeping her attention on the student when another adult tries to interrupt the conversation, and attending student events rooting for the team or applauding the choir’s performance. If improved student learning is part of the vision, then you’ll find him in classrooms assisting students during an observation rather than simply sitting in the back of the room taking notes, participating and learning with the staff during professional development offerings, and providing teachers with easy access to user friendly assessment data.

But regardless how clear the leader’s personal vision is and no matter how often those beliefs are put into action, unless it is embraced, nurtured, and developed by the entire school community, it cannot take root and become central to the culture of the school. As the old saying goes, “The fact that the captain of the ship can clearly see the port is of no use if the crew continues to paddle in a different direction.” In // Breaking Ranks in the Middle // ®, principal Patsy Dean of Upson-Lee Middle School in Georgia describes the first steps of the process she used to build a shared vision: “Even though I had ideas for what would make our school better and what it needed to be, I wanted it to be a common vision, not something set by me. I wanted their voices first, because I knew that if I spoke initially of the vision I had, I would be setting the parameters. I wanted them to have this opportunity to ponder and reflect on what each one of them saw as the perfect school for our students.” (pg 154)

Building the culture necessary for a vision to be shared does not happen overnight. The principal must be willing and able to relinquish tight control and hold firm to the belief that a collaborative process is in the best interest of the students and the school. This requires high levels of trust, a sharing of responsibilities and power, a realization that the collaborative process takes time, and in some cases, reshaping one’s mindset and learning new skills. It starts when leaders take the time to build strong, caring relationships with the staff –understanding what it’s like to be in their position and are aware of outside circumstances that may be impacting their work at the school. These leaders practice active listening and make everyone feel as if they are a valued part of the school community. Opinions of others are actively sought and acted upon when possible. They ensure that those responsible for carrying out decisions are part of the process used to make the decisions and they serve as a role model for life-long, reflective learning.

Once a shared vision has been created, it must become more than a piece of paper to be filed away or even posted on the wall. To become a living, breathing part of the school culture, it must purposefully and consistently be communicated by both word and deed. Only by keeping it in the center of all conversations as school improvement plans are being developed, as schedules and organizational structures are being designed, as curricular, instructional, and assessment practices are being implemented, and as extra-curricular and exploratory programs are examined will you be able to move the vision from the abstract to the concrete. A school that truly understands and believes in their vision – and has aligned their practices, policies, and procedures with it – will find their decision-making process greatly simplified. Hiring a new teacher -- does his/her personal vision fit with our school’s vision? Determining your professional development plans – what will further the vision of our school? Making budget cuts – what will have the least impact on the direction we’re headed? Choosing a new master schedule – which one matches up with our vision?

A good question to ask in determining how well your school is implementing its vision - What evidence of our school's vision would a visitor see and hear if they spent the day talking with students, walking around the campus and observing in the classrooms? Not satisfied with your answer? Then spend time asking yourself how your vision would be played out at various times during the school day. What do you want to hear teachers saying as they greet students entering their classrooms? What is your ideal picture of the cafeteria during lunchtime? What should the hallways look like during passing periods? Picturing your vision in action – imagining what you would see and hear happening in any given situation – gives good guidance for putting your vision into action.

I (Patti) once spent a day visiting a school that had copies of the school’s vision prominently displayed around the school, including all classrooms; I don’t remember the exact wording, but part of it spoke to creating citizens ready for the real world. When I asked one of the students what was unique about her school, she replied, “Our school’s vision. When it was first posted everywhere, I thought that was a bit strange, but after a while, I realized my school really was helping us get ready for the real world.” Here was a school that had translated their vision into a reality.

An old story is told of a traveler who came upon three men cutting stone. He approached the first worker and asked, “What are you doing with these stones?” Grumpily the worker quickly responded, “I am a stonecutter and I am cutting stones.”

He then approached the second worker and asked, “What are you doing with these stones?” The second worker paused for a moment and explained, “I am a stonecutter and I am trying to make enough money to support my family.”

Upon making his way to the third worker, he asked, “What are you doing with these stones?” The third worker stopped what he was doing, smiled, and declared, “I am a stonecutter and I am building a cathedral”

Clearly the third worker understood the vision and felt a part of making it happen. As effective leaders in middle level schools we must do the same – design the “cathedral”, share the vision, inspire, and work with others to help translate it into a reality. To provide practical guidance, we asked successful middle level leaders from around the country to comment on how they created a personal vision and to share their best advice on building that into a shared vision. Here's what some of them had to say:

Building a personal vision:
· As a first year principal I attended a conference where the original Turning Points was being released. There I gained my "big picture" vision from national leaders. Attending NMSA and NASSP annual conferences has helped me learn what other successful schools are doing and what national leaders are recommending. Studying journals and books also plays an important role in developing a vision.

· As the graduation rate is about 60% in our community, my vision for the school was based on the great need for our students to believe in themselves and empower them to dream and achieve.

· Stay current. Belong to professional organizations, read educational books and journals, read books and journals from outside the field of education, attend conferences, develop a network of colleagues from outside your district and outside your state.

· I believe true growth and development comes from two factors/forces -- the books you read and the people you meet. I consider myself blessed to have surrounded myself with exemplary resources in both areas. The opportunity to discuss middle level issues, programs and plans with those passionate about middle level education and more importantly middle level students has been my greatest blessing and choice!

Sharing and growing the vision:
· I talk and write about my vision for the school all the time. I only hire teachers who are fully committed to the vision of our school. My leadership team also helps me shape my vision, thus shaping their own personal vision. As a school we always ask ourselves questions and survey our colleagues. The vision of the school is shared and discussed everywhere - grade level meetings, team meetings, Critical Friends Groups, subject area meetings, and faculty meetings. It also helps to see successes for your vision. Our school has received much recognition. The vision is working; we can all see it before our eyes. · Building relationships comes first and then communication is the key. Share your vision with each group in the school community. Provide key journal articles and books to provide the research and background for the vision. Send key teacher leaders to conferences and workshops. · Listening and reflecting are important tools. · As a teacher I am not seen as the leader of the school but in reality my experience has been that leadership is best shared. I've worked to share my vision from within by talking with my teammates and colleagues, by being willing to share best practices, and by having an open door and encouraging my colleagues to learn and grow with me. · I have found that one can never "assume" that others have the knowledge that I do - therefore, I must continually provide them with reminders as to what is "best" for these kids. · I have found utilizing the thoughts of others into plans, ideas and programs that are consistent with those of great middle schools is the quickest way to effect positive change. Also, by giving attention of ALL folks in the school community, their needs, desires and "connections" will aide the transition. · As a teacher, I impact policy visions by developing and implementing curricular programs specifically designed to embody the characteristics of successful middle level education. The success of these programs speaks volumes and sets a positive example that others have chosen to follow. · You need to be persistent. You need to make sure that you don't forget, each and every day, what your purpose is in the school -- and not let anything take your eyes off the prize of doing what's best for the students each and every day. · I believe that one of the most critical responsibilities of a principal is to acknowledge that the most important factor in students' learning is the teaching that occurs in the classroom. It is important to surround one's self with individuals who share the vision.

· An aspect of turning the vision into a reality is to recognize that professional development is the cornerstone of any school improvement plan and that it must focus only on that which will drive the vision, mission, and objectives of the school improvement plan. · The vision has to be shared. I have done a lot of "teaching" about what middle schools should be. After the teaching stage, I looked for buy in from the staff, and then we implemented. Once the philosophy was implemented, it became the new norm and new staff members fell into the established culture. · Policymakers and other stakeholders in the system must be encouraged and invited to visit and take part in ceremonies and learning opportunities. They must identify themselves as a team member of the school and through that, they feel valued and a contributing member of the learning community. · You have to respect diverse opinions yet maintain a vision that acts as an anchor for decision making. People's opinions can be shared in a trusting and accepting environment.