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Short Essay Item 1: “Having been hired as the first principal of a new charter school,
propose to the board a process for developing a shared vision of learning for the school.
Include methods for involving stakeholders and apply theories relevant to building,
implementing, and stewarding the vision. Integrate course content from the present and/or
previous courses in educational leadership, applying theory to practice in meaningful,
practical ways.”
I think that creating a common vision of learning for a school is a process that requires
dedication, perseverance, and understanding from all parties’ students, teachers, and community
stakeholders. Everyone involved students, staff, and stakeholders should be aware of our staff's
dedication to making sure students succeed academically and receive the finest education
possible. Leading by example is crucial to me as the head of the educational institution because it
offers a vision of learning that might have a lasting effect. My goal for the school is to help my
staff and I stay focused on realistic objectives. Fostering a pleasurable and friendly environment
that makes employees and students desire to work there. A check on learning points should be
always included in goal setting to assess students' comprehension and learning. Standards will be
raised as soon as pupils demonstrate a grasp of the objectives, with the aim of exceeding
expectations.
School/community relationships are crucial, in my opinion. relationships that staff
members have with students and their families regarding community events, extracurricular
activities, and student celebrations. Students have a better chance of succeeding if they and their
families feel more involved with the school. It is crucial that educators and staff collaborate in a
welcoming and professional environment. Collaboration among educators to advance
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professional development is essential for students' learning. Success comes from having a
common mission, values, and vision.
Short Essay Item 2: “As an educational leader, you are responsible for the teaching and
learning aspect of education. Describe the learning environment for which you will strive.
Include how you will apply theories of human development behavior, personalized learning
environment, and motivation to influence school culture and to ensure student success.
Integrate course content from the present and/or previous courses in educational
leadership, applying theory to practice in meaningful, practical ways.”
Students, teachers, and stakeholders should all feel secure and welcome in the learning
environment that I support and aspire to. Students will be able to think independently and take an
active role in their own education in this learning environment. Creating a confident, friendly,
and instructive environment will enable them to advance in all facets of their educational path.
Students will experience a shift in attitude because of increased staff and teacher
confidence. The learning environment has been connected to student success, and it has the
potential to have both positive and negative effects on a student. Students would be more
engaged, motivated, and learn more overall if they were in a happy learning environment. In
addition to the instructional settings, learning environments also comprise the psychological and
physical contexts.
Short Essay Item 3: “As a school administrator, how will you develop a plan of action to
address needs of students, parents, and caregivers? Include approaches for collaboration
with stakeholders and strategies for effective oral and written communication with families
and caregivers. Integrate course content from the present and/or previous courses in
educational leadership, applying theory to practice in meaningful, practical ways.”
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As school administrators, it is our responsibility to ensure that any plan of action that
considers the needs of all children, parents, and caregivers is backed up by documented data.
Involvement of parents and caregivers goes much beyond a parent attending conferences.
Increasing the engagement of parents and other caregivers is a process that takes time to
complete. An effective plan is the result of collaboration between the parent/caregiver and the
school. Parents feel empowered and like partners when they are actively participating in their
child's education. All parties involved ought to have an open mind and be prepared to change for
the benefit of the learner and their education.
Short Essay Item 4: “Ethical behavior is characterized by honesty, fairness, and equity in
interpersonal, professional, and academic relationships. Explain how ethical behavior
influences school culture, student achievement, and your own leadership. Support your
statements with examples. Integrate course content from the present and/or previous
courses in educational leadership, applying theory to practice in meaningful, practical
ways.”
When it comes to ethics and leadership, there have always been rules. The principle
serves as the head of the organization and is always the first to set the tone for culture
establishment. Several leadership principles need to be adhered to be successful in a school
setting:
Courage, Administrators ought to be prepared to firmly oppose any practices that
do not serve the interests of their pupils.
Public before self, the needs of the leader should not come before those of the
staff or the students.
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Self-Control, Discipline and Personal Integrity, these three characteristics are
possessed by a positive leader, who is required to set an example for all parties
involved.
Inclusiveness, Trust is built when all parties involved feel included and valued.
Achievement is more likely when there is trust. All parties involved in the
decision-making process ought to be included in its execution.
Employee Centered, when decisions are made, success prioritizes the needs of
both educators and students. The strengths of every employee who works with
every student should be included into the creation of a foundation.
Crisis Management
As the school administration, I was as concerned, if not more so, than the parents present
at the meeting about the increased activity in the area. The last thing I would want as a school
administrator, parent, and community representative is for any staff members or students to
suffer injuries if a criminal breaches the exterior of our schools. One of the jobs that is both most
noticed and least understood is leadership (Blackaby & Blackaby, 2011). Some threats, like
bomb threats and SWAT calls, might nonetheless have an impact on the school's culture even
when they aren't tangible. It will be crucial for me to use creativity in developing an updated
comprehensive school crisis management plan that would best protect our students, as the
superintendent stated that our current plan is out of date. This plan should involve input from
educators, administrators, students, parents, and other stakeholders.
Specific rules for who will be on the crisis response team and their roles, procedures for
service delivery, and alerting members, staff, parents, and students about an imminent crisis
should all be included when building a comprehensive school crisis management plan. Rewriting
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the crisis plan using the five Ps of crisis (Predict, Prevent, Prepare, Perform, and
Assessment/Post-Action) is a smart idea. Vulnerable points and regions in our structure and
schools should be addressed before the first plan is created. Examining the present
comprehensive school crisis management plan can give you a good idea of where to look for
areas where it is weak and how to make it stronger. examining the locations of cameras, alarm
systems, and entry points for secured entrances. As a starting point, a draft plan should be made,
which might then be improved upon and submitted to the board. The plan will be revised to
better suit the school's and district's needs. Regarding how much more the improved
comprehensive school crisis management plan will keep everyone safe, we should be reasonable
in our expectations. Realizing that not all risks to schools come from the outside; in fact, some of
the worst threats come from kids on school grounds.
While we as administrators are powerless to halt all crimes or threats, we can put
mechanisms in place that may assist deter crime and keep everyone secure. putting into practice
the various active threat situations that our school might encounter, such as active
shooter/lockdown, threat outside the school/shelter in place, tornado drill, fire drill, and hazmat.
Everyone will develop muscle memory for these maneuvers if they practice them several times a
year, ready for any situation. It is essential to instill the Run-Fight-Hide mentality in both staff
and students to encourage and educate about safety.
Changing Community
I would emphasize the value of education and student relationships in my presentation if I
were applying to be Lincoln High School's principle. To determine whether the Board's and my
educational visions for the school align and work well together, I would first ask them what their
vision is. It takes time to develop an educational system that includes enhancing student
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instruction. In part of my presentation, I would address closing the educational gap the school
has experienced, making sure that the administration is on the same page, and offering a mission
statement that is in line with the district's goals. Over time, the traditional principal's function has
evolved. Currently leading school-level reform initiatives, principals are more than just facility
managers (New leaders, 2013).
As part of their overarching goal, a leader ought to maintain channels of communication
and collaboration with their stakeholders. Inconsistencies may result from the general vision
process's failure to involve all stakeholders. As stated by Peterson (2018). At every stage of the
procedure, it is important to keep everyone informed about how well the pupils are doing. Each
student will receive the finest education possible if I, as the principal, am dedicated to a
continuous and consistent vision. Family matters, I know, when it comes to embracing and
establishing a community vision. I think that directly incorporating parents in their children's
education has shown to be an effective model. Most of the time, all parents want to know is that
they can choose to be active in their children's education.
Whether it's for educators, parents, or children, change is never simple, and most people
are against it (Blackaby and Blackaby, 2011). As the new principal, it will be my responsibility to
reassure parents, teachers, and other interested parties that changes will be made gradually and
for the benefit of the school. I would have to explain my change plan, the objectives, and any
potential deadlines. To determine which areas, require the greatest adjustment, I would include
stakeholders in the plan and include them in the planning stage of the repairs. Assembling a
committee made up of parents, teachers, and stakeholders to discuss the school's development
from their points of view. The ultimate objective is to give the children the best possible learning
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References
Blackaby, H., & Blackaby, R. (2011). Spiritual leadership (Rev. ed.). Nashville, TN: Broadman
& Holman Pub.
Moorman, B., (2022). Georgia School Teaches Young Men How to Be Servant Leaders.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/georgia/articles/2022-04-03/georgia-
schoolteaches- young-men-how-to-be-servant-leaders
News Leaders, (2013). A shared vision of leadership: Creating an aligned understanding of the
principalship. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED559352.pdf
Peterson, S., (2018). How Do You Include Your Community in Creating Your Vision for
Personalized Learning? Edsurge. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-08-22-how-
doyou- include-your-community-in-creating-your-vision-for-personalized-learning
Smith, S., (2022). Involvement. OpenBible.
https://www.openbible.info/topics/participation_in_church_activities
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