Checklists

"As leaders, we play a crucial role in selecting the melody, setting the tempo, establishing the key, and inviting the players. But that is all we can do. The music comes from something we cannot direct, from a unified whole created among the players - a relational holism that transcends separateness. In the end, when it works, we sit back, amazed and grateful."
- Margaret J. Wheatley, from Leadership and the New Science (1992)

Becoming a Community of Learners: Emerging Leadership Practices

The following questions help you reflect on your leadership and suggest ways to support the emergence and growth of community in your school.

Ways of Leading and Managing

Have we worked together to articulate a shared purpose and educational vision?
Do we take collective responsibility for school practices and outcomes?
Do leaders in our school emphasize power through people rather than power over people?
Is authority in our school based more on competence and professional knowledge than on position and rules?
Is leadership in our school characterized by an image of "an ensemble playing as one" rather than an image of the "captain heading the cavalry"?
Do leaders in our school facilitate, guide, and coach others to work toward commonly held goals?
Do leaders communicate their values and mission in the things they do, how they spend their time, and what they consider important?

Approaches to Problem Solving and Decisionmaking

Are discussion and inquiry common and accepted practices in our school?
Do we share information and make decisions together?
Do we solve problems collaboratively?
Are we open to multiple approaches and solutions rather than reliance on single answers and past practices?
Is decisionmaking consensual and inclusive as opposed to top-down and nonparticipatory?

Concerning Learning

Is classroom learning authentic and does it reflect issues that are important to our students?
Do we engage students as active learners and co-constructers of knowledge?
Do we provide opportunities for students to direct and be responsible for their own learning?
Does learning develop thinking skills for all children rather than emphasize rote acquisition of basic skills?
Do classroom practices provide opportunities to apply and use knowledge in a variety of contexts?
Do we use cooperative learning groups rather than relying solely on independent work and competition?
Are some learning experiences interdisciplinary?
Do learning experiences in our school incorporate resources outside of the classroom?

Structural Conditions

Are roles in our school flexible and interdependent rather than rigid and hierarchical?
Do teachers have considerable autonomy and discretion to plan curriculum and organize instruction within an overall framework?
Do we use teams to plan and implement school improvement?
Are there opportunities for dialogue and planning across teams, grades, and subjects?
Is communication in our school open and fluid as opposed to regulated by traditional chains of command?

Relating to the Community

Do we encourage widescale participation of stakeholders - parents, community members, and students?
Do we empower parents and community members to participate in decisions about our school?
Do we forge partnerships with community organizations, agencies, and businesses to address the needs of children and families?
Are we linking a variety of health and human services to our school?

Based on the following resources:

Barth, R.S. (1990). Improving schools from within. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Fullan, M.G. (1993). Change forces. Bristol, PA: Falmer Press.

Fullan, M.G., & Miles, M.B. (1992). Getting reform right: What works and what doesn't. Phi Delta Kappan, 73(10), 745-752.

Kruse, S., Louis, K.S., Bryk, A. (1994, Spring). Building professional community in schools. (Issues in School Restructuring, Report No. 6). Madison, WI: Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools.

Lieberman, A., Falk, B., & Alexander, L. (1995). A culture in the making: Leadership in learner-centered schools, in J. Oakes & K. Hunter Quartz (Eds.), Creating new educational communities (pp. 108-129). Chicago: University of Chicago Press).

Leithwood, K.A. (1992). The move toward transformational leadership. Educational Leadership, 45(5), 8-12.

Means, B., Chelemer, C., & Knapp, M.S. (Eds.). (1991). Teaching advanced skills to at-risk students. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Murphy, J. (1992). The landscape of leadership preparation. Newbury Park, CA: Corwin Press.

Murphy J., & Hallinger, P. (Eds.). (1993). Restructuring schooling: Learning from ongoing efforts. Newbury Park, CA: Corwin Press.

Peterson, K., & Deal, T. (1993). Strategies for building school cultures: Principals as symbolic leaders. In M. Sashkin & H. Wahlberg (Eds.), Educational leadership and school culture (pp. 89-99). Berkeley, CA: McCutchan Publishers.

Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline. New York: Doubleday.

Sergiovanni, T.J. (1992). Why we should seek substitutes for leadership. Educational Leadership, 45(5), 41-45.

Wheatley, M.J. (1992). Leadership and the new science. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.