I Lead Like My Politics

As an Ed.D student I have been exposed to so many of the great education authors, thinkers, and policy makers; Fullan, Sergiovanni, Pink, Kozol, Wiggins, DuFour, Dewey, and so many more. While they all have given me so much to digest, I have not yet seen anything relating a leader's personal politics to leadership style. While Bolman and Deal's frames of leadership does point out the importance of the political frame, it seems to me that one's personal political leanings directly influences one's leadership style.

I am an unashamed conservative (maybe with a more libertarian leaning) and I am beginning to understand that I am leading like one. Some clarification:

1. I believe in the spirit of individualism. Rather than forcing a faculty to be what I see, I prefer to see the strength in people as opposed to to their real or perceived weaknesses. I allow, and expect, my teachers and support staff not to solely focus on their short-comings, but on the things they do best. Support them in developing and growing their strength(s) and they will be better for it.
2. I believe that local governance is more effective and efficient than a distant central government. The great debate regarding national standards, national testing, and stronger education policy from Washington, forced me to assess how I think about the system of education. Local control is almost always better. If you think otherwise I ask you to outline those USDOE policies that have demonstrated real progress or have managed to positively influence student achievement. Think of the great charter school movement, the small schools initiatives, and urban schools that have risen from the ashes - these are the products of local policy, local leadership, local direction. They do not wait and hope for a Washington suit to proclaim the good news. They understand that leadership - like all politics - is local. This core belief directly influences my perspective of schooling. A central office should support the efforts and directions of a school rather than dictate the direction of a school. The assumption here, of course, is that the school is working within and toward the mission of the district and the superintendent. The same idea applies to the principal's office and the many classrooms and departments in my building.
3. I believe that self-empowerment is always better than providing sustainment. As principal, I am working to give the students a more valued and empowering voice - not by speaking for them or giving them handouts, but by encouraging participation in school governance, assisting them in finding funding, and allowing them opportunities to lead and, subsequently, sometimes fail. If I were to simply be their voice and their leader, than I would be violating this core conservative principle. A strong student council/government/organization is valuable only if it truly guided by students who are empowered. In the same vein, I want a richly informed, viable teaching faculty who does not wait for a benevolent dictatorship, but rather can exists, maintain, and sustain their ideals regardless of who occupies the principal's seat. I encourage teacher leadership, decision-based councils and committees, and look for teacher initiatives in school improvement as opposed to relying solely on my own.
   
4. I believe that each and every tax dollar coming into my building must be wisely, prudently, and responsibly spent. In a basic sense, the monies coming in should act as investment capital, not funds available for spending. Each dollar coming into my hands must be well accounted for and thoughtfully allocated. Senseless and baseless expenditures do nothing to improve the confidence that tax payers place in the public school system. Furthermore, I cannot simply look to the tax payer to fund all of my school's initiatives, plans, and capital improvements. As a leader, I must seek out creative funding for wish-list projects and long-term improvements. A well constructed budget - one that creatively funds projects and programs - is essential. I don't bleieve the budget should be some great secret either, which is why I share the entire building budget with all staff and faculty. They should know what is worth funding and where allocations go - and they should always be allocated to supporting and furthering the mission of the school and district - not edu-fads or neat ideas.

I could expand on my points, but why bother? The idea that my politics be divorced from my role as principal is absurd; I bring to my position all that I am and all that I believe. As a conservative, I must apply my core values to the daily decisions and methods of governance. Were I to divorce my politic from my leadership, I would be nothing more than a warm body occupying an office and position that requires values and vision.

Maybe I'll pay more attention to the politics of the Secretary of Education, The NJ Commissioner of Education, and my future bosses. That might tell me more than their past experiences.