Final Reflection

When I entered PLI, the leadership skills and knowledge I joined the program consisted of charisma, organization, creativity, and the ability to build relationships. Coming into the program, I knew how important creating relationships was to achieving goals as a leader. Throughout PLI I learned how to create systems and structures in order to address inequities within the school. In professor Gomez and Garcia’s Improvement Science class, my emphasis on creating equitable conditions flourished as I learned how to conduct Causal System Analysis to determine the root causes of a problem. With the community of practice I facilitated in Professor Isken and Orange’s class, I learned how to effectively conduct PDSA cycles to co-create and Implement change ideas that improve the conditions for students. The community of practice also taught me ways to empower staff members as agents of change. The program itself taught how valuable creating a Culture of Care can be in creating systemic change. All of the professors demonstrated compassion, empathy, and flexibility. They made sure to listen to our needs and adapted courses in real-time to meet them. This is the same culture I plan on creating in my community.

When I began the program, I thought I knew the qualities an effective leader had. I thought the leaders that met compliance standards were effective. I thought good leaders were charismatic and liked by everyone. Because of these beliefs, I thought that leaders were limited in what they could do because of the policies, systems, and structures that exist in the educational system.

As a result of the experiences I engaged in through PLI, my perspective on leadership has evolved. In professor Orange and Isken’s class, I learned that leaders can choose how to implement policies. Implementation is key in making sure that leaders are serving them. Through our discussions, I came to a realization that any policy or theory can be weaponized and cause inequities.

Another belief that changed for me is that a good leader doesn’t need to be liked by everyone. Now, thanks to discussions in professor Rogers and Lazo’s class, I believe good leaders stay true to their vision but are willing to adapt it to fit the needs of their community. They don’t have to be liked but they have to be transparent. Good leaders, create a culture of care that makes everyone feel seen, heard, and valued. Leaders can do that by simply listening and empowering their community partners. A good leader has to have difficult critical conversations about marginalization.

Through our readings, I believe cycles of inquiry using the awareness of marginalization is vital in order to continuously improve the conditions for groups that are marginalized. This inquiry approach is a never-ending improvement cycle. I believe that the work is never over. As an equity-driven leader, I have to continuously look for inequities within our school system. I have to create spaces for all of my staff to participate in determining what groups are being marginalized.

As the school leader, I think it’s important to create partnerships to collaborate with community organizations in order to provide students and families with information, resources, and access to anything we can’t provide internally. If I plan on creating a culture of care at my school, it is imperative I care about the community my families come from and make connections that bring their community into our school. The school has to be a pillar that embraces and lifts up the community as a whole. I now plan on partnering with organizations in the community that offer some sort of social-emotional support outside of the school.

The biggest challenge to my leadership journey has been the impact that the COVID 19 pandemic has caused. With the constant changes in protocols, my school's leadership team has been stretched thin dealing with quarantines, remote learning, contact tracing, and implementation of new policies. Having to be COVID compliance managers reduced the amount of time we were able to spend in the classroom.

One of my biggest successes in my leadership journey has been facilitating the community of practice that I put together to address the marginalization of students of color by school discipline practices at our school. I was able to effectively conduct Causal System Analysis by con-creating a fishbone diagram with the Student Culture team. This team has implemented several change ideas that have had a positive impact on our student culture. Our team facilitated several professional development opportunities that have allowed our staff to develop shared expectations for behavior and a system to support our students' Social-Emotional needs.

My next step in my leadership journey is taking on the role of the Assistant Principal of Instruction and Social-Emotional Development at Citizens of the World, West Valley. In this role, I plan on continuing to create, analyze, and develop systems and structures that provide students with equitable opportunities and access to their educational needs. I plan on further developing the Social-Emotional Support system that my student culture has begun to develop in order to provide our students, staff, and community partners with the resources they need.

One area that I want more experience with is handling a school budget. Right now, I don’t know where I would even begin. I want to get more experience in making decisions about budgets that will improve the conditions for my whole community. In my current role, I haven't been privy to what the budgets look like or how much we pay for certain things.

Another area that I want to improve through experience is my coaching of teachers. I want to create spaces to help my staff to further develop their skills and improve their areas of growth. In my current role, I manage and coach our school's support staff. I haven't had the opportunity to directly coach teachers.

Finally, an area I would like to gain more experience in is communication with families. I want to improve my ability to defuse hostile situations and have critical conversations with staff, students, and community partners. In my current role, I've had a few opportunities to have these types of conversations.