To demonstrate competence in judgment and problem analysis, a superintendent, principal, director of special education, or director of community education must:
(1) identify the elements of a problem situation by analyzing relevant information, framing issues, identifying possible causes, and reframing possible solutions;
(2) demonstrate adaptability and conceptual flexibility;
(3) reach logical conclusions by making quality, timely decisions based on available information;
(4) identify and give priority to significant issues;
(5) demonstrate an understanding of, and utilize appropriate technology in, problem analysis; and
(6) demonstrate an understanding of different leadership and decision-making strategies, including but not limited to collaborative models and model appropriately their implementation.
Description
This is an agenda from an Administrative Advancement (retreat) I attended with all of our district leaders prior to the start of the 2024 school year. These two days allowed for collaboration, sharing of needs and goals for each building/department, and time to plan for the year ahead.
Reflection
Building leaders must understand how the needs and plans of their building fit within the district's direction. In preparation for this meeting, I collaborated with my principal to prepare our information to share during the meeting. Highlighting our celebrations from the year before, our top three most pressing needs/challenges, and what we were most excited about working toward in the upcoming school year. Having this information clarified is key as the building leader. Still, there is greater power in sharing and understanding that information from colleagues to collaborate identify priorities as a district.
Subcompetencies: 4, 6
Description
Artifact two is a PDF version of a form shared with staff at the beginning of the school year to help guide our planning for the year. The questions on the form help me identify and prioritize significant issues early in the school year. The mix of rating questions and open-ended responses also helps give information to frame the issues and help identify potential causes or next steps.
Reflection
Leaders must be responsive to the needs of their building but can't respond to what they don't know. Asking for feedback from the staff in the building to guide the next steps shows an understanding of different leadership and decision-making strategies. Utilizing technology to gather information allows for quick visualizations and ease of sorting and sharing responses so that I can be adaptable as a leader.
Subcompetencies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Description
This document is an example that staff are invited to contribute to in advance of our building's Site Team meetings. The Site Team is a group that addresses building-level concerns with representatives from each department. Traditionally, this team has had a negative feel, being very problem-focused. As a leadership team, we have been working to change the direction of this team to be more solution-focused. This document serves as a pre-planning space to determine if a full team meeting is needed.
Reflection
By putting systems in place that allow staff members to voice their concerns, conclusions can be drawn quickly, and issues can be solved to improve the climate of the building for everyone. This system of solution-finding is one way that I can respect the input and time of my staff members, solving or responding to more minor issues quickly while allowing an avenue for more in-depth discussions with an entire team as needed.
Subcompetencies: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6