In the spirit of “we will get through this together” and to provide support for Hawaii school principals during the Covid19 crisis, HASCD (Hawaii Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) & HCIL (Hawaii Center for Instructional Leadership) will provide a service to help share best practices being used by principals and schools during this crisis.
An analysis of principal surveys indicates three categories of need at this time:
(1) systemic support (communication) for school principals
(2) change leadership & change management during unprecedented times
(3) instructional leadership for distance learning
First, principals indicate the need for a strengthened system of support that includes:
· clear and consistent communication
· clarity of management rights and principal authority
· alignment and coherence of action
· timely response to questions and timely access to needed information
Second, principals indicate the need for support in change leadership and change management, specifically:
· How to be productive and effective as a school principal during these times of unprecedented change
· How best to ensure health and safety for all workers and members of the school community including students and families
· How to engage, motivate and inspire teachers in this new context and during these times of unprecedented change
· How to be an effective instructional leader (for curriculum, instruction – distance learning, assessment, grading ) in the midst of unprecedented changes in context, culture, conditions, and competencies.
Third, principals indicate a need for specific support in the area of distance learning including:
· How to create a new plan or new school design for distance learning quickly
· How to provide and deliver quality professional development for teachers and staff
· Technical support and guidance for resources, infrastructure, hardware, software, devices
Please continue to be safe and healthy and thank you for your inspiring leadership!