NELP - 2

For this assignment, researched current bills in  Congress that reflect the need for more professional emotional and mental health support for students in schools. HR 1415 School Social Worker Improving Student Success Act addressed this need. This bill was proposed in March 2023 to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. It attempts to address the need for funding to increase the number of social workers in schools. Under the Children’s Mental Health Act of 2003, school districts were required to incorporate social-emotional development into their educational program. They were also required to provide a protocol for responding when children experience social-emotional or mental health problems. However, districts are struggling to meet current student mental health needs, and most are understaffed due to lack of funding. As a 25 year educator, I am in strong support of H.R.1415 as our students are in need of mental health support now more than ever.

NELP 2.3 focuses on school leaders understanding and demonstrating the capacity to model ethical behavior in their personal conduct and relationships and to cultivate ethical behavior in others. This advocacy letter demonstrates these skills at a level beyond the school and district. It aims to gain the attention of government representatives who may not fully understand the needs of our students. The letter also provides concrete data reflecting these needs, which is an important factor when advocating at any level. 

As a growing leader, it is essential to consistently evaluate the needs of students in the school environment and identify barriers in meeting those needs. Sometimes needs can be addressed at the school or district level, and other times it's necessary to reach further. This is particularly true when funding is a barrier. It is also important to look at the barriers more globally. How might these barriers impact the community, the county, or the state? More global issues can be addressed through collaboration and joint efforts. 

This artifact raised my level of awareness of the importance of staying current with local and global issues impacting students and education. It is essential to be aware of proposed bills and policies that need more attention in order to keep moving through the legal process. Leaders must engage in professional advocacy to bring awareness to needs and possible solutions.

This artifact outlines an ethical dilemma that many leaders will encounter throughout their careers. It involves a parent obtaining a lawyer to make bullying claims. From the point of view of the parent, the school had been negligent in providing appropriate supervision for their child, which led to several bullying incidents. They also claimed a lack of communication, lack of action, and an ineffective bullying prevention program. From the school's point of view, the incidents that occurred were not considered bullying. They were accidental events that are typical for the age group of the students. The student was not accurately reporting each incident. The teacher and staff had addressed each incident appropriately and had provided an appropriate standard of care and supervision. The leaders were faced with deciding between two approaches to solve this dilemma. Ultimately, the path chosen applied moral and ethical leadership. The team prioritized respect, compassion, collaboration, and service. 

This artifact illustrates both NELP 2.1and 2.2. 2. focuses on leaders understanding and demonstrating the capacity to reflect on, communicate about, cultivate, and model professional dispositions and norms that support the educational success and well-being of each student and adult. The path that the team chose to solve this dilemma applied ethical, moral, and service leadership characteristics. Rather than engaging is extended conversations and conflicts determining who was right and who was wrong, the team chose to remain solution-focused. 

This artifact also addresses NELP 2.2, leaders understand and demonstrate the capacity to evaluate, communicate about, and advocate for ethical and legal decisions. The ethical dilemma presented an opportunity to apply legal guidelines to one of the two solutions. The team analyzed the procedures followed and supervision provided through a legal lens to determine that all policies were followed. While this was true, morals such as compassion, honesty, trust and collaboration were applied through the path the team decided to take. Positive communication ensured that the conversation remained solution-focused and maintained a trusting relationship with the parents and student. 

It's crucial that school leaders apply moral and ethical virtues when handling challenging situations. This dilemma allowed me to experience the importance of always maintaining a high level of professionalism, no matter how difficult a situation may be. Practical wisdom, critical thinking and moral decision-making must be applied. There may be two clear and appropriate approaches, but the leader must choose the one that is the most moral path, while restoring a collaborative relationship with parents or whomever the conflict involves. The focus must be on what is best for the student as well. Competent leaders must approach conflict with an open mind, a calm demeanor, and a solution-focused attitude. 

This artifact involved the collection of data on measuring my progress as a virtuous leader in the beginning of the program as compared to the end of the program. The virtues measured were fortitude, prudence, temperance, and justice. The leadership dispositions measured all facets of leadership, and an additional assessment included the measurement of interpersonal skills, motivation, professionalism, reliability, leadership, communication skills, ethical principles, trust, responsibility, and risk-taking. I used the same measures and asked the same colleagues to complete the assessment for consistency. I developed graphs comparing the pre and post assessment data to reflect on my growth as a leader. 

NELP 2.1 states, program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to reflect on, communicate about, cultivate, and model professional dispositions and norms (i.e., fairness, integrity, transparency, trust, digital citizenship, collaboration, perseverance, reflection, lifelong learning) that support the educational success and well-being of each student and adult. This artifact demonstrates this standard because it provided the opportunity for self-reflection and the reflection of respected leaders in education. By comparing pre and post assessments, I was able to reflect on where I had grown and what areas need more growth. Developing as a leader is a life-long journey that requires constant self-reflection and collaboration with colleagues. 

The disposition pre and post assessments have shed light on areas of strength and growth and allowed has me to reflect on who I am as a virtuous leader and person. It

also provided an opportunity for me to look at what my colleagues view as strengths and areas for growth. As a result of this assignment, I have been able to visually see my growth and all that I’ve learned throughout the program. Each class contributed to this growth by providing

opportunities for new learning and reflection. There is so much more to leadership than being competent. It involves having character, strong ethics, and morals. Different leadership styles are appropriate for different situations, so it’s important to have a clear understanding of each. To find and grow the potential in adults and students, one must use a strong moral compass to lead the way.