This system needs to change. The context, behavior, culture, leadership, and passion needs to change. The most important aspect to change schools is having the right leader. The leader has the job to get people to see and feel the change. The leader needs to change the conditions of the schools to raise them up and have good teachers want to stay there.

Martin Luther once said,

“Let the wife make her husband glad to come home and let him make her sorry to see him leave.”

We can change it to ,”Let the administrator make the teacher glad to come to school and let the teacher make the administrator sad to see them leave.” Ok, the connection isn’t really the greatest. But, if the school is engaging for the student and the teacher, neither will want to leave. When the teacher has passion, a purpose, and enjoys what they are doing, the student engagement will increase which is what we want, better students, students that are eager to learn and take responsibility into their own learning.

If your an administrator what are you doing to keep your good teachers? If your a teacher what are you doing to engage your students? If your a student what are you doing to take control of your own learning? If your a parent or pay taxes what are you doing to make sure your money is going to the students education and engaging them to become better citizens?

Photo: http://flickr.com/photos/judybaxter/310417937/

“There is no greater moral imperative than revamping the principal’s role as part and parcel of changing the context within which teachers and students learn.” (p11)

What does that mean? I mean I know what it is trying to say, but what does that mean. What does it mean by a moral imperative? Or revamping the principal’s role? Or part and parcel? Plus what does this have to do with Jim Collins’ five-levels of leadership, as Fullan is making this statement about? Lets take these important key words in this statement; Moral Imperative – a principle originating inside a person’s mind that compels that person to act, Revamping – revise or restore, and Part and Parcel – “a portion” and “something integral with a whole.” Ok maybe that doesn’t make it any clearer. In laymans term, “We must act! We must revise and restore the role of a principal within the schools to help the teachers and students learn.” I hope that makes that statement a little bit more clearer.

SO WHAT? What about the 5 Levels of Leadership?

Jim Collins talk about from being good to great. He states that although a leader may fit into his first four levels of leadership they are only qualify to be good. You must be in the 5th level to be consider great. It is then you can change the context you are surrounded in. It is then you can best help teachers and students learn.

Personally, this takes away accountability on each teacher and student. They should take action for their own learning. At my school as mention before, we are in a freeze, no money for conferences. I debated with our school board that this is bad because our teachers do not do anything else for their own professional development. Our yearly conference was it for most of the teachers. I told him luckily, I am responsible for my own learning, although I want to go to the conferences for many different reasons. But, I am my own barrier if I do not learn. Writing this blog, is one way I am taking my learning into my own hands. Taking Master classes is another, reading blogs another, following educators on Twitter is just another way.

We do need to change how we look at teachers and students learn and how can we reach them in more efficient and effective ways. What are you doing to reach your students and teachers?