Preparing Successful School Leaders
Sylvia Rouseau, Clinical Professor, RSOE and Area Superintendent (Retired), Los Angeles Unified School
Leadership
Knowing where we are going helps us to lead.
People's ideas provide an anchor, e.g. Dewey and his statement of democracy, Horace Mann- equal access to public schools, W.E.B. Du Bois - Schools more segregated now then50 years ago
Purpose and direction is dictated by unfulfilled principles of education
For who does schools exists? For whom is education preparing for the 21st century?
Problem:Output that attest to features of our work, but loses sight of the effects of our work.
Today -outcomes measure the value of our work.
We live in an era where we value the knowledge students gained in schools.
What do educators need to know? What do they need to be able to do in relation to what students need to know and do?
Achievement gap is a knowledge gap, and the knowledge gap is embedded in the systems and policies.
Assuming States and the nation know what students need to know, well meaning P-12 schools assert, "all students can learn", yet there are disparities among the same categories of students. We can predict where the disparities will occur year after year.
How do we address this knowledge gap?
How do people learn? What are the different ways people learn?
Admin. Being judged by the performance of how students do.
21stcentury calls for us to admit that we don't know enough. There is insufficient knowledge about learning.
21stcentury leaders who have a deeper understanding of the role of language are needed.Need to implement content knowledge as well as learning to read and write. We neednew ideas. Language is not a deficit, but an asset.
Special education: 70% are African-America young men. Often taught by emergency teachers.
We need leaders who are courageous, can challenge the status quo, express intellect and learning in different ways.
Students' destinies shape our destinies.
Equity and diversity; we need new knowledge in schools that reflect this diversity.
Need educators who can clarify the discourse about education to the public and expand knowledge by developing new relationships.
EDD at Rossier School of Ed- redefined leadership to address education in the 21st century
Needs: to create a partnership with urban schools, communities, and parents. Need to confront current educational policy. Need to ask ourselves, what kind of knowledge deserves research?
Ed in the21 century is searching for new or more knowledge to ensure a brighter 21stcentury for our students.
Q. Emphasize we don't know enough, though some schools are meeting students needs. We know lots,but aren't implementing it.
A. I think universities know a lot, and p-12 schools know a lot, but we aren't communicating with each other.