We conducted the first two days of the Leadership Formation Program for our new principals this past week. The days were intense and a mixture of theory and practical issues connected to leadership that covered the areas of Leadership, Faith, and Stewardship (both managerial/financial and human resource issues). We have two more days in early August that will center on Excellence (Instructional Leadership) and practical questions that they may face in the job. They will have their mentor principals with them on the last day to assist with any questions they may have regarding all that has been presented.
The structure of the LFP is different than we have had in the past few years. It used to consist of a week-long 'boot camp' where information was flooded into the new recruits like a fire hose. We have broken the week into two separate sections of two days each in order to lessen the overload that can often accompany such training. At first look it seems to have been positively received. What I took away from the first two days is that it was rather intense and long and I couldn't imagine doing another three days with similar material without completely wiping everyone out. The idea is that the new principals will be able to go back to their school locations now and reflect on what they heard while getting their hands into the individual challenges present at their sites. They will then come back armed with questions and feedback when we see them in early August.
The entire LFP - for new principals but also for current principals and for those who are considering leadership in the future - is an exciting endeavor for our office. We recognize that good leadership is the number one key to having a successful school. If we get this part right over the long term then we firmly believe that we will have the growth that we vision for the Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Looking at the road ahead can be daunting because there will be fits and starts and the over all long term goal seems very far away. But there is no time like now to start and we recognize that we are building for a future that is not our own but rather for future generations of students who will benefit from the rigorous education, grounded in faith, that results from strong leadership in our schools.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Trying to get back to this...
With the summer here, even with the workload still high, I believe it is time to try to get back to this blog and write a bit more. This is inspired to some degree with Work With Hope, who I had lunch with last week. He is trying to post more as well so we can try to push each other to move the dialogue forward.
I have been thinking a lot about the upcoming school year. We have a number of new staff joining us in the office and with that comes great energy and excitement. The primary focus for us over the next few years will be on leadership formation of principals and those who desire to be principals in the coming years. Leadership is an interesting issue (and I am trying to finish writing a book on leadership that I am behind on so I am also hoping the blogging will also help spur me on) in that it is an area everyone agrees is essential but very few people have concrete plans to address it.
In my mind, every other issue pales in comparison to effective leadership. When good leaders are present in schools - or any organization - then all other issues become secondary. I like to say that good leadership eliminates all minor problems and mitigates major ones. Essentially, if a good leader is in place then all other issues of finance, enrollment, technology integration, instructional leadership, etc. are taken care of by virtue of their presence.
We have spent the last year looking at leadership and we have the outlines of a Leadership Formation Program that we are implementing this year. Part of that program is how we work with those who are new to the principal position, which consists of summer training and then follow up sessions throughout the year both in a group setting and with a mentor. But there are other two aspects are equally important.
The first is how we address 'building a bench' of future leaders to fill principal positions in the coming years. We had 40 principal openings this year, which was a bit higher than usual but we normally need 25-30 new principals each year. How we invite and form these new leaders will determine the success of our schools in the coming years. We had information meetings this past spring and we will have four sessions over the course of this coming year in the areas of Leadership, Faith, Excellence and Stewardship to introduce the participants to the practical aspects of the principal position. Many either have already gone through an admin MA program or are planning to so the intent is not to focus on theory but the practical nature of the job.
The second aspect of the LFP is to nurture current principals in our schools. The principal job can be a lonely one and it is no secret that it is easy to burn out if there is not constructive support present. So part of the program is to invite principals to attend a summer session every five years of their tenure (so in the fifth, tenth, fifteenth, etc. summer) in order to refresh their knowledge and renew their spirit. We have also tried to incorporate more leadership PD in monthly deanery meetings so that principals get needed support and guidance without having to attend an additional meeting.
Much to do in this area and I would welcome feedback. Chris Mominey (from Philadelphia) and Dave Faber (from Grand Rapids) and are going to be leading a session on this topic at CACE in October so I would be interested in learning what else is happening around the country.
I have been thinking a lot about the upcoming school year. We have a number of new staff joining us in the office and with that comes great energy and excitement. The primary focus for us over the next few years will be on leadership formation of principals and those who desire to be principals in the coming years. Leadership is an interesting issue (and I am trying to finish writing a book on leadership that I am behind on so I am also hoping the blogging will also help spur me on) in that it is an area everyone agrees is essential but very few people have concrete plans to address it.
In my mind, every other issue pales in comparison to effective leadership. When good leaders are present in schools - or any organization - then all other issues become secondary. I like to say that good leadership eliminates all minor problems and mitigates major ones. Essentially, if a good leader is in place then all other issues of finance, enrollment, technology integration, instructional leadership, etc. are taken care of by virtue of their presence.
We have spent the last year looking at leadership and we have the outlines of a Leadership Formation Program that we are implementing this year. Part of that program is how we work with those who are new to the principal position, which consists of summer training and then follow up sessions throughout the year both in a group setting and with a mentor. But there are other two aspects are equally important.
The first is how we address 'building a bench' of future leaders to fill principal positions in the coming years. We had 40 principal openings this year, which was a bit higher than usual but we normally need 25-30 new principals each year. How we invite and form these new leaders will determine the success of our schools in the coming years. We had information meetings this past spring and we will have four sessions over the course of this coming year in the areas of Leadership, Faith, Excellence and Stewardship to introduce the participants to the practical aspects of the principal position. Many either have already gone through an admin MA program or are planning to so the intent is not to focus on theory but the practical nature of the job.
The second aspect of the LFP is to nurture current principals in our schools. The principal job can be a lonely one and it is no secret that it is easy to burn out if there is not constructive support present. So part of the program is to invite principals to attend a summer session every five years of their tenure (so in the fifth, tenth, fifteenth, etc. summer) in order to refresh their knowledge and renew their spirit. We have also tried to incorporate more leadership PD in monthly deanery meetings so that principals get needed support and guidance without having to attend an additional meeting.
Much to do in this area and I would welcome feedback. Chris Mominey (from Philadelphia) and Dave Faber (from Grand Rapids) and are going to be leading a session on this topic at CACE in October so I would be interested in learning what else is happening around the country.
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