Leadership Formation Program

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.