But What if the Authorizers only See Dashboards?

From time to time, I think about returning to school, and being in a classroom. I miss the spirit and excitement of these buzzing learning places. When I browsed through a list of school leader job searches yesterday, I came across one that peaked my interest. It indicated that the school has a unique arts-integrated curriculum anchored in project based learning, and aims to “prepare students for success in college, career, and society by teaching students to collaboratively invent, design, and implement creative solutions that address societal problems and injustices”. This sounds like a charter school that appreciates 21stcentury learning. However, when you read the description carefully, and in-between-the-lines, this opportunity may not be one for someone who is passionate about making a difference in education. I took some time and examined this ad; Iremoved the school name and reference to the state, and adapted the following collapsed description. I generally nodded in agreement with the following expectations: The school Principal/CEO shall:

• Establish and promote high standards and expectations for all students and staff for academic performance and responsibility for behavior.
• Organize and supervise procedures for identifying and addressing special needs of students including health-related concerns, as well as physical or emotional and spiritual needs.
• Serve as a role model for students, dressing professionally, demonstrating the importance and relevance of learning, accepting responsibility, and demonstrating pride in the education profession. 
• Assume responsibility for the health, safety, and welfare of students, employees and visitors, including establishing school policies and procedures for co-curricular and community behaviors.
• Encourage students to take responsibility for behavior. 
• File all required reports regarding violence, vandalism, attendance and discipline matters.
• Notify immediately the Board, and appropriate personnel and agencies when there is evidence of substance abuse, child abuse, child neglect, severe medical or social conditions, potential suicide or students appearing to be under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances.
• Manage, evaluate and supervise effective instructional programs, extracurricular activities, building maintenance, program evaluation, personnel management, office and financial operations, and emergency procedures. 
• Ensure compliance with all laws, board policies and civil regulations.
• Maintain and periodically review procedures that create and maintain attractive, organized, functional, healthy, clean, and safe facilities, with proper attention to the visual, acoustic and temperature.
• Prepare and submit all school entitlement applications, progress reports and completion reports (Title I, II, IV, NSLP, and School Improvement grants) for the authorizer. Protect confidentiality.
• Communicate regularly with parents, seeking their support and advice, so as to create a cooperative relationship to support the student in the school.
• Oversee ongoing student recruitment efforts
• Attend required committee meetings (e.g.: fundraising, curriculum, etc.) and extra school sponsored functions or events, i.e. graduation, recruiting events, etc.
• Complete in a timely fashion all records and reports as requested by the Board. 
• Identify/or create and facilitate professional development opportunities for academic faculty and staff.
• Engage in the process of continuous professional growth in the following areas: student achievement, curriculum and instruction, financial and operational solvency.
• Supervise the instructional programs of the school, evaluating lesson plans and observing classes (teaching, as duties dictate) on a regular basis to encourage the use of a variety of instructional strategies and materials consistent with research on learning and child growth and development.

I really support leaders who teach and make time to team teach in classrooms with teachers.

Where the rub came, however, was with the following listed expectations:

• Research and collect data regarding the needs of students, and other pertinent information including the collection of detail regarding student homeless, or any other barriers to the learning process, and use this data to inform/implement/enforce operational or academic practices. 

You can inform and implement without using the term, “enforce”.

• Keep the staff informed and seek ideas for the improvement of the school. Conduct meetings, as necessary, for the proper functioning of the school: i.e. weekly meetings for full-time staff; monthly staff meetings, at the school leader s discretion.

Regular communications need to be clear – not on an “as necessary” basis.

• Maintain and review the annual master schedule for instructional programs, ensuring sequential learning experiences for students consistent with the school s philosophy, mission statement and instructional goals.

The school leader should be part of a team that establishes the master schedule. Maintenance is not enough. The schedule is a key change and improvement agent. Staff need to expect it to change from year to year.

• Preferred Qualifications: Masters degree in Education or related field with relevant experience, including but not limited to business administration, public administration, social work, or the arts.

Ouch – Does this mean that a 21stcentury school might be led by someone who has never been a teacher in a classroom? This speaks volumes that experience and expertise in understanding quality teaching and learning is not necessary. It is not enough to have experience “leading organizations.” 

I then looked further to research the state authorizing process:

• Does the state give schools authorizer choices – so that a monopoly view of quality education does not limit the innovative potential of charter schools?
• Do the authorizers rely on the expertise of outside accreditation agencies (i.e. Middle States Accreditation) to provide a comprehensive analysis of the quality of the whole school?
• Do authorizers make decisions about closing schools based on data that fits on a single page dashboard?
• Are the authorizers present in the schools they oversee?
• Do the authorizers recommend school leaders be experts in the education field?
• Are the appointed authorizers experts in the field of education?
• What is the state process for ensuring oversight of authorizers?

Finally, even though these qualities were pitched at the end of the ad, I believe it is the secret sauce for success, often muted by those who believe that what makes a great school – great, can fit on a single page dashboard:

• Experience in or with the arts, design, community organization, and/or social activism.
• Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed with a great sense of humor.

As far as applying to this school – and the system that authorizes it, I will take a pass, because I see much more than dashboards in my rearview and forward-thinking mirror.