Words from the Director

Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director deering@ccosa.org

Are you the leader you would follow?

HR and Leadership serve as our focus topics for this edition of Better Schools. As schools complete evaluations, review finances for mid-year, and begin to think about staffing and budgeting for the next year, it is our goal to introduce some new ideas that might help you in your planning around executive coaching, teacher certification, and a teacher cadet program to help schools build a “grow your own” program. I know you will enjoy the articles, many written by CCOSA members.

Personnel costs represent the largest percentage of a district’s budget. School leaders must recognize the complexity of human resources and that every personnel decision impacts the district—the costs, the culture and climate in the district and school sites, and importantly, the success of our students.

Good leadership builds that support for student success. CCOSA has focused on John Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership this year to help our school leaders understand how their influence impacts their effectiveness. As a reminder, here are the levels of leadership:

5. Pinnacle

4. People Development

3. Production

2. Permission

1. Position

When we take a look at where we are in this leadership model and begin to “grow” our own leadership skills, our perspectives will broaden, how we lead will be more thoughtful, resources will be created, collaboration will improve, and leaders will be trained to train leaders.

With the upcoming legislative session, as school leaders, you must engage your leadership skills to influence what is best for public education. At stake are resources that would help our public schools implement new and innovative programs, fund teacher and support staff salaries, reduce mandates, and build pathways for new teachers and administrators into the future.

Next steps:

1. Assess where you are in the leadership model.

2. Build from that level to broaden your influence.

3. Use that influence to make a difference for your district and for the state as a whole.

4. Help others to build their leadership skills.

Back to the original question: “Are you the leader you would follow?” Or, maybe the question should be a statement: “Be the leader you would follow.”

School leaders — Let’s work together to protect public education for the greater good of educating all students. That’s what we are all about!

Respectfully,

Pam Deering, Ph.D.

CCOSA Executive Director ■