Managing School Operations and Resources
Leadership Dimension #6
Introduction:
The administrator manages school operations and resources to sustain a safe, caring, and effective learning environment.
Administrator Descriptors:
- ensures an orderly, safe and caring school environment conducive to learning
- plans, organizes and manages effectively the human, physical and financial resources of the school community to achieve its educational goals and priorities
- ensures that the school operations are aligned with legal frameworks including provincial regulations and school authority policies
- uses effective management strategies in order to maximize the time for instructional leadership
- utilizes principles of teaching, learning and student development to inform management decisions and the organization of learning
- uses effective facilitation, problem-solving, and negotiating skills
- demonstrated effective oral and written communication skills
The administrator manages school operations and resources to sustain a safe, caring, and effective learning environment.
Administrator Descriptors:
- ensures an orderly, safe and caring school environment conducive to learning
- plans, organizes and manages effectively the human, physical and financial resources of the school community to achieve its educational goals and priorities
- ensures that the school operations are aligned with legal frameworks including provincial regulations and school authority policies
- uses effective management strategies in order to maximize the time for instructional leadership
- utilizes principles of teaching, learning and student development to inform management decisions and the organization of learning
- uses effective facilitation, problem-solving, and negotiating skills
- demonstrated effective oral and written communication skills
List and Identify Evidence/Artifacts:
As I have moved through this school year, my understanding of the day-to-day business of the school is becoming better. There was so much I did not know when I began in September. The daily issues that arise are often consuming of your time. It may be the phone calls from parents or conversations with staff and students that can derail an entire day. There is an immediacy to everything in this job. It requires really good organizational and management skills to navigate out of the immediate and into the important.
One of the tasks I am assigned is the discipline for grade 11 and 12 students. I am continually monitoring the progress of certain students, making sure their attendance and behaviour are acceptable. Ultimately, every discipline event had turned into a learning opportunity. I try to make a students visit to the office a learning experience, what can be done differently and what are some positive outcomes. I think for the most part I have been fairly successful. I am thankful though that it is truly a small fraction of my time spent on discipline issues. I have however been able to look at Board Policy for school behaviour as well as what is outlined in the School Act. I am finding though, as Leslie, Tracy and I are becoming more of a cohesive team, the discipline issues seem to be shared. The grade level lines are not strictly drawn and whoever is there is the one dealing with the issue. I have been able to write suspension letters and to lead intake meetings with the student and their parents. I am becoming very clear about the legal expectations and dealing with these situations.
Another way I am developing my capacity for managing school operations and resources is through working with the school budget. I can't say that I am ready to tackle this on my own but I am beginning to understand the complexities and limitations of the budget in the school. Keeping our minds fully on the idea of students' needs first, makes the decisions easier. As we continue in developing the timetable for next year, the budget and school resources will have to be allocated to what makes the best sense for students. We need to be conservative in our budgeting and allocate resources in the most efficient and effective manner. Along with timetabling and the budget, I have been involved in interviewing and hiring new staff. This process has reinforced to me the importance of getting the right people on the bus and in the right seats. I know what an effective 21st century teacher looks like and our job is to hire those teachers who will best fit our school, our vision, our mission, and community.
One of the tasks I am assigned is the discipline for grade 11 and 12 students. I am continually monitoring the progress of certain students, making sure their attendance and behaviour are acceptable. Ultimately, every discipline event had turned into a learning opportunity. I try to make a students visit to the office a learning experience, what can be done differently and what are some positive outcomes. I think for the most part I have been fairly successful. I am thankful though that it is truly a small fraction of my time spent on discipline issues. I have however been able to look at Board Policy for school behaviour as well as what is outlined in the School Act. I am finding though, as Leslie, Tracy and I are becoming more of a cohesive team, the discipline issues seem to be shared. The grade level lines are not strictly drawn and whoever is there is the one dealing with the issue. I have been able to write suspension letters and to lead intake meetings with the student and their parents. I am becoming very clear about the legal expectations and dealing with these situations.
Another way I am developing my capacity for managing school operations and resources is through working with the school budget. I can't say that I am ready to tackle this on my own but I am beginning to understand the complexities and limitations of the budget in the school. Keeping our minds fully on the idea of students' needs first, makes the decisions easier. As we continue in developing the timetable for next year, the budget and school resources will have to be allocated to what makes the best sense for students. We need to be conservative in our budgeting and allocate resources in the most efficient and effective manner. Along with timetabling and the budget, I have been involved in interviewing and hiring new staff. This process has reinforced to me the importance of getting the right people on the bus and in the right seats. I know what an effective 21st century teacher looks like and our job is to hire those teachers who will best fit our school, our vision, our mission, and community.
Reflection:
I have always had fairly good organizational skills and have managed to use my time as effectively and efficiently as I possibly can. The sheer number of issues, questions, and directives that are thrown at us on a daily basis is quite incredible. I felt like a "deer in the headlights" for much of the first semester this year. It required the Covey training in early December to finally start to get my feet underneath me. I realized that some of the things I was doing I could delegate to others, hence building their leadership capacity, and move towards thinking and doing those things that were important and not necessarily urgent. From them on, I have been able to focus more on instructional leadership within the school which is a much better place for me to be. I like the big picture thinking and if we always focus on that urgent phone call or email, we lose sight of that bigger picture. I naturally love learning about and developing the "ten thousand foot view". To get to that big picture view though, there must be the sound organizational and management practices. These structures allow an organization to run smoothly and if done right, can free us time for those who like to build, dream, and imagine.
Areas of Growth/Areas of Excellence:
In some ways this is both an area of growth and an area of excellence. I have great organizational and management skills but I will be the first to admit that I have a long way to go before I understand all of the intricacies of managing and organizing a school. Again, something to work on!!!
