Summer, What's That??
While many educators enjoy the calm down time of "summer vacation" (no classes, no students, free time), I embark on my Tier I Educational Leadership certificate as well as my EdD in educational leadership with all of its demands (summer school, blogs, papers, discussions, presentations). While some argue I am a glutton for punishment, I choose to view this journey as an ever-evolving process to redefine my role in society and the world. This morning was no exception! While many of my colleagues posted pictures on Instagram at the pool or some sunny destination, I woke up at 6:00 AM to participate in a podcast with a GSU professor regarding the use of mindfulness as an intervention in the classroom. At first glance, this might not seem like something related to the role of an educational leader; such an assumption could not be further from the truth.
As an educational leader, it is my responsibility to drive the future of education. To this end, I remembered an expression often recited by one of my professors -- "Education is a political process." I initially took exception to her description of our role as educators. I now have a profound respect for her sentiments and I carry them with me everyday as I participate as a citizen of the educational system politic. You might be wondering, what does that mean? How is teaching POLITICAL? Unless you are a social studies teacher, there is nothing about education that should be educational. I wholeheartedly disagree. What we choose to teach/how we choose to lead is based upon a series of systematic decisions regarding certain material we will advance at the expense of alternative/conflicting material we will not discuss. Embedded in every lesson plan is a series of decisions regarding what to teach AND what not to teach. For example, a teacher discussing Columbus Day may focus on the pilgrims and the journey to the United States. This is a choice about what content to teach. However, it is also a choice regarding what NOT to teach. Howard Zinn (1980) argues that many discussions of the colonization of American ignore the mass genocide and wars that ensued as "settlers" inhabited what is now known as the United States. In this respect, teaching is political as the teacher chooses what "knowledge" to impart and what information to leave out of the narrative.
You may be wondering, what does this have to do with Mr. Fusco's educational leadership certification process? The bottom line...the notion that teaching is a political process transfers to educational leaders as well. How leaders choose to drive schools, districts and the overall educational process is largely motivated by personal views regarding which interventions/theories to advance at the expense of others. As I walked into this podcast this morning, the real world application of this concept resonated for me. Rather than talking about a global search of the What Works Clearinghouse to offer Tier I-IV RTI interventions or PBIS interventions, I chose to shape the future of education by focusing on something important to me AND something I believe will offer a positive impact on students' education. It is a daunting task to drive educational policy. Despite this overwhelming sense of responsibility, I look forward to playing a key role in the conversation and offering one perspective that others can consider as they drive policy. Rock on leaders! Be a part of the conversation.
As an educational leader, it is my responsibility to drive the future of education. To this end, I remembered an expression often recited by one of my professors -- "Education is a political process." I initially took exception to her description of our role as educators. I now have a profound respect for her sentiments and I carry them with me everyday as I participate as a citizen of the educational system politic. You might be wondering, what does that mean? How is teaching POLITICAL? Unless you are a social studies teacher, there is nothing about education that should be educational. I wholeheartedly disagree. What we choose to teach/how we choose to lead is based upon a series of systematic decisions regarding certain material we will advance at the expense of alternative/conflicting material we will not discuss. Embedded in every lesson plan is a series of decisions regarding what to teach AND what not to teach. For example, a teacher discussing Columbus Day may focus on the pilgrims and the journey to the United States. This is a choice about what content to teach. However, it is also a choice regarding what NOT to teach. Howard Zinn (1980) argues that many discussions of the colonization of American ignore the mass genocide and wars that ensued as "settlers" inhabited what is now known as the United States. In this respect, teaching is political as the teacher chooses what "knowledge" to impart and what information to leave out of the narrative.
You may be wondering, what does this have to do with Mr. Fusco's educational leadership certification process? The bottom line...the notion that teaching is a political process transfers to educational leaders as well. How leaders choose to drive schools, districts and the overall educational process is largely motivated by personal views regarding which interventions/theories to advance at the expense of others. As I walked into this podcast this morning, the real world application of this concept resonated for me. Rather than talking about a global search of the What Works Clearinghouse to offer Tier I-IV RTI interventions or PBIS interventions, I chose to shape the future of education by focusing on something important to me AND something I believe will offer a positive impact on students' education. It is a daunting task to drive educational policy. Despite this overwhelming sense of responsibility, I look forward to playing a key role in the conversation and offering one perspective that others can consider as they drive policy. Rock on leaders! Be a part of the conversation.
Thanks for sharing Stephen! I entirely agree with your points. From a leadership perspective, politics in multiple definitions of the word certainly come into play. Bolman and Deal (2013) are some of the leading thinkers on organizational theories and the Political frame is one of the four that they focus on in their work.
ReplyDeleteDr. Sauers
Thank you Dr. Sauers. I will look at Bolman and Deal (2013). Thankfully I work in a school where the administration allows us considerable latitude in content and instructional practices. Her only request is that our decisions include sound reasoning that we can defend in the face of criticism. For example, for Black History Month I showed the documentary 13th from Netflix which highlights the disproportionate number of African Americans who are imprisoned. I used this documentary to discuss data analysis and statistics (since I am a math teacher). The students had a rich conversation about the issues and I took the opportunity to infuse current events into a math class. Without a supportive administration, this conversation might not have occurred.
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