ELCC Standards for District Leadership: Standard 5

 

Standard: A district-level education leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of every student by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner to ensure a district system of accountability for every student’s academic and social success by modeling district principles of self-awareness, reflective practice, transparency, and ethical behavior as related to their roles within the district; safeguarding the values of democracy, equity, and diversity within the district; evaluating the potential moral and legal consequences of decision making in the district; and promoting social justice within the district to ensure individual student needs inform all aspects of schooling.

 

My Interpretation of the Standard: Standard 5 represents the district leader's ability to model effective Social Emotional Learning skills including creating a welcoming environment for all staff, students, families, school board members, and community, which includes ensuring transparency and process. Standard 5 also means knowing the policies, statutes, union contract specifics, and legal responsibilities that are designed to ensure equity in the district leader's everyday actions so that the focus can always remain on our students and their progress.

 

Functions:

  1. Candidates understand and can act with integrity and fairness to ensure a district system of accountability for every student’s academic and social success.
  2. Candidates understand and can model principles of self-awareness, reflective practice, transparency, and ethical behavior as related to their roles within the district.
  3. Candidates understand and can safeguard the values of democracy, equity, and diversity within the district.
  4. Candidates understand and can evaluate the potential moral and legal consequences of decision making in the district.

 

Evidence of Mastery:

  • Digital Leadership and Governance Final Paper: During the summer of 2015 we had an opportunity to study both Digital Leadership and Governance in an intense 2-week setting. Although neither topic was new to me, I found inspiration in the way that we studied both topics together specifically, in regards to change management leadership. It is obvious to say that effective change management leadership is needed in the area of digital learning, and consequently was something I was fortunate to be able to study in depth in both my Masters and my Doctorate in Educational Technology. That being said, combining change management theory with the topic of Governance was very informative and invigorating.
  • Ethical Analysis Paper: In our Ethical Analysis reflection we were asked to identify 5 key considerations in regards to ethical decision-making, and to reflect on how the study of ethics has impacted our leadership behavior. Specifically, this artifacts helps to articulate the deep-seated nature of my innate respect for diversity.
  • Law Presentation: My assigned topic of legal issues superintendents need to know about was Employment Termination. One of the reasons I appreciated being assigned this topic is because it is an excellent example of when there are defined processes and actions that must be honored or you take away people's rights and you leave the district vulnerable.
  • Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Initiative: Through a partnership with Sitkans Against Family Violence (SAFV) and the Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB), we are in multi-year process to bring SEL practices and mindset to our staff, students, and learning community. We started with a grant secured by SAFV for our Administrative Team to learn about SEL, and then we expanded to include a grant by AASB to start district-level planning regarding SEL implementation. AASB then received an Investing in Innovations (i3) grant to assist seven Alaskan school districts to develop Culturally Responsive Embedded Social Emotional Learning (CRESEL) school plans.
  • Wooch.een for Student Success Tribal Council/School Board Committee: During the 2015-16 school year the Sitka School Board created a Board Committee to work towards making our schools more welcoming. The Wooch.een for Student Success committee consists of 2 School Board members, 2 Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) Tribal Council members, and other leaders (e.g., Sitka Schools Superintendent, STA's Education and Language Director, etc.). Our goal is to work together to identify and remove barriers to ensure that all students reach their full potential.

 

Summary: In summary, given the evidence I have presented, I believe I have met or exceeded the expectations for Standard 5.