0.6 Challenges facing black american principals: a conversation  (Page 4/22)

The first few years of the principalship are critical in influencing administrative leadership practice (Hart,1991; 1993). During the induction period, principals usually try to exert their leadership function in a way consistent with their ownpersonal values, mentor and protégéexperience, and professional training. Simultaneously, they experience pressures fromsubordinates, superiors, and the community to act in a way consistent with their expectations. An essential key to principalsuccess is the perspective that effectiveness is aligned with transformational leadership.

Transformational leadership is the ability to articulate a vision and inspire futuristic and high cognitivethinking among diverse people for an overall strong school culture. Effective leadership also includes appropriate modeling,intellectual stimulation, evaluation, re-evaluation, and reflection (Leithwood, 1993; Hoyle, English,&Steffy, 1998’Dembowski&Eksotrom, 1999;). Leithwood argues that transformational leadership is essential for effective school change. While thepredominant operational mode for the principalship has been that of instructional leadership, Leithwood argues that this model is nolonger adequate to respond to the challenges confronting school leaders. Nor are models adequate that do not embrace the elementsof care, nurture, and constituent engagement. Effective schools without caring, nurturing, and good principals are misleading;hence the reason that many low socio-economic schools do not work.

Leithwood contends that the instructional leader model is dated. The instructional model reflected aprincipal’s ability to carry out many tasks but it somewhat none essential as it relates to the improvement of student achievement.These instructional duties may include maintenance, finance, human resources, and public relations. In other words, the instructionalmodel embraces the ability to make adjustments within the existing structure thereby restoring balance that is non-transformationaland without new learning.

Second order changes, on the other hand, require a form of leadership that is sensitive to organizationbuilding. This includes: developing a shared vision; creating productive work cultures; delegating leadership to creating new wayof seeing things (Leithwood, 2000). A paramount example of second order changes includes the ability to improve student achievementin an area of accountability. The failure to attend to reform at this level, accounts for much of the failure of reform efforts.Proponents of second order change believe that is not enough to just know what is important; principals must also know what isessential (Waters&Grubb, 2004).The principal's role in change and improvement efforts has evolved to become that of a "leader ofleaders" (Hallinger&Hausman, 1993). "Images of transformational leadership emphasize the capacity of the principalto engage others as leaders rather than the ability of the principal to direct the efforts of parents and staff" (Hallinger&Hausman, 1993).