A study of social and political acumen in dynamic educational  (Page 2/15)

Dynamic educational leaders need to ensure that there is a structure in place that supports effective teaching and learning, and allows productive change to occur (Dimmock, 1996; Tomlinson&Allan, 2000). This structure must involve the engagement of students, staff, and parents within that community (Lambert, 2003). In order for educational leaders to be able to support and enhance these structures in a dynamic manner, they require particular skills and knowledge (Reynolds&Stoll, 1996). These skills need to include the abilities:

• to build a sense of community (Deal&Peterson, 1999),
• to create a sense of ownership (Kouzes&Posner 1999),
• to establish shared vision and values (Sergiovanni, 2000),
• to provide insights, identify strengths and areas for growth (Reiss, 2007),
• to empower, enable, and build capacity (Lambert, 1998, 2003),
• to implement strategies that share knowledge with others to ensure evolution of the system (Luna&Cullen, 1995).

The knowledge of the leader requires:

• understanding good pedagogy (Tomlinson&Allan, 2000),
• being familiar with local and global influences (Courchene, 2001),
• recognizing innovations that positively impact teaching and learning (Manzer, 1994),
• identifying the elements that support effective leadership (Fullan, 2003, 2006; Goleman et al, 2002),
• comprehending the strategies that build leadership capacity (Lambert, 2003) and leadership density (Chenoweth&Everhart, 2002).

Many elements impact the culture of the teacher and learner. These involve influences at a local level that include students, staff, and parents. Yet they also involve influences at a more global level that reflect the needs of society. It is essential that leaders understand the necessity to understand and think proactively as a leader (Gardner, 2007). In addition, culture is subject to change due to political and social influences (Manzer, 1994). In fact, there is a direct connection between the identified needs and changes in society and the expectations of the educational leader (Evans, 2000).

The primary responsibility of educational leaders, therefore, is to ensure that their learning communities are functioning effectively (Shellard, 2003; Robertson&Webber, 2002) within the local and global spheres (Manzer, 1994). Whereas the expectation of the educational leader is clear, the attitudes held about educational leaders are not always unambiguous. The structure of our society involves formal and informal leaders. Aristotle’s (322 BC/1986) discussion of the need for society to function with leaders is still valid. Although society recognizes this, there is at the same time an attitude of cynicism and skepticism regarding leaders’motives. In addition, increased democratization has increased society’s expectations of educational leaders (Manzer, 1994). The role of accountability has increased at local and more global levels. There is an expectation that parents need to be able to exercise their rights as primary educators of their children and to play a significant role in the educational decision-making process (Devereaux, 2000). At the same time, there is a public expectation that the costs involved in education are an investment and that benefits and profits for society must result (Mandel, 2000).