M Y P H I LO S O P H Y O F E D U C AT I O N L E A D E R S H I P

|1

My Philosophy of Educational Leadership

Sam Rogers
University of Northern Iowa
The Department of Education, Principalship
Fall Cohort 2013
December 2013
Dr. Charles McNulty

My Philosophy of Educational Leadership

Introduction
With the death of Nelson Mandela, the arbiter of equality and social justice, a
few short days ago, I feel as though it is pertinent to start my Philosophy of
Educational Leadership with a quote from this distinguished individual, Education is
the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world (Mandela, 2003, p.1).

M Y P H I LO S O P H Y O F E D U C AT I O N L E A D E R S H I P
|2
Education is the road that I have traveled to get to where I am today. I have made
the education of myself and others my lifes work, because I sincerely believe that
the only way to close the poverty gap in this country, to ensure the survival and
sustainability of the middle class, and to achieve a share of the American Dream is
through education. In this country, by law, every child has the right to a free and
appropriate education, and I intend to give that to as many pupils as possible. This
paper will discuss why I have chosen this career path, the skills and dispositions I
have that will make me an effective school leader, what the constituents of a
learning community will expect from me as a leader in education, and it turn, what
I will expect from the members of a learning community.
Why Educational Leadership?
Principals have the potential to affect change in the lives of all stakeholders
in the learning community. Often times as a teacher, I feel constricted to the
students that are on my classroom rosters. As a principal, I will be able to cast a
larger net and bring my skills and dispositions to a wider variety of people, not just
students. The logical next step in my career path is a position in leadership. I am a
natural leader that has the ability to be open-minded and respectful of others
opinions. I also have the ability to inspire others to be the best that they can
possibly be, whether it be students or colleagues. Ultimately, it is my personal and
professional attributes as well as the skills and dispositions I possess that have led
me to pursue a degree in educational leadership.
Skills and Dispositions
Adaptability. I believe that I possess a multitude of skills that will allow me
to be an effective educational leader. The first skill I possess is adaptability. I have a
keen ability to walk into an unknown situation, objectively evaluate its effectiveness
in achieving an outlined goal, and then implementing a plan for improvement that

M Y P H I LO S O P H Y O F E D U C AT I O N L E A D E R S H I P
|3
will function effectively and efficiently. I believe that my teaching experience is a
prime example of this ability. For my first teaching assignment, I walked into a
completely nontraditional classroom with which I had absolutely no prior
experience. However, at the end of my first semester, I had discussed the
programs objectives with colleagues within the department as well as district
administrative officials that provide oversight for the program. Through these
discussions, I was able to implement a curriculum and learning process that was not
only able to meet the needs of a large majority of our at risk population, but also
increase the rigor and more closely align the content of the classroom with district
and state standardization of learning objectives. One thing I learned during my first
teaching assignment is the importance of involving other stakeholders in the
learning process.
Connecting People. My personality is going to be an asset of mine as I
continue my career in education. I am a very approachable person that likes nothing
more than having a constructive conversation. In this regard, I believe that my
personality is very well suited to involving all stakeholders in the learning process. A
childs education does not stop when they walk out of the door at school. The
classroom in todays society should model the roles and responsibilities that adults
assume everyday in the professional world in order to prepare our students for
being productive members of society. Leithwood and Seashore Louis state (2012),
Fostering communication between teachers and families can help to create a
democratic community and support school improvement (p. 178). Each
stakeholder needs to have a voice at the table when discussing the education of a
child. A childs support structure outside of school has a direct impact on that
students ability to achieve in the classroom.

M Y P H I LO S O P H Y O F E D U C AT I O N L E A D E R S H I P
|4
Life-Long Learner. I have devoted my life to learning. A major part of
teaching and education is staying current with trends taking place within the world
of education. No child is the same, and teachers and principals alike need to have a
vast arsenal of teaching strategies and methodologies to reach the needs of the
diverse populations within schools. I believe it is essential to allow everyone within
the school community to have the best possible chance to grow personally and
professionally. I have come to understand the most significant contribution a
principal can make to developing others is creating an appropriate context for adult
learning. It is context the programs, procedures, beliefs, and expectations and
habits that constitute the norm for a given school that plays the biggest role in
determining whether staff development efforts will have an impact on that school
(As cited in Robins & Alvey, 2009, p. 68).
Expectations
Expectations OF the stakeholders. To be successful at anything in life,
one has to have commitment. In this regard, I believe it is paramount that all
stakeholders within the learning community have commitment to the learning
process in and out of school. I understand that this expectation will not always come
to be; however, I will do my utmost to ensure that this commitment is realized
whenever possible.
It is essential that schools have parental and community involvement. School
does not end at 3:00 every day. There is just as much learning that takes place with
students after 3:00 or on the weekends that takes place during the regular school
day. A robust extracurricular schedule and offerings is essential to a positive school
culture and climate. Participation in school sponsored activities is an essential
component of educating the whole child. Having parents present at school activities
shows students the importance of these activities.

M Y P H I LO S O P H Y O F E D U C AT I O N L E A D E R S H I P
|5
I also believe that it is important for people to strive for excellence in
everything they do. There will be challenges in almost everything you come across,
but school is about learning how to overcome those obstacles in order to reach what
goal has been put in front of you.
Expectations FROM the stakeholders. In order for students, parents, and
the community to show a commitment to the learning process, then they need to
see that the representatives from that learning community show what that
commitment looks like. I will strive to model what this commitment looks like as well
as what the positive outcomes from this commitment look like in order to foster a
genuine commitment and relationship with all stakeholders in the learning process.
An important facet of this notion of commitment is visibility. All of the textual
materials from this class have discussed the importance of being visible in all
aspects of the learning process. Being visible not only pertains to be physically
visible in the learning environment, but also active engagement in each of the
stages in the learning process. I do not intend to be a stationary leader. I believe it
is important for leaders to devote a large portion of their busy schedules to leading
from places other than their office.
I believe that a successful school empowers everyone in the learning
community. I truly believe that I have an ability to bring out the best in people and
help them strive to be the best they can be. Whitaker (2005) states, I am
convinced that most teachers do the best they know how. If we want them to do
better, we must help them improve their skills and master new ones (p. 35). I hold
a firm belief that every member of the learning community is in the process
together. We have to find the best ways for students to learn as well as the best
ways for teachers to teach.
The last, and probably most important thing that stakeholders will get from
me as a leader in education, is high expectations. I believe whole heartedly that

M Y P H I LO S O P H Y O F E D U C AT I O N L E A D E R S H I P
|6
students can learn anything they want. However, most students need teachers that
are willing to look at different ways is teaching whatever it is they need to learn.
More often than not, it is not what a student knows, it is more about how much time
and effort they are willing to put into their education.
Conclusion
Education is constantly changing. The experiences we gain throughout our
careers are ultimately what we will use to better our practice. As an educational
leader, I hope to build a climate and school culture that fosters empowerment to all
stakeholders, shows commitment to the learning process, and develops productive
relationships among all members of the learning community. There is no silver bullet
that will fix the insurmountable problems that face public education. However, we
must utilize the resources and human capitol around us to ensure that each student
is given a chance to succeed.
References
Leithwood, K. & Seashore Louis, K. (2012). Linking leadership to student learning.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Mandela, N. R. (2003, July 16). Lighting the way to a better future. Retrieved from
http:// http://db.nelsonmandela.org/speeches/pub_view.asp?
pg=item&ItemID=NMS909&txtstr=education%20is%20the%20most
%20powerful.
Robbins, A. & Alvy, H. B. (2009). The principals companion: Strategies for making
the job easier. Thousand Lakes, CA: Corwin.
Whitaker, T. (2005) What Great Principals do differently: Fifteen things that matter
most. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.