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Leadership Platform Autobiography

Vanessa Vitiello
William Paterson University

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Philosophy of Education
Progress in education requires a collaborative effort. The environment of the school,
the support of the community and most importantly parental contributions are paramount
to success. It is important to assign value to the time and effort given by all persons
vested in every childs success. Learning is lifelong and never-ending and we need to
demonstrate how involvement has a positive impact. The research is clear When
schools, parents, families and communities work together to support learning students
tend to earn higher grades, attend school more regularly, stay in school longer, and enroll
in higher level programs (Association, 2008). Researchers cite parent, family and
community partnerships foster higher educational aspirations and more motivated
students (Barton, 2003). I see leadership as being similar to a game of chess, when all of
the pieces work together we can ensure that the students are victorious.
Philosophy of Leadership
Be passionate about creating a productive and collaborative learning environment.
Education is regularly changing based on many factors and an effective leader must be
able to adjust and adapt to the changes while continuing to make progress and fostering
an inclusive environment. Similar to a master chess player, a leader must look two, three,
four moves ahead, and be prepared for the obstacles with counter moves. Building
networks is an important aspect in education. In Reframing the Path to School
Leadership; Bolman and Deal (2010) provide solid strategies on how to build networks
and increase collaboration in school. A leader who practices a democratic leadership
philosophy will create and maintain good working relationships that are supportive and
interactive.
Leadership Mission

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As a school administrator my short term goals would be to build networks of

accountability and increase collaboration among the staff. Many teachers feel helpless
because they do not have support. Some blame the administration, some blame other
coworkers, some blame the families and some even blame the students. In reality all of us
share equal responsibility in providing our children with a positive education. Students
must be made aware of their culpability in their own successes and failures and be given
the adequate support from all involved to ensure the best possible result.
Collaboration is key to achieving this goal. When a person is included in the creation
of a project they are more likely to take a vested interest in seeing it to fruition. Teachers,
administrators, parents, students and faculty can all play a part in a professional learning
community. The more who have ownership of the objective, the more likely it is to
succeed. After reaping the benefits, as well as the feeling of satisfaction from a positive
result, ownership is inevitable. The rigid process that is in place in many schools has
proven to be ineffective. Education is not a one size fits all approach. Flexibility is
necessary and allowing flexibility allows collaboration and ownership of both
accomplishments as well as a drive to overcome obstacles.
My long term goal would be to foster a safe environment and increase community and
family involvement. Safety is an issue in school because you are dealing with many
different personalities and students are still finding themselves. School violence arises
from many things that include but are not limited to access to weapons, media violence,
cyber abuse, stresses of school, community and family environments, and negative selfimage. Primarily, I feel many of these issues can be resolved if we can increase students
self-esteem. My short term goals will help achieve this by demonstrating to students that
their opinions are valued. Celebration of their accomplishments will instill pride and a
sense of self, however they also need a secure structural frame.

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The stability, structure and expectations in a school are just as important as a sense of
community. There must be rules and regulations that are enforced. In my experience I
have observed too much inconsistency with rules and enforcement. When this occurs
many become confused and some begin to push the boundaries. When a conflict is good
or bad, functional or dysfunctional depends on how it affects the organizational
performance (Owings & Kaplan, 2012). My philosophy is there must be consequences
for any actions taken that are believed to be contrary to the achievement of the school.
This is especially true for students. Children are still incomplete works of art. They have
yet to complete their masterpiece so they need the tools and inspiration necessary to do
so. Children not only need, they want structure and discipline. I believe a school must
have clear and concise guidelines for dealing with issues that are followed. I understand
that there are always some situations that are related to extenuating circumstances and
may be a call for help. In these instances it is important that the rules be followed and
help be provided immediately. This will instill a sense of stability as well as compassion
for their plight.
Personal Mission
I will ask myself and at least one other faculty member the following questions on a
regular basis. Are the teaching practices, curriculum and assessment strategies we are
using working to improve student learning? Are the learning targets clear and
assessments an accurate picture of what students know? Can I create more teacher
leaders? Is this a positive, safe and welcoming environment to the students, faculty and
community? What is my evidence of student achievement? If I have a negative response
to any of these questions I will meet with my team and find solutions. If I ever lose sight
of my vision it is time for me to step down in the best interest of the school.

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References
Association, N. E. (2008). 4. Retrieved from NEA.org:
www.nea.org/assets/docs/PB11_ParentInvolvement08.pdf
Barton, P. E. (2003). Parsing the Achievement Gap: Baselines for Tracking
Progress. Education & Urban Society , 202-218.
Owings, W. A., & Kaplan, L. S. (2012). Conflict and Organizational
Performance. In W. A. Owings, Leadership and Organizational Behavior in
Education (p. 302). Pearson.