The Principals Role as a Leader of Learning -Critical Element #4 Presented to the Department of Educational Leadership and Postsecondary Education

University of Northern Iowa -In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts in Education -By Erika L. Ramirez Des Moines North High School Des Moines, IA February 18, 2013 -Dr. Timothy Gilson

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other (Kennedy, 1963). Like the 35th President of the United States said in his proposed speech, which he was to have given on that fateful day in Dallas, Texas, leadership and learning go hand in hand. Leadership and Learning cannot have one without the other. Learning is an inherent part of being a leader. Leaders must gain insight from their success and failures and know how to promote forward movement from their staff. Leaders must continually grow and respond to a sea of educational and political demands. If we dissect the idea of a leader being a Learning Leader, we will discover a definition of the learning leader. Riek (2012) explains, a Learning Leader is someone who: provides the structure (content), the environment (space) and the knowledge. It is someone that embodies learning itself. The joyful process of finally conquering a problem, suddenly seeing all of the clues, all the details and understanding how they all fit together, how important each aspect is to the total picture, the total understanding. It is an almost magical process. Like magicians, learning leaders are passionate about their chosen field, they are dedicated to improving the experiences for their audience, constantly looking for better outcomes, trying new methods and experimenting with new ways to engage everyone to achieve that wow factor in their performance. (para. 1) As we move forward, it is important to reflect on the difference between an instructional leader and a leader of learning. Rick DuFour (2002) recalls from his own trials and errors that when he entered the principalship he was determined to be an instructional leader and it was not until years later that he realized that he had been asking all of the wrong questions. DuFour reflects, I realized that even though my efforts had been well intentionedI had been asking the wrong questions (para. 7). DuFour explains as an instructional leader he had been focused on what the teachers were teaching, rather than what the students were learning. This focus on

learning is key to being an effective Learning Leader. Again, Dufour tells us, When learning becomes the preoccupation of the school, when all the schools educators examine the efforts and initiatives of the school through the lens of their impact on learning, the structure and culture of the school begin to change in substantive ways (para. 9). DuFour reminds us that it is important to ask the right questions and that these questions drive our everyday decisions. He also tells us that while the principal leaves the instructional decisions to teachers, the principal plays an important role in initiating, facilitating, and sustaining the process of shifting our collective focus from teaching to learning (para. 14). Essentially, the principal is driving the bus. Building on the Leader of Learning concept is the model of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). PLCs are groups of educators working collaboratively toward the goal of increasing student learning. PLCs are focused on three essential questions. These questions are: What do we want each student to learn? How will we know when each student has learned it? and How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning? (DuFour, 2004, p. 8). As is evident, the focus is on student learning and these are the questions that a Leader of Learning must continually ask themselves and their teachers. These questions must drive any and all decisions that are made in the building. While student learning is the heart of the PLC process, it is important to remember that in order to improve student learning we must use professional development strategies that are specifically designed to develop the collective capacity of educators to meet the needs of students (DuFour & Marzano, 2011, Chapter 1, Section 5, para. 4). DuFour and Marzano (2011) go on to say, The PLC process is specifically intended to create the conditions that help educators become more skillful in teaching because great teaching and high levels of learning go

hand in hand (Chapter 1, Section 6, para. 7). The role of the principal is evident in that it is their job to create the culture of learning in the building. Finally, we return to DuFours (2002) closing remarks where he states that there is a real need for principal leadership, but only those who are cognizant that promoting student and teacher learning will be able to provide that leadership (p. 15). When we consider the connection of a Leader of Learning to the Iowa Standards for School Leaders (ISSL) there are a number of correlations that can be highlighted. Let us first look at ISSL number one: Shared Vision. ISSL one states an educational leader promotes the success of all students by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community (SAI, 2007, Standard 1). A Leader of Learning is focused on all students, and this is evident in the definition of the standard. In fact, the first substandard under ISSL one establishes that an administrator will work collaboratively with others and use student data for the purpose of improving student achievement. If we recall DuFours (2002) definition of a leader of learning, the preoccupation of the school must be student learning. Now consider ISSL Standard 2 which states that an administrator will promote the success of all students by creating and maintaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning (SAI, 2007, Standard 2). To be sure, if we look at ISSL Standard 4, which describes that an administrator will pursue the success of all students by mobilizing families and the community at large (SAI, 2007, Standard 4) it is evident that without a doubt, the concept of the Leader of Learning is crucial to being an effective administrator. Everything an administrator does must revolve around ensuring that all students are provided an opportunity to learn and further, provide students who are struggling the time and support to master content

standards. This is linked to the core philosophies of the PLC movement and as a result a Leader of Learning. Putting the pieces together. Servant Leader. Change Leader. Learning Leader. What do these three ideas have in common? All three of these ideas fit together to create the administrator of tomorrow that all buildings need and that all students deserve. Like John F. Kennedys quote at the beginning of this paper says, learning and leadership go hand in hand, so to do these three Leaders. A true leader must be called to lead. This person must always lead without thought of himself or herself, the Servant Leader. The Servant Leader must then have the capacity to lead change in what they know to be a failing system, the Change Leader. Finally, we have the Leader of Learning; this is where the three come together in the culmination of creating a school culture in which student learning is at the center of any and all decisions made. The Leader of Learning is the heartbeat of a school, which places students first. I will always reflect on my daily activities being driven by student learning. By being a Leader of Learning I am committing myself to providing staff collaborative work time, and high quality professional learning centered on student learning. I am drawn to lead and therefore have a duty to those I serve: staff, students, and the community. Keeping in mind the core of a Leader of Learning, a PLC, I will work with staff to ask the questions we should be asking: What do we want students to learn? How will we know when they have learned it? And how will we respond when students are struggling? These tenets of the PLC process must be lived and breathed at the school. Like DuFour and Marzano (2011) remind us, the business of PLCs is ongoing and not episodic (Chapter 1, Section 5, para. 17) in other words it is a process and not an event. Being a Leader of Learning means committing ones self and staff to ensuring that all students are

learning and having a systemic way of responding when students are not learning. This process will be ongoing and will change with each group of students. Educators must always continue to learn if we wish to provide a rigorous and meaningful education to our children. By pledging to be a PLC and thus, Leaders of Learning, we can ensure that we are doing all we can for our students.

References DuFour, R. (2002). The learning-centered principal. Educational Leadership, 59(8), 12-15. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/may02/vol59/num08/The_Learni ng-Centered_Principal.aspx DuFour, R. (2004). What is a professional learning community? Educational Leadership, 61(8), 6-11. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educationalleadership/may04/vol61/numo8/What-Is-a-Professional-Learning-Community.aspx DuFour, R., & Marzano, R. (2011). Leaders of learning: How district, school, and classroom leaders improve student achievement [Kindle Fire version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com Kennedy, J.F. (1963, November) Speech prepared for delivery in Dallas the day of his assassination. Dallas, Texas.

Riek, J. (2012, February 10). Re: What is a learning leader [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://mentormadness.edublogs.org/2012/02/10/what-is-a-learning-leader/ School Administrators of Iowa. (2007). Iowas school leadership standards and criteria. Retrieved from http://www.sai-iowa.org/storage/Iowa%20Standards%2011-07.pdf