Leadership

NOW

Marion County Public Schools

LEADERSHIP NOW CLASS OF 2014

• Application Process-15 applied first year/ 20 applied this year – 10 selected each year.

• 5 Monthly meetings beginning in December, a board recognition, and strategic planning retreat participation

• Substitutes provided for teachers through district professional development funds for release days

• Afternoon shadowing of principals and assistant principals or central office administrators

• Each candidate presents a law from John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

FOCUS OF MONTHLY MEETINGSJOHN MAXWELL’S THE 21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP

EVERYTHING RISES AND FALLS ON LEADERSHIP -JOHN MAXWELL

HTTP://YOUTU.BE/VMXBRXCNAHM

MEETING 1• LEADERSHIP LAW INTRODUCTION AND LAW OF THE LID

• CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT SIGNATURE

• HIGH EXPECTATIONS-VISIONING-CULTURE/CLIMATE WITH GUEST SPEAKERS SUPERINTENDENT TAYLORA SCHLOSSER & KENTUCKY BOARD OF EDUCATION CHAIR & FORMER SUPERINTENDENT ROGER MARCUM

• SHADOWING EXPERIENCE WITH LOOK-FORS INCLUDING AFTERNOON BUS DUTY

• REFLECTION & DISCUSSION

MEETING 2

• JOINT MEETING WITH SCHOOL LEADERS

• LAW OF PRIORITIES

• LEADING WITH YOUR BIG ROCKS-TAKING STOCK OF YOUR BIG ROCKS!

• EXAMINING STUDENT WORK ACTIVITY-GALLERY WALK

• SPECIAL EDUCATION-EXAMINATION OF DATA

MEETING 3

• LAW OF NAVIGATION

• 3 LEADER PRESENTATION OF A LAW-SELF STUDY

• FINANCE DIRECTOR-STAFFING ALLOCATION; BUDGETS; REDBOOK-SCHOOL ACTIVITY FUNDS

• SHADOWING EXPERIENCES WITH REFLECTIONS

MEETING 4

• LAW OF EXPLOSIVE GROWTH

• 3 LEADER PRESENTATION OF A LAW-SELF STUDY

• COMMUNICATION FOCUS-CENTRAL OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

• SHADOWING WITH REFLECTION EXPERIENCE

MEETING 5• LAW OF VICTORY

• LEADING CHANGE-JOHN KOTTER (FOCUSING ON FROM GOOD TO GREAT)

• 4 LEADERS PRESENT LAW

• BOARD ATTORNEY-LEGAL TOPICS AND PERSONNEL

• SHADOWING EXPERIENCE WITH REFLECTIONS

WHAT HAVE THE PARTICIPANTS SAID…..

• I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE LEADERSHIP NOW EXPERIENCE. THE BOOK STUDY, GUEST SPEAKERS, AND SHADOWING WERE VERY VALUABLE OPPORTUNITIES. READING THE 21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP WAS SO POWERFUL IN ALLOWING ME TO REFLECT ON MY LEADERSHIP STYLE AND HOW I NEEDED TO GROW AND CHANGE AS A LEADER. I HAVE REFERENCED SEVERAL OF THE LAWS AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED THINGS IN MY NEW POSITION. SPENDING TIME SHADOWING PRINCIPALS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT WAS A VERY EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE THAT ALLOWED ME TO GAIN A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON SITUATIONS THAT OCCUR WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS. AS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER, MY TIME SPENT SHADOWING THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS HELPED PREPARE ME AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL COACH. IT ALLOWED ME TO BE MORE COMFORTABLE IN THEIR BUILDING AND TO GET FAMILIAR WITH THEIR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES (WHICH ARE VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I WAS ACCUSTOMED TO). I FELT PRIVILEGED TO BE PART OF THE FIRST CLASS OF LEADERSHIP NOW.

-HALEY EVANS-SECONDARY MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTIONAL COACH

As with most teachers, I didn't want to be out of my classrooms once a month unless I was going to be exposed to some type of educational training, gain some type of resources, or grow myself professionally. I believe that the Leadership Now Academy fulfilled all of these requirements. I always looked forward to meeting with the other teacher leaders of our district and share our experiences that we gained when shadowing the Principals and Assistant Principals at different schools and with all grade levels. The book study and guest speakers were very inspirational and heighten my desires to be a Life Long Learner and forever look for ways to improve my instruction and build relationships with those around me. I have, and will certainly continue to recommend this academy to other teacher leaders in our district.

Greg Taylor-Science Instructional Coach

• LEADERSHIP NOW IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO GROW AS A LEADER IN YOUR HOME DISTRICT. I SO MUCH APPRECIATED THE CHANCE TO MEET WITH DISTRICT LEADERS TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHT AS A PROSPECTIVE LEADER. THE EXPERIENCES OF PARTICIPATING IN A BOOK STUDY, HAVING MEETINGS WITH GUEST SPEAKERS WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS, SHADOWING PRINCIPALS AT OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, NETWORKING WITH OTHER TEACHER-LEADERS IN THE DISTRICT, AND BUILDING A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH CENTRAL OFFICE PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING ME DEVELOP BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONAL.  IN FACT, ALL OF THE LEADERSHIP NOW EVENTS I PARTICIPATED IN WERE INFLUENTIAL IN PREPARING ME FOR THE NEXT STAGE OF LEADERSHIP IN MY CAREER. IT WAS WHILE I WAS INVOLVED IN THIS ENDEAVOR THAT I WAS PROMOTED TO SCHOOL PRINCIPAL. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PROGRAM TO ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT OR ORGANIZATION THAT VALUE “GROWING YOUR BEST PEOPLE FROM WITHIN.”

PAULA WALSTON-WEST MARION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL