I once asked my graduate advisor, how do you apply for a job in an area you have never worked in, to do a job you have never done? And he said to me, Well, I was never a Principal before I was a Principal. (The class laughed, it was so obvious.) Then he said, the trick is to list everything you know that qualifies you. And so, below is my attempt to do this. I did my research and put together a letter based on what I was taught, the courses I took, and what I know about education.

Principal Position, Julie L. Shepard

(a)My  leadership experience: Leadership, to me, is defined as creating a collaborative enterprise that welcomes change, diversity and creativity while emphasizing professionalism and access to quality educational programs. My experience includes setting 3-5 year goals, examining case studies for school improvement, keeping curriculum up to date, keeping programs cutting-edge, and keeping staff well trained and on a progressive track that they design with me.

(b) My professional growth:  I believe there can be created  a wealth of programs and opportunities to make all feel like useful contributors, and growth can always happen. For me, I like to be the change agent, and be a role model of progress and change. I am a life-long learner, and I model this for others. I also firmly believe that nothing is set in stone. As much as we want to believe that we’ll set up “the way it goes,” I also believe that “the way it goes” can change over time, and the ability to be flexible and adaptive is an excellent skill, and businesses that cannot bend and adapt to changing trends risk becoming out of touch. So, while institutions pride themselves on how old they are, I pride myself on how innovative we are- with creativity, finding new and better ways to do things, and the ability to think outside the box. My job, as I see it, is to evaluate the depth of the water, jump in, and start paddling. The rest is sheer ability to bend a river so that the canyon it carves is one that beautifies a mountainside. This is no easy task, of course, but it never stops being exciting if you are a true builder and visionary, with the ability to see around each upcoming bend and plan accordingly. I believe in keeping my eyes open, for new ways and new tools. Education never stops being exciting or useful.

(c) My commitment to urban education: I believe in following the path of renewal schools. Some marks of renewal schools include their encouraging depth and breathe of studies, a commitment to marginalized students, deliberate distributing of power, and purpose and leadership among all the staff. This reminds me of the saying, “The Power To, Not Power Over.”  I envision this kind of environment.

Also, There is a mandate on my part to uphold trust, uphold integrity, be held accountable for all actions, follow the law, and be completely transparent. Parents and community  members need to form a part of school site councils and report to board meetings; Grass roots campaigns should be allowed to poll households for feedback on how they believe the educational process is going, and on what they feel needs to be included.  The community may want to know about spending, supervision, and hiring practices. They may want to know that their views and values are represented at board meetings. Test scores, management of funds, school construction, and hiring practices are all areas of concern. Parents want to know that teachers are qualified, the staff are properly trained, that students are being prepared realistically for the future, and that the school is clean and safe. I have a commitment, as well, to supporting my staff, giving them what they need, and making the school a great place to be. I also have a commitment to upholding the mission and vision, and to helping the school climate and culture grow in a positive direction.

 

(d) My setting and modeling high expectations : I have taught for over 20 years, and I have very high expectations about education and about professional conduct. My expectations include maintaining stability, safety, acknowledging progress and effort, giving firm and beneficial correction, and sharing of the vision and mission. My Expectations  can be broken down into key components to include: 1) Trust-The ability to rely on each other.  Trust comes in the form of agreements, contracts, and counting on professionals who you rely on to have the expertise to do their jobs correctly, as they were trained to do. (I contrast this with poor leadership by those who model low expectations to include not doling out responsibility, micromanaging, or spying via e-mail and cameras.) 2)Confidence-I look at growth as investment in my staff and their abilities, win-win, and putting in a little extra effort to ensure victory. Hope is key here, and faith plays a part too, but I have to work to develop a culture and climate where this is modeled and ok, and it must be reinforced. 3) Body Language- Emotion-Smiling, being attentive, being reassuring and supportive. These cannot be underestimated. To manage others, one must be able to help them manage their moods and feelings and live for another day. We must do as the airline stewards do and tell our passengers the flight will be good, and help to make it so. We persuade them, and we resist being cynical and negative. Thus, administration does far more than just administer tests and monitor test scores.

(e) My knowledge about curriculum and teaching practices: Student-centered programs, more human approaches, more creativity seem to make the difference.  We need time to think deeply on subjects, to move meaningfully, to follow our deeper values. Not doing this creates “energy deficits.” Common purpose, cultural ties, and interaction towards common goals can help in the communication process. Poor schools display unhealthy interactions that lack these qualities. Everyone is talking about reform, and while I want staff to be innovative and stay cutting edge, do it not just for the sake of busyness. I was taught that more and faster doesn’t always equal better. There must be gaps in the growth process for any change to be processed by users. Innovation overload can cause exhaustion, insecurity, or a lack of opportunity to reflect and renew.  So I want to make sure we adopt sound practices first.