Holzshu's Philosophy of Administration

ERICH HOLZSHU’S EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP PLATFORM

"Why am I here?" This is the question that students ask themselves all too often. This is also the question that teachers ask themselves far too seldom. In Virginia, over 17,000 students answered that question by quitting school (Department, 1987). As a member of the educational team, I respond to the question stated above by letting my students know that a good education opens important doors that might otherwise be closed. As I see it, the educational team, composed of teachers, students, parents, administrators, and community leaders have a responsibility to make sure all students have the opportunity to learn

Philosophy of Education:.

My philosophy of education is premised on the belief that all children can learn and inherently they want to be successful. I believe that the educational process is built on an unwavering respect for all students. All of my students find me to be enthusiastic, fair, and interested in their learning.

Parents are an essential component of the educational team stated above. Children learn their values from the people they respect and love. To help parents maximize their role, I am committed to getting parents informed and involved. As soon as the school year begins I endeavor to establish a clear line of communication. E-mail, phone calls, mailed documents, conferences, and assignment calendars are all useful tools to effectively stay in contact. I have found that a parent’s input and expertise with their child is invaluable to my ability to connect with a child. Just like in most teacher-related tasks, the more time I spend planning means less time that I need to spend problem solving later.

Nobody in the business of education should be content with mediocrity. I intend to strive for excellence by guiding a school in a direction I believe in my heart will bring its students success. I accept that school administrators are called on to make sound decisions under pressure that provide steady guidance for an academic institution. I have the poise and discretion to make choices that are based on available facts, ethical, consistent, and true to a school and organizational mission. My experiences in education have always left me with a full plate. From coaching multiple sports, attending classes, building yearbooks, running newspapers, serving on school committees, and training colleagues in technological integration, I have had to become very adept at prioritizing and multitasking. I believe my experiences will pay huge dividends at the administration level.

Like most people, I am the product of my life experiences. The values and experiences I have learned will exert a large amount of influence when making decisions. However, I would be remiss to overlook the expertise and input of the faculty and community members around me. When appropriate, shared decisions can ensure the best possible alternative has been selected. The nature of administrative leadership can be divided into two categories: manager and leader. A manager is concerned about carrying out policy, "doing the right thing right"; a leader formulates policy, "does the right thing". On a daily basis, management is essential, on a long term basis, leadership is critical (Lunenburg & Allan, 1996).

One of the important functions of a school is to produce students who are responsible, ethical, and possess the appropriate citizenship that will make them tomorrow’s leaders. Simply stated, we want students who do the right thing even when nobody is looking. In the years when I’ll need a competent doctor, lawyer, or financial advisor, I want to feel confident the students I train today will be more than up to the task.

A school rich in diversity is a small-scale model of the world in which we live. All personalities, cultures, and ability levels contain something which will contribute positively to the whole group. Students should be able to respect and learn from cultures and beliefs that may differ from their own. Coming from Alaska where there is an extremely diverse population, I have a gained a great deal of insight on how to facilitate a multicultural school.

I believe it’s vitally important for a school to be perceived as having a positive school climate. To me, that means building a safe and nurturing environment. The halls and foyer should be immersed in school spirit. A visitor to the school would be able to walk in and see a plethora of structured activities accommodating all different interests. Learners should find a powerful connection to the school, which forms a positive part of their identity and instills a sense of school and community pride.

The student’s role is to be an engaged, responsible, and active learner. Our children must have the confidence that nothing will impede their academic, social, and moral development. I believe in challenging all students to ascend to their potential by setting high curriculum standards. Students thrive on recognition, thus we must not fail to recognize their various accomplishments. Education must be relevant, comprehensive, and accessible to students of all needs and abilities. Their culminating repertoire should include being technologically literate, effective communicators and capable of working cooperatively.

As teachers, we are entrusted with the children of a community and asked to provide them with the skills, information and attitudes to make them successful in the working world. In order to most effectively accomplish this task, teachers must be disciplined enough to focus on the curriculum set forth by national, state, and local guidelines. In order to enhance their proficiency, teachers need to be provided professional development opportunities, adequate time to construct a multitude of instructional methods, and be held accountable to high standards of teaching excellence. As a principal trying to evaluate a teacher’s effectiveness, the one question I would keep in mind is, "Would I want my child in this person’s class?"

One tool becoming more and more available to schools is the addition of technology. Schools are more effective in using technology if the educational leader has a realistic vision on how to integrate technology. I’ve been fortunate to have worked in school districts where a high value was placed on technology integration. I’ve attended several classes (started my Masters Degree in Education Technology), integrated technology into dozens of lessons, and have conducted several technology based professional development workshops.

All teachers need a support system, but new teachers will need the advise and expertise of colleagues who are adept, experienced, and nurturing. The administrator must be able to foster a cohesiveness among teaching professionals using effective conflict resolution skills, so differences won’t prevent the school from reaching overall goals. Administrators need to recognize the dedicated and committed work of the teaching professionals.

An administrator’s leadership should not only be applied to their school, but to the organization as well. Educational leaders should help establish short term and long term goals, and be instrumental in making sure a clear direction for the School District is forged and followed. I’ve been fortunate to be part of the curriculum development for our district, and have seen what a daunting task it can be. It clearly takes a creative and team-oriented approach in order to be successful. The organization at large has a responsibility to be flexible, adapt to change as needed, and provide defined guidelines to all of its employees. Resources should be actively and continuously sought and allocated in a manner that is consistent with an organization’s vision.

When have we learned enough? All members of the educational community should consider themselves to be lifelong learners. To be less would contradict the ideals we represent. I understand learning to administrate is a process in which you continuously grow. Experience is sure to be the deliverer of some of the most important and unexpected lessons. Learning from one’s mistakes is a necessity. Keeping in stride with educational literature and magazines will help me stay current on the latest research findings and newest methodologies. I welcome the input from community leaders of various backgrounds will also be a useful tool in attaining the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully lead an institution towards organizational goals. University coursework will continue to provide a point of access to the most sound and reliable information.

In order to accomplish the goals previously established, it’s clear to me I must be superbly organized, able to make difficult and routine decisions quickly, and inspire those around me to put forth their best effort. I will need methods of self-assessment and reflection to evaluate and celebrate my success and the success of my staff. Being in a position of power means setting attainable goals and having the vision and determination to accomplish those goals. I will need to work diligently to earn my colleagues’ respect and lead by example. I believe by relying on the professionalism of those around me, as well as my training and experience, I shall attain the skills necessary to be a successful educational leader, capable of meeting and overcoming the challenges before me.

Bibliography

Department of Education. (1987). Facing Up - 21: Statistical Data on Virginia's Public Schools, 1985-86 School Year. Richmond, VA: Author.

Lunenburg, Fred C. and Allan C. Ornstein, Educational Administration: Concepts and Practices, (2nd edition), Wadsworth Publishing Co., 1996.

ERICH HOLZSHU’S EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP PLATFORM

by Erich Holzshu

October 31st, 2001

"A journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step."-Chinese Proverb

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