Standard Five: MANAGERIAL LEADERSHIP
School executives will ensure that the school has processes and systems in place for budgeting, staffing, problem solving, communicating expectations and scheduling the at result in organizing the work routines in the building. The school executive must be responsible for the monitoring of the school budget and the inclusion of all teachers in the budget decisions so as to meet the 21st century needs of every classroom. Effectively and efficiently managing the complexity of every day life is critical for staff to be able to focus its energy on improvement.
A. School Resources and Budget
As part of NCSU coursework, I participated in a school budget course dedicated to explaining how North Carolina funds schools through resource allocation, differences in budget codes, federal funding, and the certain freedoms charters schools may have with funding. For the culminating project, I analyzed Benson Middle School's various student, teacher, and family data to make school improvement and funding decisions to build community across stakeholders, increase student achievement, and provide teachers with explicit professional learning on effective team structures. Though the recommendations and response were fictitious, the class and assignment taught me the necessary collaboration and feedback needed when making budgetary decisions for lasting school improvement.
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In February 2021, district budget auditors conducted a three-day audit analyzing Fuller's receipting practices, disbursements, and payroll from July 2019-December 2020. The auditors were aware during the time period they analyzed, the school has had three different lead secretaries. The goal of the audit was not to serve as a "got you" but to identify and improve current systems and processes. At the completion of the audit, the auditors reviewed their findings with the school principal, lead secretary, and me. They stated practices had improved with the current lead secretary, and then provided specific areas of continued improvement. The information the auditors provided will ultimately inform my school leadership practice when establishing budgetary processes when handling school funds.
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B. Conflict Management and Resolution
Throughout the 2020-21 school year, Fuller's administration proactively sought feedback from staff on their teaching placement in either the virtual or face-to-face learning environments, and their comfort level with students and staff adhering to the health and safety protocols. Staff continually expressed these two areas were their greatest concern when thinking about the 2020-21 school year. Providing multiple opportunities for staff to individually express their comfort or discomfort with learning environment changes allowed for school administration to respond quickly by reassuring and determining specific staff needs. This helped alleviate potential conflict among Fuller's staff as the school district continued to make changes impacting students and staff throughout the school year.
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Every workplace experiences occasional conflict among personnel and Fuller was no exception. Within four months, Fuller lost two lead secretaries, and the front office staff struggled to come together as a team struggling with the adjusting to the unexpected turnover. After speaking with members of the front office individually and hearing their frustrations with the office climate, school administration decided to meet as a front office staff in Fall 2020. During the meeting, the school principal discussed individual job descriptions and expectations, front office procedures, and teamwork. The group then worked together to identify solutions to bring the staff members together. School administration listened to the front office staff's feedback needing concise and consistent communication, and worked to implement positive changes for everyone's benefit. Individual follow-up conversations occurred after the meeting when needed.
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C. Systematic Communication
At the beginning of the 2020-21 school year, I collaborated with Fuller's principal to redesign and update the staff and student/families handbooks to reflect school and district changes. The original handbooks were in PDF format posted on the school's website, but they did not reflect the changes implemented by the current principal nor the constant changes implemented by the school district. The updated staff handbook, as a website, reviews 60+ topics, including Fuller's vision and values, and provides staff with processes, procedures, and expectations. Each page has at least one link to another handbook page, the district's main website or intranet, or school board policy providing further explanation. The student/family handbook is formatted similarly to the updated staff handbook, and contains relevant policies, procedures, and other information families need for the school year.
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In an effort to house important information for staff in one location, Fuller's administrators, instructional facilitator, and magnet coordinator update a weekly staff Monday Memo with the week's events, commonly accessed documents, and updated school and district information. The school principal posted the memo in the Fuller Staff Google Classroom by Monday evening each week. Fuller staff have come to expect this form of communication, and know to check the links embedded within the memo first.
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Fuller administration use various forms of communication to connect across the school community. Families can access critical information on the school's website, typically posted in a banner highlighting the information on the front page. The website also houses links to grade-level or teacher websites and important family resources about the implemented curriculum. The school principal sends weekly emails to families using the application School Messenger. Before sending an email, the principal will ask all staff what important information needs to be shared with families. Classroom teachers use class newsletters and the texting application, Talking Points, to connect with individual families. The school principal and other staff members also utilize Twitter to highlight school happenings, student learning, and school events.
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D. School Expectation for Student and Staff
All Fuller school staff are expected to prevent, teach, and reinforce positive behavior. Classroom teachers taught the school's GIFTS universal expectations to students during the first few weeks of school and reviewed and reinforced the expectations throughout the school year. Students are not the only community members expected to follow the GIFTS, but all staff members as well. School staff work to build positive rapport and mutual trust with all students and model appropriate behavior. Classroom teachers use and apply reinforcers and consequences consistently and fairly. When a problem does persist, the classroom teacher involves family members and possibly other staff members, including school administration, if needed.
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G: Be Goal-oriented
I: Be Inclusive F: Be Focused T: Be Trustworthy S: Be Safe |
In October 2020, the WCPSS Board of Education voted to reopen schools for kindergarten through third grade students on a three week rotation before opening to fourth and fifth graders a few weeks later. In preparation for students to return, Fuller administration created and socialized staff, students, and families to the school's new health and safety protocols. Serving as the school's Covid-19 Coordinator, I worked to create and demonstrate protocols and procedures for the required health screenings and the Care Center, the place where students not feeling well waited for their parents before being picked up from school.
Since October, the district has allowed all elementary students assigned to an in-person learning environment to return to the building daily. This change required the district to update their health and safety protocols, specifically their eating and drinking protocols and their policy on wearing face masks. I collaborated with the other two school administrators to ensure our school's protocols were updated and correctly implemented before socializing staff, students, and families to the changes. |