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L4L Cohort 5
July 2014

Capstone Year 2
Statement


INTRODUCTION
I have learned so much this year! Through my Leadership for Learning coursework,
including readings, projects, and written assignments, as well as my interactions with
colleagues, I have learned an enormous amount about how to improve my leadership. I
have not yet reached proficiency in every aspect of every standard, but I have grown
tremendously in most areas. This portfolio describes, and uses artifacts to illustrate, the
growth I attained over the course of this year, and sets forth a plan for continued growth
in the coming year.


MY GROWTH IN THE STANDARDS

1. Equity & Excellence
When leaders demonstrate leadership along this standard they are able to:
(a) Identify how practices, policies, and systems, both presently and historically, have
created disparities in the quality of learning environments and student success,
particularly for traditionally marginalized students.
(b) Build policies and systems that support every student in success and learning to
high standards.
(c) Foster the collective responsibility, growth and capacity of others to reflect on and
enact equitable practice.
(d) Engage and empower multiple voicesboth professional and community in
key deliberations and decision-making.
(e) Facilitate explicit discussions about race, class, language, ability, and other group-
based disparities in the service of collective action to decrease them.

With respect to Standard 1a, I have grown in my ability to identify how practices,
policies, and systems both presently and historically, have created disparities in the
quality of learning environments and student success, particularly for traditionally
marginalized students. I know I have grown in this because I am now very aware of
disparities when I see them in practice. Many practices that I have always considered
just the way it is are now revealed to me to be intentionally designed in the system
since the beginning years of schooling in America.
For example, my district has an elementary school advanced placement program housed
at one school, but it has been inaccessible to low income students (most of whom are
Hispanic) because no transportation is provided. In the past, I would have bemoaned that
as an unfortunate but unavoidable circumstance due limited resources. Instead, I now see
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that it was intentionally designed that way to reduce costs of the program (by limiting the
demand for it) while placating the vocal, mostly white parents of higher-SES students.
The Instructional Leadership video presentation, resource paper, and school board memo
assignments helped me understand how we use resources vs. how we should use them for
equity. When I made the video presentation, it was based on the school improvement
plans from five schools in the same district, with similar demographics. The SIPs called
for several measures to be taken in one year, for improvement of reading instruction.
What really stood out to me were the resources that would be required to actually
implement these programs. I cant see any district actually approving all of these
expensive programs (certainly not in one year!) Thus, the school board memo and
resource paper assignments helped me to really focus my thinking on how we could work
to improve student outcomes within existing resources, and how we could make sure we
did so equitably. The Appleseed article we read really helped me think about ways
school boards can lead with equity when they make resource allocation decisions.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: Instructional Leadership video presentation,
Resource paper, School board memo, and the TPEP analysis.

For Standard 1b, I have not shown significant growth this year in building policies and
systems that support every student in success and learning to high standards. A few years
ago, as a result of my leadership, my building adopted PLCs as a way of improving their
instruction and supporting every student in learning to high standards. Although this
continues at my building, I have not instituted any new programs. However, I do
continue to work with my PLC teams and my leadership team to keep this in the
forefront.
I had hoped that this year I would help my staff improve in their communication with the
Learning Center (resource room) teacher, as I do recognize that this is a great need in my
building. However, my LC teacher has many, many needs in terms of improving her
instruction, and I never got as far as setting up formal communication channels. As a
result, I have focused my work with her on two main areas:
1. Choosing appropriate learning goals and activities based on a students IEP
and learning needs (determined by regular assessment)
2. Delivering coherent instruction

Regarding Standard 1c, I worked really hard on fostering the collective responsibility,
growth and capacity of others to reflect on and enact equitable practice. Although we
have had PLC teams going for three years, this year I really worked on making sure our
teachers were seeing their work through a lens of collective responsibility. I do believe
our teachers have embraced this concept for the most part, because when I attend their
team meetings, I hear them talking about all their students as if they all know them well,
and they make plans together for how to address their needs.
It has been difficult, though, for my staff to get past the notion that sometimes theyre
just not going to learn [Quote from a teacher referring to first graders who are reading
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below standard]. In my discussions with teachers individually, and with my first grade
teachers) were stymied by the teachers association and I was unable to move my staff
further in this area.
In August, I gave a presentation to my teachers based on the book, Teach Like a
Champion. This book demonstrates teaching strategies that are effective with all kids,
because they are highly structured, rapid-paced, and help keep students attention. My
intent was to increase the engagement of some of our students who are not successful in a
passive learning environment (and really, all students benefit from being actively
engaged), and to increase time on task. Teachers in my school were not always making
the most of instructional minutes, and this presentation helped to make them more aware
of that.
Also in August, I participated in a fundraising video project, to raise money to make
updated educational videos about HIV/AIDS. Our old videos are decades old, and a
parent at our school, who had adopted child who tested positive for HIV, was shocked at
how outdated they were. Her child is African, and has had to face some discrimination
based on his race and his HIV status. She wanted to make new videos that would more
accurately depict the disease and its methods of transmission, and to put a human face on
the disease.
The Instuctional Leadership video presentation helped me to think more about equity
issues, and how to lead others toward prioritizing equity when we make instructional
decisions. I have not yet been able to enact these ideas in my own work, but I feel more
ready to bring them into play the next time Im making resource allocation decisions.

As for Standard 1d, I have not shown enough growth in engaging and empowering
multiple voicesboth professional and community in key deliberations and decision-
making. Although I have continued to utilize my leadership team for making staff
decisions (this has actually been a strength of mine for many years), I have not involved
the community in key deliberations and decision-making. This is an area I will still need
to work on next year. In fact, community relations in general is a weak area for me.

In reference to Standard 1e, I have grown in my understanding of facilitating explicit
discussions about race, class, language, ability, and other group-based disparities in the
service of collective action to decrease them. However, I have not facilitated many of
these discussions myself, other than those regarding ability. My school does not have
very many students of color (only 1 or 2 per classroom), and even fewer ELL students.
Although Ive looked at school and classroom data, I do not have evidence that there are
clear claims that can be made about our students based on race. For this reason,
discussions about race per se have not been at the forefront of my instructional
improvement strategies.
However, I can see big issues with the system, such as the provision of a paraeducator to
my school to teach English to small pullout groups for 60 minutes/week, rather than a
certificated ELL teacher. Another example is the lack of training provided to classroom
teachers, to enable them to teach their ELL students with the most effective strategies.
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This year, there was an opportunity for teachers to attend paid training in SIOP. I
strongly encouraged my teachers to attend this training, but only two of them took me up
on the offer.
I have had several conversations with my first-grade team about having high expectations
for our students, but they persist in thinking its good enough that most of their students
are at standard. But without special attention to the collective action that this standard
speaks to, my staff will probably never pay attention to their role in taking responsibility
for making sure their ELLs learn to standard. It is my responsibility to foster this in
them, and its something I havent yet paid adequate attention to.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: Teach like a champion presentation, video
fundraiser, and the Instructional Leadership video presentation.

2. Inquiry-focused Practice
When leaders demonstrate leadership along this standard they are able to:
(a) Engage in cycles-of-inquiry processes in the moment and over time, including:
(i) Using evidence to understand problems of practice, and specifically the
student, teaching/other adult, and leadership dimensions of those problems.
(ii) Constructing theories of action that: Rest on a solid evidence-based
rationale for how pursuing those actions may shift adult practice and
ultimately student learning and show a clear through-line from changes in
adult practice and other conditions to improvements in student learning.
(iii) Acting in ways that reflect engagement with the theory of action or
strategic deviations from it.
(iv) Continuously assessing progress.
(b) Support the learning of other adults to continuously strengthen their practice in
ways that promise to improve results for all students.
(c) Communicate from a teaching and learning stance-- in ways that help other adults
deepen the extent to which they are engaged with and value strengthening their
practice.

Regarding Standard 2a, I am able to engage in cycles-of-inquiry processes in the
moment and over time; construct theories of action that rest on solid evidence, and show
a clear through-line from changes in adult practice and other conditions to improvements
in student learning; act in ways that reflect engagement with the theory of action; and
continuously assess progress.
For my cycle of inquiry project this year, I began where Id left off last year. I was still
investigating why my first graders were not at standard at the end of each school year.
Last year I learned that my teachers were wasting learning time, and were not
incorporating all the important components of our research-based reading program. So, I
provided them with professional development and worked with them on tightening up
their reading block so there was less time wasted. I also improved my own leadership by
being more intentional about systematically observing the classrooms, keeping good
notes, and providing timely feedback to teachers.
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This year, I dug deeper into the problems of practice in the first grade and in my
leadership.
I now have a much clearer understanding of cycles of inquiry than I had last year. Last
year I struggled with sources of data and how to explain how I come to the conclusions I
did. This year, I used several data sources, including classroom observations and
discussions with teachers. Thus, I was able to construct an evidence-based rationale for
moving forward. And unlike last year, I was now able to use evidence in my discussions
with teachers, because I now had a better idea of what counts as evidence.
I used the information I learned during our Instructional Leadership strand (and
demonstrated in the Instructional Leadership presentation) regarding modeling, brokering,
feedback, and joint work, to work with my teacher on improving her instructional
practice. And, I continued to use observation, teacher discussions, and assessment data to
monitor progress. Ultimately, I was not able to access end-of-year data for triangulation
of results, due to issues at my building.
I was able to use my COI to enact some changes in instruction in my building that
resulted in improved student learning despite some major setbacks from the union. We
also began moving toward a more systematic use of data, particularly in terms of tracking
data school wide in order to make instructional decisions for individual students.
In my cycle of inquiry project, I was surprised at what I learned about my first-grade
teachers (which also leads to greater questions about the culture of learning in my
buildinga good topic for another cycle of inquiry!). I had suspected that they harbored
low expectations for their students. This was confirmed through my observations and
discussions with them. However, I was surprised to learn of their lack of knowledge of
assessment practices, content and pedagogy, and their reluctance to learn and improve.
Obviously my own leadership had been lacking in terms of recognizing problems,
acquiring evidence, and then acting on it.
Most surprisingly, I learned that there is a systems problem in my district, regarding the
power of the teachers association and the lack of will on the part of district
administration to fight it. It will be a goal of mine to learn to lead upward to enact
change at the systems level in light of these realities.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: Cycle of Inquiry project, Instructional
Leadership video presentation

In terms of Standard 2b, I have shown growth in supporting the learning of other adults
to continuously strengthen their practice in ways that promise to improve results for all
students. I work hard at guiding my staff through the PLC process. They have become
much better at analyzing their own practice in order to improve. They write common
assessments and make instructional decisions based on those assessments. They do book
studies together, plan lessons and then come back together to discuss them, and they
work together to produce tools (joint work). I have attached some notes from the 4
th

grade PLC team showing some of their work.
I have become much better at providing effective feedback to teachers (despite a major
setback in my building) and being systematic about tracking it. I use Evernote to keep
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track of all observations, formal and informal. When giving feedback, I refer to the
Charlotte Danielson framework in order to give us all a common language around
instruction. I am also trying to remember to use invitational language in my questioning.
I have attached a video clip from a teacher post-observation conference I conducted in
March, showing my use of questioning with him (though I still need to work on
remembering to be more invitational in my questioning) and moving him forward in his
thinking.
A few days after the conference, I met with the teacher again to ask him for feedback on
how the conference went. He told me he thought it was a good opportunity to reflect on
his practice, and he felt that the online resources I had provided him were helpful. He
appreciated that it was a conversation around what I saw and what kids were doing. He
said he wished we could have really in-depth conversations like that more often, so that it
could be more of a formative, rather than summative experience. (Excellent point!)
I also learned a lot this year about coaching moves for improving teachers practice.
Again, these are demonstrated in the Instructional Leadership video demonstration. I
used these moves throughout the rest of the year. With most of the teachers, I was
successful with this (for example, I helped a teacher improve her classroom behavior
management, and I helped another teacher improve his use of the learning purpose to
design learning activities). I was less successful with the first-grade teachers, who used
the union to put up roadblocks.
I also learned about different ways to bring in professional development, as evidenced in
the Mt. Morisson policy design assignment. I worked with my group to write a policy for
a fictional school district. We focused on the following goals:
Students reading on grade level by third grade;
Students completing fifth grade with the necessary math, literacy, and social-
emotional skills to be successful in middle school;
Students completing eighth grade with the necessary math, literacy, and social-
emotional skills to be successful in high school;
Students having a successful ninth-grade year, as measured by grade-point
average, well-being, and eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities;
Students graduating from high school ready for college and career, as measured
by such indicators as performance on Advanced Placement exams and SAT
scores.

We planned a policy that aimed to decrease teacher isolation, and that harnessed the
power of the new TPEP to provide common language around instruction. In addition, our
policy provided PD focusing on the 5Ds (beginning with Purpose during the first year),
with the provision that more PD on the 5Ds would be provided over the next few years.
Finally, coaches for administrators and for teachers would be provided at the buildings.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: Video of teacher conference, Leadership video
presentation, 4
th
grade PLC notes, literature review with Design Lab, Mt. Morrison policy
design assignment

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With respect to Standard 2c, I am proficient at communicating from a teaching and
learning stancein ways that help other adults deepen the extent to which they are
engaged with and value strengthening their practice. I continually model myself as a
learner. My staff members know that I am a UW student and that I read professional
literature to improve our school. I frequently say, Im learning this with you. Were
learning this together.
One way that I modeled the teaching and learning stance was by taking a couple of
members of my leadership team on a data field trip. We visited three other elementary
schools that were systematically using student assessment data, attendance data, etc. to
make instructional decisions. They collect data from all teachers and compile it into
charts that they post in the principals office. The principal is better able to keep tabs on
the data that way. When the leadership team meets, they look at the data and use it to
make decisions for the whole school, for just one grade, or for individual students. This
makes the data feel more real to the teachers, helps them realize that theyre all in it
together, and forces them to take collective responsibility. It also opens up their practice
so that problems of practice can be seen and addressed.
I did not get to the point of using data in this way with my leadership team this year, but
now they are primed and ready to begin doing it next year.
Another piece of evidence of my growth in this standard is the aforementioned video clip
of the teacher conference and the teachers feedback after the conference. During the
conference, it was clear that I was working with him, not just telling him what I wanted
to see. Instead, we talked together about different ways to approach the lesson. In
addition, my seeking of feedback from him demonstrates my learning stance.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: Video of teacher conference


3. The Improvement of Teaching & Learning
When leaders demonstrate leadership along this standard they are able to:
(a) Articulate a theory-based vision of deeply-engaging, culturally-responsive, and
intellectually-challenging instruction and adult professional learning.
(b) Construct/adapt/select and use instructional frameworks and other leadership tools
to optimize student and adult professional learning.
(c) Engage relevant players collaboratively and draw from school-based and
community expertise and resources in instructional improvement work.
(d) Fashion and enact systems to support and sustain instructional leadership, inside
and outside of schools.
(e) Craft/adapt instructional visions, practices, and other supports appropriately for
meeting specialized learning needs (e.g., of ELLs, students with identified
disabilities).
(f) Analyze assessment practices and use assessment data of various kinds to
improve instruction.

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Referencing Standard 3a, I am able to articulate a theory-based vision of deeply-
engaging, culturally-responsive, and intellectually-challenging instruction and adult
professional learning. We know that highly effective teachers do the following:

Nurture a culture of learning by maintaining good relationships with their students
and a shared love of learning. They have high expectations for their students, and
provide the support that each student needs. This requires an ability to use
formative assessments in order to know their students needs, and then
differentiate teaching strategies to address those needs.
Use strategies that actively engage students in the content. They use cognitively
demanding questioning and provide frequent opportunities for students to
dialogue with each other. Activities and tasks are language-rich, culturally
relevant, and based on clearly articulated learning targets.
Work collaboratively with their colleagues in professional learning communities.
They map the curriculum around the Common Core State Standards, choose
appropriate learning targets based on those standards, and create common
assessments to guide next steps. In addition, they share the responsibility of
ensuring that all students achieve at high levels. They do not make excuses when
students dont achieveinstead, they adjust their practices until students are
successful.
Enlist parents as team members in the education of their students. They get to
know each students cultural background and they take the stance that cultural
differences are assets and not deficits for student learning.
Adults require the same sort of high-quality learning experiences that we provide for
students. They need to see a model of what were asking them to do. Then they need to
be able to go back to their work setting and practice it, and receive feedback from a non-
evaluative observer. They need to come back and revisit the learning frequently until
theyre able to synthesize the new learning into their practice.
And, just like with students, adults need to have learning experiences that are rigorous,
relevant, and based on relationships.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: This year, my school was awarded the
Washington State Achievement Award for High Progress

In Standard 3b, I am able to construct/adapt/select and use instructional frameworks and
other leadership tools to optimize student and adult professional learning. Last year, we
learned how to use instructional framework, how to construct them, and how to adapt
them for our needs.
This year I learned much more about the Danielson framework. I taught my staff how to
use the framework over the course of the year, using presentations provided by OSPI and
my district. I used the framework in informal discussions with my teachers about
instruction. I also used it to conduct formal observations and in write-ups for the new
teacher evaluation system.
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or Standard 3c, I am growing in my ability to engage relevant players
collaboratively and draw from school-based and community expertise and resources
in instructional improvement work.
I regularly enlist my leadership team in planning our professional development. I have
always done this, but this year I advanced in my leadership by handing over to the team
more of the responsibility for deciding what we needed to learn about. Through my
guidance, they would discuss district and state initiatives, and then make suggestions for
how to proceed. In the past, I have usually come into the meetings with a general plan
and asked them for their opinions. Now I was expecting them to formulate plans
themselves, with me as the guide on the side. This was very effective, and resulted in
buy-in from the staff. The leadership team even suggested that they begin a year-long
project, mapping the ELA and math curriculum and aligning it with the Common Core
State Standards.
I also make use of our PLC teams for instructional improvement. I provide them with
resources and guidance when they are making instructional decisions and when they are
planning their own team-based professional development. However, they are the
ultimate decision-makers in these areas. This makes them feel in control of their teaching
and learning, resulting in improvement.
I still need to work on engaging community experience in instructional improvement.
This is something I hope to gain more experience in next year.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: SDLT notes, PLC notes

As for Standard 3d, I am growing in my ability to fashion and enact systems to support
and sustain instructional leadership, inside and outside of schools.
As with Standard 3c, I am able to do this in my school. As I stated above, I work with
my leadership team, my teachers, and within the PLC teams to plan and implement
professional development and enact instructional strategies. This has helped to grow a
culture of professional learning in my schoolone that is driven by the staff.
In addition, many of my teachers regularly volunteer to become teacher leads in
science, math, and literacy. Even my brand-new teachers took on leadership roles this
year, such as coordinating district and state assessments and heading up the all-school
science fair.
I have not been able to conduct this work in the larger setting outside my school.

In respect to Standard 3e, I am able to craft/adapt instructional visions, practices, and
other supports appropriately for meeting most specialized learning needs. I dont think I
have grown in this area this year, because I already had experience in designing RTI,
working with special education, and working with student behavior needs.

F
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One area I wish I had improved in this year is setting up better systems of communication
between my special education teacher and the general education teachers. Another area I
did not improve in is ELL strategies. There are not many ELLs in my building, but there
are some, and I need to work on aligning resources and instructional practices for the
benefit of ELL.


As regards Standard 4f, I have improved in my ability to analyze assessment practices
and use assessment data of various kinds to improve instruction. As stated above, I took a
data field trip with my leadership to learn how other schools use school-wide data to
make instructional decisions. I then brought this information back to my school to
prepare them for using these processes next year.
I also made use of several data sources when I was conducting my cycle of inquiry. In
addition, I used data in my anecdotal notes during formal and informal teacher
observations, which I then shared with teachers when giving them feedback.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: Cycle of Inquiry

4. Strategic, Collaborative Governance & Decision-making
When leaders demonstrate leadership along this standard they are able to:
(a) Understand and develop coherent organizational structures and policies that
improve the equity and overall performance of the educational system.
(b) Generate, allocate, and manage resources in alignment with improvement and
equity goals.
(c) Identify, engage, and influence the broader policy, legal, and political
environment to strengthen supports that matter the most for learning improvement.
(d) Build the capacity of educators and community members to collaborate in
ongoing systemic improvement to ensure a high-quality education for every
student.
(e) Develop and guide decision processes that maximize collaborative problem
solving and continuous improvement.
(f) Model transparent and ethical leadership and address sources of conflict
productively and equitably.


In terms of Standard 4a, I am not yet proficient in understanding and developing
coherent organizational structures and policies that improve the equity and overall
performance of the educational system. I have learned a lot about understanding how
organizations structures and policies do not provide equity, but I have not yet been able to
enact improvement efforts at the systems level.

For Standard 4b, I am able to generate, allocate, and manage resources in alignment
with improvement and equity goals. This is something I was already able to do, but this
year I learned more about clarifying priorities around equity. The School Board Memo
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assignment and the Resource assignment were particularly helpful for me in recognizing
different ways to allocate resources with an equity frame of mind.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: School board memo, Resource paper

As to Standard 4c, I still am not able to identify, engage, and influence the broader
policy, legal, and political environment to strengthen supports that matter the most for
learning improvement. While my work on my Cycle of Inquiry was informative for me
regarding how the broader political environment (i.e. the union) can restrict my ability to
improve instruction at my building, I still have not been able to enact changes at the
systems level. As stated above, I continue to struggle with making opportunities to make
a difference at the broader levels.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: Cycle of Inquiry

Regarding Standard 4d, I have shown growth in my ability to build the capacity of
educators and community members to collaborate in ongoing systemic improvement to
ensure a high-quality education for every student. As stated above, I have learned
coaching moves (e.g. modeling, feedback, brokering, joint work), and I have worked with
my leadership team, my teachers, and my PLC teams to collaborate and use data for
instructional improvement.
I have not yet involved the community in these processes.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: Instructional Leadership video presentation,
SDLT notes, PLC notes

In respect to Standard 4e, I am able to develop and guide decision processes that
maximize collaborative problem solving and continuous improvement. I had already
demonstrated this skill last year and previously, as I worked with my staff to design a
vision for our school, adopt school norms, define a decision-making model, and adopt
Professional Learning Communities. This year I continued this work by helping our PLC
teams to advance in their knowledge of how to work together collaboratively and by
working with my leadership team in planning professional development activities and the
curriculum mapping project.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: SDLT notes, PLC notes

Lastly, for Standard 4f, I am growing in my ability to model transparent and ethical
leadership and address sources of conflict productively and equitably. While I have
always been an ethical leader who models transparency, this year I had a major issue
blow up when I attempted to address a problem of practice regarding high teacher
expectations and equity. I did not adequately plan the encounter ahead of time, and was
blindsided by the involvement of the teachers union. I will be better prepared next time,
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by thinking carefully about what might be triggering fear for these teachers, and what
might be inhibiting their improvement. (This is addressed in my cycle of inquiry).
In addition, my building, and indeed my district, needs to have a greater focus on issues
of equity. It is never addressed at all at the district level, and in my building I need to be
more explicit about the need to keep equity at the forefront.
Evidence of my growth in this standard: Cycle of Inquiry

CONCLUSION
Despite a major setback this year with the union, I think I am skilled at working with staff
collaboratively to help our building move forward together. We have put in place a
decision-making model, norms, a mission statement and PLC teams. I am good at
working through the grass roots and whole-group communication methods to get my staff
to agree on initiatives. Im also good at codifying things so that we remain clear about
our decisions (e.g., a staff handbook, posters, etc.) Some of these things dont seem to be
directly related to learning but they need to be in place so that staff members can focus on
learning. Other things (like the mission statement and PLC) are directly related to
learning.
When I look at my self-assessment, I see these areas that are growth areas for me:
Intentionally helping staff and the greater system to recognize equity issues that
may not be immediately apparent
Involving community
Expanding my sphere of influence to influence the broader system
I continue to need to improve in helping staff to recognize equity issues. It is difficult to
convince them of the need to keep an equity lens when in our building there is no clear
data that shows an achievement gap based on race. However, it is a systems level
problem, and my teachers are part of the system. Creating a sense of urgency with them
in that vein is something I need to work on.
I also continue to need to improve in terms of working with the broader community, and
including parents in school decision-making. This year it was a goal of mine to get better
with the community, but I ended up being more in survival mode and was unable to make
much headway. I did a little work with the ELL director (helping to design the ELL
handbook and district registration forms and attending a couple ELL staff meetings) and I
took part in Citizens for Northshore Schools levy efforts. I asked my assistant
superintendent and the district volunteer coordinator for other opportunities but they were
unable to help me. I still struggle for ideas to address this.
Finally, I need to work on expanding my sphere of influence. It became obvious to me,
through my course work and some serious setbacks that occurred in my building this year,
that there are serious issues at the systems level in my district and in the education system
as a whole. Up to now, I had assumed that I did not play a role in these types of issues
because I was only the principal of one building. However, I now recognize my
responsibility in leading up the chain to effect change. But I still need to learn ways to
do this!
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I hope to be able to work with cohort members who can help me with these particular
growth areas. This year I learned an amazing amount just from my interactions with
cohort members, even when we werent formally engaged in L4L assignments and
classroom discussions. Since we are going to be assigned to interest-based groups next
year, I hope to have a more tailored experience for my growth needs.
I will be mindful of experiences I can seek out to help me move forward in my goals. For
example, I hope to find more avenues for involving my community and getting better at
putting myself out to the broader community.
For my internship, I am beginning to work with Meredith and her Design Lab on ways
that the central office can improve instruction. At this point, I have participated in a
literature review to see what the research says about principal supervisors and ways to
support them in supporting principals. Im not sure what else I will do for my internship.
For my next steps, I plan to shadow other principals who do community outreach. I need
to learn ways to engage community, not just by inviting people in but by going out and
creating connections. Monte suggested working with some of our cohort members who
work with the growing Hispanic populations in Burlington and Edison who forming
connections with sub groups in the community.
And, since Puget Sound ESD frequently pulls together different equity directors, I plan to
request that I sit in on some of those meetings and hear about some of the initiatives in
the region to do some shadowing or involvement in a project. It would be good for me to
have the opportunity to observe the equity directors group as a way to understand what
the work is around outreach in the communities.