Professional Documents
Culture Documents
will be mutual. It takes two people to communicate and if one party is not receptive to the
communications it will not be reciprocal. As Rubin (2009) states, the communication has to be
productive, timely and inclusive. A good leader can accomplish this, however if the staff is not
open to hearing or even taking part then the effort is void. The challenge of communication can
make the job of the collaborative leader extremely difficult. It will become a hard task when
trying to get all involved parties to work together. The idea of forming collaboration will be
difficult at best when there is no communication.
The development of K-12 leadership has been a slow process that emulates social and
economic growth and change that corresponds with the historical factors of the educational
system (Burkman, 2010). When the educational system was established there was no need for
collaborative leadership, let alone effective communication. The first leaders were church
officials whose communications came through church meetings and sermons. The creation of the
school principal began the implementation of communication. It was at this time that leaders
needed to branch outside of the school setting to establish relationships thus beginning
communications with the community.
To ensure that schools receive the funding they need collaborative leaders have to use
their communication skills to make it happen. There has to be communication with the parents,
staff and the community. Every party that has a stake in the education of the students needs to be
privy to dialogue with the leader. With so many school districts having financial difficulty it is
imperative that the collaborative leader uses all the skills in their arsenal to effectively
communicate their schools financial needs to their stakeholders and community leaders. They
have to advocate for the school and the students thus making their communication with all
involved parties essential.
According to Rubin (2009), open, accurate communication minimizes both the perception
and the opportunity for behind-the-scenes politics within the collaboration. If we take this a step
further effective communication can eliminate the back room politics that plague our schools. In
order to adequately contend with politics the collaborative leader has to communicate with those
individuals in power. The leader has to understand and respond to change (Page, 2010). The
leader has to be willing to take on the persona of a politician in order to gain insight into the
agenda of the political parties. There have always been political undertones toward the
educational system. The first school leaders were put into position without having educational
backgrounds. They were given the positions based on their political agenda and their ability to
communicate.
According to Rubin (2009), collaboration is a means of aligning individuals actions to
get the task at hand completed. A collaborative leader has the ability to build and manage
relationships with members of the collaboration to ensure that the goals are met. They also have
to have the ability to express a shared vision and goals in a manner that does not seem pushy or
self-sufficient. They have to think about the team and not themselves. A collaborative leader
must rally resources and communities for support of the success of the shared vision (Rubin,
2009). The purpose of public education is to change, infuse, advocate, or elevate our knowledge
(Rubin, 2009). The collaborative leader uses that purpose to maintain and sustain relationships
with individuals who affect the academic achievement of the students.
When challenges or issues arise the leader that follows the established responsibilities
will be well equipped to handle the problems that come up against them. The leader who can
withstand any and all judgments and criticism will be able to withstand the pressures that come
along with challenges.
References
Burkman, A. J. (2010). K-12 leadership development in the United States: Systemic development
within social culture. John Ben Shepperd Journal of Practical Leadership, (5), 60-71.
Page, W. T. (2010). Leadership education priorities in a democratic society. Scholar-Practitioner
Quarterly, 4(4), 334-337.
Rubin, H. (2009). Collaborative leadership: Developing effective partnerships for communities
and schools (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.