During any 13-year cycle of compulsory schooling, there are many elections: 13 school council elections, 5 for the local council, 7 at State level, and potentially 5 Federal elections. That’s a total of up to 30.
The urgency created by these political timetables and the demands of industry voices, combined with enthusiasm for change, can force the premature introduction of top-down reform and poorly considered solutions. On the other hand, remaining with a rigid 4-year plan can mean adding new items to an already crowded agenda, and adding pressure to potentially outdated strategies.
We should also remember that continual changes in a school’s student body, its staff profile and its leadership have a significant impact on strategy and its execution.
Managing the effectiveness and longevity of a strategy, in conjunction with continuous change, essentially requires progress along three parallel pathways.
Pathway 1: Accord
Encourage participation to prevent discontent. Everyone must be part of the action. That way, the consistent demand for ‘more’, every time reforms are made, will cease. Involvement creates trust, and a greater desire for individuals to have ‘ownership’ over the things they can contribute. Whenever possible, and reasonable, use consultative processes to support this ownership.
Pathway 2: Intervention
Cut back to ‘essential services’ as new reforms are established. The desire to spend first and ask questions later doesn’t work. Shooting for reform without maintaining a stable approach to student progress means existing gaps are widened and discontent is accelerated.
Pathway 3: Innovation
Drive authenticity and originality. One of the biggest challenges educational leaders face by is to link top-down and bottom up objectives and solutions with desired strategic outcomes. Strategic innovation can be executed only through competency, application and diversification of core skills, behaviour and knowledge.
Speaking of Strategy
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