School Administrators-What’s our mission?

I have been involved in education for over ten years.  Just like many other educators I have had the pleasure to work with, I got into education because of my own personal experiences as a student and the amazing teachers that inspired me to be the best  I can be.  Even before I started with my first job as a High School teacher, I knew that at some point in my career, I was going to be a school administrator.

As I reflect about my recent roles within administration in the last few years, I can say that being a school leader is a huge responsibility.  Our main mission is first and foremost to ensure that our students achieve at high levels.  We must encourage that they take risks while creating a school where they feel safe and supported.

We encourage our students to develop interests and passions that will allow them to be productive members of a society.  We do this by listening to students, to teachers and parents.  We also do this by supporting and empowering teachers.  We work hard at establishing structures within a school setting that allow systems and schedules to function in a tight and loose way.   We are instructional leaders that lead the identification of priority targets, and develop systemic supports for our teachers to teach them.  We balance support and accountability. We build a collaborative culture in where shared leadership is not only valued, it is encouraged and highly visible.

If I could summarize the main mission of a school administrator, it would be to listen, to constantly re-culture and re-structure, to empower teachers and students, and to shared the leadership.

Juan