Blazing New Trails - Connexions

74 CRITICAL ISSUES IN SHARED LEADERSHIP
stakeholders were involved and contributed to conversation, thus ensuring the cycle continued
to filter throughout the district.
Internalizing and accommodating the belief in the vision in daily behaviors and
routines sustained change efforts. Focus group and superintendent responses continually
centered on day to day practices directly impacting student learning: instructional strategies,
collaboration for problem solving, sharing of instructional strategies, seeking additional
sources of funding, and aligning resources to academic achievement, therefore demonstrating
that the meaning of the vision was embedded in daily practices. They embodied the spirit of
“Whatever it takes, we will make it happen,” rather than perseverating on barriers to
overcome.
What emerged in this district was the presence of a clear, articulated vision,
understood by every stakeholder, that was focused on improved academic achievement for all
students. Without a clear vision, the stakeholders had no collective purpose or motivation.
Without a collective purpose, schools function in isolation and keep innovations within the
walls of the school, thus preventing growth of knowledge at the organizational level.
The superintendent effectively addressed the belief systems and skills of district
personnel by modeling and articulating his own belief in the vision for the district. This
ensured a deeper understanding of expectations for all staff members and helped them to
maintain a clear focus and direction. The superintendent promoted the spiral of knowledge
creation by creating themes to communicate the vision and establish a common meaning. The
extensive use of a metaphor, served as a reminder and commitment to the goal of achievement
for all students. Utilizing practices associated with models of transformational and
instructional leadership, superintendents influence organizational environments to create a
learning organization by establishing an environment that supports continuous conversations
through structures that allow for socialization across all levels of the organization. They
provide opportunities to share experiences, a vision that is accessible to all stakeholders, and
use multiple mediums to disseminate, reflect and critique knowledge learned and practices
employed, and support to incorporate the learning into daily practices and routines and belief
systems of the stakeholders.
DISCUSSION
External accountability systems and reform initiatives have changed the focus of
district superintendents. The lens of superintendent responsibility is focused on the improved
academic achievement of all students. Addressing the complex educational reforms and
policies requires reexamination of traditional structures and practices and strengthening of the
intricate relationships within the district. However, the highly institutionalized structure and
inflexible nature of the traditional educational bureaucracy increases the vulnerability of
schools to environmental pressures (e.g. legislation, public perception). Schools are
continually criticized for the way they are organized and are accused of having an inability or
an unwillingness to make schools more productive to meet the demands of reform (Sarason,
1996). The organizational configuration acts as a barrier to innovation and systemic change in
organizational practices that are required in order to meet the demands placed upon it
(Hanson, 2001). Improving teaching and learning must involve the whole system rather than
individual classrooms. Leaders must utilize the expertise of all levels within the school
organization.
Addressing goals of reform requires the district superintendent to overcome these
barriers and act as a change agent, fostering an environment where learning can occur at the