Vision, leadership, change! All terms I’ve heard in my career as an educator.  The idea of being a visionary leader is nothing new, but in my experience most school leaders talk about the term, but few have activily pursued all the elements of a true visionary leader. It takes commitment, time, energy and leadership to be a true visionary leader.  The term vision means a mental image or picture of the future of the organization. It’s a direction or a path to a goal. My initial thoughts on vision:

I believe all students can learn, grow and mature into quality citizens that will continue to inspire and lead future generations.

Our vision will be a force to compel, inspire, motivate and engage people in our    organization.  I will do everything in my power to attract committed and energized teachers and support staff.  They will find meaning and purpose in their lives through our vision. By leading through example, I will establish a standard of excellence which will bridge gaps from the present to the future. I am not content with maintaining the status quo.  Our shared vision will inspire teachers to work to make it happen.

“Teamwork makes the dream work.” Principal EL

Together we will motivate others to join the campaign and realize goals and aspirations for our school.  All leaders have the capabilities to create a vision, but few are actually able to follow through.  I know that time and pressure from outside sources sometimes force leaders into decisions or actions that are contrary to their vision.  I am dedicated to keeping these terms in mind…

1.   I will strive to create an image of the desired future of our school.
2.   I will communicate vision with my daily actions and decisions.
3.   I will empower teachers so that they can enact our vision.

Principals and teachers must work together to achieve greatness.  Shared vision amongst staff and school leadership is not optional.  I wish I could write down my vision in its entirety right now, but I know I need my staff to create and fulfill our vision…it is a shared responsibility.  To develop a shared vision, I will follow a few guidelines. First, I must get to know the school and the culture as it currently exists. Within months, I will know who my crucial representatives are. These will be the individuals who are essential constituents within the community and school.  I would like to think that this has been my role as a teacher over the previous 15 school years.  Together we must explore the possibilities and ask ourselves the following questions:

1. What are the future trends of students needs?
2. What are the future trends in parents needs or requirements that will impact our students?
3. What are possible expectations or requirements for students?
4. What possible changes in social, economic, or political areas that will impact our school?

Lastly, we will put in on paper.  After we’ve gathered information, discussed our needs and assessed our requirements, our vision will be written down. This final step will be a result from much discussion and advise from all stakeholders including teachers, classified staff, and parent groups (SCC or PTA).  I love what I do, and I can’t wait to take on the challenge of building our school’s vision.