MeTA musings

3 days + 1 smartphone = 5 minute video documentary quenching your curiosity

"District Administrators: What do they do all day?"

This is a 3 post collaborative effort between Russ (classroom teacher), Eric (building principal) and myself (central office admin).  Full disclosure: Eric is also my brother and Russ is also my brother-in-law.

We are planning to lead a session at EdCamp Eastern Iowa in a few weeks.  The three of us spend countless hours on Twitter, on the phone and at family get-togethers talking about our differing perspectives on education based partly on our current roles as teacher, building administrator and district administrator.  We don't claim to have all of the answers, but I think we're pretty confident we have lots of questions about what school leadership can and should look like from the perspectives of our roles.  A few of my questions follow.

1. What is leadership?  
• a person with influence?  
• a person with a specific title? 
• a noun?  a verb?
2. What does a leadership structure really look like that values teachers as leaders?
3. Beyond 140 characters, what does "teacher leadership" look like in practice at the building level?  district level?
4. How might a building administrator's actions "in the name of giving teachers leadership experience" actually abdicate his/her responsibility as a leader?
5. What are examples of district and building administrators giving teachers a false sense of influence and voice?
6. As a teacher, in what ways can your principal realistically utilize you as a leader in the building that still allow you to focus on your day-to-day role with students?
7. As a building principal or teacher, what are you looking for in a central office administrator?