The Necessity of a Clear Vision

Being an effective administrator requires a vision that is clear, communicated, and shared with all stakeholders involved. The concept of having a vision that everyone believes in is essential to the success of the school. To have a vision without any action is meaningless. Words alone are just that, words. Words with action can transform a school. One of the books that I reference often is DuFour’s Learning by Doing text. Throughout DuFour's work some common themes are repeatedly mentioned which I think are applicable to this post. Perhaps the most important thought is the idea that the first step in developing any vision is the need to establish a fundamental purpose. The creators of a vision need to be aligned in their belief of the things that are important and the things that need to be accomplished. Establishing that common ground must be done before any further steps can be taken. If the creators of a vision can’t agree on what the basic purpose of the school is or should be then it will become increasingly difficult to establish a vision that is shared amongst all stakeholders. There is no point in thinking about changes in structure until the school achieves reasonable consensus about its intellectual mission for children.

With that in mind a district must consider some essential elements when developing or modifying a school district's vision or mission. The first element is to ensure that all stakeholders within the community have a voice or a form of representation. It is important for the district to take inventory of the community and build upon the social capital within that community. Bringing all stakeholders together for the betterment of students is the first priority. As Block states in his first chapter of Community: The Structure of Belonging, to belong is to act as an investor, owner, and creator of a place. As an administrator I have to believe that this is the sense one would want to create in regards to the educational system of a community. Gathering stakeholders together to have open conversations about the fundamental purposes of the school and then working to build ownership of the school is necessary to move forward as a collective unit.

In my estimation the second and equally important element is the follow-through after the discussions and conversations have been had. As I referenced in my opening paragraph action is what transforms schools. I have seen numerous instances in which  a great deal of time is invested in the process of developing a mission or vision and that is as far as it goes. It may end up on letterhead or posters throughout the school but it becomes an after-thought. It becomes the responsibility of the superintendent, as the leader of the school, to ensure that all stakeholders continue to be invested in carrying out the necessary and strategic actions needed to uphold the fundamental purposes held within the vision or mission. It is through these actions that successful schools excel while others continue through a path of mediocrity.