|
Much has been written about the value and the necessity of
creating a vision for any organization. The importance of
this step cannot be underestimated. DuFour (2000) comments
in the National Staff Development Council's Journal of
Staff Development:
"Developing a collective sense of
what the school might become is an essential step on the
journey to become a learning community, but it is not sufficient.
Schools also must be willing to assess their current reality
with total candor and honesty, and then describe the specific
measurable results they expect to see as a result of achieving
their vision. Using data is the most effective strategy
for translating the good intentions described in a vision
statement into meaningful improvement targets" (p.
71).
Robbins and Alvy (2003) add, "that creating a vision
encourages participants to think about their school's purpose,
and that that thought process may be more valuable than the
definition itself. Further, once formed, the vision helps
students, teachers, administrators, and parents have a sense
of what is important in their particular setting. And, this
sense can help guide school choices, set priorities and foster
commitment throughout the system" (p. 84).
The Creating a Vision Statement handout (worksheet/handout—The
Visionary Leader) may be useful to your team as you work
through the steps of developing your school's vision statement.
It is recommended that the vision statement originate with
the Leadership Team, which is then shared with the Learning
Teams. This will not only help to clarify the vision statement,
but asking for constructive feedback will also serve to create
buy-in and ownership from all faculty and staff.
Next: Leading Change
for Continuous Improvement
|
|
