Problems do not exist without solutions. The number one core responsibility of any educational institution is finding solutions to problems. One tool that can be used to fulfill that responsibility is the establishment and maintenance of collaborative teams. Therefore, a core element of any school management philosophy should be the building of teams and finding solutions to any problems that may arise. In addition, every member of the team needs to be encouraged to participate whole-heartedly with an understanding that their contributions matter and are valued.
Part of engaging teachers means working with them to establish and improve key systems within the school. Doing this creates an interdependent school culture where collaboration among teachers is encouraged and utilized to tackle challenges related to curriculum, scheduling, discipline, and parent engagement. This interdependence is crucial to the successful management of a school where the leadership team is inclusive. Therefore, leaders need to actively engage teachers in identifying and addressing the challenges they and the school face. In this way, the faculty are agents of change, not objects of change. Leaders who practice inclusiveness and involve others in identifying organizational challenges, creating solutions, and implementing change focus on developing their people as partners in all steps of the improvement process, thus leading the school to reach new levels of success.
In addition to building collaborative teams, it is essential to a successful school’s management philosophy to practice distributed leadership. This is an effective way to mobilize people throughout the school to build the capacity for improvement and change. Distributed leadership also has the power to harness the energy and influence of formal and informal leaders to advance the school’s goals and benefit students. Successful schools recognize that everyone can exercise leadership in his or her role in some capacity. We are all on the same team with the same vision and every member of the team is integral to the overall success of the school.