Board, Faculty and Staff Relations

Enhancing school effectiveness should be the primary role of all the involved stakeholders. Learning is regarded as a complex task that is subject to a host of forces such as cultural and contextual factors which can be difficult to control and understand. Today, stakeholders are emphasizing the importance of creating collaborative relationships within a learning community as a way of creating a haven for effective skill acquisition. Other than immersing the school into the community, the focus should be placed on establishing strong relationships with stakeholders such as the school board, staff members, and the faculty in general. Using theoretical foundations, scholars have tried to explain the much-needed interrelationship between these entities and the overall benefit it has on the learner and the education system in general. Two of these theories include instructional leadership and collaborative leadership theories. The theories propose several aspects promoting interconnectedness and community-based leadership that school leaders should leverage to improve the K-12 education system.

Instructional Leadership Theory

Other than teaching, the second most important aspect that can influence learning is leadership. Instructional leaders work to ensure that all the students attain the highest quality of instructions. Ismail et al. (2018) define instructional leadership as "An approach used by school teachers to focus on teachers' behavior in certain activities which indirectly impacts students' academic achievement" (p. 137). It is important for a leader to apply this leadership model in the K-12 educational system mainly because it emphasizes the creation of a positive environment that promotes learning and innovation. It is a leadership theory that focuses on bringing a host of aspects together including the goals of the school, targeted standards, curriculum, roles of the students and teachers, and the entire school administration. The instructional leadership framework has three fundamental tenets. The first regards the definition of the school mission and the second area focuses on the management of the instructions and curriculum. The third tenet highlights the essence of promoting the learning climate of the school (Ismail et al., 2018). 

The instructional leadership theory was created in the United States as a basis for improving the learning experience. Bush (2015) attests to this claim when he says, “It emerged in the United States as evidence accumulated that leadership could have a positive outcome on student learning outcomes” (p. 487). Most importantly, the theory has proven to play a fundamental role in enhancing collaborative relationships between various stakeholders that are responsible for enhancing student performance. In understanding this, it is essential to reflect on the three dimensions that characterize the instructional learning framework. The first position emphasized on the essence of defining the school mission, which is the role of the school administration. Secondly, the management of the curriculum and instructions brings the school leaders, teachers, and state educational authorities together. Thirdly, the promotion of the school learning climate will also depend on the unwavering input of the school leaders, administration, and the community at large.

Professional learning communities remains an integral part, especially in the K-12 education system. Archbald (2016) in supporting this concept says, "In theory, then, PLCs can get people to work smarter and harder which should translate into greater student learning” (p. 119). The collaborative relationships will be essential in debunking the bad culture in the K-12 education system that emphasizes isolation. For instance, many schools in the K-12 systems today regard themselves as independent entities while teachers believe that they are autonomous subcontractors responsible for only what transpires in the classroom. The culture promoting isolation makes the teacher the only focus for improvement and neglects the important role that other stakeholders play in the web. However, by viewing the learning institutions through the lens of the trident of factors mentioned in the instructional leadership framework, student educational success will hinge on a host of stakeholders that interact efficiently to tackle different roles and responsibilities.

Collaborative Leadership Theory

Collaboration is one of the most effective strategies required in addressing a significantly complex problem. Collaborative leadership is about maintaining processes that bring together different people to solve an organizational problem. In the context of a learning institution, Ahmed et al., defines the concept as “Collaborative leadership entailed the use of governance structures and organizational processes that employed staff and students, encouraged broad participation in decision-making, and fostered shared accountability for student learning" (p. 20). The authors go ahead to discuss the three most important characteristics that need to be present for effective collaboration to occur. The first one is mutual respect among different stakeholders, characterized by trust and understanding. Secondly, it must incorporate a cross-section of members emanating from different backgrounds. Thirdly, the presence of open and frequent channels of communication is essential in enhancing collaboration among different stakeholders in a group.

Hallinger and Heck (2010) identify the three crucial areas of collaborative leadership that include creating a vision, governance, and the allocation of resources. Vision is based on decisions that promote actions that drive the energy towards improving the outcomes of the students and creating a sense of commitment. In governance, the focus lies on empowering the staff members and allowing people to participate. The third aspect identified by the authors encompasses resource allocation, where individuals acquire and allocate resources meant to support the process of learning and teaching. From the three aspects of collaboration leadership, it is vital to understand the role of each stakeholder. In promoting the vision, the school leadership, teachers, and staff members work together. In governance, the school district, state authorities, and school administration have a crucial role to play. Thirdly, the community and the government have essential responsibilities in the process of resource allocation, such as funds and materials that enhance the learning process.

Collaborative leadership emphasizes the definition of roles for every stakeholder. This system of leadership is critically vital in the K-12 education system. Today, schools are systems composed of entities that significantly rely on one another. In emphasizing this point, Bestelmeyer asserts that administrators, parents, and teachers each contribute some form of knowledge that others do not have (Bestelmeyer, 2015). The primary aim of the K-12 learning system is to ensure that students attain lifelong skills that enable them to be agents of their success and leaders in their respective communities. Molding such individuals requires a collaborative effort not only from the school-based stakeholders such as the school head, teachers, and staff but also the community and the government at large. As previously indicated, each has a role to play, which essentially contributes either to the vision, governance, or resources of the school.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the importance of the collaborative relationships within the learning community cannot be overemphasized. They have played a significant role in explaining the emergent needs of the K-12 education system. Understanding of these concepts requires the effective use of theoretical frameworks. The two theories utilized in this case include the instructional leadership and the collaborative leadership theories. The theories propose several aspects promoting interconnectedness and community-based leadership that school leaders should leverage to improve the K-12 education system. Success in the K-12 educational system depends solely on how these leadership skills are utilized. The overriding claim is that schools are complex institutions that need to work together for the prosperity of the learner.

References

Ahmed, M., Zufi, A., Hossen S., (2017). Perceptions and Challenges Of Collaborative Leadership At Secondary Schools In Bangladesh. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science.

Archbald, D. (2016). System-Level Instructional Leadership--A District-Level Leadership Case: Implementing PLCs in Schools. International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, 11(2), 116-151.

Bestelmeyer, S. V., Elser, M. M., Spellman, K. V., Sparrow, E. B., Haan-Amato, S. S., & Keener, A. (2015). Collaboration, interdisciplinary thinking, and communication: new approaches to K–12 ecology education. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 13(1), 37-43.

Bush, T. (2015). Understanding instructional leadership. Sage

Hallinger, P., & Heck, R. H. (2010). Leadership for learning: does collaborative leadership make a difference in school improvement?. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 38(6), 654-678.

Ismail, S. N., Don, Y., Husin, F., & Khalid, R. (2018). Instructional Leadership and Teachers' Functional Competency across the 21st Century Learning. International Journal of Instruction, 11(3), 135-152.