P R E T R E N I A E . S U T T O N - N E A L # 1 9

ASSESSING CULTURAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICE

DLP#3

COMMUNICATION

•  Communicates strong ideas and beliefs about schooling, teaching, learning with teachers, staff, and parents and then operates from those beliefs.

•  4=Agree

•  Summary: Mary Potter has established their own system of collaboration with each other and parents. Ideas are always up for discussion, and all parties are considered an important member of the team. MPMS believes in teachers having ongoing contact with their child’s parents to help better met their students needs. Our school sends out tweets, use Reminder 101, Parent Portal, Connect Ed through phone and email for parent communication. MPMS using Haiku Learning System to communicate among the staff.

COLLABORATION

•  Creates a collaborative work environment predicated on site-based management that supports the “team” as the basic unit of learning and decision-making within the school.

4=Agree •  Summary: Mary Potter Middle School teachers have

weekly grade level meetings where grade level items are discussed, bi-weekly content area PLC’s, and a school wide PLC once a month. They use this time to collaborate about how to make MPMS a better place to work and learn.

COOPERATION

•  Promotes cohesion and cooperation among staff

•  5=Strongly agree

•  Summary: Teachers and the administration work together as a team to promote student learning and safety. It is not unusual to see administration watching a class for a few minutes or subbing for an entire class period. It is not uncommon to see an administrator drive a school bus when a bus driver is out sick.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

•  Influences the evolution of the culture to support the continuous improvement of the school as outlined in the school improvement plan.

•  4= Agree

•  Summary: Title I and School Improvement team meetings are held meeting to revisit goals outline in the plan. There is also discussions of what is and is not working this monthly, and our next plans for the upcoming month.

COMMUNITY

•  Systematically develops and uses shared values, beliefs, and a shared vision to establish a school identity that emphasizes a sense of community.

•  4=Agree

•  Summary: Parent volunteers and community volunteers are invited and welcomed into our school to help in classrooms and to volunteer to help monitor the cafeteria during lunch.

DISCIPLINE

•  Systematically develops and uses shared values, beliefs, and a shared vision to establish a school identity that emphasizes a sense of community.

4=Agree •  Summary: MPMS believes that Zeroes aren’t optional, neither is

classroom disruption. The goal is to keep the learning moving. MPMS has implemented ZAP: zeroes aren’t permitted. Students will be sent to another location during Patio time to complete missing assignments. Students who misbehave during class time will be sent to refocus for a class period or 1 to 3 days. During this time, students will be tutored and given assistance with their work. The will also have an opportunity to work on their IXL program. For higher offenses students are sent to CIL (Center for Innovative Learning) for 1 to 10 days with similar learning opportunities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

•  Systematically and fairly acknowledges failures and celebrates accomplishments of the school and staff.

•  4=Agree

•  Summary: MPMS hosts a monthly PBIS celebration for students. Staff is also recognized with morning shout outs during announcement times.

TRADITION

•  Visibly supports the positive, culturally-responsive traditions of the school community.

•  4=Agree

•  Summary: MPMS is always making an effort to seen in the community with their students. MPMS participating in the yearly Halloween downtown celebration where students trick or treat at the local businesses. Our booth is stationed on the sidewalk where community members can stop back and talk, and also receive candy. MPMS also participating the Christmas parade, and the administration had the opportunity to ride the floats and present a large banner from our school.

WELL-BEING

•  Promotes a sense of well-being among staff, students, and parents.

•  5=Strongly Agree

•  Summary: Administration is very visible to staff and students. If there is a job to be done, administration steps in to help as long as it promotes helping kids.

EFFICIENCY AND EMPOWERMENT

•  Build a sense of efficiency and empowerment among staff that results in a “can do” attitude when faced with challenges.

•  5=Strongly Agree

•  Summary: The staff genuinely enjoy being a part of MPMS. Some of the staff members commute from as far away as 50 miles. They it is because of the administration and the comradely of the staff. They believe if they work hard together they can make the impossible happen.

TOTAL SCORE

•  43=This staff’s actions demonstrate a Culture-of-Distinction.

DLP #3 PRETRENIA E. SUTTON

NELA #19 –NC STATE UNIVERSITY MARY POTTER MIDDLE SCHOOL

ADMINISTRATIVE INTERN 2013-2014

•  Cultural Leadership is especially important to me because I’m interning at a historically African American founded school. Mary Potter Middle School has such a rich historical background and connection to the community. The culture of this school is what make this school what it is. I believe that this is the reason that this school has been able to sustain its effectiveness through school and district changes over the years. Mary Potter Middle School was the first African American high school in Granville County. The enrollment of African American students today surpasses both the White and Hispanic population in our school. To support Cultural Leadership as an administrator, I would focus on teacher collaboration, acknowledge failures, celebrate accomplishments, and create opportunities for teacher empowerment.

•  As a school administrator, I would first, focus on teacher/staff collaboration by helping teachers to build or to rebuild PLC’s and community support. Good working relationships among the staff is vital to building any long-term partnership. I will also with the collaboration of my staff look for creative ways to solicit parental support. This in turn will help to support school culture and identity.

•  Secondly, I would acknowledge failures and celebrate accomplishments. One of the most challenging things for people to do is to work really hard at something, and it not produces the expected results. Although the school that I’m presently interning at has the highest overall achievement scores in the county, there is still much room for improvement. In addition, my school needs to understand that being in the 70 percentile is good in middle school for this district, but compared to more affluent districts, it is low, and that accepting some constructive criticism and feedback could move them from good to great. As an administrator, I would create an atmosphere that failures can sometimes be the road to success because there is where you identify what went wrong. I would encourage feeling free to acknowledge when they don’t know what to do or have answers, and lean on colleagues to help them to work through any setbacks. When teachers show growth, I will make it my effort to bring attention to that so as to encourage them to understand their worth and value to my school.

•  Lastly, I would seek efficacy and empowerment among the staff. I feel that it is very important that every staff member hold ownership in the vision and culture of the school because the staff is only as good as the all of the players on the team. Teachers would work collaborate on the School Improvement Team and it would be revisited throughout the year to track the process and areas needed for improvement. No real major decisions will be made without the announcement or involvement of all staff.

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