Effective Advocacy for Change: Progress rather than perfection

          As we continue examining how to effectively advocate for inclusive education and the Learning for All Mission, reflect upon your previous efforts to establish non-negotiable goals (NNG) (Marzano & Waters, 2009). As requested last month, how did you rate your efforts to model effective collaboration?  What has been most difficult in removing identified obstacles to needed change? 

An effective leader recognizes when and how staff can work autonomously and collaboratively, thereby developing or removing staff as necessary, which promotes the culture of high expectations within the school (Eck & Goodwin, 2010).  Establishment of non-negotiable goals (NNGs) are a product of earlier collaboration.  Intentional invitations promote staff empowerment (Purkey & Novak, 2016).  Determination to collaborate, time to meet, willingness to ask serious questions, creation of an action plan, and always meeting with an agenda, promotes collaborative communication aligned to the established NNGs. 

Positive change can be the outcome of innovative thinking, willingness, humility, collaboration, and a collective vision grounded in a clearly-defined mission.  Unintended consequences, which often fall into the pool labeled “negative change,” typically ignore the characteristics connected with positive change.  In conclusion, leaders interested in promoting a collaborative learning culture must embrace this reality: It is not enough to want to change or need to change, to become enculturated within an organization, stakeholders must experience positive change.

Let’s return to the Coherence Lab framework chart (below) for envisioning effective advocacy and systems change. Previously we observed that the framework is divided into four elements.   Last month we emphasized Element 1: Building Focus and Coordination. This month we will further examine Element 2: Cultivate Trusting Relationships and Element 3: Change Behavior at Scale.

While building focus and coordination is an initial step toward coherence, lets agree that cultivating trusting relationships strengthens coherence by empowering everyone through choice and decision-making.  This requires profession development.  There are three core sub-elements of Cultivating Trusting relationships:

1.      Engage Authentically: Inviting leaders in education involve local stakeholders with varied experiences, perspectives and beliefs. When engaging with stakeholders, it's important to be transparent about the role and decision- making responsibility of stakeholders. It’s also important to approach each engagement with empathy. Engaging stakeholders with transparency and empathy exhibits intentional understanding of stakeholders’ needs, motivations and interests.

2.      Recognize and Address Power Dynamics: Intentional, empathic listening exhibits understanding when addressing individual identities and power dynamics, This is a key sub-element for building trusting relationships. Effective leaders recognize that power dynamics impact the way we engage with one another and make decisions. Rather than authority alone, power is often attributed due to cultural identity. It is therefore prudent to confront issues of identity and power to comfortably cede power in favor of more equitable and authentic engagements.

3.       Support Inclusion: Intentionally inviting leaders embrace the experiences of stakeholders and honor their expertise resulting from being in proximity to issues or problems needing to be addressed.

When seeking to apply Element 3: Change Behavior at Scale, intentionally inviting leaders believe greater student success is possible when educators utilize an intentionally caring, optimistic, respectful, and trusting (ICORT) mindset. Through intentional invitations for vibrant discussions and active interactions an ICORT-driven educator systemically addresses institutional needs through an inventory of the networks: People. places, policies, programs, and processes (5-Ps) that influence the potential for success. This intentional desire promotes collaboration,  exhibits critical, higher order thinking skills (HOTS), that appeals to emotions.  Well-defined ley outcomes allow valid analyzes through accessible, reliable data.  

Reflect upon your teacher education or leadership programs. How effectively did (does) your preparation programs concretely develop ICORT-driven educators capable (and willing) to embrace systemic models, promote cooperative learning, exhibit high expectations, utilize HOTS, and analyze data to monitor and adjust as needed? Let’s explore these points next month when we examine Element 4 of Coherence: Equitable Ways of Thinking and Working. 

 

 

To cite:

Anderson, C.J. (October 31, 2021). Effective advocacy for change: Progress rather than

    perfection. [Web log post] Retrieved from http://www.ucan-cja.blogspot.com/

 

References

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (2008). Revisiting professional learning communities at

            work: New insights for improving schools. Solution Tree Press.

Eck, J., & Goodwin, B. (2010). Autonomy for school leaders. School Administrator, 67(1),

24-27.

Fullan, M. & Quinn, J (2021). Coherence: The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts,

and Systems (Pages 17-27; 47-53). Retrieved from

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mgw1kds313QeA5G9vDSgPRCJqcoIMW1S/view

Lezotte, L. W., & Snyder, K. M. (2011). What effective schools do: Re-envisioning the

            correlates. Solution Tree Press.

Marzano, R. & Waters, T. (2009). District leadership that works. Solution

            Tree Press

 Purkey, W. W., & Novak, J. M. (2016). Fundamentals of invitational education. (2^nd Ed)

            International Alliance for Invitational Education. Retrieved from:

http://invitationaleducation.net/product/category/books