Introduction
Working as the Associate Director of School Operations is a demanding activity that requires the employee to not only have relevant theoretical knowledge but also leadership skills. The abilities to control the budget of an educational institution, develop programs to optimize the work schedule of subordinates, plan workshops and courses, and others assume great responsibility. Having worked in this position from 2005 to 2011, I developed my individual vision of approaches to effective leadership. My philosophy of leadership, or Credo, can be described by the following statement: The leader is not the one who checks the results but the one who leads and shows by personal example what performance should be. The more organized and stable the teamwork, the fewer risks of unforeseen mistakes that can disrupt the workflow. I see this statement as an artifact, and going back to my past experience, I can describe what influenced this position as my personal leadership philosophy.
During my work in that position, I planned seminars, conferences, and projects designed to improve the efficiency of the team. My tasks also included organizing programs for the distribution of budgetary funds for the school’s needs. I was also involved in extracurricular activities related to planning holidays and charity events. Direct work with employees involved interaction with the staff to increase productivity, which made it possible to strengthen the work of the school’s IT department.
The key priorities I needed to accomplish were to improve the efficiency of the staff and keep all departments running smoothly. In addition, I monitored the development of tasks to achieve long-term goals. My range of work spanned different areas and was not limited to interacting with colleagues but also included designing programs to optimize budget and human resources to create an enabling environment for improving the status of the school and addressing significant non-profit goals.
I engaged stakeholders to create as efficient optimization mode as possible. Each department had clear development strategies, and the responsible employees offered their recommendations for improving the individual aspects of the workflow. In addition, the school staff were recruited as volunteers for charity events, which united the team and made it possible to implement essential social tasks to help vulnerable communities and address relevant problems.
During my work as the Associate Director of School Operations, I developed the aforementioned artifact and tried to follow it. In my practice, I strived to demonstrate to my colleagues by personal example that effective initiatives could help improve their work, which had a positive impact not only on their morale but also on school success. I tried to organize the workflow so that that the team could work jointly, regardless of the employees’ status or educational levels. The artifact was for me a philosophy that guided me through the challenges and mistakes of the initial stages of work in this responsible position. As a result, I managed to achieve my goals and helped the school maintain a sustainably high level of performance, which was important to me.
Communication
Dear Colleagues,
In connection with the acquisition of new digital equipment by the school, I hasten to inform you of the principles of access and security that should be adhered to when using specific devices. For starters, all teachers who use chromebooks in their lessons need to get the keys to the locks. This equipment is stored on two mobile carts, and free access to it can only be opened to those employees who have entered their names in the list attached to this e-mail. Within three days, the keys will be produced and distributed. This measure is due to the safety steps and protection of digital equipment.
With regard to the projectors and electronic boards, I invite everyone to a special master class that will be devoted to the rules for using these devices. You will receive more detailed information about the time and place of the event later. Attendance at the master class is a must for those who plan to use this equipment in the classroom. Such a measure is necessary to familiarize the staff with the technical features of the devices and present all their characteristics that can be used in the educational process. After completing the training, all members of the meeting will be given special reminders containing basic information on working with the projectors and electronic boards.
If you have any questions regarding the operation of the digital equipment, you can always contact the specialists of our IT department. The telephone numbers of the responsible employees and their e-mail addresses are attached to this e-mail. In the case of a breakdown and other unforeseen situations, you should immediately contact a service technician so that they quickly fix the malfunction. Every teacher can create an individual schedule to use the electronic devices. I will study your requests and try to create a convenient schedule that will allow each employee to utilize this equipment equally. I am ready to see your suggestions and wishes in reply e-mails.
Sincerely,
Your Name and Position
Project Planning
The upcoming school-wide conference will take place in several steps. The educational institution cannot accommodate parents of 800 students simultaneously, and the meetings with teachers and the students’ advisor will take place during five days. The overall plan of the conference is as follows: during the first four days, the teachers and the advisor will meet in the assembly hall, and the order of meetings will be in accordance with the seniority of grades (from junior to senior). After the announcement of the main results regarding academic performance, attendance issues, money concerns, and other nuances, the students’ parents can talk to teachers individually. As Sims et al. (2017) argue, most teachers rate behavior report cards as the essential element of the learning process, and providing this information to parents can help improve children’s behavior. On the fifth day, the meeting of the staff with the administration will be organized to take stock of the conference and evaluate the success of all the events held.
Previously, teachers should prepare report cards and off-track academic warnings. The school leader, Sharmaine Lewis, should designate a staff member from the administrative center to verify that all materials are complete. In addition to the children’s academic performance, financial information should be provided to the parents, including both data concerning the children directly, such as unpaid lunch balances, and some school budgetary aspects, including purchasing basic equipment and repair costs. Before the conference, Ms. Lewis needs to check that all the required reporting materials are prepared.
In addition, prior to the conference, a meeting with teachers and other school staff should be held to check organizational readiness. The cafeteria staff should have clear instructions on how to prepare meals for parents and teachers. The heads of structural divisions will be required to submit reports to communicate the necessary costs. An online format is a convenient tool for calculating budget funds. Based on this data, Ms. Lewis will assess whether the $1,000 budget is sufficient to meet these needs.
The working hours of the service staff, particularly the custodian and cleaners, will be adapted for the conference time and will be extended by three and a half and two hours, respectively. The employees who work overtime will receive cash bonuses next month. In order for all involved conference participants to have a clear idea of ​​the program and schedule of all events, virtual dashboards will be compiled by responsible IT specialists. These tools will include basic information on parent meeting times and the main scheduling aspects, which, as Michalak and Rysavy (2020) note, are a convenient means of remote communication. In the case of urgent questions from the staff to administration, Zoom calls can be used as a means of interaction.
The day before the first meeting, Ms. Lewis needs to check the readiness of the staff and interview the responsible employees. If problems are identified, assistance from employees from other departments should be organized to eliminate errors and ensure complete readiness. The school accounting department will be notified of upcoming financial transactions and the necessary payments to employees involved in overtime. After the end of the five-day conference, the employees’ and advisor’s reports will be analyzed to assess potential mistakes made and draw the necessary conclusions regarding the optimization of planning for the next similar event.
References
Michalak, R., & Rysavy, M. D. (2020). Managing remote projects effectively with an action dashboard. Journal of Library Administration, 60(7), 800-811.
Sims, W. A., Riley-Tillman, C., & Cohen, D. R. (2017). Formative assessment using Direct Behavior Ratings: Evaluating intervention effects of daily behavior report cards. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 43(1), 6-20.