" I made a difference to that one." Eisley (1979)
Human Resource Management
a. Demonstrate knowledge of effective personnel recruitment, selection and retention
b. Demonstrate an understanding of staff development to improve performance of staff members
c. Demonstrate the ability to select and apply appropriate models for supervision and evaluation
d. Apply legal requirements for personal selection, development retention and dismissal
e. Demonstrate and understanding of management responsibilities to act in accordance with federal and state constitutional provisions, statutory and case law, regulatory applications toward education, local rules, procedures and directives governing resource management
f. Demonstrate an understanding of labor relations and collective bargaining
g. Demonstrate and understand the administration of employee contracts, benefits and financial accounts
Reflection: 10- Human Resource Management
The fundamental difference in student achievement is the effectiveness of the teacher (Marzano). Educational leaders affect quality teaching and instructional practices by being purposeful in their behavior beginning with the hiring process. People are not your most important asset; the right people are (Good to Great in the Social Sectors).
During the course Leadership and Organization, Dr. Robert Perdaem identified four ways the educational leader influences teacher instruction and effectiveness. These include 1) Who you hire 2) How you supervise 3) Who you let go 4) How you provide staff development. The educational leader continually strives to take the time necessary to hire the best teachers through deliberate behavior-based interview practices in an effort to identify and recruit professionals whose values align with the overall district mission and vision. The leader also considers how to analyze teacher instruction and provide constructive input and staff development that is indispensable to teacher effectiveness.
Classroom observations are typically the core component of the educational leader’s supervision and evaluation process. Observations should provide descriptive information for specific feedback regarding the areas of lesson planning, instructional delivery, performance strengths and areas for growth. Observations need to be designed to provide support and assistance to facilitate teacher learning and effectiveness. As a behavior specialist, I have experience in the area of systematic student behavior observation. Observations that are specific, focusing on antecedents, behavior and observable consequences affect the way that I subsequently develop a plan for alternative instructional delivery or environmental changes to support student success. This experience transfers to my ability to conduct meaningful teacher observation that reflects careful planning with professional direction.
As an educator I have used the Charlotte Danielson model of professional teacher observation. This model focuses on 4 specific domains. The model is designed to facilitate observation skills and provide direction for professional growth and improvement. As an educator, I participate in teacher to teacher observations as a part of the district Q Comp system. These opportunities require observation focus using specific domains to guide follow-up discussion and provide feedback and professional suggestions for identified areas of focus. Experience in the area of systematic teacher observation gives me the skills needed as a leader to facilitate professional achievement and build capacity within staff to achieve professed learning goals for students. Observations that have little focus on specific areas of instructional delivery and environment are no longer sufficient to the leader’s ability to evaluate or the teacher’s ability to gain feedback for improvement.
The educational leader needs to model a commitment to quality staff development that is continuous and occurs within a collaborative environment of trust for professional learning and growth to move forward. As illustrated in my staff development proposal artifact, I am committed to providing staff development that aligns with the district improvement plan giving educators the strategies necessary to impact student achievement.
During my field internship, I gained considerable experience in hiring and interview practices. I have been a member of interview teams responsible for hiring a licensed school nurse, paraprofessional bus assistant, and 2 licensed special education teachers. These experiences have provided me with the opportunity to understand various contracts as well as position requirements. Understanding confidentiality agreement requirements and procedures governing the interview process have helped me gain insight into the legal aspects of hiring. I have experience leading the process from beginning to end resulting in my calling the candidate with a job offer. The Human Resources artifact illustrates the process I followed adhering to district hiring policy. Interview and reference check question artifacts demonstrate my experiences during and after the interview process. During interviews, I am able to identify candidate areas of strength and weakness by interjecting specific questions that illicit behavior based answers. I seek candidate information that provides examples of past action as opposed to examples of possible scenarios. I have experience calling references and discerning information to make critical hiring decisions.
As a special education director, my commitment to the value of partnerships will serve me in this competency area. Quality hiring is critically important to me and upon acceptance of a job in a district staff will observe a leader who takes an interest in their professional development through support of staff induction mentorship programs and frequent communication regarding expectations. Taking an active interest in classroom environments, instructional practices and professional opinions and ideas creates an environment of trust that correlates to improved teacher performance. The success of students depends on the success of the teacher. As a leader my goal is teacher quality which is not negotiable. If necessary, it will be my responsibility to develop teacher corrective action plans that actively attempt to facilitate increased growth and when needed effectively identify staff values that do not align with the district vision and mission. Connection with staff enables me to keep quality teachers. Partnerships also enable me to hold staff accountable for competence in the areas of due process and instructional practices.
References
Marzano, Robert J., Waters, Timothy, & McNulty, Brian A. (2005). School leadership that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Artifacts
Staff Development Proposal.jpg (155 kB)
SpED Teacher interview.jpg (85,2 kB) SpED Teacher page 2.jpg (71,5 kB) SpED Teacher page 3.jpg (49,3 kB)
