Mary Jo Schmid

"Changing the Way We Do Business"

Best Practices in Instructional Leadership (September 2007)

Dr. Mary Jo Schmid, EdD, principal
Ellen Hopkins Elementary School, Moorhead

Dr. Deanna Burney of the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL) stands amongst 50 principals, University of Minnesota representatives, and professionals from the Minnesota Department of Education. Although she speaks in a quiet voice, her message is far from calming. She clearly states the need for urgent reform in US education -- a message she and other professionals from NISL have brought to Minnesota educators through the Executive Development Program for School Principals, also known as the Minnesota (MN) Principals’ Academy.

Over the past 12 months, I, along with the other members of the first co-hort through the MN Principals’ Academy (the Leadership co-hort), have explored the fundamental changes in the international economy and the resulting impact on US education, most specifically, the reshaping of educational leadership. Through the NISL training program, we have examined current practices of school leadership through 14 units of study. The program prepares school leaders to meet the changing demands on US education by recognizing the challenges of increased accountability demanded through federal requirements and the No Child Left Behind Act.

The MN Principals’ Academy offers a new vision of school leadership for Minnesota education leaders through the eyes of individuals whose background in education is varied and broad. Academy presenters are from the worlds of education, business, and the military. Each provided research and theory that forced participants to examine their personal beliefs about the current educational system, as well as their role in it. Participants were immersed in current research and theory through literature on educational leadership, online activities, discussion, and simulations. They examined major education challenges in a manner that opened avenues of action without leaving participants overwhelmed with a sense of powerlessness. Instead, participants found themselves with new knowledge and tools that offered clear methods for putting theory into action.

As a participant in the MN Principals’ Academy, I found myself shifting from skepticism to realization to finally reaching a point of understanding the power of the principalship. As each unit ended I was able to return to my district with an increased awareness of how to be an instructional leader, moving beyond the verbiage and embracing the changes I needed to make to ensure that within my school we were educating students to higher levels of academic achievement.

Embracing change, though, can be difficult. Perhaps one of the tools I have taken from the MN Principals’ Academy experience has been the understanding that we, as principals, don't have all the answers and therefore, need to encourage teacher leaders in the development of a standards-based approach to education. As my year with the MN Principals’ Academy progressed I found a number of teachers interested in the content that was being covered, as well as encouraging me to ask others at the academy about issues and dilemmas we, as a staff, encountered. Not only was I able to begin to envision what becoming a better school looked like, I was able to employ the techniques and experiences from the MN Principals’ Academy with the staff members of my school.