Mission and inclusive leadership: An independent school principal examines mission with students, teachers, and alumnae
This paper explores a collaborative, mission-centered process for inclusive decision-making in schools. Students, teachers, and alumnae at Springside School, a pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade independent school for girls in Philadelphia, are the subjects of the study. Utilizing surveys, focus group sessions, and interviews, this qualitative study documents how constituents within a specific school setting examine the broad goals within their mission to frame experiences, assess performance, and provide valuable information for school decisions. ^ The collaborative and reflective nature of my inquiry process had a positive impact on both strengthening community belief in mission, and providing valuable leadership lessons for future work. Using the words of teachers, students, and alumnae, I present action steps for Springside in the final chapter, along with potential implications for educational research. I assert that there needs to be a known, guiding philosophy that supports teaching and learning in every school, and that this philosophy must be owned by teachers and students. Questioning standardized approaches to teaching and learning, I attempt to show that individualized, collaborative, and mission-centered leadership can be a more effective means of motivating, inspiring, and augmenting institutional transformation. ^
Timothy M Johnson,
"Mission and inclusive leadership: An independent school principal examines mission with students, teachers, and alumnae"
(January 1, 2006).
Dissertations available from ProQuest.