The offices of Human Resources facilitates district efforts to recruit, prepare, and sustain a highly qualified pool of school and district administrators. We believe that quality teaching in all classrooms necessitates purposeful and skillful leadership at the community, district, and school levels that uphold the Tennessee Instructional Leadership Standards (TILS):

Standard 1: Continuous Improvement- Leaders who implements a systematic, continuous approach to bring about the continuous growth in the academic achievement of all students.

Standard 2: Culture for Teaching and Learning- Leaders who create a school culture and climate based on high expectations conducive to the success of all students.

Standard 3: Instructional Leadership and Assessment- Leaders that facilitate instructional practices that are based on assessment data and continually improve student learning.

Standard 4: Professional Growth- Leaders that improve student learning and achievement by developing and sustaining high quality professional development.

Standard 5: Management of the School- Leaders that facilitate learning and teaching through the effective use of resources.

Standard 6: Ethics- Leaders who facilitate continuous improvement in student achievement through processes that meet the highest ethical standards and promote advocacy including political action when appropriate.

Standard 7: Diversity- Leaders who respond to and influence the larger personal, political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context in the classroom, school, and the local community while addressing diverse student needs to ensure the success of all students.

http://www.state.tn.us/education/tpd/tasl.shtml

Click on the above to find out more about state-offered professional development opportunities that encourage school leaders to continuously grow as educators, leaders, managers, and change agents for the purpose of improving student learning.

Shelby County Schools believes that cultivating leadership skills and practices is paramount, as leadership directly affects student achievement. Therefore, we have built-in structures to nurture, support, and sustain quality leadership such as:

Leadership Academy

SCS’s Leadership Academy focuses on job-embedded learning for all SCS local school and administrators in an effort to refine and grow leadership skills. Participants engage in a range of learning activities such as book study, peer collaboration, scenario-based problem solving, and more. All learning is research-based and participants are asked to implement practices inside their professional sphere of influence. SCS’s Professional Development Director, participants, and community guests facilitate the learning. Academy classes are usually two hours in length and take place during the contracted work day during the months of January through early April at varying SCS host school sites. Fourteen hours of TASL credit is awarded for successful completion of all classes, which range from five to nine class meetings. Participation is voluntary, and enrollment takes place in January through SCS electronic professional development platform, My Learning Plan.

Above: 2010 SCS Leadership Academy cohort

To get photos from the first graduating class of the Leadership Academy click on the archives below.

The photos below are all high resolution JPG files that have been compressed into ZIP Archives. Once you click on the link it will download and expand the ZIP file to your computer. These archives are large and may take several minutes to download.

Leadership Retreat

SCS’s Leadership Retreat focuses on job-embedded learning, proactive planning, building community, and celebration at the conclusion of each school year. This learning retreat highlights a different educational thought leader each year, and he/she leads the learning effort. All local and district-level administrators participate in whole group, regional cluster group, and school group learning and conversation at a SCS high school. Cluster and small group learning include data analysis, planning professional development for the school year ahead, and calibrating practices, especially for those schools that share students. A themed lunch is served for all, and the Department of Coordinated School Health pampers the participants with stress-reducing activities. Eight hours of TASL credit is awarded for successful completion. Communication about this June event is sent out in the spring, and participation is mandatory for all local and district-level administrators.

To get photos from the Leadership Retreat click on the archives below.

The photos below are all high resolution JPG files that have been compressed into ZIP Archives. Once you click on the link it will download and expand the ZIP file to your computer. These archives are large and may take several minutes to download.

Aspiring Administrator’s Academy

SCS’s Aspiring Administrator’s Academy focuses on growing emerging leaders in our schools and central office. Participants use Robbins and Alvy’s The New Principal’s Fieldbook to guide the learning and guest speakers from all SCS departments offer a breadth of understanding so a more global perspective and interdependence is fostered. Classes are held at the central office after school hours and run for 6 weeks, one class per week, October through November. At the conclusion, participants may opt to shadow a SCS Assistant Principal for a day and complete a written reflection essay. Participation is voluntary, yet each must be nominated by his/her principal. A call for nominations goes out in August detailing a list of leadership characteristics necessary to take part. Ideally, participants will hold a valid TN administrator’s license prior to joining the Academy. If an individual is interested in taking part, he/she should communicate said interest to the building principal or department lead for consideration. No flex credit or stipends are offered for participation.

Principal Mentorships

SCS’s Extra Support for Principal program focuses on providing a safe, simple, and supportive approach to principal mentoring. Experienced principals (which includes vice principals and assistant principals as well) are paired with novice principals (those with 2 or less years in the role) based on strengths. Experienced principals must apply to mentor by written application in the summer expressing reasons for mentoring and highlighting areas of leadership strength. Those selected work alongside novices over the course of a school year and engage in three community meetings held at the central office. Community meetings bring all principals and their novices together for intentional communication and problem-solving. In addition, guest speakers, usually SCS peers and partners, share personal experiences that align with learning detailed in Robbins and Alvy’s The New Principal’s Fieldbook. Fourteen TASL credits are awarded to both principals and novices taking part. Communication about this program comes out in late summer, and participation is mandatory for all first year SCS principals.

Professional Learning Teacher Leaders

SCS’s Professional Learning Teacher Leader (PLTL) cohort focuses on building and sustaining Shelby County Schools as a place where students learn and perform at high levels. The PLTLs serve as individual school’s professional learning and development point person (and county liaison) throughout the year. These teaching leaders work closely with SCS’s Professional Development Department and facilitators to organize and create professional learning opportunities at both the local school and county levels together, and each is afforded learning experiences that will best equip to lead such efforts. Specifically, PLTLs gain an understanding of Assessment For Learning, Professional Learning Communities, and leadership best practices through a series of classes held after school throughout the school year. PLTLs are nominated by their principals in early August because they possess leadership characteristics such as the ability to:

• Embrace leadership and learning beyond the classroom
• Build skill and confidence in others
• Lead and nurture colleagues
• Be skillful in building trust and establishing rapport with other teachers and administrators

Flex credit is awarded for participation. If an individual is interested in taking part, he/she should communicate said interest to the building principal.

For specific details regarding the above offerings, please contact Laura Link, at llink@scsk12.org

TASL Attendance Requirements

Under the direction of the Office of Professional Development, the Tennessee Academy for School leaders (TASL) provides high-quality professional development opportunities for school administrators and supervisors. In accordance with Tennessee Code Annotated 49-5-5703, school administrators and supervisors are required to attend TASL-approved professional development activities.

Administrators and supervisors who spend fifty percent or more of their time in administrative and supervisory duties are subject to this requirement. Administrators and supervisors who began their current TASL cycle prior to July 1, 2006 are required to attend 72 hours of TASL-approved professional development within five years of the cycle beginning date.

As of July 1, 2006, the TASL cycle changed from five years to two years. Administrators and supervisors who began their TASL cycle on or after July 1, 2006, must attend 28 hours of TASL-approved professional development within two years of the cycle beginning date. Any administrators or supervisors who are still completing a five-year cycle will shift to the two-year requirement at the conclusion of their current cycle.

School administrators and supervisors with fifteen or more years of experience as administrators or supervisors may be exempted from participation in TASL attendance unless the local board of education requires such attendance. Applications for exemption must be requested from the TASL office.

Failure to comply with the attendance requirement may result in suspension or loss of the administrative endorsement.

TASL Credit

TASL credit hours may be earned through both TASL-sponsored professional development events and TASL-approved professional development provided by other agencies or organizations. TASL credit is awarded upon completion of the approved professional development events. Event organizers or sponsors are responsible for reporting attendance to the TASL office.

TASL Training Cycle