Leadership Philosophy

Kelly Lyn Wilson

What is my primary responsibility as a school leader?

I will always think of the
students first
. I wonder continually about how and what they should be
learning and how to improve their high school experience. The experiences and relationships that are
formed during these years will have a major impact on the rest of their life. A school needs to provide not
only a solid academic foundation, but one of character as well. Students need guidance and care provided
by adults that model what it means to be compassionate, dedicated professionals. A school is a community;
one that partners with parents and other at-large members to provide a continuity of experience along with
real world opportunities for growth.

What is the purpose of schooling and how should we fulfil that goal?
We are given the challenge to develop the hearts and minds of young people so that they may
become
productive, creative and fulfilled citizens.
One way this is accomplished is by providing a solid
foundation of knowledge and skills combined with the ability of how to apply and transform it. A
connection between learning and the real world is critical to the later recall and application of material.
Students need to be
actively engaged
in their learning by diving into projects and applying their learning
to
authentic problems
. In order to make learning meaningful and lasting, students should also be engaged
in thoughtful discourse and developing self-awareness of their
ability to impact change.
Along with academic gains, students need role models and experiences to raise awareness of their
personal
and societal obligations.
Schools need to help form and guide students through the complexities of life
and learning with a firm, but forgiving moral compass. We should be
partnering with parents
in the
formation of their children by providing experiences in and out of the classroom that call for exemplary
thoughts and actions, with understanding and guidance when they fall short.
Transparency
in our actions
and
communication
is vital to building relationship with students and parents alike.

What is the role of educators and what is my responsibility to them?

Teachers have the primary interaction with students; they are in the academic and social trenches
with them everyday. Hence, they need to be dedicated professionals that
care deeply about children
.
When I taught calculus, it was the highlight of my day to challenge the students to think about the subject
in various modes but also to touch base with them. I tried to be thoughtful and deliberate in planning
lessons that required my students to think and explore problems while trying to
ensure access to all
learners
in my room.
As a school leader, my responsibility to educators is to
respect the intelligence and experience
they
bring to our community. I believe
teachers deserve a voice
in the leadership of their school. I want to
empower teachers and provide them with opportunities to expand their own learning whether it be with
other colleagues or outside of the building. I want to create an environment of transparency and openness
where all feel free to observe each other, and seek/provide feedback to create an
innovative and lifelong
learning center.


Leadership Philosophy
Kelly Lyn Wilson

What is my obligation to the community?

I take seriously the responsibility to be a
good financial steward
of the institution, whether it be
tax dollars or tuition payments, along with the building and grounds. Fostering relationships with all
stakeholders, including community members, is vital to the sustainability of a school to provide not only
financial support but
opportunities for internships and other real world learning events.As a school,
we are part of the community in which we reside and we need to do all we can to improve the
citizen-students we educate and give back in gratitude for their support.
In conclusion I will return to where I began, the students. As Deborah Meier states in
The Power of
Their Ideas,
Once we recognize and acknowledge that academia is but one form of intellectual life, we can
begin to imagine the other possibilities. I want to work with all members of a community to create a
learning place that inspires the
hope, wonder and excitement
of a multitude of possibilities.