Both Michael Fullan’s The Moral Imperative of School Leadership (2003) and The Moral Imperative Realized (2011) resonate with me as a school leader. Fullan (2003) defines “the moral imperative” as raising student achievement for all students and narrowing the achievement gap. Paramount is establishing strong relationships with teachers during the “deep cultural change” through respect, competence, personal regard for others, and integrity. It is about celebrating small successes, modelling hope, optimism, lifelong learning, and caring for others. As Fullan (2003) strongly states: “Conflict avoidance in the face of poor performance is an act of moral neglect” (p. 32).

To achieve the moral imperative, principals need to be instructional leaders, focused on curriculum, instruction, assessment, and the professional culture. The principal’s role is to guide and support using a distributive leadership model. He talks about getting the right teachers on the bus and in the right seats, in order to steer the bus. One’s success can be measured by not only by the impact of the change but with how many school leaders are left behind to continue implementation when the principal’s tenure is over. Fullan (2011) emphasizes through a professional learning community, teachers are engaged in job-embedded learning. It is through teachers supporting and pressuring each other that results in the impact making its way into the classroom.

Reflection
Reality is administrators’ days are filled with the day-to-day operations. We must remember the importance of being instructional leaders – to do classroom walk-throughs, to engage with teachers on instruction. Fullan’s books remind me of what is important – student achievement – and how to get there - by being instructional leaders. This is what makes being in education so exciting and complex: we cannot give up any student. A wonderful quote that comes to mind is from Mary Jean Gallagher, at the fall 2011 Quest conference: "When you leave a child behind, you might leave the next Prime Minister behind." Each student is unique; education is the equalizer to a better future. What a legacy each of us will leave behind :-)

What's Worth Fighting For in the Principalship 2nd Edition

What’s Worth Fighting For in the Principalship 2nd Edition by Michael Fullan

We are reminded that teachers and administration are the top 2 factors to improving student achievement (Leithwood, 2007). As the daily operations of a school can consume an administrator’s entire day, Fullan emphasizes the need to balance both operational leadership and instructional leadership. It is through emphasis on professional development of teachers that the achievement gap can be closed, but it is not easy: “Changing culture is the principal’s hardest job because there is so much previous structure and culture to overcome” (p. 18)

Fullan reminds us of the importance of creating professional learning communities. Teachers can work collaboratively to discuss teaching and learning, observe each other teach, and use data to inform instruction and for accountability purposes. The role of principal is to create those conditions conductive to PLCs as they are the lead teacher or instructional leader: “Effective principals spend their time creating the conditions for teachers and teacher leaders to zero-in on effective instructional practices, and to use data on student learning both as a lever for improvement and as a source for external accountability” (p. 17)

Getting the right people on the bus is vital for sustainability. That includes literacy teachers, subject heads, and encouraging strong curriculum leaders to pursue administration. For professional learning to be effective, it must make its way into the classroom. Through distributive leadership, teachers come to see how change is applicable in their subject disciplines and courses.