CHAPTER 5 – Global Issues that Concern Schools and Society

Introduction
The world has become a global village. We have become a citizen of a global

community. What takes place in one part of the globe no matter how far affects us. It is a “small world after all” so goes
the song. In this Chapter, we will discuss global issues that affect schools and us. It is hoped that you are able to propose
solutions to social problems which have become current global issues.

Here are the top-10 world issues, according to millennial based on World Economic Forum‟s Global Shapers Survey
in 2017.

1. Climate change/destruction of nature (48.8%)

2. Large scale conflict/wars (38.9%)
3. Inequality (income, discrimination) (30.8%)
4. Poverty (29.2%)
5. Religious conflicts (23.9%)
6. Government accountability and transparency/corruption (22.7%)
7. Food and water security (18.2%)
8. Lack of education (15.9%)
9. Safety/security/well-being (14.1%)
10. Lack of economic opportunity and employment (12.1%)

Here are Top 10 Current Global Issues according to Chloe Turner. (Source: https://borgenproject.org/top-10-
current-global-issues)
1. Climate change
2. Pollution
3. Violence
4. Security and Well Being
5. Lack of Education
6. Unemployment
7. Government Corruption
8. Malnourishment & Hunger
9. Substance Abuse
10. Terrorism

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals for the period 2015-2030

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all.
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent
work for all.
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries.
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (in line with the United Nations Frameworks
Convention on Climate Change).
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat
desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and half biodiversity loss.
 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and
build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Abstraction – Let’s Conceptualize

The Top Ten Global Issues and How They Can be addressed

Climate Change
The global temperatures are rising and are estimated to increase from 2.6 degrees Celsius to 4.8 degrees Celsius by
2100. This would cause more severe weather, crises with food and resources and the spread of diseases. The reduction
of greenhouse emissions and the spreading of education on the importance of going green can help make a big
difference. Lobbying governments and discussing policies to reduce carbon emissions and encouraging reforestation is
an effective way of making progress with climate change.

Pollution
Pollution includes ocean litter, pesticides and fertilizers, air, light and noise pollution. Clean water is essential for
humans and animals, but more than one billion people don‟t have access to clean water due to pollution from toxic
substances, sewage or industrial waste.

Violence
Violence can be found in the social, cultural and economic aspects of the world. Whether it is conflict that has broken
out in a city, hatred targeted at a certain group of people or sexual harassment occurring on the street, violence is a
preventable problem that has been an issue for longer than necessary. Here are various forms of violence:

Table2. Various Forms of Violence

Various Forms of Violence

Physical Violence Sexual Violence Emotional Violence

Physical violence occurs when Sexual violence occurs when a Emotional Violence occurs
someone uses a part of their person is forced to unwillingly when someone says or does
body or an object to control a take part in sexual activity something make a person
person’s actions feel stupid or worthless
Psychological Violence Spiritual Violence Cultural Violence

Psychological violence occurs Spiritual (or religious) violence Cultural violence occurs when
when someone uses threats occurs when someone uses an an individual is harmed result
and causes fear in an individual’s spiritual beliefs to of practices that are part of
individual to gain manipulate, dominate or control her or his culture, religion or
control that person. tradition.

Source: (https://www.hov.nl.ca/VPI/types/)

Security and Well Being

The U.N is a perfect example of what should be done to prevent the lack of security and well-being a serious global
issue. Through its efforts with regional organizations and representatives that are skilled in security, the U.N is working
toward increasing the well-being of people throughout the world.

Lack of Education
More than 72 million children throughout the globe that are of the age to in primary education are not enrolled in
school. This can be attributed to inequality and marginalization as well as poverty. Fortunately, there are many
organizations that work directly with the issue of education in providing the proper tools and resources to aid schools.
(https: //www.humanium.org/en/right-to-education/)
 The Philippines has consistently made a significant stride in its functional literacy rate. Functional literacy, as defined by
the National Statistics Authority is the level of literacy which includes not only reading and writing but also numeracy
skills that would help people cope with the daily demands of life. Based on the 2013 Functional Literacy, Education
and Mass Media Survey (FLEMSS), the country registered a 90.3% rate, which means that nine out of every 10
Filipinos aged 10-64 were functionally literate.
(https://www.worldvision.org.ph/stories/improving-functional-literacy-in-the-philippines/)

Unemployment
Without the necessary education and skills for employment, many people, particularly

15- to 24- years old, struggle to find jobs and create a proper living for themselves and their families. This leads to a lack
of necessary resources, such as enough food, clothing, transportation and proper living conditions.

The unemployment rate in the Philippines inched lower to 5.2 percent in the March quarter of 2019 from 5.3 percent a
year ago. Unemployment rate in Philippines averaged 8.34 percent a from 1994 until 2019, reaching in all time high of
13.90 percent in first quarter of 2000 and a record low of 4.70 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016.
(https://www.tradingeconomics.com/philippines/unemployment-rate, Retrieved 4-9-19)

Government Corruption
Means of corruption include graft, bribery, embezzlement, backdoor deals, nepotism, and patronage. Corruption is a
major cause of poverty considering how it affects the poor the most, eroding political and economic development,
democracy and more. Corruption can be detrimental to the safety and well-being of citizens living within the corrupted
vicinity, and can cause an increase in violence and physical threats without as much regulation in the government. The
Philippines ranked 94th out of 177 countries in Transparency International‟s 2013 corruption index.
(Source: Trefor Moss, Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2014)

Malnourishment and Hunger

Currently there are 795 million people who do not have enough to eat. Long-term success to ending world hunger
starts with ending poverty. By fighting poverty through proper training for employment, education and the teaching of
cooking and gardening skills, people who are suffering will be more likely to get jobs, earn enough money to buy food
and even learn how to make their own food to save money.

Malnutrition, in all its forms, includes under nutrition (wasting, stunting, underweight), inadequate vitamins or
minerals, overweight, obesity, and resulting diet-related non communicable diseases.
(https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malnutrition)
The planet creates more than enough food to meet everyone‟s needs. But there are still millions of hungry people in
the world.

Substance Abuse – Substance abuse is “the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and
limit drugs” (World Health Organization) The United Nations reports that, by the beginning of the 21 st century, an
estimated 185 million people over the age of 15 were consuming drugs globally. The drugs most commonly used are
marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, amphetamine stimulants, opiates and volatile solvents. Different classes of people, both
poor and rich, partake in substance abuse, and it is a persistent issue throughout the world but the developing world,
marginalized groups and communities are the most vulnerable to this reality.

The Philippines faces this huge problem on substance abuse. (https://issues.tigweb.org/substance) Terrorism

Terrorism is an issue throughout the world that causes fear and insecurity, violence and death. Across the globe,
terrorists attack innocent people, often without warning. This makes civilians feel defenseless in their everyday lives.
Making national security a higher priority is key in combating terrorism, as well as promoting justice in wrongdoings to
illustrate the enforcement of the law and the serious punishments for terror crimes. (Source:
https://borgenproject.org/top-10-current-global-issues)

The 17 SDGs
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said: “The seventeen Sustainable Development

Goals are our shared vision of humanity and a social contract between the world‟s leaders and the people. They are a
to-do list for people and planet and a blueprint for success.”
 After Millennium Development Goals of 2015, here comes another to-do list for the sake of the entire humanity. Refer
to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, 2015-2030 in the first part of this Chapter.

Global Issues, SDGs 2015-2030 and Education

In September 2015, the General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that includes 17
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Building on the principle of “leaving no one behind”, the new Agenda
emphasizes a holistic approach to achieving sustainable development. The realization of the 17 SDGs means solving the
top global issues cited by two sources.

These global issues and SDGs 2015-2030 must be intentionally taught in schools because they are made part of the
curriculum.

Application – Let’s Apply

1. Based on the top ten global issues and the 17 SDGs choose one global issue/SDG and give suggestions on what
schools must to do address the issue.
2. What moves has the Philippine government taken to ensure equitable access to education for all its citizens?
3. Poverty is ranked #4 among the top 10 issues cited by World Economic Forum‟s Global Shapers Survey in 2017.
Education is supposed to liberate people from poverty. The
Philippines has a comparatively higher literacy rate. Based on the Literacy Statistics, Functional Literacy, Education and
Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) of 2013, 96.5 percent of Filipinos were literate, an improvement from 95.6 percent in
2008. How come the Philippines has one of the highest number of educated people and yet we remain to be
“islands of affluence amidst a sea of poverty” meaning poverty abounds?

Can this be traced to poor quality of Philippine education? Why or why not?

4. Go over the K to 12 Curriculum Guide. Find out where these global issues and SDGs are integrated. If you find
one or more not integrated in the K to 12 Curriculum, identify points of integration in the curriculum.

5. Some blame the Philippine‟s corruption problem on the merging of Filipino traditions with American
institutions, One Filipino political scientist told Smithsonian magazine,
“Americans taught us the idea of honesty and integrity in civil service but local culture conflicts with the democratic
model. With no tradition of civil service and the prevalence of strong family and community ties, bribery and nepotism
have seeped into the system.” (Source:http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6f/entry-3906.html) Do you
agree?

TAKEAWAYS
 Top global issues today are:
1) Large scale conflict/wars/violence/terrorism
2) Inequality (income, discrimination)
3) Poverty, unemployment;
4) Religious conflicts;
5) Graft and corruption;
6) Food and water security/malnourishment, hunger;
7) Lack of education;
8) Safety, security and well-being; and
9) Lack of economic opportunity and employment; 10) Pollution

 The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate,
environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.

CHAPTER 7
 The Teacher and the Community: Teacher's Ethical and Professional Behavior

Abstraction Let's Conceptualize

Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers, Article III

The very title of this Unit indicates that teachers are expected to be part of the community. To be part of
the community definitely means to participate in the life of that community. What is that community referred
to here? The 8 Sections of Article III of the Code of Ethics refers to the community within the school and
the community outside the school. How can teachers be a part of the community? The various Sections of
Article III give more details.

Teacher as Facilitator of Learning

Article III, Section1 states that the teacher is a facilitator of learning and the development of the youth..
therefore shall render the best service by providing an environment conducive for such learning and
growth.

Facilitator comes from the word "facilitate" which means to make something easy or easier. You as, the
professional teacher, facilitate learning or make learning easier. Learning is a difficult task and is made
easier when you make dry lesson interesting, exciting and enjoyable. As a professional teacher, you make
learning easier when you simplify the complex and concretize the abstract. This is what is ethical for every
professional teacher like you ought to do. This you can do after four long years of academic preparation.

What happens sometimes, however, is teachers complicate the simple and teaches only at the abstract
level.

To facilitate learning, a conducive learning environment is necessary. It has been proven that learners
learn best in a pleasant environment. A pleasant environment is where the learners can be themselves
because teachers are caring. No need to put best self forward because teachers and classmates truly care
and take you for who you are. All forms of bullying has no place in a conducive learning environment. A
conducive learning environment makes learners believe they can do the work and they feel accepted. A
favorable learning climate is not competitive where everyone is tense.

The teacher who believes that "Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on
them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly be"
like Teacher Rita Pierson in TED Talk is a facilitator of learning.

Teacher Leadership and Initiative for Community Participation

Section 2 refers to the "leadership and initiative of the professional teacher to participate in community
movements for moral, social, economic and civic betterment of the community.

As professional teachers you do not live in an ivory tower, meaning you are not supposed to be removed
nor aloof from community life. Schools are at the heart of communities and you as professional teachers
are expected to be be-in-the-world and to be-in-the-world- with-others and for others (borrowing the words
of Heidegger)

The words in Section 2 of Article III are "provide leadership and initiative... This implies that as a
professional teacher you have not to wait for community to ask for help. Section 6 further explicitqates how
you can show your professional leadership, to wit: "Every teacher is an intellectual leader in the community,
especially in the barangay, and shall welcome the opportunity to provide such leadership when needed, to
extend counseling services, as appropriate, and to be actively involved in matters affecting the welfare of
people."

You do not just welcome the opportunity to lead. Section 2, states that you, the professional teacher
ought to take the initiative to offer your help for the improvement of the community. Many a time, you can
be a guidance counselor, a prayer leader, commentator or reader in religious celebrations, fiesta
coordinator, judge in or coach for a contest, financial adviser, a nurse, a doctor, commentator, prayer rolled
into one.

Providing leadership and initiative also means working with the community. This means getting the
parents and other members of the community participate in school activities.

Teachers, as they participate in community affairs prove that they "are the most responsible and most
important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the earth."
Professional Teacher with Honor and Dignity

Section 3 states: "Every teacher shall merit reasonable social recognition for which purpose he shall
behave with honor and dignity at all times and refrain from such activities as gambling, smoking,
drunkenness, and other excesses much less illicit relations." Obviously, if as a professional teacher, you
are an inveterate gambler, chain smoker and alcoholic or if it is common knowledge that you are engaged
in an illicit relationship, how can you have moral authority? Who will listen to you when you advise your
class not to smoke, not to drink alcoholic drinks, not to gamble, etc? Your audience will say "Look, who is
talking!" It is a matter of "do what I say not what I do."

Society expects so much of teachers that when they fail to live up to the challenge to behave or model
good behavior, they are "condemned without trial!" It is no wonder why many are afraid to answer the call
to teach. Society seems to expect much more from professional teachers than from any other professional
and so look at teachers with scrutinizing eyes.

The quotation states "The influence of a good teacher can never be erased" but the influence of a
dishonorable teacher is as lasting.

Teacher's Attitude Toward Local Customs and Traditions

Section 4 expects every teacher to live for and with the community and shall, therefore study and
understand local customs and traditions in order to have a sympathetic attitude, therefore, refrain from
disparaging the community." The professional teacher is neither ethnocentric nor xenocentric. He/she is not
ethnocentric and so does not look down on community's culture because of the thought that his/her culture
is superior to the culture of the community. Neither is he/she xenocentric and so looks at his/her culture as
inferior in to other community's culture.

Fortunate and happy is the community that has teachers who live with them, exert effort to understand
their local customs and traditions and consequently appreciate the same. This author sees no culture as
perfect. Every culture including hers has its positive and negative aspects. What we need to pass on are
the positive aspects of the culture. We need to purify, however, the negative aspects with teachers pointing
them out tactfully and sincerely.

The Professional Teacher and Information Update

Section 5 states that the teacher "shall help the school inform the community about the school's work,
accomplishments, needs and problems. Community here refers to internal as well as external
stakeholders. Internal stakeholders include the students, the parents of the students and the teachers. The
external stakeholders are the other parents in the community without children enrolled in school, barangay
officials and other government officials, non-government organizations, government organizations,
alumni /alumnae and retirees.

Why do these stakeholders have to be informed? The school is there for the community and so the
community has the right to be informed about its activities, accomplishments, needs and problem.
Informing them about the school's projects, needs and problems give them a sense of ownership. Having a
sense of ownership, these stakeholders will participate more actively in the resolution school's problems
and needs.

The Parents-Teachers Association

We have Parents' and Teachers' Associations (PTA) in place in every school. Some private schools call
it Home School Association or Family Advisory Council. This is for internal stakeholders only. A PTA is an
association of teachers and parents with children who are enrolled in a school. It is a forum for discussions
on school problems and how they can be solved.

The School Governing Council

Other than the PTA is the School Governing Council. The SGC has different membership and functions.
A School Governing Council as a policy-making body has the school head as Chief Executive Officer,
Manager and Chief Operations Officer. The formation of SGC in every school is a proof of school head
sharing his/her leadership with members of the community.

It determines general policies on student welfare, discipline, well-being; it is concerned with the
development and implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the School Improvement Plan (SIP), and
reporting of the progress of the SIP implementation to the Schools Division Superintendent and the
community. In addition to PTAs are the School Governing Council in every public school. This School
Governing Council shares in the management of the school with School Head as Chair. This School
Council is another opportunity for communities to participate in school activities.

The Professional Teacher and Government Officials and Other Professionals

Section 7 states: "Every teacher shall maintain harmonious and pleasant personal and official relations
with other professionals, with government officials and with the people individually or collectively." As a
professional teacher, you cannot afford not to be in pleasant relations with others especially those with
whom you work with like other professional teachers. It is always best to be in good terms with everyone
else in the community.

Desiderata gives this advice: "As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, ven the dull and the ignorant; they too have their
story."

The Professional Teacher Does not Use Position to Proselyte

Finally, Section 8, says: "A teacher possesses freedom to attend church and worship as appropriate,
but shall not use his position and influence to proselyte others."To be in a position means to have power or
influence for a purpose, i.e. for you to use that position to perform your job as a professional teacher. It is
highly unprofessional for a teacher like you to use your position of influence to proselyte.Besides freedom
of religion is guaranteed by the 1987 Philippine Constitution. "No law shall be made respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of
religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed." (Article I,
Section 6).

Application-Let's Apply

1. Here is what one Dean of a College of Education told her freshmen teacher education students in her
Welcome Address on Orientation Day:

Believing that you don't learn everything in the classroom, the College of Education, which will
be your home for four years has prepared a menu of annual co-curricular activities for you. All of
these are meant to help you become the true professional teacher that this College and
University have envisioned you to become...

a) What message do you get from the Dean's Welcome Address?

b) In the context of this Welcome Address, what does this statement ".. do more, learn more, and have
more.. (Pope Paul VI, Populorum Progression, 1967) What message do you get in relation to your pre-
service education?

2. A professional teacher creates a conducive learning environment to facilitate learning. Based on

experiences, illustrate with a drawing or comic strip what a conducive learning environment is. Display
your work in class. Conduct a gallery walk for everyone to see and comment/ask questions about the
comic strips.

3. The Bible says: "You are the salt of the earth. Bus if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty
again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the
light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under
a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let
your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.
(Matthew 5:13-16)

Based on this Chapter on the teacher as a community leader, How do these biblical passages apply to the
professional teacher?

4. "I don't hear what you are saying because who you are speaks louder than what you say." How does
this quote apply to the professional teacher as a community leader? Discuss.

5. A teacher is fully convinced that her religion is the only true religion, the only way to salvation. As a
result, she proselytes. Can her good intention of salvation for all justify her proselyting? Why or Why
not?

6. As a community leader, what will you do if you see something negative in the community Culture?
Example.
7. Your mayor has a teacher candidate for a teaching position. Your ranking is over. Your mayor's
candidate was not part of the ranking and is not a licensed teacher. As a professional teacher, what
would you do?

8. Cite at least 3 specific ethical behaviors of a professional teacher based on Article III of the Code of
Ethics for Professional Teachers. Come up with a powerpoint presentation or a skit.

TAKEAWAYS

• Article III of the Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers states that a professional teacher shall live
for and with the community.

• The community includes internal stakeholders (learners and their parents/guardians, teachers and the
school head) and external stakeholders (members of the community who have no children enrolled in
the school such as community non-government officials, church leaders, non-organizations and
government organizations).

• For the learners, you facilitate learning and the development of the youth. To do this, you have to create
a nurturing, positive learning environment.

• For the community, you are a leader. You take the initiative and leadership to actively participate in
community affairs and movements and in turn to involve the community in school activities for the
upliftment of both school and the community. This can readily happen if you are in a harmonious
relations with all people in the community

• To keep parent and community involvement in school, they must be updated with happenings in the
school accomplishment, achievements, problems and projects.

• At all times, at all places and for all people, don't misuse nor abuse that authority or power bestowed on
you as a professional teacher. For you to be credible as a community leader, you shall behave with
honor and dignity twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week, respect community culture and seek it ,
understand them or else lose your "flavor as a community leader.

CHAPTER 8
Organizational Leadership

Introduction

Expected of professional teachers who care for and embark on continuing professional development is
a promotion along the way. With this in mind, this course won't be complete without a discussion of an
effective leader and manager for which you will be in the future. But should you refuse offer for a
managerial or leadership position in school or in the bigger educational organization because of the love for
teaching and learners, this lesson on organizational leadership won't be laid to waste because even as
teacher you are ready a leader and a manager. You are a teacher and a class or classroom manager.

Abstraction- Let's Conceptualize

Organizational Leadership

In organizational leadership, leaders help set strategic goals for the organization while motivating
individuals within the organization to successfully carry out assignments in order to realize those goals. In
the school setting, the school leader helps set the goals/ targets for the school and motivates teachers,
parents, learners, non-teaching personnel and other members of the community to do their task to realize
the school goals.

Organizational leadership works towards what is best for individual members and what is best for the
organization as a group at the same time. Organizational leadership does not sacrifice the individual
members for the sake of the people nor sacrifice the welfare of the group for the sake of individual
members. Both individual and group are necessary.

Organizational leadership is also an attitude and a work ethic that empowers an individual in any role to
lead from the top, middle, or bottom of an organization. Applied to the school setting, the school leader
helps anyone from the organization not necessarily from the top to lead others. An example of this
leadership which does not necessarily come from the top of the organization is teacher leadership.

Leadership Versus Management

 Are leadership and management synonymous? Is a leader a manager or is a manager a leader? If I am
a good leader, does it follow that I am also a good manager? Or if l am a good manager, am I at the same
time a good leader? Not necessarily.

School Head Must be Both a Leader and a Manager

A school head must be both a leader and a manager

Study the Figur e below.

A school head leads the school and community to formulate the vision, mission, goals, and school
improvement plan. This is a leadership function. She/he sees to it that this plan gets well implemented on
time and so ensures that the resources needed are there, the persons to do the job are qualified and
available. This is a management function. Imagine if the school head is only a leader. You have the vision,
mission, goals and school plan but no implementation. The plan is good only in paper. If you do the task of
a manager only, you will be focusing on the details of the day-of-day implementation without the big
picture, the vision and mission. So it big picture for connect and meaning. This means that it is best that a
school leader is both a leader and a manager.

Table 3. Comparison of Manager and Leader

MANAGERS versus LEADERS

Managers Leaders

Administer Innovate

Their process is transactional; meet Their process is transformational develop a vision and find a
objectives and delegate tasks. way forward.

Work Focused People Focused

The goal is to get things done. They are The goals include both people and results. They care about
skilled at allocating work. you and want you to succeed.

Have Subordinates Have Followers

They create circles of power and lead by They create circles of influence and lead by inspiring.
authority.

Do Things Right Do the Right Thing

Managers enact the existing culture and Leaders shape the culture and drive integrity..
maintain status quo.

Source: Dubrin, Andrew E. (2006) Essentials of management, Mason, OH 45040 USA

Types of Skills Demanded of Leaders

Leaders use 3 broad types of skills: 1) technical, 2) human and 3) conceptual. Technical skills refers
to any type of process or technique like sending e-mall, preparing a power point presentation. Human skill is
the ability to work effectively with people and to build teamwork. This is also referred to as people skills or soft
skills.

Conceptual skill is the ability to think in terms of models, frameworks and broad relationships such
as long range plans. In short, conceptual skills deal with ideas while human skill concerns relationship with
people and technical skills involves psychomotor skills and things. The ideal school leader possesses all
three.

Leadership styles

Here are leadership styles:

Autocratic; consultative; democratic; laissez faire

Autocratic leaders do decision making by themselves. Consultative leaders allow participation of the
members of the organization by consulting them but make the decision themselves. This is what happens
in consultation meetings called by schools when they increase tuition fees. Sometimes education
stakeholders get disappointed that their suggestions are not carried after school leaders have consulted
them. They do not understand that consultation does not necessarily mean approval of stakeholders
suggestions.
 Democratic leaders allow the members of the organization to fully participate in decision making.
Decisions are arrived at by way of consensus. This is genuine participation of the members of the
organization which is in keeping with school empowerment.

In laissez faire or free-rein leadership style, leaders avoid responsibility and leave the members of
the organization to establish their own work. This leadership style leads to the kanya-kanya mentality, one
weaknesses of the Filipino character. There will be no problem if the situation is deal, i.e. each member of
the organization has reached a level of maturity and so if members are left to themselves they will do only
what is good for the organization. On the other hand, it will be chaos if each member will do as he/she
please even if it is against the common good.

Which leadership styles are participative? The consultative and democratic leadership style are the
only ones that allow for participation of the members of the organization. Between the consultative and
democratic styles of leadership, the democratic style is genuinely participative because it abides by the rule
of the majority.

The Situational Leadership Model

In situational leadership, effective leaders adapt their leadership style to the situation of the members of
the organization,to the readiness and willingness of group members. Paul Hersey and Kenneth H.
Blanchard (1996) characterized leadership style in terms of the amount of task behavior and relationship
behavior that the leader provides to their followers. They categorized all leadership styles into four behavior
styles, which they named S1 to S4.

Table 4. Behavior Styles in Situational Leadership

S1 S2 S3 S4

Selling / Directing Telling / Coaching Participating/ Delegating

Supporting

Individuals lack the Individuals are more Individuals are Individuals are experienced at
specific skills required able to do the task; experienced and able to the task, and comfortable with
for the job in hand and however, they are do the task but lack the their own ability to do it well.
however, they are demotivated for this confidence or the They are able and willing to
novice but job or task. Unwilling to willingness to take on not only do the task, but to
enthusiastic. do the task. responsibility. take responsibility for the task.

If the group member is able, willing and confident (high readiness), the leader uses a delegating
leadership style.The leader turns over the responsibility for decisions and implementation to the members.. On
the other hand, if the group members have low readiness, i.e.. unable and unwilling, the leader resort to telling
the group members what to do.

In short, competent members of the organization require less specific direction than less competent
members. Less competent people need more specific direction than more competent people.

For a graphic presentation of the Situational Leadership Model, visit

https://teachthem.files.wordpress.com /2012/11/si tuational-leadership-odel.jpg

Among these leadership styles, no one style is considered best for all leaders to use all the time. Effective
leaders need to be flexible, and must adapt themselves according to the situation, the readiness and
willingness of the members of the organization.

Servant Leadership

Robert K. Greenleaf (1977) coined the paradoxical term servant leadership. How can one be a leader
when he/she is servant? That's the common thinking. But the paradox is Greenleaf's deliberate and
meaningful way or emphasizing the qualities of a servant leader. He describes the servant

...servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve. Then conscious choice brings one to
aspire to lead. The best test is: do those served grow as persons: do they, while being served, become
healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become se servants. And, what is the
effect on the least privileged in society they benefit, or, at least, not be further deprived?
(Greenleaf,1977/2002, p. 27)

The first desire of the servant leader is to serve.How? By leading. The greatest teacher of humankind,
Jesus Christ, was a servant leader. He taught his disciples "he who wants to great must be the servant of
all". The life of the Greatest Teacher was a life of total service to all.
 We often hear the term public servants" to refer to appointed and elected officials of the government to
emphasize the fact that they indeed are servants of the people. Their first duty is to serve and in serving,
they lead. They don't think of their power as leaders first. If they do, they tend to become more conscious of
their importance felt over their conscious of their power over their constituents and tend to impose that power
or make their importance felt over their constituents and forget that if ever they are given power it is to serve
their people. Someone said "power corrupts." And I need it does,when leaders think first of their power and
forget the very reason why such power was given, i.e. to serve. The greatest teacher said:

"... and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave." (Matthew 20:27)

"The greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23:11)

"If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all" (Mark 9:35)

"You know how the pagan rulers make their powers felt. But it shall not be this way among you. Instead,
whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant." (Mark 10:43)

His whole life was a life of service. In fact, he wanted to impress this idea of servant leadership by doing
something dramatic in his last days on earth. He washed the feet of his apostles. Washing the feet was the
work of a servant in his time.

He wanted to etch in the memories of his apostles the idea that leaders are supposed to be "footwashers".
Leaders are supposed to be servants of all.

Servant leadership seeks to involve others in decision making,is strongly based in ethical and caring
behavior, and enhances the growth of workers while improving the caring and quality of organizational life.

The school head who acts as a servant leader forever remembers that he/she is there to serve his/ her
teachers, the students, the parents etc. and NOT the teachers, learners, parents to serve him/her.

Transformational Leadership

Robert Kennedy once said: "Some men see things as they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never
were, and ask why not." Those who dream of things that never were and ask "why not are not
transformational leaders. The transformational leader is not content with status quo and sees the need to
transform the way the organization thinks, relates and does things. Th transformational school leaders sees
school culture as it could be and should be, not as it is and so plays his /her role as visionary, engager,
learner, collaborator, and instructional leader. As a transformational leader he/she makes positive changes in
the organization by collaboratively developing new vision for the organization and mobilizing members to
work towards that vision.

To do this the transformational leader combines charisma, inspirational leadership and intellectual
stimulation to introduce innovation for the transformation of the organization.

Sustaining Change

For reforms to transform, the innovations introduced by the transformational leader must be institutional
and sustained or else that innovation is simply a passing fad that loses its flavor after a time. A proof that
an innovation introduced has transformed the organization is that the result or effect of that change persists
or ripples even when the transformative leader is gone or is transferred to another school or gets promoted
in the organization.

We feel most comfortable with our old pair or shoes. We like to live in our comfort zones and so
sometimes we don't welcome change. And yet if we want improvement in the way we do things in our
organization, in our school or if we want to improve in life we must be willing to change. The
transformational leader ought to deal with resistance to change to succeed. There will always be resisters
to change. To ensure that the innovation he/she introduces leads to the transformation of the organization,
Morato of Bayan ABS CBN, (2011) gives the following advice:

1. seek the support of the stakeholders The leaders must build a "strong coalition of allies in order to push
for any meaningful change that would yield results. Innovations cannot be forced upon the teachers, the
students, the parents, the community... without serious consequences."

2. get people involved early and often- Resistance drops off in proportion to the involvement of participants.
You may not to expect 100-percent support from any individual who was not personally involved in a
change that affected his/her work. It is best to set up networks to reach out to as many people as possible.
3. plan a communications campaign to "sell" the innovation-Morata (2011) asserts: "The change envisioned
must cascade downwards to the last lesson plan and ripple sidewards to win the support of major
stakeholders."

4. ensure that the innovation is understood by all - The benefits and costs must be appreciated and
weighed carefully.

5. consider timing and phasing - These are highly critical; missteps might backfire and lack of sensitivity to
stakeholders might lead to resistance.

TAKEAWAYS

• Organizational leadership is also an attitude and work ethic that empowers an individual in any role to
lead from the top, middle, or bottom of an organization.
• Leadership and management are not synonymous but are related to each other.
• Leadership is focused more on the vision, the future state of the organization, while management is
concerned with daily operations. An effective school head is both a leader and a manager.
• There are various leadership styles from autocratic, consultative, democratic and laissez faire (free rein)
style.
• The democratic leadership style is the most participative. Decisions are arrived at by consensus.
Consultative style is also participative because it involves members of the organization but the leader
decides. Autocratic leadership is dictatorial leadership The members of the organization do not participate
in decision making. In the laissez faire leadership style,the leader does not interfere with the members of
the organization who are left to decide for themselves.
• In servant leadership, it 1sis most important that the leader sees himself/herself as a servant first before
he/she is a leader
• Transformational leadership is concerned with introducing and sustaining innovations.
• Situational leadership is leading the organization in a way that fits the situation the readiness of the
followers.

CHAPTER 9

The School Head in School Based Management (SBM)

Introduction

The Local Governance Code of 1991 (RA 7160) provided for a more responsive local government
structure through a system of decentralization where local governments are given more power, authority,
responsibilities and resources. Likewise with the introduction of School-Based Management in Philippine
schools, schools are given more power to direct their affairs with the learning and development of learners
as ultimate goal. In this Chapter, you are expected to learn the rewards and challenges in implementing
SBM especially on the part of the school head.

Abstraction Let's Conceptualize

The Meaning of School-Based Management (SBM)

Ms. Ligaya, the school head, is smart. She knew she couldn't solve the problems all alone so she
involved the teachers, the parents, the student leaders and leaders of the community. She knew that by
involving them, these members of the school community will feel a sense of importance and a sense of
ownership. Because they were the ones directly involved with the problems, they themselves are in the
best position to solve the problem. The actions that Ms. Ligaya took are all in accordance with School-
Based Management.

What is school-based management? School based-management is a decentralized management

initiative by developing power or authority to school heads, teachers, parents and students. (SBM) is a
strategy to improve education by transferring significant decision-making authority from the DepEd Central
Office, regional offices, division offices to individual schools. SBM provides principals, teachers, students,
and parents greater control over the education process by giving them responsibility for decisions about the
budget, personnel, and the curriculum. Through the involvement of teachers, parents, and other community
members in these key decisions, SBM can create more effective learning environments for children.

SBM and the Principle of Subsidiarity

 SBM is in keeping with the principle of subsidiarity which states that it is the people at the lowest level
who will know best their problems and so are in the best position to address the same. This tenet holds that
"nothing should be done by a larger and more complex organization which can be done as well by a
smaller and simpler organization. In other words, any activity which can be performed by a more
decentralized entity should be done by that more decentralized entity." https://action.org/pub/religion-
libertyvolume-6-number-4/principle-Subsidiarity) . Those in the higher echelon are far removed from the
Scene and are therefore not as involved and as informed as those from those below.

Advantages of SBM

The following are strengths of SBM:

• Allow competent individuals in the schools to make decisions that will improve learning;

• Give the entire school community a voice in key decisions;

• Focus accountability for decisions;

• Lead to greater creativity in the design ot programs;

• Redirect resources to support the goals developed in each school;

• Lead to realistic budgeting as parents and teachers become more aware of the school's financial status,
spending limitations, and the cost of its programs; and,

• Improve morale of teachers and nurture new leadership at all levels.

Through SBM, decision making authority is devolved to school heads, teachers, parents and students.
This is school empowerment. This reduces bureaucratic controls on schools and encourage school heads,
teachers and parents to use greater initiative in meeting the needs of students and community. This results
in a sense of community school ownership which makes the school realize its vision and mission.

Involving stakeholders parents, teachers, students and other members of the community - is also helpful
in the mobilization of local resources to complement public resources. Concrete proof of this is the number
of classrooms built as a result of the strong partnership between schools and communities and successful
school-community programs like those described in the Chapter on The School and the Community.

Through SBM, problems and needs at the school level get solved faster and specific personalities and
cultures are taken into consideration. These personalities and cultures are usually ignored in multi-layered
in hierarchical organization like DepEd. In a hierarchical organization, straight jacket rules, procedures and
allocation norms are given and apply to all. It takes time to solve problems if schools have to wait for
answers from above. As a result, teachers, parents and students are frustrated due to delays.

In SBM, schools take the responsibility to plan and implement their School Improvement Plans (SIP).
( The table that you scrutinized in the Activity phase of the lesson is a of a part of a School Improvement
Plan). It is the schools themselves, not DepEd higher offices that know best their problems and the
solutions to these problems. It is the schools that determine the number and kind of teachers they need,
the kind of learning materials and resources they need.

Since schools are given more power to direct themselves, they are made accountable for results. SBM
makes schools accountable to the stakeholders.

Legal Basis of SBM

The Philippine Constitution provides that Congress shall enact a local government code that will
institutionalize a system of decentralization (Article 10, Sec. 3) whereby local government units shall be
extended more power, authority...The Local Government Code in 1991 is a fulfillment of this Constitutional
provision.

This means that long before the Department of Education (DepEd) legally introduced decentralization in
schools through School-Based Management (SBM) in 2001 through the enactment of RA 9155, local
government units were already empowered for local governance. RA 9155, Basic Governance Act
transfers the power and authority as well as the resources to the school level. School empowerment is
based on the assumption that the school heads including teachers, key leaders in the community, parents
know best the root and solution to the problem.

Conditions for the Success of SBM

 • Teachers, school heads must be given the opportunity to make choices.They must actively participate in
school improvement planning.

• The involvement of parents and teachers must be strongly encouraged and highly welcomed.

• Stakeholders must participate in the development of a School Improvement Plan. They must have a say
on resource allocation to meet specific needs.

• Higher authorities must actively encourage thoughtful experimentation and innovation in an atmosphere
where mistakes are viewed as learning experiences. They must be willing to share their authority with the
academic and the larger community.

• Teachers must develop reflection, problem solving.

In addition, based on international experience, the following must be present for SBM to succeed in
schools:

• have basic resources,

• have developed an effective school support system,

• are provided with regular information on their performance,

• are given advice on how they may improve, and

• emphasize the motivational element in the management work of the principal

The success of SBM very much depends on the school head. Below are his/her functions:

Table 5. Functions of a School Head

Roles Functions Knowledge/Skills/ Attitudes

Required

Visionary Lead in setting the vision, mission and goals of the Change and future orientation
principal, school
motivator,
advocate and
planner

Builder of Organize/ expand school, community and local Networking, organizing, social
networks and government networks and groups that will actively mobilization, advocacy
support systems participate in school improvement

ead in developing the School Improvement Plan Development of teamwork,

with the participation of the staff and the building consensus and skills in
community negotiation.and conflict resolution

ead in developing and maintaining the School Participatory planning and

Management Information System administrative management

Generation and use of data and

information as basis for planning
and management

Curriculum Create a physical and psychological climate Development of collective

developer conducive to teaching and learning accountability for school and
student performance

Localize and implement school curriculum Designing of the curriculum to

address both national goals, local
needs and aspirations

Encourage development and use of innovative Creation of an open learning

instructional methods focused in improving learning system based on several resource
outcomes, increasing access to basic education, materials rather than on single
improving the holding power of schools and textbooks
addressing specific local problems
Participatory and peer-based
 instructional supervision

Fiscal Administer and manage all personnel, physical and Fund management
Resources fiscal resources of the school

Manager

Encourage and accept donations,gifts, bequest and Serving as model for transparency
grants for educational purposes and report all such and accountability especially in
donations to the appropriate offices financial management

Factors of School Effectiveness Based on Research

Effective practices need to be institutionalized for them to become part of the school culture. To build
professional capacity and establish mechanism that supports the continuing quality improvement of
schools is an assurance that effective schools even become more effective.School-Based Management
(SBM) is the mechanism introduced by the Department of Education in the Philippines to continuously work
on effective schools. As the term implies, in SBM,schools are given greater autonomy to make decisions
regarding education of children.

There research finding of OECD confirms "that school autonomy has a positive relationship with student
performance when accountability measures are in place and/or when school principals and teachers
collaborate in school management" (OECD, 2012). China and Singapore have been "devolving more
responsibility to the school level" (Stewart, 2008). In Finland, accountability rests on the trust placed by
families and government in the professional competence of teachers (Stewart, 2008).

In the Philippines, the devolving of more responsibility was done through the School-Based Management
(SBM). SBM was introduced during the implementation of the Third Elementary Education Project (TEEP),
1999-2005. In 2005, TEEP conducted a study to determine the effect of school-based management on
student performance in the Philippines using the administrative dataset of all public schools in 23 school
districts over a 3-year period, 2003-2005. The results showed that the introduction of SBM had a
statistically significant, although small, overall positive effect on average school-level test scores in 23
school districts in the Philippines. (Source: http://elibrary.worldbank.org/doi/ abs/10.1596/1813-9450-5248).
Accessed 9-1-16)

With SBM, significant decision-making authority was transferred from state and district offices to individual
schools. SBM provided principals, teachers, students, and parents greater control over the education
process by giving them responsibility for decisions about the budget, personnel, and the curriculum.
Through the involvement of teachers, parents, and other community members in these key decisions, SBM
can create more effective learning environments for children. (Source: Office of Research
Education/Consumer Guide). To further strengthen the School-Based Management (SBM) practice and re-
emphasize the centrality of the learners and the involvement of relevant community in basic education
service delivery, the Department of Education (DepEd) embarked on revisiting the SBM framework,
assessment process and tool to improve on already recognized successful SBM practices across the
regions (DO 83, s. 2012). To institutionalize

decentralization efforts at the school level and in line with Republic Act No. 9155 also known as
Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, the Department of Education (DepEd) provided School-Based

Management (SBM) Grants as additional funds to public elementary and secondary schools,... too
augment the school fund on Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (DO 45, S. 2015).

Philippine Accreditation System for Basic Education (PASBE)

The institutionalization of SBM was strengthened with the introduction of the Philippine Accreditation
System tor Basic

Education (PASBE) which was launched through DepED Order No.64, S. 2012. Accreditation is a process
of self-evaluation and peer review to ensure that quality standards agreed upon by stakeholders are
understood, implemented, maintained, and enhanced for continuous improvement of learner outcomes
(DepEd DO 20, s. 2013 The Philippine Accreditation System for Basic Education (PASBE Supplemental
Guidelines to DepEd Order No. 83, S. 2012). Source:http://www.teacherph.com/a-comprehensive-guide-to-
school-based-management-sbm/Accessed 9-2-2016

The agreed upon standards of quality or effective schools are grounded on the four principles of A
Child-and -Community Centered Education Systems (ACCESs), namely: (1) principle of collective
leadership (2) principle of community-based learning (3)principle of accountability for performance and
results and (4) principle of convergence to harness resources for education. All of these four principles also
apply to SBM.

The school's level of SBM practice can either be Level 1,Developing; Level II, Maturing and Level III,
Advanced. A school that reaches the highest level of SBM practice qualifies for an accredited status.

Figure1. SBM - PASBE Operational Framework ( Source: DepEd Order#64, s.2012)

A school in Level I, developing, means that these developing structures and mechanisms with acceptable
level and extent of community participation and impact on learning school in Level II, described as
Maturing, means that the school is introducing and sustaining continuous improvement process that
integrates wider community participation and significantly improve performance and learning outcomes.
Level III, Advanced (Accredited) means that the school is ensuring the production of intended
outputs/outcomes and meeting all standards of a system fully integrated in the local community and is self-
renewing and self-sustaining.

In conclusion, PASBE is a means to institutionalize SBM, the granting of more autonomy to schools for
them to chart their destiny to grow in effectiveness continuously.

Factors that Contribute to School Effectiveness

Research findings point to the following factors that spell school effectiveness:

1. Human factors - These include a dynamic school head, highly selected competent and committed
teachers, highly motivated pupils with high expectations, and a supportive community.

2. Non- human factors, processes- These refer to clear and shared vision-mission (focus, high
expectations/ ambitious standards, emphasis on accountability, aligned curriculum, instruction and
assessment with state DepEd standards, efficiency or optimal utilization of resources and facilities,
collaboration and communication, focused professional development, and global and future orientation.

These factors are exemplified by high performing schools in the Philippines and abroad and by the best
education performing countries in the world.

In the Philippines, the practice of School-Based Management, gave greater autonomy to schools to
make decisions in collaboration with parents and community towards greater school effectiveness. The
SBM Assessment Tool is an instrument used to assess schools effectiveness and its use for accreditation
of schools is an assurance that effective practices get institutionalized to build the school's culture of
excellence. A copy of this SBM Assessment Tool is in Appendix A.
 The heart of all these elements, both human and non-human is the school head, the school leader. This
means that all these factors that contribute to school effectiveness come forth only with a dynamic and a
transformational school leader.

TAKEAWAYS

• SBM means school-based management. It is the empowerment of schools to direct their own affairs for
high performance.

• It involves the school he head leading his/ her teachers, students, parents and other members of the
community to address problems and concerns with the ultimate goal of improving school performance. It is
based on the principle of subsidiarity which states that it is those who are most involved at the lowest level
of the organization who can best solve their problems.

• The advantages of SBM include:

- Allows competent individuals in the schools to make decisions that will improve learning;

- Gives the entire school community a voice in key decisions;

- Practices focuses accountability for decisions;

- Demands greater creativity in the design of programs;

- Redirects resources to support the goals developed in each school,

- Leads to realistic budgeting as parents and teachers become more aware of the school's financial status,
spending limitations, and the cost of its programs;

- Improves morale of teachers and nurtures new leadership at all levels.

• Disadvantage of SBM

- Participatory decision-making needs time and may slow down process

• Demands of SBM

- Active and intelligent participation of stakeholders

- Democratic and transformative leadership of school head

- Support and openness of higher authorities to schools

• Roles of school head

- Visionary leader, planner, implementer, evaluator

- Fiscal resource manager

- Curriculum developer

CHAPTER 10

Creating a Positive School Culture

Introduction

School culture matters. This influences to a great extent how well students perform. School culture is a
creation of all the people in school and in the community especially that of the school heads. It can be
positive or negative. It can facilitate or adversely affect learning. A school community must therefore strive
to create a positive culture.

Activity- Let's Read These

Here are twelve norms of school culture where people and programs improve. Study them.

1.Collegiality 7. Appreciation, recognition

2. Experimentation 8. Caring, celebration, humor

 3. High Expectations 9. Involvement in decision making

4. Trust and confidence 10. Protection of what is important

5. Tangible support 11. Traditions

6. Reaching out to the knowledge 12. Honest, open communication

base

Source: www.ased.org/A SCD/pdfjournals/ed lead/el 198503 saphier.pdf

Read the following episodes then identify which norm of school culture is illustrated.

1. When high school students arrive for pre-calculus class, the know exactly what to expect. Projected on
the screen are clear instructions for the day's Success Starter. Everyone is expected to work on them
successfully.

2. You might not reach an answer today. You might not reach an answer tomorrow. Struggle is okay."
Students know that by the third day, they will be expected to present their understanding and problem-
solving strategy to the class.

3. 'You have a short memory,'she replies with a kind smile. You say this every time we tackle a problem.
Remember the last time you struggled and then overcame your confusion? Remember our norms that we
wrote together? One of them was a growth mindset. And remember that I am here for you."

4. I hear some students talking while someone is reciting. I don't think you will like that if you are the one
reciting. Can we agree on a rule? "Give me a rule." Student suggests. Let's keep quiet and listen when
someone is reciting. Raise your hand if you want to recite. Teacher asks, "can we keep this rule?"

5. Today you are going to compute your scores for class standing - written quizzes, seatwork, performance
test, homework. These were all corrected and returned to you.When you are done, compare your total with
mine. Should there be discrepancy, be ready to show your corrected papers.

6. During the first week of school Barb teacher asks her sixth graders two questions: What questions do
you have about yourself?" and "What questions do you have about the world?" The students begin
enumerating their questions, "Can they be about silly, little things? asks one student. "If they're your
questions that you really want answered, they're neither silly nor little," replies the teacher. After the
students list their individual questions, teacher organizes the students into small groups where they share
lists and search for questions they have in common. After much discussion each group comes up with a
priority list of questions, rank-ordering the questions about themselves and those about the world. Back
together in a whole group session, teacher solicits the groups priorities and works toward consensus for
the class's combined lists of questions. These questions become the basis for guiding the curriculum in
class. One question, "Will I live to be 100 years old?" spawned educational investigations into genetics,
family and oral history, actuarial science, statistics and probability, heart disease, cancer, and
hypertension. The students had the opportunity to seek out information from family members, friends,
experts in various fields, on-line computer services, and books, as well as from the teacher. She describes
what they had to do as becoming part of a learning community." According teacher, "We decide what are
the most compelling intellectual issues, devise ways to investigate those issues.
(https://www.nap.edu/read/9853/chapter/11#156)-Consensus Study Report National Research Council.
2000. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Expanded Eaition.Washington, DC: The
National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/9853.

7. The sense of community is strong, even palpable. But this sense didn't just spring ful-blown from
being a group of people occupying the same place at the same time. It was built upon many small and
specific moments of learning the same verses to songs and sharing traditions, memories of times together
and stories often-told...

Some of our traditions are once a year events; some happen every week or even every day. They give us
ways to greet each other, to learn about each other, to sing and celebrate and say goodbye. These events
mark our comings and our goings and affirm our common interests in the time we spend together.

8. Because they treasure, health, sanitation and self-discipline, St. Bernadette Catholic School includes
the following in their Canteen Policies.
 9. The teacher wrote, "nice job" on my sketch of an orange. I knew very well that my smudged mess of
an orange wasn't a nice job. It wasn't even a decent representation of any fruit known to man. I would have
benefited by her telling me one thing I could do to make it better. Maybe something like "We are learning
about perspective.Try adding a shadow behind your sketch." Her "nice job" told me little about how to
improve. Knowing I received undeserved praise lessens the impact or praise when it is truly earned.

(Source.nttp:/inservice.as.cd.org/six-tips-for-creating-a-positive-learning-environment-in-your-classroom)

10. Teacher Paz remarks: "I like to attend that CPD seminar. I like to hone my teaching skills and update
my PCK (pedagogical content knowledge)...

11. Good teaching is honored in this school.

12. My school head protects my academic time. She keeps meeting time to the minimum.

Abstraction Let's Conceptualize

Eleven (11) vignettes in the first part of this Chapter give a concrete picture of a positive school culture.

Vignette Norm of School Culture Illustrated

1 High expectation

2 Honest and open communication

3 Tangible support; caring; celebration; humor

4 Involved of decision making; protection of what is important

5 Trust and confidence traditions

6a Collegiality; honest, open communication

6b Collegiality; experimentation; reaching out to the knowledge bases; appreciation,

recognition

7 Collegiality; traditions

8 Tangible support; protection of what is important; tradition

10 Reaching out to the knowledge base

11 Appreciation and recognition

12 Protection of what is important

Item # 9 does not illustrate positive culture, specifically honest and open communication.

After having read the vignettes, by this time you have an idea on what school culture is. All of the
vignettes are manifestations of school culture.

The Meaning of School Culture

School culture is one of the most complex and important concepts in education (Schein, 1985). It
generally refers to the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes and written and unwritten rules that
shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions (https://www.edglossary.org.school-culture).
However, the term also encompasses more concrete issues such as the physical and emotional safety of
students, the orderliness of classrooms and public spaces or degree to which a school embraces racial,
ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity.

According to Spacey (http://simplicablel/new/schoolJohn, Nov. 23, 2017), school culture consists of the
norms and shared experiences that evolve over school's history. In fact, Scott and Marzano (2014) state
that "school culture is reinforced by norms, expectations and traditions, including everything from dress
codes to discipline systems to celebrations of achievement. Therefore, it may be described as the
character of a school that gives a school qualities beyond its structures, resources and practices. They are
"built through the everyday business of school life. It is the way business is handled that both forms and
reflects the culture." (Sophier, J. 1985)
Culture as a Social Construct

Culture is a social construct not a genetic construct. This means that school culture is, therefore,
something that we do not inherit or pass on through the genes. Rather, it is something that we create and
shape. It is shaped by everything that all people in school see, hear, feel and interact with. It is a creation of
the school head, teachers, parents, non-teaching staff students and community. Sean Slade (2014)
elaborates:

Within a couple of minutes of walking into a school or a classroom, you can tell, define almost taste the
culture that permeates that space. Is it an open, sharing environment? Or is it a rigid, discipline defined
playing field? It is safe and welcoming, or intimidating and confronting? Does it welcome all voices, or does
it make you want to shrink? Is it waiting for instruction and leadership or is it self-directed with a common
purpose?

School Climate and School Culture

How does school climate differ from culture? These terms are frequently used interchangeably but
school climate is relational; it is illustrated by the attitudes and behaviors of the school staff and is focused
on the style of the school's organizational system. School climate refers to the school's effects on students,
including teaching practices, diversity and the relationships among administrators, teachers, parents and
students. School climate is driven by and reflected in daily interactions of staff, administration, faculty,
students support staff and the outside community. (https:// www/slideshare.net/module)

School culture is a deeper level of reflection of shared values, beliefs, and traditions between staff
members. School culture refers to the way teachers and other staff members work together and the set of
beliefs, values and assumptions they share. (www.ascd.org./research). School culture is a broader term
and so is inclusive of school climate.

The Role of School Culture in Learning

School culture matters. Research confirms the central role of culture to school success. School culture
can be positive or negative or toxic. A positive school culture fosters improvement, collaborative decision
making, professional development and staff and student learning. A negative culture fosters the opposite.

Elements of a Positive Culture

As given in the Activity phase of this Lesson a positive school climate is characterized by the following:

1. Collegiality - The school atmosphere is friendly. You work in an atmosphere where responsibility and
authority are shared by everyone. You can be yourself. You nave not to put your best forward to impress
others. The school head does not throw his/her weight. He/she does not make his/her authority felt by
his/her colleagues.

2. Experimentation- The atmosphere encourages experimentation and so will welcome mistakes as part of
the learning process. No student, no teacher gets punished for a mistake. Mistakes are not intended. They
give a lot of lesson. Referring to his 10,000 failed

attempts then he was experimenting in the light bulb, Edison said: "I have not failed. I've just found l0,000
ways that won't work."

3. High expectations - It has been said one's level of achievement is always lower than one's level that
aspiration. So set high expectations for high achievement. Two problems arise here.Robert J. Marzano
warns us:

First, expectations are subtle and difficult to change. Teachers may be unaware that they have low
expectations for some students; even when they become aware, they may have difficulty changing their
expectations because their beliefs and biases have developed over the years.

Second, what actually communicates expectations to students is teacher behavior. If teachers

consciously work to change their biases but don't change their behavior toward those students from whom
they have tended to expect less, their change of attitude will have little effect on student achievement.

4. Trust and confidence - Students, teachers, school heads and parents relate well and work well when
relationships are solidly built on trust and confidence. In fact, honest and open communication (# 12 in this
list ) is possible only when there is trust and confidence in each other in the school community. I can share
my inner thoughts only when I am confident that I do not get ostracized when I do.
 5. Tangible support - Everyone in the school community gets concrete support for the good that they do.
Support comes in not just in words but in action. School head sees to it that LCDs in the classrooms are
functioning.

6. Reaching out to the knowledge base - Teachers care to grow professionally to update themselves on
content knowledge and pedagogy, the first domain in the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers.

7. Appreciation and recognition - Certainly words of appreciation and recognition make classroom climate
highly favorable. A reminder to teachers:You are not made less when you praise others. Instead, you
become magnanimous. So don't be stingy with your sincere praise. The problem sometimes is our eyes
are so quick to see the negative and so we despise them immediately but our eyes are blinded to the good
and so we overlook them and fail to appreciate.

8. Caring, celebration, humor - Kids don't care what you know until they know that you care. They don't
listen to teacher when teacher doesn't care. It may be good to remind teachers that many of students,
especially those who struggle, don't receive nearly enough positive feedback in the classroom or in their
personal lives.

"When kids are taught with a proactive, praise-heavy approach, they tend to do better," says Erin Green
of Boys Town. But be specific. Generic, overly generalized comments such as "Good job!" don't really help.
Complimenting a specific behavior ("Thanks for showing respect to our visiting guest"), on the other hand,
reinforces that c particular behavior.

9. Involvement in decision making involving others who are concerned with decisions to be made enhances
sense of ownership. They also feel important.

10. Protection of what is important- What schools consider important must form part of their tradition and so
must be protected by all means. In the Activity above, mention was made on School Canteen Policies that
include "no soft drinks, no chocolate etc." and CLAYGO because the school considers nutrition and health
and cleanliness as important.

11. Traditions A school must have an intentional culture-based program on shared values, beliefs, and
behaviors. This strengthens sense of community. A truly positive school culture is not characterized simply
by the absence of gangs, violence or discipline problems but also by the presence of a set of norms and
values that focus school community's attention on what is most important and motivate them to work hard
toward a common purpose.

12. Honest and open communication - No one gets ostracized for speaking up his mind. The atmosphere is
such that everyone is encouraged to speak his mind without fear of being ostracized. The agreement at
every discussion is "agree to disagree.

Shared Norms: Teacher and Student Norms

Shared norms for both teachers and students contribute to a positive school culture. Boss and Larmer
(2018) share teacher norm and student norms to contribute to a fair and an engaging learning environment,
a characteristic of a positive school culture. They check on the following norms each week.

Table 6.

Teacher Norms Student Norms

1. Teach in different ways. 1.Have a growth mindset.

2. Call students by their names. a. Believe you can improve.

3. Care about students' feelings. b. Fail forward.

a. Understand their situation. c. Keep trying.

4. Have a good attitude. d. Speak positively about your abilities to learn.

a. Stay calm. 2. Call classmates by their names.

b. Use kind words. 3. Be responsible for your work.

c. Have patience. a. Have materials ready.

d. Greet students and say good-bye. b.Advocate for yourself.

5. Help students understand. c. Be a professional.

a. Work at a reasonable pace. d. Meet deadlines.

 b.Explain clearly e. Participate.

c. Support different learning styles. f. Be on time to class.

d. Expect the best. 4. Listen...

e. Re-explain if necessary a.to the teacher

6. Attend School the majority of the time. b. to your classmates.

7. Be respectful. c. to guests.

a. Give everyone what they need. d. to the directions.

b. Use proper language. 5. Attend school the majority of the time.

c. Allow space if needed. 6. Be a good team player.

d. Use supportive words when explaining a. Provide good, helpful feedback

e. Call by your name. b. Stay calm.

8. Have a growth mindset. c. Encourage others.

d. Stay on topic.

e. Be considerate.

f. Use proper language.

9.Communicate clearly to students and teacher(s)

(Source: Suzie Boss, John Larmer and Foreword by Bob Lenz, (2018) Project based teaching: how to
create rigorous and engaging learning experiences.)

TAKEAWAYS

• School culture is the character of a school that gives the school qualities beyond its structure, resources
and practices. It is created by all the people in the school. It is not inherited and so is not passed on
through the genes.

• School culture includes school climate and so school culture is broader than school climate. School
climate is relational while school culture is a deeper level of reflection of shared values, beliefs and
traditions.

• Undoubtedly, school culture affects learning and so schools must, by all means, build positive not toxic
school culture.

CHAPTER 11

School Policies and Their Functions

Introduction

Schools are institutions motivated by a shared vision. Necessarily, schools must have policies for them
to realize their vision and mission. These policies are a reflection of the values of the people who created
them. Whatever policies are formulated must redound to the improved teaching-learning of learners which
is the very reason of the existence of schools. In this Chapter, we will focus on school policies that govern
school and community partnership.

A learner who incurs absences of more than 20% of the prescribed number of cass or laboratory
periods during the school year or semester should be given a failing grade and not earn credits for the
learning area or subject. Furthermore, the school head may, at his/her discretion and in the individual case,
exempt a learner who exceeds the 20% limit for reasons considered valid and acceptable to the school.
The discretionary authority is vested in the school head and may not be availed of by a student or granted
by a faculty member without the consent of the school head.... (DepEd Order 8, s. 2015)

Habitual tardiness, especially during the first period in the morning and in the afternoon, is discouraged.
Teachers shall inform the parents/ guardians through a meeting if a learner has incurred 5 consecutive
days of tardiness.
3. For All Students

• Read this excerpt of DepEd Order 54, s. 2009. Activities. All PTA activities within the school premises
or which involve the school, its personnel or students shall be with prior consultation and approval of the
School Head.

Financial Matters. Such collections shall be made by the PTA subject to the following conditions: If
collection of the School Publications Fee, Supreme Student Government (SSG) Developmental Fund and
other club membership fees and contributions is coursed through the PTA as requested by the concerned
organization, the amount collected shall be remitted immediately to the school, SSG or other student
organizations concerned on the day it was collected. The pertinent organization shall deposit the funds with
a reputable bank on the next banking day under the organization's account. No service fee shall be
charged against any student organization by the PTA.

Non-compliance or any violation of the aforementioned conditions shall be a ground for the cancellation
of the PTA's recognition and/ or the filing of appropriate charges as the case may be.

1. Policy on Collection of Contributions

Cognizant of the need of an organization for adequate funds to sustain its operations, a duly recognized
PTA may collect voluntary financial contributions from members and outside sources to enable it to fund
and sustain its operation and the implementation of its programs and projects exclusively for the benefit of
the students' and the school where it operates. The PTA's programs and projects shall be in line with the
School Improvement Plan (SIP).

The contributions should be a reasonable amount as may be determined by the PTA Board of Directors;

Non-payment of the contributions by the parent-member shall not be a basis for non-admission or non-
issuance of clearance(s) to the child by the school concerned;

The contributions shall be collected by the PTA Treasurer on a per parent-member basis regardless of
the number of their children in school;

No collection of PTA contributions shall be done during the enrollment period; and

No teacher or any school personnel shall be involved in such collection activities.

Safekeeping of Funds All collections of contributions or proceeds of fundraising activities shall be

deposited in a reputable banking institution as determined by the Board of Directors. The PTA's Treasurer
or a duly authorized representative shall undertake the collection and shall issue official receipts/
acknowledgement receipts. In no case shall any school official or personnel be entrusted with the
safekeeping and disbursement of collections made by the PTA. All disbursements of funds shall be in
accordance with generally accepted accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

PTAs are prohibited from:

Interfering the academic and administrative management and operations of the school, and of the
DepED, in general;

Engaging in any partisan political activity within school premises;

Operating a canteen school supplies store, or being a concessionaire thereof inside the school or
nearby premises, or offering these services to the school as its client either directly or indirectly;

Selling insurance, pre-needplans or similar schemes or program to students and/ or their parents; and

Such other acts or circumstances analogous to the foregoing.

PTA Officers and members of the Board of Directors are prohibited from collecting salaries, honoraria,
emoluments or other forms of compensation from any of the funds collected or received by the PTA.

PTAs shall have no right to disburse, or charge any fees as service fees or percentages against the
amount collected pertinent to the School Publication Fee, Supreme Student Government (SSG)
Developmental Fund and other club membership fees and contributions.

In no case shall a PTA or any of its officers or members of the Board of Directors call upon students and
teachers for purposes or investigation or disciplinary action.

The recognition of any PTA shall be cancelled by the Division PTA Affairs Committee upon the
recommendation of the School Head concerned for any violation of the above-mentioned prohibited
activities and these Guidelines. Thereafter, the School Head may call for a special election to replace the
Board of Directors of the PTA whose recognition was cancelled. Criminal, civil and/or administrative actions
may be taken against any member or officer of the Board of the PTA who may appear responsible for
failure to submit the necessary annual financial statements or for failure to account the funds of the PTA.

Abstraction - Let's Conceptualize

Importance of Policies

Schools in partnership with their community have their own picture of what they want to be (vision
statement) and so must offer services and must do what they are supposed to do (mission statement) in
order to realize what they envisioned themselves to be. For these to happen, policies must be in place.
Observance of these policies ensures everyone in the school community to tow the line. If conditions are
ideal like when all members of the school community are perfect-school heads, teachers, students,
parents, non-teaching personnel and other members of the outside community- there may be no need for a
policy. The truth is conditions in the school community and in this world are far from ideal and persons that
make the school community are far from perfect and so the need for policies.

One may wonder as to why the Department of Education has issued very stringent policies and
guidelines for PTAs in matters of collecting contributions. Even engaging in any partisan political activity
within school premises is written as one prohibited activity. There must a history to that. Perhaps
malversation of funds and other forms of abuse happened in the past.

Schools' policy on the grading system is important for everyone concerned to know how grades are
computed. Both students and parents know how grades are derived objectively. Percentage weights for
each component are clear.

Teachers are guided in their assessment practices. The grading policy ensures objective assessment
practice. Without the grading policy, grading may become highly subjective.

Similarly, if there are no policies on students tardiness and absenteeism, students may just come in late
or absent. The policies on students' tardiness and absenteeism certainly will curb tardiness and
absenteeism to ensure learning.

Effective Policy Formulation and Implementation in a School Community Partnership.

The policies on grading, student tardiness an absenteeism came from above, DepEd Central office. At
times there is need for policies from above. But policies do not need to come from above all the time.

There are times when a school formulates a policy to address a local problem. In fact, this is how it
should be in a school-community partnership. ldeally, a policy must not be formulated by the school head
by himself/herself. The school head must lead in the policy formulation process. The word "lead" implies
that an effective policy formulation process must be participatory. This means that it is best that the rest of
the school and community be involved. Two good heads are better than one. Besides participation of
school and community develops a sense of ownership of such formulated policy which ensures a more
effective implementation. This is school empowerment in action. Aside from involving the school and
community in policy formulation, a school head must ensure wide dissemination and correct and clear
understanding of the policy.

The problem in school is malnutrition. Many kids are sleepy, malnourished and are underperforming.
This

TAKEAWAYS

• Policies are intended to ensure that schools perform and they have envisioned for themselves.

• There are policies that come from authorities above the school since the school is a member of a bigger
organization or system.

• But schools are also empowered to formulate their own

• policies to address their concerns speedily provided they are not contrary to policies that come from
above.

• School policies are effective when they are formulated with the participation of the members of the school
an community as this develops sense of ownership which ensures implementation of the family.

• Policies must also be widely disseminated for the information of the entire system- school and
community- and must be understood correctly and clearly.

• Policies set order in schools. The absence of clear-cut policies may court chaos.

CHAPTER 12

Roles and Competencies of School Heads

Introduction

As stipulated in Chapter 1, Section 5, E of RA 9155 the school head is an administrative and an

instructional leader. Because the main function of school is students' learning, the school head must spend
more time as an instructional leader. As an instructional leader, he/she supervises instruction by observing
teachers while they teach, conducting post-observation conferences with individual teachers, mentoring
and coaching them, ensuring that teachers have the needed resources for teaching. While physical
improvement and fund sourcing - the concerns of administrative leadership - help improve schools, the
more important concern is improvement of instruction as this has a direct bearing on learning. More often
than not, however, school heads spend more time soliciting funds for a flagpole, a stage, a classroom,
pathwalk, waiting shed, etc. leaving no time left for instructional supervision.

Abstraction Let's Conceptualize

Competencies for School Heads: The NCBSSH

In the list of competencies expected of school heads, there are competencies for both instructional
leadership and administrative leadership. Let's take a look at the competencies expected of school heads
as contained in the National Competency-Based Standards for School Heads (NCBSSH) issued in DepEd
Order 32, s. 2010 on April 16, 2010.
Figure 2. The National Competency- Based Standards for School Heads (Inclosure to DepEd Order No.32,
s.2010)

Table 8. The National Competency- Based Standards for School Heads

Domains and Competency Strands

DOMAINS Competency Stands

Domain 1 1.A Developing & Communicating Vision, Mission,

Goals, and Objectives ( VMGO)
School Leadership
1.B. Data-based Strategic Planning

1.C. Problem Solving

1.D. Building High Performance Teams

1.E. Coordinating with others

1.F. Leading & Managing Change

Domain 2 2.A. Assessment for Learning

Instructional Leadership 2.B. Developing Programs &/or Adapting Existing

Programs

2.C. Implementing Programs for Instructional

Improvement

2.D. Instructional Supervision

Domain 3 3.A. Setting high social & academic expectations

Creating a student Centered Learning Climate 3.B. Creating school environments focussed on the
needs of the learner

Domain 4 4.A. Creating a Professional Learning Community

HR Management and Professional 4.B. Recruitment & Hiring

Development
4.C. Managing Performance of Teachers and Staff

Domain 5 5.A. Parental Involvement

Parent Involvement and Community 5.B. External Community Partnership

Partnership

Domain 6 6.A. Managing School Operations

School Management and Operations 6.B. Fiscal Management

6.C. Use of Technology in the Management of

Operations

Domain 7 7.A. Professionalism

Personal and Professional Attributes and 7.B. Communication

Interpersonal Development
7.C. Interpersonal Sensitivity

7.D. Fairness, Honesty and Integrity

Study Figure 2 side by side with the Table 7 on domains and strands. Notice that there are competencies
expected of school heads as instructional leaders and as administrative leaders. Focused on instructional
leadership are Domain 2, which is instructional leadership itself and Domain 3, creating a student-centered
learning climate which is part of instructional leadership. Related to administrative leadership are Domain
1, school leadership; Domain 6, school management and operations; and Domain 4, human resource
management and professional development; Domain 5, parent involvement and community partnership.
Domain 7, personal and professional attributes and interpersonal effectiveness can relate to both
instructional leadership and administrative leadership since this has something to do a teacher's person-
hood which cannot detach from what a teacher says and does.

Competency Framework for Southeast Asian School Heads, 2014 Edition

As a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), let's also take a look at the
competencies of school heads for Southeast Asia.

Figure 3. Competency Framework for Southeast Asian school Heads, 2014

 Ed Study Figure 3 and the Table 8 below:

Table 9. Competency Framework for Southeast Asian School Heads

Domain: Stakeholder Engagement (SE)

1. (SE) Promoting a shared responsibility 1.1. Build trust and lead tes/ communities for school
for school improvement improvement

1.2. Empower the community to work for enhancement

of school performance

2. (SE) Managing education alliances and 2.1. Communicate effectively with different stakeholders
networks
2.2. Facilitate school community partnerships and
activities

2.3. Promote consensus-building

2.4. Manage conflict and practice negotiation skills

3. (SE) Sustaining collaborative 3.1. Support community+based programs and projects

relationships with stakeholders
3.2. Communicate school performance report to
stakeholders

4. (ML) Managing school resources and 4.1. Manage financial resources

systems
4.2. Manage learning environments

4.3. Manage systems and procedures

5. (ML) Managing staff Performance 5.1. Manage school personnel requirements

5.2. Support professional development of staff

5.3. Recognize staff performance

6. (ML) Managing sustainable school 6.1. Demonstrate program and project management
programs and projects skills

6.2. Promote school-based programs and projects that

 support sustainable development

Domain: Instructional Leadership (IL)

1. (IL) Leading curriculum implementation and 1.1. Manage curriculum implementation

improvement
1.2. Promote sensitivity of diversity and
differentiated instruction

2. (IL) Creating a learner centered environment 2.1. Promote learner centered activities

2.2. Promote sensitivity of diversity and

differentiated instruction

2.3. Promote a culture of peace and respect for

diversity

3. (IL) Supervising and evaluating teachers' 3.1. Apply appropriate models for supervision and
performance evaluation

3.2. Nurture teacher leaders

4. (IL) Delivering planned learning outcome 4.1. Promote team-based approaches to

instructional leadership

4.2. Manage assessments to improve teaching and

learning

Domain: Personal Excellence (PE)

1. (PE) Managing personal effectiveness 1.1. Lead by example

1.2. Demonstrate transparency and

accountability

1.3. Practice q balanced healthy lifestyle

1.4. Take pride in one's profession

1.5. Deliver results

2. (PE) Acting on challenges amd possibilities 2.1. Manage priorities

2.2. Exhibit decisiveness in addressing

challenges

2.3. Exhibit an enterprising attitude

3. ( PE) Pursuing continuous professional 3.1. Take responsibility for lifelong learners
development
3.2. Advocate ASEAN values and perspectives

Domain: Stakeholder Engagement (SE)

1. (SE) Promoting shared responsibility 1.1. Build trust and lead teams / communities for school
for school improvement improvement

1.2. Empower the community to work for enhancement

of school performance

2. (SE) Managing education alliances and 2.1. Communicate effectively with different
networks stakeholders

2.2. Facilitate school community partnership and

activities

2.3. Promote consensus-building

 2.4. Manage conflict and practice negotiation skills

3. (SE) Sustaining collaborative 3.1. Support community-based programs and projects

relationships with stakeholders
3.2. Communicate school performance report to
stakeholders

4. (ML) Managing school resources and 4.1. Manage financial resources

systems
4.2. Manage learning environments

4.3. Manage systems and procedures

5. (ML) Managing staff performance 5.1. Mange school personnel requirements

5.2. Support professional development of staff

5.3. Recognize staff performance

6. (ML) Managing sustainable school and 6.1. Demonstrate program and project management
projects skills

6.2. Promote school-based programs amd projects that

support sustainable development

Domains and Competencies for School Heads in Southeast Asia

Instructional Leadership

Like the NCBSSH for Philippines, the competency framework for Southeast Asian school heads also
include domains for instructional leadership and administrative leadership. The domain on Instructional
Leaders hip encompasses 4 competencies: 1) leading curriculum implementation and improvement; 2)
creating a learner centered environment: 3) supervising and evaluating teachers' performance; and 4)
delivering planned learning outcomes

Administrative Leadership

This includes strategic thinking and innovation (Domain 1), stakeholders engagement (Domain 4) and
managerial leadership (Domain 5). For the enabling competencies for each domain, refer to the Table
above.

Personal excellence, another Domain (Domain 3), relates to both instructional and administrative
leadership. Whatever personal improvement school heads have on their personal effectiveness by
pursuing continuous professional development redounds to improved administrative and instructional
leadership.

School Head and the Community

Like a refrain in a song, the idea that the school and community are partners in the education of the
child has been said repeatedly in this book. Rightly so, to be faithful to the descriptive title of this course,
The Teacher and the Community, School Culture and Organizational Leadership. In fact, in this book, a
separate Chapter was devoted to school and community partnership to emphasize this significant role of
teachers and school heads in relation to communities. In the NCBSSH, several strands and indicators point
to this school and community partnership. The strands are as follows:

involves internal and external stakeholders in formulating and achieving school vision, mission, goals
and objectives (Domain 1A)

• explains the school vision to the general public (Domain 1A)

• aligns the School Improvement Plan/Annual Improvement Plan with national, regional and local education
policies and thrusts (Domain1 B)

• communicates effectively SIP/AIP to internal and external stakeholders (Domain 1B)

 • involves stakeholders in meetings and deliberations for decision- making (Domain 1D) provides feedback
and updates to stakeholders on the status of progress and completion of programs and projects creates
and manages a school process to ensure student progress is conveyed to students and parents/guardians,
regularly (Domain 2 C)

• recognizes high performing learners and teachers and supportive parents and other stakeholders
(Domain 3 A)

• prepares financial reports and submits/ communicates the same to higher education authorities and other
education partners (Domain 6 B)

• maintains harmonious and pleasant personal and official relations with superiors, colleagues,
subordinates, learners, parents and other stakeholders (Domain7 A)

• listens to stakeholders' needs and concerns and responds appropriately in consideration of the political,
social, legal and cultural context

In the Southeast Asian Competency Framework, the following competencies strengthen school and
community partnership. 1) promoting shared responsibility for school improvement; 2) managing education
alliances and networks and 3) sustaining collaborative relationships with stakeholders.

TAKEAWAYS

• A school head is an administrative leader and an instructional leader.

• School heads tend to spend less time for instructional leadership compared to time devoted to
administrative leadership. An effective school head gives emphasis on school leadership since good
teaching and effective teachers are the most important factors in improved school performance.

• The National Competency-Based Standards for School Heads (NCBSSH) and the Southeast Asian
Competency Framework for School Heads list the competencies expected of effective school heads.