Every school leader knows they should have a school vision. The vision sets the stage, articulates the goals, and keeps people on track – at least that is what it’s supposed to do. But the truth is that most school visions tend to be idealistic words on paper more often than being a tangible approach that is apparent through the daily decisions and actions of those implementing the vision. And while some schools can set their vision into motion, others find it difficult to articulate and implement.
If this is your school, you aren’t alone. This is a common occurrence and one that can be remedied with a few adjustments. First, let’s look at why implementing a school vision is such a challenge.
The Challenge Behind School Visions
The obvious challenge with school visions is that it’s difficult to implement a school vision that hasn’t been created. Not every school has had the opportunity or been able to prioritize the time and energy required to create a vision. Schools with high leadership attrition will find themselves in a constant churn of first-year principals who don’t know what they don’t know. They can’t be expected to create a vision for a school when they don’t know where they’re at and where they’re going.
Two, many school visions are simply a replicate of the district vision, which may not feel relevant or relatable to teams at the site level. School visions that are created at the district level can feel impersonal because they often use language that applies to every school. In an attempt to speak to everyone, the vision speaks to no one.
Three, a lackluster or ever-changing vision may lead principals and staff to question the value of creating and committing to a vision. Visions that are generic or chronically change priorities lose their impact. People don’t honor or respect visions that aren’t compelling and consistent. They lose their meaning in the shuffle of shifting priorities and overused lingo.
How to Create a Compelling School Vision
A school vision is what bridges the gap from where your school is currently performing to where you want your school to be performing. Your vision is your theory of what you believe will move your school forward and includes the approach you believe will create those desired outcomes. Your vision is also the experience you want people on your campus to have. It entails how you want people to think and feel as a result of being a member of your school community. It’s the way you conduct business at your site on a daily basis.
Your school vision is a road map. There are several ways to arrive at the vision, and your job is to simply choose which path you believe will get your school moving forward the fastest and easiest.
STEP ONE: CREATE
The first step is to create a school vision based on your leadership values. To do this, you must know what you most value as a school leader. This is not what the district values or what your boss values. This is an exercise in what YOU value professionally and personally. You will be far less likely to maintain a school vision that is not in alignment with what you value. When you create a vision that is in alignment with what you believe in and value, the vision becomes compelling. To clarify your leadership values, you can explore these questions:
- What matters to you most?
- What do you believe creates progress as a leader?
- What values do you cherish above all others?
- How do you see these values being implemented at your site?
STEP TWO: ASSESS
Assess where your school is now and determine where you want it to be. Decide what information you’ll use to make this determination. (PS – you don’t have to only use academic data. You can use whatever data matters to you. I invite clients to consider how they feel as a data point. Asking yourself, “How do I feel now and how do I want to feel?” is a highly effective measurement of progress.)
Other questions to consider:
- Where is your school today in relation to your vision?
- Where do you want your school to be by the end of 1 year? 3 years?
- How will you know you’ve attained your vision? What will be in place?
- How will it feel to have attained this vision?
- What will be happening on a daily basis in your school?
STEP THREE: DETERMINE
Determine a theory (which I define as the ONE next best step) that you believe will move your school towards your vision. Base your theory on your leadership values to ensure it feels aligned and compelling for you. Doing so makes implementing the vision much easier. Then, determine what decisions, actions, and steps need to be mapped out for the year and identify the milestone measurements you’ll use. Be sure to include how you will celebrate success along the way! What’s the point of a compelling vision if the successes aren’t acknowledged and celebrated?
Results and Benefits
When you go through this simple three-step process, what you’ll create is a tangible, livable vision that allows you to be very concrete in your communication, expectations, and approach. Your vision plan helps you know what to measure and how to measure it. It gives you milestones to celebrate and keeps you on track, which means your vision’s success is inevitable. You can’t fail at moving your school forward if you have a vision you don’t quit on. Your job at leading your staff becomes easier because your vision is very clear. Articulating the vision to others becomes straightforward which means that people are more likely to understand the vision and its value, making the vision compelling.
Get the Support You Deserve
Being a school leader can be an isolating and lonely experience – especially when you’re new. If you are a school leader who wants practical solutions to every aspect of the school leadership journey, I invite you to check out The Empowered Principal® Podcast. As a former teacher, instructional coach, principal, and district administrator, I personally know how challenging school leadership can be and have developed dozens of highly effective tools and strategies to support fellow school leaders. I share my best tips every week on the podcast so that you can create exceptional results and enjoy the school leadership experience.
Guest Author: Angela Kelly Robeck, Host of The Empowered Principal Podcast
