What it means:
Establish leadership by ensuring the right people are on the team and clarifying the team’s vision, goals, roles, and process for collaborating to achieve excellence.
More Detail
Launching and leading includes planning, communicating, executing, and improving the following actions:
- Set team vision and goals
- Clarify team roles
- Organize team work process—how we work together
- Make team action plan and lead team to follow it
- Make schedules and agendas for collaboration
- Select the right people for each role
Tools—For Multi-Classroom Leaders & Other Instructional Teacher-Leaders
These tools can help multi-classroom leaders and other teacher-leaders as they launch and lead their instructional teams:
- Multi-Classroom Leader Action Planner (Word)—to see each season in its own document, click on the following links: Summer; Fall; Winter; Spring
- Priority Dashboard (Excel)—any school can use this tool to track success
- Organization Chart Template—Multi-Classroom Leader Teams (Word)
- Leading a Team (Word)—a one-page summary of all action areas
- Team Meeting Sample Agenda—Analyzing Student Work (Word)
- Team Meeting Sample Agenda—Data Analysis (Word)
- Education Leaders’ Summary Action List (Word)—a quick review of all action areas
- Instructional Excellence Summary (PDF)—the critical elements of instructional excellence in one page
- Teacher and Staff Selection Toolkit (Web)
- Evaluation Toolkit (Web)
Tools—For Principals & Multi-School Leaders
These tools can help principals and multi-school leaders as they launch and lead their teams:
- Goal Setting Worksheet (Word)—any school can adapt this planning tool
- Priority Dashboard (Excel)—any school can use this to plan and track success
- School Turnaround Plan (Word)—this tool keeps your plans linked in one place for sharing
- Principal Action Planner (Word)—to see each season in its own document, click on the following links: Summer; Fall; Winter; Spring
- Organizational Chart Template–Instructional Leadership and Teams (Word)
- School Roles and Responsibilities Chart (Word)
- Checklist for Principals Joining Opportunity Culture Schools (Word)
- Leading Across the Organization (Word)
- Leading a Team (Word)—a one-page summary of all action areas
- Education Leaders’ Summary Action List (Word)—a quick review of all action areas
- Communications Planner (Web)—with accompanying tools
- Recruitment Toolkit (Web)—action planner with accompanying tools
- Teacher and Staff Selection Toolkit (Web)
- Evaluation Toolkit (Web)
- Instructional Excellence Summary (PDF)—the critical elements of instructional excellence in one page
- Standing Agendas for Leading an Instructional Team of Leaders (Word)
- Multi-School Leader Schedule Specifications (Word)
Videos—For Multi-Classroom Leaders & Other Instructional Teacher-Leaders
Watch these short videos of educators discussing the elements of Launch and Lead, organized by action:
Set team vision and goals
Lead Team to Set Ambitious GoalsMCL Erin Williams on how to lead a teaching team to set high goals and see what students are truly capable of, leading to empowered students. | Focus on Students to Set Mutual VisionMCL Stacie Bunn discusses the importance of having a whole teaching team, not just the leader, collaboratively setting goals for students. |
Clarify team roles
Clarify Roles and Goals Before Year BeginsAs a teaching team leader, MCL Kristin Cubbage aims to begin to build relationships with team teachers well before school begins, and explain exactly what they can expect from her. | Leading When New to a SchoolMCL Erin Burns explains how she overcame the challenges of moving to a new school to lead a teaching team. |
Organize team work process
More videos coming soon!
Select the right people for each role
Ensure Willingness and Understanding of Working on MCL TeamKristin Cubbage on the importance of participating in interviews to ensure that teachers new to her team fully understand what it’s like to work with an MCL-led team. |
Videos—For Principals & Multi-School Leaders
Watch these short videos of educators discussing the elements of Launch and Lead, organized by action:
Set team vision and goals
Connect Opportunity Culture Workto Mission and VisionPrincipal Beth Thompson explains the importance of regularly reminding school staff of the “why” behind the work they do | Set Clear Expectations for Support to Reach GoalsPrincipal Jeremy Baugh discusses the need to set a vision immediately, backed up with support to reach ambitious goals. |
Clarify team roles
Take Time to Clarify and Adjust ExpectationsPrincipal Beth Thompson advocates spending time ensuring that everyone understands their leadership role and commits to it, and re-discuss if needs for the role change. |
Organize team work process
Create Common Structure for FeedbackPrincipal Rria Cruz-Soto explains the need for a common template to ensure equitable feedback. | Collaborate on the ProcessPrincipal Jigna Patel says simple steps, such as allowing the leadership team to set meeting agendas, helps ensure that all student needs are met. | Set Consistent Meeting ProtocolsFor teacher buy-in on schoolwide initiatives and processes, use consistent protocols for all types of meetings, Principal Rria Cruz-Soto says. |
Protect Multi-Classroom Leaders’ Time to LeadPrincipals must set the clear expectation that multi-classroom leaders (MCLs) will not get weighed down with extra duties, Principal Kelly Gwaltney says. | Set Consistent Time to Support Team LeadersPrincipal Meaghan Loftus talks about putting instructional excellence first in planning her weekly calendar, to keep school focused and set team expectations. | Create Process for Consistent CoachingTo focus on powerful instructional strategy improvements, create a consistent process that entire instructional team of leaders follows, Principal Erica Jordan-Thomas says. |
Select the right people for each role
Create a Transparent Hiring Process for Teacher Buy-InPrincipal Sarah Reeves explains her extensive hiring process that helps ensure a cohesive, committed staff from the start. | Select Staff Based on Solid VisionSet a clear vision for what teacher-leaders will do, and select carefully to fit the vision, Principal Janet Moss says | Choose Teacher-Leaders CarefullySuccess begins with careful selection of MCLs with a service attitude who can establish trust and lead adults well, Principal Janet Moss says. |
Use Behavioral Event Interview Technique for Strong HiringBehavioral event interviews help districts identify an educator’s patterns of behavior, strengthening the hiring process, Principal Donnell Cannon says. | Involving Students in Interview ProcessAt North Edgecombe High School, students participate in the hiring process to give more insight into teacher candidates, Principal Donnell Cannon says. | Hire Teachers to Match Student PopulationPrincipal Donnell Cannon shares the importance of hiring teachers of colors to improve the academic experiences of students of color. |
Discussion Questions
Use these discussion questions to help guide your team through the elements of Launch and Lead:
- Does your team have clear, common goals? If not, what needs to change?
- Is your role clear? Are team members’ roles clear? If not, what needs to change?
- Is it clear how your team will work together—who makes what decisions, when you will meet, what you will do together and independently? What needs to change for clarity?
- Do your team members have the right amount of time together, with the team leader and alone to plan well and make rapid improvements? If not, what needs to change?
- Make a brief action plan with specific goals, roles, and time by which you will make specific changes!
- Did your changes produce better learning results? If so, keep them. If not, think again about what other changes to make!
Study Guides
See these printable study guides with discussion questions and real examples from educators:
- For Multi-Classroom Leaders—Key Element of Leadership Excellence: Launch and Lead [pdf]
- For Principals—Key Element of Leadership Excellence: Launch and Lead [pdf]
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