I’m blogging all week from the High Schools New Face conference in Ellicottville, New York.
This morning we’re in the Leadership Strand with facilitators Bonnie Smith and Neil Rochelle. Bonnie and Neil are charged with the task of working with administrators and identified school leaders from Erie 1, Erie 2, Cattaraugus/Allegany, and Niagara Orleans BOCES. One of the primary goals for this strand is to help participants create a leadership vision so that participants feel empowered to return to their districts and carry out a plan for the future. In addition to the leadership cohort, leaders are involved in the other four strands also: Designing, Personalizing, Engaging, and Connecting.
Neil and Bonnie challenge the leadership cohort to answer questions which project the future, what will it be like in ten years? Who will be there? What will be important? How will it be different than it is today? What will be happening? What will we see more of, less of, and totally different? What will be happening? These questions are taken from the work of Giselle Martin Kniep and help leaders to define their work and their vision.
Leaders come from districts across Western New York, different schools and positions. I wonder if leaders will answer the questions envisioning something very different from today or if they’ll see things remaining the same. For example, one participant answered the question “who will be there?” with “students, of course”. I was left thinking. . . if schools remain the same will it be a given that students will be there? I’m not so sure.