Principals Identify Top Ten Leadership Traits

IT'S ALL ABOUT TRUST
誠信
The second most-frequently listed trait, and fourth in overall average, was that school leaders need to be trustworthy and straight with students and staff.
第二個榜上有名且高於其他特質的項目就是—領導者必須要讓學生及行政人員「值得信賴」

"A leader earns credibility and trust by being honest, by knowing how to do his or her job, and by telling the truth and being up-front with teachers, parents, and students," said Jim Jordan, principal at Buford (South Carolina) High School. Trust earns a high spot on Jordan's list because it "is earned by doing all of those other things -- establishing a vision, involving others, taking risks, learning from mistakes, refusing to lose, inspiring rather than coercing, compromising, and much more." "A relationship not based on integrity and trust is not worth anything," added Julie Askew, acting principal at Eltham Primary School in Melbourne, Australia. "A principal needs to be utterly reliable. You may be the only constant factor in a student's life."
一個領導者的信譽係透過瞭解自己的行政作為、誠信，以及永遠說真話建立起來的。
誠信於校長特質名單上名列第二名的原因係因其為建立於遠見、人際交往互動、冒險犯難、試誤學習、堅持、鼓舞人心、而非是強迫妥協而來的。
人與人間的關係若不是建立於誠信基礎上，是無效用的。

"If people -- staff members, students, parents, community members, central office employees, school board members -- don't believe you to be a person of integrity, it won't matter how well you communicate a vision, how visible you become, how hard you work to develop strong leaders and teachers," said Cyndi Patterson, principal at Alvin (Texas) Elementary School.
如果學校人員不信任校長是一個值得信賴的領導者，那不管校長如何對其溝通遠景、如何進行互動管理、如何進行領導都是無用的。

"My model of behavior starts with how I am with others," commented Sue Maguire, principal at Lake Louise Elementary School, in Lakewood, Washington. "Being trustworthy sets the standard for others to follow. Right relationships follow from the appropriate right start."
Sue Maguire表示：我的行為模式起始於我如何與人相處。必須以誠信待人，自然良好的互動關係就會隨之建立。

INCLUDE OTHERS IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
決策分享
It is clear from the survey results that a strong school leader must actively work to develop leadership skills in other people on the school staff.
從本研究可以發現一位強而有力的校長也是一位懂的發展學校人員領導技巧的校長

"All too often, we complain about the isolation we feel," principal Laura Crochet told Education World. "And sometimes we are isolated, but at times it is of our own making.
Laura Crochet校長表示：校長經常感到孤寂，不過這也是自己造成的

"Either through insecurity or fear, we think we must be the Big Principal. We forget that the operation of the school relies heavily on even the water boy carrying our vision throughout the entire system," added Crochet, of Genesis Alternative High School, in Houma, Louisiana. "If we rely on others to carry the message, then they must be part of the decision-making process. Once they own part of the decision-making process, then they shoulder some of the responsibility."
我們常常會陷入不安全感或是恐懼的陷阱，使我們逼迫自己成一位「大校長」，忘記了我們決策時常常依賴其他人給的訊息，因此必須意識到給予這些提供訊息的人員參與決策的機會，讓他們分享決策權力與責任

"There is a lot of pretense about shared leadership, the 'flat' organization, shared decision making, consultation, and collaboration," according to Graeme Askew, principal at Streeton Primary School, in Melbourne, Australia. "Many school leaders talk the talk yet still cling to the stick of autocracy and control.
有一個很大的幌子有關共享的領導下，扁平的組織，共同決策，協商和合作，但現在仍有"Many school leaders talk the talk yet still cling to the stick of autocracy and control.許多學校領導者仍堅持在堅持專制和控制。

Judy Burt, principal of Walton Ferry Elementary School, in Hendersonville, Tennessee, summed up the importance of including others. "Building leadership in others is very important," she said. "It is a reflection of trust in others, empowers others, and provides for a future for 'the vision.' It ensures that the vision will go on whether I am here to see it happen or not."

Judy Burt校長表示「建立校長領導在別人的領導上是非常重要的，"It is a reflection of trust in others, empowers others, and provides for a future for 'the vision.'這是一個反映人的信任，授權他人，並提供了未來'的願景。」

補充：十大學校領導特質
1. Has a stated vision for the school and a plan to achieve that vision.明確理想的遠景，並訂有實現這一目標的計劃
2. 可闡述　的目標和期望
3. 走動式管理　
4.  Is trustworthy and straight with students and staff.值得信賴
5.  協助Helps develop leadership skills in others.發展領導技能
6. Develops strong teachers; cultivates good teaching practice.培養教師良好的教學技巧。
7. 人員永不孤單　
8. Has a sense of humor.有幽默感
9.  Is a role model for students and staff.榜樣
10.Offers meaningful kindnesses and kudos to staff and students.善意、榮譽

文章分享：What Makes a High School Great?

這是一篇由2006年NEWSWEEK所發布的文章，主要目的是探討「何謂是一個成功的高中？」
網址：http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12532668/site/newsweek/


    對於家長、學生，以至於社會，什麼樣的高中教育是正確的，文中討論到A one-size-fits-all approach no longer works for everyone,  a more individualized experience is better. 因此特許學校(charter school)、磁力學校(magnet school)是近代教育對於一般中等學校教育的改革，使學生能夠得到更各殊化、更實用，甚至更符合現代公民社會素養的教育。這些新興的學校著眼於：素造學生公民社會素養(create good citizen)、培養學生文科教育(celebrate leberal arts)、培育工作職能素養(prepare for work)，使學生兼具人生的基本態度素質、知識，以及職能，課程也結合規劃有大學預校課程，讓學生能具備大學生的素養，但不需要一味追求大學文憑，所以使的這些學校可以成為NEWSWEEK評比下的卓越高中。


    這些早期大學(pre-college)的高中可使學生提早上軌道。 通過結合高中及大學課程，學生可在不增加學費的情況下，在不超過4-5年的時間內，學生可以既取得高中文憑也可得到副學士學位，這對於很多家庭背景是中等或中下階層的學生來說，是一大福音，因此文中提到一些成功的特許學校或磁力學校甚至是要抽籤才有機會入學就讀，可見其成立市有某程度的功效，這可對現代學校課程改革帶來某方面衝擊及反思。


   現今台灣社會一有一些體制外的學校，在台灣這一塊土地上，也有著一群「體制外的教育改革者」在從事所謂的另類教育的工作。如「森林小學」、「種籽親子實驗學苑」、「苗栗全人實驗學校」、「北市自主學習實驗計畫」、「雅歌小學」、「慈心學校」和「沙卡學校」等。其中種籽、全人標榜的是以「學生為中心」的教學，雅歌實驗是以「多元智能」理論為其特色，慈心是以「Waldorf Steiner之教育主張」為教學準則，沙卡則以「印度靈性教師Prabhat Rainjan Sarkar」的教育理念為依歸。呈現出各有各的特色、各有各的教育理想的多元現象。


    另類教育在台灣的推動，一路走來一直很辛苦，有從體制內打退堂鼓而退到體制外另外成立私立學校的，也有始終堅持走在體制內進行體制內教育的改革推動的，其其中最具代表性的莫過於「北市自主學習實驗計畫」的李雅卿女士，然而不管體制內或體制外的改革，他們都是有著自己教育理念，並將之付諸行動實行，這是相當不簡單的。在看過一篇訪談李雅卿女士的文章中，她表示目前台灣的另類教育的推動是「法制走在觀念的前端」，這句話在我看來，是依據非常值得省思的深沉語，這道出了社會的普遍不了解、不支持，甚至是誤解，也顯出了他們這群志士的不簡單。我想這或許是台灣人民在久經束縛下，已經習慣不去反思、辯證了，所以導致在束縛失去後不習慣、不能適應，無法在這自由的氣氛下「自我賦權」、「賦權他人」，不過幸好社會中總是有些走在社會觀念改革前端的人，藉由他們不斷的努力及後繼人的追步，相信社會會越來越好。