The School Administrator (May 2008)

Standing for Something on Bedrock Values

Arlene Ackerman will assume the job of CEO in Philadelphia in June.

By Arlene Ackerman

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I have read countless books about leadership. I've taught courses on leadership. I've heard people describe outstanding leaders using positive traits such as visionary, inspirational, articulate, charismatic and commanding. However, I have found the quintessential meaning of leadership embedded in these poignant words of Martin Luther King Jr.

Sooner or later, every superintendent encounters a difficult professional decision, a defining moment that cuts to the core of why effective leadership comes replete with challenge and controversy. Sooner or later, all leaders face a dilemma that demands an exception from personal standards or core beliefs they hold in trust.

It might be the necessary closing of a failing high school with deep roots in the community or a decision not to meet with union officials until there is a mutual agenda focusing on how to improve the district's lowest-performing schools. Whatever the issue, it is inevitable that a superintendent will confront situations where there is a conflict of rights -- real or perceived.

For a superintendent to navigate her or his way through the tumultuous episodes of difficult right-versus-right decisions, I believe it is necessary for the district leader to have core values and/or beliefs that anchor the superintendent's professional behavior. Many years of experience in leadership and decision making have helped me to clarify five core beliefs that guide and direct my actions as a superintendent:

• Children come first. Each decision is weighed against what is in the best interest of all the children.
• Parents are our partners. I must give to other people's children what I would want for my own.
• Victory is in the classroom. Improving student achievement is directly related to improving teaching and learning.
• Leadership and accountability are keys to our success. Every adult in the district plays a role in the success of students and should be held accountable for results.
• It takes the entire community to ensure the success of its public schools. The adults in the community are responsible for the academic, physical, social and emotional well-being of the children.

Marking Parameters

These core values are deeply held convictions that serve as buoy and beacon, clearly marking my limits of permissible behavior as a leader. They provide a clear demarcation for what I expect from others as well as myself. While these values guide me in the administration of complex organizations, such as an urban school district, there have been times when I have found that just doing the right thing can appear to be an overly simplistic answer to multifarious problems.

Consider the following two problematic cases and how they were resolved.

Problem No. 1:

A new fiscal methodology was being developed to allocate school district funds equitably in a formula based on individual student characteristics. In other words, money would follow students regardless of where they attended school in the district. As you might expect with equity issues, parents responded in the character of those who "have" and those who "have not."

Some vehemently opposed this new formula claiming it was "robbing Peter to pay Paul." Others strongly argued that the current system had shortchanged their school communities for decades.

As superintendent, I found myself in the middle of a right-versus-right situation. In conflict were my first and second core beliefs. Both sets of parents held the interests of their children at the heart of their arguments and their realities.

As a leader, I had an imperative to close the gap between the differing points of view and convince both sets of parents that the new funding formula about to be designed would be equitable and in their best interests.

The resolution:

I convened a 50-member task force, which included parents representing both sides. The committee spent months mulling over the financial data to determine student fiscal weights and base funding amounts that would encompass student and school diversity. In the end, reality shifted for both sets of parents, leading them to common ground. The new reality and argument for the entire school district was to assert that more money was needed to supplement the school district's budget because there simply wasn't enough money to provide all students with a high-quality education.

Problem No. 2:

A set of schools had been underperforming for many years. The district supported these schools with extra resources, additional professional development, as well as new school leadership. However, student achievement remained stagnant. Finally, a small delegation of parents, community activists and a consent decree court monitor demanded the district take more drastic action to improve academic achievement in these schools.

As superintendent, I was certainly aware of the lackluster achievement data and the questionable quality of the instructional programs in these underperforming schools. I also knew that transformational change that included moving school staff would spark a feud with the union that could potentially jeopardize my job and result in a forced departure. The stakes were high for the students and for me.

The resolution:

I asked myself one question: "What would I want the superintendent to do if my own children attended one of those schools?" The answer was crystal clear. I had to make dramatic change.

Initially, parents, school staff and community members toured outstanding schools in similar neighborhoods in other cities so they could see great teaching and learning. Next, we drew up a list of common characteristics that would be embedded in the new instructional programs.

Lastly, we conceived the concept of the first three "Dream Schools." We hired new staff. However, subsequent push-back from the union about the requirement to have all staff reapply for their jobs resulted in a firestorm that engulfed my administration for months. I resigned a year later.

Principled Acts

Was it worth it? A simple yes or no answer will not suffice. The decision to move forward with Dream Schools was a defining moment for me as a superintendent. The choice tested the strength of my commitment to give to other people's children what I would want for my own.

When all was said and done, I had to live with the outcome. In the end, I resolved the dilemma for the benefit of other people's children with my own children in mind. Although I was at peace with the outcome, the decision was a likely catalyst to events leading up to my departure from the school district.

No one ever said that being a leader would be easy. To know the right thing is far easier than to act on it. Without apology, I believe my core values are the bedrock of my professional practice as a superintendent and a decision maker.

Still, when critical episodes arise in my work, the unforgettable wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King and one important principle give me direction, purpose and moral courage: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Arlene Ackerman, the Christian A. Johnson professor and director of the Urban Education Leaders Program and the Superintendents Leadership Institute at Columbia University's Teachers College, will become chief executive officer of the Philadelphia Public Schools this summer.