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Applying Leadership Theories

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Applying Leadership Theories
Peter Rosato
Grand Canyon University: EDA – 575
January 29, 2014

Applying Leadership Theories

The subject of my research for the duration of this course will be the school I have taught in for sixteen years. Once one of the most successful middle level schools in the Boulder Valley School District, Centennial has undergone some significant demographic and programming changes over the last six years which have dramatically challenged the administration and staff and lead to a measurable lowering of academic and behavioral standards, as well as overall student success. Many current leadership theories, as well as those which have evolved over a long period of time, offer a glimpse into the cause of the decline in both student achievement and lowered morale among long time staff members. This is further complicated by the fact that the principal is markedly old school in management style while the assistant principal, the fourth to work with this principal, is well versed in, and embraces more current leadership styles. The dichotomy that currently exists can best be expressed as leadership versus management. While the existence of these two different ideologies could be complimentary, the autocratic, transactional style of the principal does not allow for equal participation by the assistant principal. The principal is a top notch manager who handles day to day operational aspects of the school with ease and fluidity, but has for the majority of her tenure employed a highly directive style of leadership and has been resistant to the growing trend towards the more collaborative, shared decision making model the school district has begun to advocate. In contrast, the assistant principal is a visionary leader who clearly prefers a mix of situational and transformational styles

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