**Senge, P., Hamilton, H., & Kania, J. (2015, Winter). The dawn of system leadership. Stanford Social Innovation Review. https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_dawn_of_system_leadership
The authors of this article argue that solving society’s most complex, interconnected problems require leaders that have a systemic, empathetic way of viewing the world. The piece describes the characteristics of what the authors call system leaders, which include a deep commitment to their cause, an ability to understand perspectives different than their own, and strength in relationship-building. The authors describe ways to become a system leader, which include re-directing attention from external problems to internal factors, creating strategies that are adaptable to change, and regular practice of their leadership skills.
Guest Author. (2021, May 4). Supporting district change through learner-centered leadership. Learner-Centered Collaborative. https://learnercentered.org/supporting-district-change-through-learner-centered-leadership/
This article describes what support districts can provide if their systems are in a time of change or uncertainty. First, the authors suggest that district leaders need to be clear on the system’s values. The authors chose student-centered learning as their primary value and use it as an example in the rest of the article. Next, districts should define what successful outcomes will look like, ideally in a wholistic way like a graduate profile (as opposed to narrow definitions focused only on achievement scores). Finally, districts need to create conditions for their schools to be focused on their values and desired outcomes. As districts undergo this process, the authors encourage district leaders to reframe obstacles as opportunities to change, focus on the process over the result, and allow for their staff to learn and make mistakes.
International Commission on the Futures of Education. (2021). Reimagining our futures together: A new social contract for education. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000379707.locale=en
For the purposes of the meeting, we ask that you read Chapter 5 on pages 79–90. Continuing from the premise laid out in the Executive Summary (shared in the section of readings call “The Future of Education”), this chapter proposes how the role of the teacher may change under a renewed social contract for education. The authors propose that the teaching profession needs to become far more collaborative than it currently is and what supports might be needed at each stage of a teacher’s career to prepare for the coming decades of unprecedented change. Finally, the authors call on the public at large to recast teaching as a highly professionalized, respected workforce and support policies that do so.
**This document is a priority reading.