1. School Leadership: From Performing Music to Making Music

2. Evolution of School Leadership
Manager
Overseeing instructional subordinates
Instructional Leader
Foreman
overseeing, trouble shooting, repairing malfunctions
Transformational/Transactional Leader
Leaders of Meaning

3. Leaders of Meaning Recognize the need for change
Creating new visions and commitments to visions
Concentration on long term goals
Inspires others to try and transcend their interests for organizational goals
New Metaphors for leadership are evident in music

4. Centrist Leadership In a traditional music program…
orchestra/band/chorus goal: the faithful reproduction of the music as written by the composer
conductor functions as the leader, responsible for any nuance and interpretation

5. Centrist Leadership
Thereby, the policy (score) is generated (composed) by the legislature (composers)
Principals (conductors) are expected to take the policy (score) and get the teachers (musicians) to perform faithfully
Once teachers receive the policy (score) they are expected to create mini orchestras (students) playing their parts carefully diligent to what the teacher (conductor) directs

6. New Leadership – The Jazz Combo
no de-facto leader; once started, each plays their own interpretation guided by a common melody
room for experimentation
leadership changes from player to player, depending where the melody is
group is held together through leadership, but not a single leader
each member brings unique expertise and if any musician fails to do their part adequately, the music is audibly impacted

7. What is School Leadership?
Leadership is best understood from an organizational perspective rather than a traditional centrist perspective derived from concern of positional authority

8. Schools with Strong Leadership
Strong sense of individual and group organizational efficacy
All members believe they can play well and pay well together as a group
A school culture that reflects the primacy of maintaining a strong teaching and learning environment
Though improvised, you can always hear the melody
A curriculum heavily grounded in constructivist learning for both students and teachers
Each member puts their own signature on the music played

9. Schools with Strong Leadership
An exciting and robust social environment and culture
Enthusiastic, engaged and highly enthusiastic about the music
A level of teacher autonomy that allows for creativity but not at the expense of the accomplishing group goals
Cannot play as one pleases without regard to the music and the group’s performance
Adequate breadth and depth of professional and pedagogical content knowledge
A broad understanding of the music

10. Schools with Strong Leadership
Cooperativeness and collaboration among group members
Listening and musically responding to others
A sense of collaborative ownership and contributions
An understanding of the music and ones contribution to it
A sense of leadership that is constantly evolving, acquired, dynamic and not ruled by committee 
Making music vs. performing music

11. ‘Traditional’ Schools
driven by external goals developed off site with little teacher input
what the students should know at the end of the year has been pre-determined
success in attaining goals is measured by standardized means
faithfully duplicating the score while the teacher conducts

12. ‘Jazz’ Schools curriculum that is viewed as an ongoing process
standards as a part of the educational process, inseparable from the efforts to meet them
standardized tests serve as diagnostic tools to see how the music can be improved

13. Leader’s Job
keep up with educational needs and trends (audience demands)
get teachers (colleagues) to work together collaboratively
manage non instructional burdens to free up teachers to teach
navigating the dynamic tension between top/down and bottom/up

14. Sources
Reconceptualizing School Leadership for the 21st Century: Music, Metaphors and Leadership Density
Wade Smith and Chad E. Ellett, Louisiana State University, February 2000