How Distributive Leadership with Internalization of Protocols and Systems by Teachers and Staff Leads to Continuous Progress and Success of ALL Students

Juan Cordoba • Cahn Fellow 2019

Thomas J. Rusk middle school is an urban school in Dallas, Texas that faces many obstacles and challenges when trying to maintain continuous growth and success for all students. The physical location of the school and the nearby neighborhood in which our / students live bring many challenges alone. As educators, we also have obstacles that come with high rates of economically disadvantaged families and their continuous struggles. Looking at the historical data of the school, there is evidence of how these challenges can reflect in student performance and success. Leading a school with students whose environments are surrounded by crime, homelessness, language barriers, demographics and many other challenges can be difficult and leadership development is essential to the success of our students. Based on feedback from staff members, district initiatives, and research about school climate and culture, we knew that distributive leadership around organizational trust and climate and culture was instrumental in maintaining continuous growth and success for all of our students now and in future years.