“Leaders need to be visionary, but they need to also be able to utilize the people they work with to create a vision of what school should and could be together” (p. 9). This sentiment was shared by George Couros in his latest book co-written with Allyson Apsey, titled, What Makes a Great Principal: The Five Pillars of Effective School Leadership.

Read that again, I have. Several times in fact. 

Regardless of your role in education, if you work with kids, you are a leader and have the collective responsibility of shaping learning experiences that will empower and inspire the next generation.

Let us explore the definition of a leader. In What Makes a Great Principal, Couros and Apsey define it: “ a leader is someone who has the ability to move people forward in a positive direction” (p. 2).

I also asked ChatGPT to provide a simple definition of an educational leader: An educational leader is someone who guides and inspires others within the field of education, driving positive change and fostering growth and development in students, teachers, and educational communities.

As Allyson Apsey insightfully reminds us, “We didn’t get into school leadership to be good. We got into this profession to be great” (p. 15). This quote emphasizes the aspirational nature of educational leadership, encouraging us to strive for excellence rather than mediocrity.

In line with this sentiment, I have been exploring the definition of a curriculum leader. As defined by ChatGPT, this leader plays a vital role in shaping educational programs and curriculum to ensure they meet high standards and support student learning effectively.

Connecting to Couros’ quote, which emphasizes the importance of visionary leadership and collaboration, it becomes clear that effective curriculum leadership requires both individual vision and collective input from teams to shape the future of education.

Throughout my career trajectory—from classroom educator to literacy specialist, instructional coach, mentor coordinator, assistant principal, and district leader—I’ve embraced many roles that have broadened my perspective on the curriculum leader I am still becoming. Each role has shaped my understanding and reinforced my commitment to learning and growth so I can better support the people I serve. 

As I’ve reflected on my journey as a curriculum leader, currently serving as the Director of Literacy K-12, I’ve contemplated my most significant learning experiences in leading the development and refinement of curriculum, assessment, and literacy instruction, and how they’ve impacted my approaches to leadership.

These reflections have brought to light four key principles essential to effective curriculum leadership: effective communication, consistent collaboration, focused implementation, and adaptive flexibility.

Consider this: How can you use these principles to illuminate your own path forward and empower those you lead to reach new heights? 

Effective Communication:

Clear and transparent communication is essential for fostering trust, alignment, and collaboration within your school community. Whether you are a central office, district or building leader, you have recognized the diverse backgrounds and experiences of your stakeholders at every level of your organization. Along the way you have acknowledged that you can only control your own approach to communication and will have to respond accordingly since you are navigating a sea of personalities and are often awaiting the responses of others. Consider prioritizing communicating your mission, vision, goals, and expectations in practical, palatable ways. 

For example, whether I am facilitating English and reading department meetings, professional learning experiences, webinars, parent meetings, and/or conducting observations, I have found that utilizing the following framework has served as a helpful blueprint to guide conversations and to productively move the curriculum work forward:  

Communicate the What: It’s crucial to clearly articulate what you are aiming to achieve, ensuring that everyone understands the purpose and significance of your priorities. This includes outlining your district’s mission and vision, identifying priority standards, and clarifying the desired outcomes for students and educators alike. 

Communicate the Why: By grounding your communication in the “why” behind your actions, you provide context and meaning for your work. Understanding the rationale behind your priorities helps stakeholders connect with your mission and vision and feel invested in your collective goals. This clarity fosters a shared understanding of the importance of high quality instruction and enables educators to see how their efforts contribute to the broader vision of student success. 

Communicate Examples of the How: Practical strategies for implementation are key to translating your vision into action. Providing educators with the tools and resources they need to effectively implement your priorities in their classrooms is a key driver to unlocking the beauty of learning. This may involve outlining essential documents including the learning standards across the disciplines to make more seamless interdisciplinary connections, reviewing the quality assessments in your MTSS plan, and ensuring you’re delivering high-impact practices to target strengths and opportunities for growth. Facilitating  collaborative discussions, seeking input, and offering ongoing support and guidance is needed for successful outcomes.

Consistent Collaboration:

Meaningful collaboration is a cornerstone of your curriculum development efforts. By fostering open dialogue and valuing all perspectives, you can generate innovative ideas and solutions that benefit your students. Collaboration drives continuous improvement, ensuring that your collective vision, resources, and instructional practices meet the evolving needs of all learners.

For example, in my district, our Curriculum Leadership Team is collaborating to develop interdisciplinary units that integrate literacy skills across content areas. With the vision of our superintendent, support of consultants, and bringing together educators from different disciplines, we are able to engage in a design process that is engaging and provides relevant learning experiences for students to foster deeper understanding and critical thinking skills.

Another example of collaboration is how I have partnered with colleagues to plan, deliver and execute professional learning experiences for educators. Designing a literacy professional learning series, a book club on high impact structured literacy practices, and curriculum writing with educators and administrators has not only developed my own capacity because I learn so much from others, but has cultivated a stronger professional learning community.

Focused Implementation

Implementation is crucial for translating vision into action and achieving educational goals. By carefully planning and monitoring your priorities, you can ensure that your efforts result in tangible outcomes for your learners. Through focused implementation, you turn aspirations into reality, driving meaningful impact in your school community.

An excellent demonstration of focused implementation is how my district executed literacy shifts aimed at strengthening a comprehensive approach to literacy. We achieved this by setting clear goals, providing targeted professional learning, such as a five-hour literacy series for K-5 classroom and reading teachers, and consistently monitoring progress with building leaders. This method resulted in enhancements in student achievement, as evidenced by our universal screening assessments and classroom observations. During our walkthroughs, we pay particular attention to classroom, teachers, and student artifacts, teacher-student, and peer to peer interactions, and the overall learning environment.

Adaptive Flexibility: Flexibility is essential for navigating the dynamic landscape of education and adapting to changing circumstances. When faced with challenges, we embrace alternative solutions and opportunities for growth, ensuring continuity of learning for our students. By remaining agile and resilient, we are able to overcome obstacles and thrive in an ever-changing environment.

For example, if students are not responding to instruction, teachers will pivot in the moment to read a text that better engages or demonstrates a skill or strategy to learners. If teachers are not responding to a professional learning experience, leaders will reassess the approach and adapt upcoming professional learning sessions to better suit the needs and preferences of the teaching staff. This process can happen in the moment by actively engaging teachers and asking them directly what they require to enhance their learning experience. 

Moving Forward

How can you use these pillars to illuminate your own path forward and empower those you lead to reach new heights?

You are an instructional leader. You are a curriculum leader. You are a communicative leader. A collaborative leader. An implementation leader. A flexible leader. And most notably, you are a people leader.

You didn’t get here because you are good. You got here because you are great. 

Regardless of your role in education, if you work with kids, you are a leader and have the collective responsibility of shaping learning experiences that will empower and inspire the next generation.