An effective school leader must efficiently prioritize the myriad tasks, decisions and activities that occur in the daily life of a school, and communicate those decisions clearly, appropriately and in an ethical manner. This course module includes strategies and best practices for effective and decisive decision making in a variety of everyday and crisis situations. Effective and ethical decision making crosses through all of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders.
Problems need context and this course module will assist the learner in applying data to solutions, considering internal and external influences, and staying on task in both positive and negative interactions. Task management behaviors, process mapping, crisis management and autocratic versus democratic decision-making situations are addressed.
A primary reason why some new principals and other education administrators fail is the inability to effectively prioritize. Decisions cannot be made by default, and ethical dilemmas must be fully analyzed and understood. This module will assist early-career administrators in coping with the tendency to try to do everything themselves, avoiding the pitfalls of ineffective responses and burnout.