In the course titled Leading and Managing Organizations, students were challenged to view their role as school leaders through the lens of a general manager. We set aside our previous experiences as classroom teachers or entry-level administrators and tried to approach future opportunities as leaders capable of impacting the direction and health of an entire organization. In reflecting on my time in the School Leadership Program (SLP), I can pinpoint a number of classes and experiences that will assist me in becoming an effective general manager. I feel confident that these classes and experiences have equipped me with numerous useful tools and skills to improve the K-6 independent day school where I have recently become Upper School Director.

One of the unique aspects of the School Leadership Program's School Developer Strand is the ability to enroll in the Entrepreneurial in the Social Sector (ESS) class at the Harvard Business School class. This fast-paced and demanding class mixed second-year MBA students with students from the Graduate School of Education, the School of Law and the Kennedy School of Government. Professors Austin and Wei-Skillern facilitated numerous case study discussions that allowed students to analyze the many facets contributing to a vibrant and effective non-profit organization. Whether focusing on the challenges associated with expanding an organization's mission or weighing complicated financial issues facing non-profits, ESS allowed me to understand the complexity and challenge of managing an organization. Indeed, the class gave me a global perspective of leadership and management that I did not fully appreciate in my previous educational experiences.

Additionally, many of the students in the SLP program enrolled in Professor Richard Elmore's Supporting Teachers for Instructional Improvement course. Professor Elmore led his students in defining quality teaching and establishing measurable evaluation techniques. These techniques seek to assess and develop excellence in teaching. The course provided a number of instructive readings and classroom experiences illustrating the difficulty in providing objective and meaningful teacher evaluation. The papers in the course forced students to ground the theory in relevant and real-world experiences. While I have only been in my position a short amount of time, it has become evident that the school's faculty evaluation system is in great need of attention. I feel fortunate to have taken Professor Elmore's class and feel confident that it will assist me in working with the school's faculty.

The two previous examples are courses that are potentially open to all students at HGSE. However, the SLP program itself provided me with two other experiences that will assist me in my new position. First, Professor Hehir and the teaching fellows for the SLP organized and facilitated a rich and meaningful seminar titled Becoming a School Leader. The seminar exposed SLP students to a number of professors and educational leaders at HGSE and beyond. These leaders presented their research and interacted with the SLP students in discussions on the ramifications of their work. I was exposed to a number of fine thinkers through the seminar that I otherwise would not have encountered at HGSE. Second, and less structured, the SLP brought together a tremendously talented and diverse group of teachers, principals and school leaders. In casual conversations and through group projects, I interacted with and learned from people that I otherwise might not have encountered as an independent school educator. While we did not always agree on the processes and techniques to lead and improve schools, I feel extremely fortunate to have interacted with these keen minds. Their ideas and experience will assist me greatly as I progress in my career in educational administration.

The sacrifices that an educational leader makes in attending the Harvard Graduate School of Education are not insignificant. However, by choosing to enroll in the School Leadership Program, I feel that my growth as a person and as a general manager mitigate those sacrifices. I am confident of my ability to succeed in my new educational leadership position and in subsequent experiences in large part because of the classes and experiences associated with the School Leadership Program.