So often it is hard to envision what the world will look like in 20 or 30 years, as we are caught up in the day-to-day. The needs of our students, however, demand that we not idly wait for that time to arrive. We must look forward to their future — who will be leading our educational system; who should be leading our educational system? How must it change to meet the needs of tomorrow’s graduates? What will be required to lead in the future, what qualities, what qualifications, what vision will prepare us for education in 20 years?
So often it is hard to envision what the world will look like in 20 or 30 years, as we are caught up in the day-to-day. The needs of our students, however, demand that we not idly wait for that time to arrive. We must look forward to their future — who will be leading our educational system; who should be leading our educational system? How must it change to meet the needs of tomorrow’s graduates? What will be required to lead in the future, what qualities, what qualifications, what vision will prepare us for education in 20 years?
As both our states and the federal government grapple with the future of our educational system, each of us has the opportunity to play a role in leading for the future. Whether you are a teacher, a principal or a superintendent, you know that our education system needs to look forward, not just making tweaks, but making wholesale changes that stir our thinking and test our abilities.
We must begin to think toward the future and prepare not just for this generation, but for the next. Leading for the future will take foresight and courage — are we up to the challenge?
In this issue of AdvancED Source, we invited authors to share their perspectives on Leading for the Future. There are so many “leaders” in the field of education from students to teachers to boards of education. Their perspectives are varied and rich.
We begin this issue with Annice Brave, the 2011 Illinois Teacher of the year. In her piece, "Teacher Leaders are here, but do our Schools Know What to do With Us?" she offers a shift from the traditional classroom structure to one that will allow teachers to hold leadership roles and contribute their expertise beyond the classroom. Mary Broderick, President of the National School Boards Association, shares the leadership she believes school boards must exhibit to truly lead their schools and school systems into the future in her article, "Local Leadership and Responsibility for the Future."
For the first time in AdvancED Source, we are pleased to share a student-authored piece, "Tomorrow’s Leaders Must have Opportunity to Lead Today." Austin Fuss, recent graduate of Shorecrest Preparatory School, took some time this summer to share the skills he believes educators must teach students for them to be successful leaders in the future. Author Barnett Berry explores major changes that will be crucial to "Creating the Teaching Profession that 21st-Century Students Deserve."
AdvancED takes it role as the leader in accreditation and school improvement seriously, and you can learn more about the new AdvancED Standards for Quality and Accreditation Protocol that will lead educational institutions into the future. Read our piece, "Standards for Quality, Standards for the Future." Our final article in this issue is authored by Hiba Nashabe, Principal of Makassed’s KBWH College in Lebanon. In "Feminine Educational Leadership in the Arab World," she shares her expectations of what a new generation of leaders must do to create a new vision for education in the Arab World.
We are grateful to our authors for sharing their visions and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities we face in Leading for the Future.
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