Kappan Contributor: Joshua P. Starr

Did my efforts to visit classrooms, recognize good work, and speak my truth have an effect on the local culture, or did that culture eat me for lunch?

Leaders can change the narrative about teaching at-risk kids through their deliberate words and actions.

Every school and district express their values through the content that students learn; leaders shape that content through policies, contracts, and regulations.

Leaders must have language that drives their actions; that begins with identifying their personal core values and those of their district.

Being clear about who makes various decisions and enacting those decisions with integrity is key to effective leadership.