Thread by @TomRees_77

Thanks for this Steve. As always, appreciate your engagement and feedback. A few thoughts in response. Have quoted so I can thread them together.

Mainly I agree with your points. Here goes...

https://twitter.com/steve_munby/status/1147823547689185284

1. Importance of Context - I agree we shouldn't use context as an excuse. There are lots of schools showing us that schools in tough communities can achieve well. Also agree that collaboration is super important and we should learn from each other across the system. 👍

Perhaps we need to reclaim the word 'context'. It's been held hostage to mean 'number of children eligible for PP' in many cases. IMO, context should relate to the wider set of circumstances including stage of school improvement, staff profile/experience and so much more...

I think probably 'getting under the skin' of a school (as you say) is understanding the context or situation. I think V. Robinson provides a good model for this: 'it also involves deep enquiry into the beliefs and values that drive the current practice'.

Also this from 7 strong claims revisited is pretty nuanced on context. It's not the things we do so much that are different but the way we do them.

2. On the domain-specific argument, I think:

a) School leadership requires both domain-specific and domain-general knowledge/skills.

BUT...

b) Domain-specific knowledge/skills have been under-emphasised in the narrative and training which is (has been) dominated by generic transformational and distributed leadership theories.

c) We should try and re-balance this without over-reaching/claiming the argument.

(I think there's a long way to go before we're in danger of the above btw. Some of the hazy language around school leadership is pretty alluring).

I wonder if some of the words on your list are *more* domain specific than generic. Does managing stakeholders like governors/parents rely often on good mental models built up from working in schools, understanding common concerns etc. rather than general stakeholder management?

Checking the climate of a school I would argue is easier for someone who's had experience of working as a teacher. Just as a football manager who's played the game is more likely to read the dressing room or reaction of fans/board. Wonder what @nmgilbride would say? 🤔

3. Yes so the 'expert leader'. We talked a lot about this at Future Leaders this weekend. I don't think it's about knowing more than everyone about everything - that would be impossible (and really annoying). But how much should they know?

I go with @AmandaGoodall1 et al's defintion:

'Organizations perform more effectively when led by individuals who have a deep understanding of the core business of their organization. Being a capable general manager is not sufficient.'

Goodall (2012) defines expert leaders as those with:

(1) inherent knowledge, acquired through technical expertise combined with high ability in the core-business activity;

(2) industry experience, which stems from time and practice within the core-business industry;

(3) leadership capabilities, which include management skills and a leader's innate characteristics.

Full paper here: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cf…

For me, this means that leaders should know what good looks like in the classroom (have good mental models of curriculum, teaching, assessment, behaviour etc.) I sometimes use @Counsell_C's phrase of 'cumulative sufficiency' when thinking about this. Or just 'enough'.

Hitt & Tucker (2016) also interesting here. They found teachers are 'more likely to accept leadership and influence ‘from those they perceive to be at once credible in terms of curriculum, instruction, and assessment and also empathic and supportive of their realities’.

Anyway sorry, I've rambled here. Anyone would think it's KS2 SATs results tomorrow and I'm looking for a distraction. Speak soon...