Research Article #1: Danielson (2007), “The Many Faces of Leadership”.

The participants and focus of this article were on teachers and administrators. The
findings were that creating effective leadership school wide starts with the teacher
more so than with the long held belief that it starts with an administrator. Danielson
suggested that due to administrators typically being an expert in one to two areas of
the academic model (such as being a former Math teacher and now someone who
focuses on management) teachers must now collaborate with not only their
discipline area, but also of the disciplines that students study within a school year.
Teachers must understand how to support a student in English Language Arts, Math,
History, Science, and general electives, while also understanding best management
practices. All of this mainly being unknown and just second nature to the teacher.
Overall, Danielson highlights the importance of the teacher voice and the need for
teachers to step outside of their classroom to share their multifaceted expertise with
administrators, parents, and in faculty or district meetings. This literature is related
to CSTP 2.2 in that it encourages the teacher to focus on the multiple interpersonal
skills needed to best support a student and be a leader that can support emotionally,
academically, and continue to push diversity optics for the student body.

As a teacher leader, this article reminds me that I should not fall prey to the “tall
poppy syndrome” that Danielson discusses. This term refers to the teachers that are
timid to speak up or “show off” their accomplishments outside of the classroom for
fear of being “cut down” by fellow teachers or administrators. There should be a
culture where a choice to take on more leadership is seen positively and not a threat
to “changing the landscape of the school” or attempting to step into administrator’s
shoes.

Danielson, C. (2007). ACSD. The Many Faces of Leadership. Vol. 65 (No. 1),
https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/the-many-faces-of-leadership.

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Research Article #2: Kosciw, Clark, and Menard (2022), “The 2021 National School
Climate Survey” from GLSEN.

Kosciw, Clark, and Menard (2022) examined the experiences of LGBTQIA+ youth
across multiple schools in the United States. Data front the study consisted of
22,298 students between the ages of 13 and 21. Students came from all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Mariana
Islands. Just over two-thirds of the sample (67.2%) was White, 33.8% identified as
cisgender and 31.5% as nonbinary, and 30.1% identified as bisexual and 28.8% as
gay or lesbian. The average age of students in the sample was 15.4 years and they
were in grades 6 to 12, with the largest numbers in grades 9, 10 and 11. The findings
were that a majority of students did not feel comfortable or safe to express or openly
share their gender identity or sexual orientation with fellow students or school
faculty. It was also found that schools with GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) or LGBTQIA+
clubs were successful and started due to teacher/faculty intervention and creation.
The data and authors suggested that schools with effective, inclusive leadership
were the most likely to create safe and affirming spaces for students from this
marginalized community. This literature is related to CSTP 2.2 in that it directly
addresses the need for diversity and inclusion within schools. Encouraging teachers
to create more inclusive classrooms and conversations for students to feel safe to
express their identities supports the students’ mental wellness and adolescent
growth, both for students that are expressing an identity that falls within the
LGBTQIA+ community and for those considered part of the “straight alliance”
community.

As a teacher leader, this report reminds me that I should continue to hold a space for
students to come to knowing they can share and express their unique identities,
meet fellow students from their same communities, and discuss opportunities for
leadership and growth from influential adult figures that will give them hope for the
future.

Kosciw, J.G., Clark, C.M., & Menard, L. (2022). GLSEN - The 2021 National School Climate
Survey. The Experience of LGBTQ+ Youth in Our Nation’s Schools.
https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/NSCS-2021-Full-Report.pdf

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Compare/Contrast Articles: These two articles suggest that true and effective
leadership has to begin with the teachers. My takeaway after reading both articles is
that teachers have their hands in multiple “pots” within the school and must use
their expertise on academics, grading, class management, and interpersonal skills to
build spaces for 1) students to confidently and comfortably step into their unique
identities and 2) hold other teachers and administrators accountable to step into
leadership roles unprompted and without concern. However, whereas Danielson’s
article recommends that all forms of effective leadership will begin and end with a
teacher’s intervention, Kosciw, Clark, and Menard’s article recommends that
teachers also encourage other faculty, including administration, to support and
create spaces for marginalized students to safely study growth opportunities and
cultivate a unique voice.