Module 3 : : Principal as Curriculum Leader

"Curriculum development is the essential function of school leadership.
Whether this role is carried out by a principal, an assistant principal for
curriculum, a team leader, a department head, or by leading classroom
teachers, the curriculum defines all other roles in a school."  Wiles 2009

Leadership Development: Principals Want to Know

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/leadership/principalsWanttoKnow.html

This Ontario Ministry of Education website is actually a series of practical tip sheets that support instructional leadership practice. Each tip sheet highlights a particular question or dilemma faced by principals and provides simple, clear strategies for addressing the problem. An agony aunt for principals? Sort of. In responding to the question experts provide links and resources (many from other sections of the MoE's website).  For an example of just how pithy and practical these "cheat sheets" for time-starved principals are, check out Making Time for Instructional Leadership.

The Institute for Education Leadership

http://www.education-leadership-ontario.ca/content/home

This umbrella organization's goal is to support "leadership excellence in Ontario schools." To that end there are many useful resources, research papers and links. Perhaps but most important is the revised Putting Ontario's Leadership Framework into Action guide. The "From Purpose to Practice" is essential reading for principals as they align their leadership practice to the "Curriculum, Teaching and Learning"section of the School Effectiveness Framework.

EduGains 

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/curriculum/index.html
EduGains the complete gamut of Ontario K-12 Ministry of Education curriculum resources. This recently redesigned website has a "for School Leaders" tab in each area (for example literacy, numeracy, differentiated instruction or 21st century learning) that support principals in their curriculum leadership role. All of the Ministry's  policy, strategy and initiative documents are also available here. The diagram below comes from the Promoting a positive school climate resource:

Module 2 : : Communication

TDSB principals make the Communications and Public Affairs pages on TDSBweb their first stop for comprehensive school communication resources. But here are a few additional resources that administrators (or potential administrators) will find useful when honing their communication skills:

National School Public Relations Association

http://www.nspra.org/
This American education website really requires a membership for maximum benefit. There are many enticing sounding resources to assist principals with school - community communication, but they come with a price. Professional development resources are available for purchase. Even their webinars aren't free; you can purchase packages for $59 dollars. They might consider offering samples of their wares for the wary. I wonder if TDSB has a district subscriptions. I'm not inclined to shell out as an individual... Still worth checking out their website to see the range of what they offer.

The Glossary of Education Reform

http://edglossary.org/school-communications/
This online glossary for "journalists, parents and community members"created by the Great Schools Partnership has a great deal of potential. Educators can sometimes fail to communicate with their target audience because of obfuscating edujargon. Links from your own school newsletters or website to entries in this glossary can quickly clarify unfamiliar educational terms for members of your community (and maybe even, dare we say it, for some staff members?).

Mind Tools 

http://www.mindtools.com
The Communication Skills page of this career/business website curates a wide range of highly accessible tools for assessing and meeting communication needs. While not specifically developed for educators, the resources here can readily be adapted to a school/community context. It feels like it was developed by and for educators as it starts with a diagnostic quizzes such as "how good are your communication skills" and moves on to group resources in categories like "planning and structuring" and "feedback." You can even use Mind Tools to develop your own communication learning plan. As with any commercial site you're encouraged to purchase a premium corporate package, but there is plenty of value available for free on the basic site.

Module 1 :: Leadership

Websites that help administrators continue their professional growth:

Canadian Education Association

http:www.cea-ace.ca/
The research and publications produced by this association inform and inspire educators across Canada. Through various initiatives and regional workshops educators connect and are urged to: "Get inspired to influence a change mindset in our schools." Stephen Hurley's blog posts stimulate lively dialogue on issues that matter to school leaders across the country.

Ontario Public School Boards' Association

http://www.opsba.org/
"Leading Education's Advocates" is the tagline for this very active Ontario educational leadership organization. Their wide-ranging publications are timely and practical. For example, their recent A Vision for Learning and Teaching in the Digital Age has the merit of passion, eloquence and brevity. What's not to love?

Educational Leadership 

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership.aspx
The online version of this perennial print favorite is available by subscription only for the current issue, but their archive is a treasure trove of applied research. The ASCD  iTunesU site is also dynamic and richly resourced. The Topics link takes readers to an excellent selection of current educational subjects and helps the busy administrator quickly get up to speed on the latest research in a given area.

Edutopia

http://www.edutopia.org
This website has "evidence-based K-12 learning strategies that inspire you to improve education." This site might be American, but the inspiration that administrators can glean from Schools That Work knows no geographical boundaries. Edutopia's blogs run the gamut from Social and Emotional Learning to Parent Partnerships. Entries are brief, practical (usually in the form of 8 tips... 6 reasons...) and research-based. Subscribe to an RSS feed on a topic of interest and get a regular dose of new learning.