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Leadership Definition
Leadership Matters
The Aldine ISD leadership definition crystalizes what it means to lead with a lens of equity while seeking out and highlighting employees and others that do the same. Our leadership definition shares what leading looks like for students and staff in AISD.
Background
Leadership is a skill set of behaviors and attitudes. In Aldine ISD, we believe every employee can be a leader, regardless of role or title. Every employee has the potential and ability to take responsibility. Everyone can lead regardless of title. They can lead by example and mobilize people and resources to achieve the district’s goals. This guiding principle is at the core of everything we do in the district. It forms part of our ongoing work with The Holdsworth Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to leadership development as a way to improve the quality and culture of public schools across Texas.
The Holdsworth Center selected Aldine ISD to participate in its five-year program to strengthen our leadership and talent development systems. The Leadership Definition, which is unique to Aldine ISD, was developed from this work. It aims to give every employee an archetype for success within their area. It is also utilized as we all look for ways to grow and develop professionally in Aldine ISD.
In addition, our Leadership Definition framework includes other important initiatives to help our employees fulfill their potential, including our Leadership Academy and our incentive allotment program for campus-based staff.
The Holdsworth Center partnership centers on two core investments: 1) leadership at the district and 2) leadership at the campus level. With help from The Holdsworth Center, district leaders built and implemented robust talent management systems tailored to the unique needs of Aldine ISD. The established systems identify and select future high-level district staffers.
We also created an aspiring leadership pipeline to support employees on their path to becoming district and campus leaders. It ensures our schools and departments are led by prepared and educated professionals equipped with academic and social-emotional skills and trained in culturally responsive practices. They embody the leadership definition and inspire others to exemplify those same traits.
Our robust pipeline ensures we can select from a prepared and diversified pool of candidates when filling vacancies.
Leadership Development Pipeline
Leadership development is critical in Aldine. We focus on building capacity throughout the organization to maximize efficiency and ultimately achieve the goals outlined in the district’s strategic plan.
What is Leadership and Who is a Leader
In Aldine ISD, staff members knew what leadership is, but few people could articulate what it truly meant. Creating a cohesive definition within Aldine ISD was crucial for developing future leaders and maintaining unity and a strong leadership focus. The Holdsworth Center supported AISD with identifying specific language aligned with the district’s strategic priority, Mission-Driven Leadership. This specific language led to a Leadership Definition to establish transparent communication throughout the organization. The definition has three tenets — 1) connect, 2) inspire, and 3) impact.
The work of the district leaders will continue to impact and build a legacy of equity and excellence across the district.
Leadership at Every Level
Every superintendent was once a principal. Every principal was once an assistant principal, and every assistant or associate principal was once a teacher. District support roles follow a similar path to leadership. For example, someone can start as a school custodian and become a principal after meeting qualifications. Employees often start out by managing their own work, then progress to managing others and then managing other managers and even sometimes whole departments.
Strong leaders are needed at every level of the district. With this in mind, each of the critical competencies in the Leadership Matters Framework is outlined into three tenets of leadership, which as a whole represent the district’s leadership pipeline.
A Focus on Leadership Competencies
Aldine ISD has a robust set of five strategic priorities to ensure students have increased access to choices and opportunities that have helped guide our work since 2019. The priorities provide the framework for how Aldine ISD moves forward. To review:
- Student Achievement
- School Culture
- Mission-Driven Leadership
- Organizational Efficiency
- Community Engagement and Outreach
The specific tasks for each priority are aligned to address the plan’s overall anchor goals.
To achieve our goals, Aldine ISD needs leaders at all levels who are:
Leadership Matters in Aldine ISD
A
Ambitious
We are ambitious.
We, as students, staff members, and everyone associated with Aldine ISD, excel in everything we do. We are highly effective staff and leaders who relentlessly put student learning first and ensure our students will be successful.
L
Limitless
We are limitless.
We provide limitless opportunities for everyone to learn and lead from their position as students, teachers, staff members, school leaders, parents, and community members.
D
Diverse
We are diverse.
We believe the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of our community allow us to build a collective vision for student success that celebrates our own and other cultures.
I
Innovative
We are innovative.
We cultivate innovation across all programs and schools, so teachers can create meaningful, rigorous learning experiences for every student, in every grade and subject; and students can experience service and success beyond what they thought was possible.
N
Notable
We are notable.
We strive toward excellence in everything we do in order to be recognized for our academic success and applauded for what we provide our students, families, community, and team.
E
Engaged
We are engaged.
We are engaged and invested in our community and use that momentum to build purposeful relationships among our team, families, schools, and partners to foster growth for all students.
