On vulnerability and transformative leadership: an imperative for leaders of supervision

• Published in: International journal of leadership in education 2007-04, Vol.10 (2), p.115-135
• Main Author: Glanz, Jeffrey
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Consciousness Raising; Criticism; Excellence in Education; Instructional Improvement; Instructional Leadership; Supervision; Transformational Leadership
• ISSN: 1360-3124; 1464-5092
• DOI: 10.1080/13603120601097462

Supervision as a field, in the main, remains susceptible and thus vulnerable to various forces, ideological and otherwise, that constrain its ability to play a significant role in instructional improvement and thus in educational leadership. Adherence to inspectional and faultfinding supervision under the guise of standards-based and other practices has serious consequences for the improvement of teaching and student achievement. Unless those of us who are committed to the study of supervision in higher education, as well as school administrators and other practitioners who supervise teachers, are ready, willing and able to assert responsibilities for best practice in supervision through transformational leadership the educational landscape will remain in its transitory and vulnerable state, inconsequential at best, destructive at worst. Relying on the social and educational critiques of Robert Goldhammer and Jules Henry, this article seeks to raise the consciousness of those committed to instructional excellence by offering insights into ways supervision can serve to enhance teachers' dignity, impact student learning and transform our work, and even schools themselves, so that vulnerability turns into possibilities and stagnation into transformation.