Challenges in Strategic Management in Education - Essay Example

Name Tutor Course Date Introduction The significance of effective strategic management in educational organizations has been highly valued since learning institutions are more successful in offering excellent education to their students and pupils if they are properly managed. The introduction of self managing learning institutions has increased the significance of effective management of learning institutions. This is due to the fact that institutions have taken responsibility for several functions that were in the past undertaken by regional, local and national government. Effective strategic management in educational entails financial and staff management and since educational organizations have direct responsibility for several aspects of management, it is the responsibility of leaders to implement strategic approach that will integrate several aspects of management to establish and accomplish goals. However, leadership in education has been challenged by the expanding autonomy of colleges and schools which has placed different and new responsibilities on educational leaders, especially in relation to their capability to handle strategic matters and how to incorporate both genders in leadership positions. Challenges in strategic management in education Differences in leadership styles Strategic management in education is confined to the principal or chief executive and people responsible for the development of the curriculum and pastoral care of the students. These managing groups are faced with the challenge which the type of leadership style to use because different styles of leadership suit diverse groups in different situations. For instance, the style of leadership that may be most suitable to a certain institution might not work well in another school. The style of leadership suitable to a properly integrated primary school that has ten teachers is diverse from that found in a properly managed college with hundreds of lecturers who are divided in different faculties, offering educational services to a variety of adult students. Nevertheless, there are several dimensions of proper leadership that are universal to leadership within an educational environment and amid these are the significance of visions, the gains of transformational leadership and the ethical or moral aspect of leadership in education (Coleman, & Bush, 50). Leadership succession Leadership succession is a challenge facing leadership and strategic management in education. There is usually a domino impact for leadership positions in education when abrupt vacancy triggers a shift in numerous principal or other leaders which results to disruption of multiple school communities. Other than selecting a grooming leader to fill the vacant position, the urgency to quickly fill the gap might not produce a candidate with the excellent fit for the school leadership context (Hart, 279). Some institutions also frequently rotate leaders, with little consideration to leadership context and the institution improvement progress of the current leadership and its efficiency in management of teachers and student performance. Therefore, a thorough selection procedure can assist to get the appropriate person in the suitable institution, but planning of leadership succession must take a prolonged view to placement of leaders and become a portion of any learning institution for recruitment and selection of leaders (Duke, 170). Leadership of autonomous school Leadership of autonomous school has offered a challenge in the form of leadership to be used because it requires an increase in effectiveness and efficiency of autonomous institutions. Considering leadership in an autonomous school, it is important for educational leadership to self manage their institutions based on the benefits for learners in terms of the gains in the learning outcomes. Therefore leaders are faced with increased responsibilities of managing the school and this links the increased to the probability that leadership will tend to move towards a transformational, empowering model (Caldwell, & Spinks, 70). The leader ship is thus supposed to do its own recruiting, firing, hiring and personal evaluation and to also continuously attain new skills and train its staff to make sure that the most professional teachers who will enable the institution to move towards achievement of high academic performance of the students. The leaders are also supposed to formulate and track budgets and to make capital investments as required to ensure resources are available in strategic management of both the teachers and students. A leader who exercises transformational leadership doesn’t rely on her or his personal charisma, but tries to empower his staff and share leadership roles to ensure proper management of the institution (Pang, & Gamage, 228). Strategic management of human capital Strategic management in education entails management of talent of teachers so that they are able to drive their organizations in achieving good learning outcomes of their students. Thus learning institutions are required develop strategies for selection, recruitment, induction, professional development performance management , career progression to ensure good performance by teachers as well as increased student performance. Learning institutions need staffs with top talent who are able to improve the performance of learners and the top staff consist of teachers’ leaders, teachers and principals. Therefore, high performance schemes are supposed to recognize their key staff and focus attention on this staff so as to strategically manage its major talent (Sarah, 16). The human resource management, management of leadership positions in schools and colleges and instructional leadership for each teaching and classroom context must be effective. The highest performance learning institutions recruit and maintain top talent and also mane them in a manner that support strategic direction of the organization. Strategic management in education entails selection, recruitment, screening and compensation of staff with the goal of redesigning the overall human capital management scheme so that efficient talent is attained, strategically positioned and justifiably in learning institutions to the organizational vision of educational and staff effectiveness and student performance, and retain it over time. Strategic management of human capital in education is challenging because the objective of strategic management is to generate and utilize valid methods of measuring teaching practice, and redesigning of human capital management schemes that will ensure the most efficient educational services offered in schools and colleges. In addition, in order to be regarded valid, the measured aspects of recruitment and retention of top talented staff is supposed to be connected to improvements in the performance of students (Valentine, 150). Therefore, the overall challenge of leadership and management of human capital is the scheme used in measurement of both student and teaching performance or measures of effectiveness in teaching, to direct decisions of human capital management over time, from recruitment to motivation and development and retention and compensation. This action needs changes in ways learning institutions operate and these changes generate controversy and thus needs aggressive, strong leadership and a broader political support to successfully move forward. For instance, democratic leaders will involve pupils and staff in the running of the school, not because they want attainment of excellent results and have happier pupils and staff, but to educate the members of the school in their responsibilities and rights as citizens. They will need to offer opportunities for other people to discuss issues of policy and implementation , not to make sure that prior preparation prevents opposition and confrontation nor to make sure that all knowledge is pooled to generate better results, but to offer members of the school to develop themselves, as well as their society (Brian, 56). The challenge of being strategic In order to be effective, strategic management in education is supposed to align with its goals for effective achievement of students. Education schemes should have coherent and powerful improvements in teaching strategy so as to improve the academic achievement of students. This is challenging because education systems can’t implement a powerful educational teacher and student performance strategy unless they have both the teaching and management talent to implement complex actions required in comprehensive strategies (Lorange, 156). Equally, top management can’t improve the academic achievement of students just with talented individuals, high anticipations and random actions of good practice. In order to be effective, the top talent should be systemically managed on a properly designed educational improvement plan, entailing effective instructional practice, so that capable and smart educators are able to turn their aspirations and talents in every classroom into efficient instructional practices that promote learning of every student to high levels. Lack of strategic system in education The goal of strategic management in education is to educate all students entailing those from low income and minor backgrounds, to global class performance standards that will enhance them to think, know, solve problems and communicate at greater levels in all subjects. Lumy (205) argues that, I n order to achieve this, learning institutions need well prepared and talented professionals who are the leaders and teachers. However, the current education system in the United States does not train, recruit, hire, deploy, retain, develop or strategically manage top talent human capital required to achieve these goals. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is clear that leadership and strategic management in education is faced with many challenges. This is because institutions have been required to self manage themselves and to take over several responsibilities that were previously undertaken by the government. Therefore institutions have been required to effectively manage their teachers to ensure that they have the most effective professionals who will enable them to meet the long term gal of increased academic performance of the students. In addition, the professionals need systematic management on a n appropriately designed education plan that will enable capable educators to turn their talents and aspirations in classroom and promote learning of all students. Works Cited Sarah, Archibald. Strategic management of human capital. Madison: University of Wisconsin, 2008. Coleman, Marianne. & Bush, Tony. Leadership and strategic management in education. New York: SAGE, 2000. Pang, Nicholas., & Gamage David. Leadership and management in education: developing essential skills and competencies. China: Chinese University Press, 2003. Caldwell, Brian & Spinks, Jim. Leading a self managing school. London: Flamer Press, 2003. Lumy, Jacky. Strategic management in schools and colleges. New York: SAGE, 2004. Lorange, Peter. New vision for management education: leadership challenges. California: Emerald Group Publishing, 2002. Valentine, Evelyn. Strategic management in education: a focus on strategic planning. Virginia: University of Virginia Press, 2002. Brian, Becker. Talent management in the private and public education sectors. Naperville, Learning Point Associates, 2010. Duke, Daniel. The challenges of school district leadership. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2010. Hart, Ann. Principal Succession: establishing leadership in schools. New York: SUNY Press, 2006. Read More