Collaboration at Its Best: Supporting the Professional Growth of Educational Leaders

Abstract

Strong leadership has a tremendous impact on organizations. This special edition of "Educational Considerations" highlights the journey of the Kansas Educational Leadership Institute (KELI), from inception to implementation. All of the authors in this special themed edition of "Educational Considerations" describe the various phases of KELI's collaborative effort to develop a systematic, statewide approach to mentoring new school leaders. Despite challenges with initial funding and roadblocks related to time and personnel constraints, the KELI organization continued to blossom because of dedicated individuals loyal to a common vision and a united goal. Collectively, the planners, mentors, and mentees alike were committed to building district leadership capacity by positively impacting the professional practice of over two dozen Kansas leaders. Throughout the article, the authors highlight the experiences and perceptions of first- and second-year mentor and mentee participants. In addition to KELI's successful support initiative in place for novice superintendents, the organization is further responding to current practitioner needs by creating a framework of support, mentoring, and induction for new Kansas principals. As a learning organization, KELI must continue to increase its capacity to develop strong Kansas leaders by responding to the needs of the professionals in the field and adapting the organization to fit those identified needs. The article concludes that the collective efforts of all of the professionals involved in the KELI organization should be commended for their commitment to making a substantial investment in new school leaders.