School strategies affect every aspect of school life, from broad objectives such as improving attainment through to everyday lesson delivery – but who has the final say when it comes to strategic decisions?
Traditionally, we might think of a small Senior Management Team (SMT) setting the school strategy, or even the Principal taking on the responsibility independently. In this blog post, however, we’re going to explore the benefits of including wider school staff in the decision-making process.
Making the most of collective decision making
No two school strategies are exactly the same, but one thing is common to each and every school: the strategy will always be implemented more effectively if as many staff as possible are bought into its ideas and keen to do their part.
The Promethean State of Technology in Education Report 2021 recently showed that strategic alignment has dropped over the past 12 months:
- 70% of teachers agreed with their school’s strategic priorities in 2020, compared to 73% in 2019
- 79% of IT managers agreed with their school’s strategic priorities in 2020, compared to 83% in 2019
- 83% of SMT members agreed with their school’s strategic priorities in 2020, compared to 90% in 2019
With this in mind, here are some of the benefits of including as many staff as possible in the decision-making process:
- Improve strategic alignment and awareness – staff are more likely to be invested in the school strategy if they have had a hand in shaping it. This is as much to do with understanding the strategy as agreeing with it, and bringing teachers and IT managers into the conversation should naturally address both of these challenges.
- Address the real challenges that staff are facing – school strategies may not always be perfect for each and every individual, but it’s a good idea to try and ensure as many challenges as possible are being addressed. By giving staff the chance to speak up while decisions are being made, school leaders might find out about issues they weren’t aware of – or even learn that certain priorities aren’t quite as pressing as they seem. An open conversation is simply the best way to uncover where change is really needed.
- Boost edtech uptake – many factors contribute to education technology uptake and usage, and motivation is undoubtedly one of them. If staff can see how their education technology solutions fit the overall strategy and will lead to better engagement and collaboration, they may be more inclined to try new things.
These aren’t the only benefits of encouraging staff to help set the school strategy – it’s easy to see how job satisfaction could improve as teachers and IT managers recognise that their opinion is valued.
To learn more about how opinions on school strategy are developing, download your copy of the Promethean State of Technology in Education Report 2021: www.PrometheanWorld.com/au/stateoftechined/
