Photo courtesy of Jamie Ailor
"John Gaylord is a strong leader. He demonstrates leadership and vision despite challenging situations. He is knowledgeable about curricular areas, as well as elementary educational pedagogy. As a teacher, I always feel his support for the work I do; he is willing to listen to my thoughts and to challenge me in new directions."
-Quote from 2012-13 anonymous teacher survey-
It's all about making learning relevant and preparing students for the future...
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The school's mission needs to be part of the fabric of the school and overtly connected to all decision-making and initiatives.
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The curriculum needs to focus on 21st century skills and dispositions that are integrated into all aspects of learning for the 'whole child.'
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The school culture and community need to be committed to creating and nurturing a safe, compassionate environment dedicated to educational excellence.
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Strategic Planning and Accreditation
In addition to leading and participating in a number of strategic planning task forces, I’ve led a full accreditation (WASC) self-study and been a team member on several accreditation visits. I believe it is critical to align strategic planning and accreditation action plans whenever possible to make continuous improvement manageable and effective.
While in Malaysia and Japan I wore several hats -- that of Elementary and Middle School Principal as well as Assistant Head of School because there were only two senior administrators at each of these schools. The Head of each school concurrently served as the High School Principal and so I also had the privilege of assisting with IB authorization as we 'grew' the school in Malaysia. I have been most fortunate to serve on several exceptional administrative teams committed to keeping students and learning at the center of all planning and decision-making. At the macro level, these teams collaborated, listened to a variety of perspectives from many different stake-holders and reflected on a way forward that built momentum and buy-in. In addition, we knew how to adapt to changing needs over time and effectively led change when appropriate. I’m known for being a flexible and cooperative team player; these traits would complement the dynamics of any administrative team.
In addition to leading and participating in a number of strategic planning task forces, I’ve led a full accreditation (WASC) self-study and been a team member on several accreditation visits. I believe it is critical to align strategic planning and accreditation action plans whenever possible to make continuous improvement manageable and effective.
While in Malaysia and Japan I wore several hats -- that of Elementary and Middle School Principal as well as Assistant Head of School because there were only two senior administrators at each of these schools. The Head of each school concurrently served as the High School Principal and so I also had the privilege of assisting with IB authorization as we 'grew' the school in Malaysia. I have been most fortunate to serve on several exceptional administrative teams committed to keeping students and learning at the center of all planning and decision-making. At the macro level, these teams collaborated, listened to a variety of perspectives from many different stake-holders and reflected on a way forward that built momentum and buy-in. In addition, we knew how to adapt to changing needs over time and effectively led change when appropriate. I’m known for being a flexible and cooperative team player; these traits would complement the dynamics of any administrative team.
As a leader, I would keep the school's vision and mission at the forefront with faculty, parents, and students and collaboratively identify the broader organizational goals. I would be responsible for coordinating efforts by setting direction and pace, establishing high expectations, tracking progress and performance, and celebrating success along the way. Success lies in building professional learning communities who are inspired by a shared vision and then equipped to carry out the vision. One tool I've successfully used to monitor initiatives and ensure successful implementation is Managing Change by Dr. Mary Lippitt. This model guides my thinking when trouble-shooting scenarios and creating purposeful action plans.
Examples of this kind of leadership throughout my career include, but are not limited to: implementation of MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress) standardized testing, review of instructional strategies, assessment and grading practices, adoption of programs, revision of teacher observation and evaluation protocols, training in Understanding by Design, and the meaningful expansion of authentic learning and service opportunities.
Effective leadership is second only to teaching among school-related factors in its impact on student learning. A crucial element of any strategic plan involves the hiring and retention of outstanding teachers. My successful hiring of teachers in Malaysia, Japan and Korea and my extensive network with outstanding educators would be of great benefit to any international school. The SFS elementary teacher retention rate over the past five years is 85% -- the highest of the four divisions. This longevity provides continuity for school improvement initiatives.
Examples of this kind of leadership throughout my career include, but are not limited to: implementation of MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress) standardized testing, review of instructional strategies, assessment and grading practices, adoption of programs, revision of teacher observation and evaluation protocols, training in Understanding by Design, and the meaningful expansion of authentic learning and service opportunities.
Effective leadership is second only to teaching among school-related factors in its impact on student learning. A crucial element of any strategic plan involves the hiring and retention of outstanding teachers. My successful hiring of teachers in Malaysia, Japan and Korea and my extensive network with outstanding educators would be of great benefit to any international school. The SFS elementary teacher retention rate over the past five years is 85% -- the highest of the four divisions. This longevity provides continuity for school improvement initiatives.
Developing quality teachers is also essential. By building upon teachers’ unique leadership qualities and recognizing and challenging them to help in various areas, it benefits the entire school. It is vital to build trust and provide teachers with the necessary support and training to be exceptional educators. I have done this consistently in all schools where I have been an administrator. The relationships I establish with teachers helps them know I value them, their opinions and expertise. Teachers tell me they come to SFS because of the rapport we establish in the recruiting process and they stay because they appreciate the clear direction and support I provide as they teach at SFS. Teacher development would be a primary responsibility of Principals, and is usually supported through accreditation action plans, but systems need to be aligned both functionally and financially to provide this development. Systems alignment would be the responsibility of the Head of School, with support from governance structures.
Finally, I am an advocate of ‘Schooling by Design.’ In Nagoya, we launched this model for curriculum development and dovetailed it with our WASC accreditation processes. We very successfully applied the backwards design model to the NIS self-study, documenting all our evidence in Atlas Rubicon. At SFS, I incorporated this same model for curriculum development in the elementary school (K-5). Over the past seven years, we have coordinated efforts at the divisional level to align with school-wide initiatives. In particular, I have had the privilege of shepherding the school through major curriculum review, culminating in the adoption of rigorous academic standards and benchmarks in core subject areas (based on the highest ratings by the non-profit Fordham Foundation). Subject content areas, as well as instruction and assessment practices, have been extensively reviewed, revised, and aligned with teacher evaluation and annual goals. MAP test scores rank the highest in the region (EARCOS, APAC) and the world. The next major area for review at SFS involves reporting practices.
As an experienced and successful international administrator who has served at four outstanding international schools, I believe I am uniquely qualified to lead any school I am fortunate to be a part of to the next level of development.
Finally, I am an advocate of ‘Schooling by Design.’ In Nagoya, we launched this model for curriculum development and dovetailed it with our WASC accreditation processes. We very successfully applied the backwards design model to the NIS self-study, documenting all our evidence in Atlas Rubicon. At SFS, I incorporated this same model for curriculum development in the elementary school (K-5). Over the past seven years, we have coordinated efforts at the divisional level to align with school-wide initiatives. In particular, I have had the privilege of shepherding the school through major curriculum review, culminating in the adoption of rigorous academic standards and benchmarks in core subject areas (based on the highest ratings by the non-profit Fordham Foundation). Subject content areas, as well as instruction and assessment practices, have been extensively reviewed, revised, and aligned with teacher evaluation and annual goals. MAP test scores rank the highest in the region (EARCOS, APAC) and the world. The next major area for review at SFS involves reporting practices.
As an experienced and successful international administrator who has served at four outstanding international schools, I believe I am uniquely qualified to lead any school I am fortunate to be a part of to the next level of development.
