Using Political Influence to Promote Change

Two of the required articles in this module explore techniques that effective leaders have used to influence education decision making. Bastedo (2005) describes the practice of "institutional entrepreneurship" in higher education, in which the members of a governing board leverage the cooperation of powerful partners to reach their goals. Casto and Sipple (2011) describe P–12 leaders who let themselves be led by the values of their local communities, regardless of the source of the funding or mandates.

In this Discussion, you and your colleagues will examine the characteristics and behaviors of an individual whom you consider to be an effective education leader based on his or her use of political influence to produce positive change.

To prepare for the Discussion, read the assigned articles focusing on the nature of political influence in education and the role of leadership. Then, address the following:

Select an individual (contemporary or historical) whom you consider to be a positive influence on P–20 education.

What change has he or she facilitated?

What kinds of political strategies did he or she use to effect change?
By Day 7 of Week 9:

Post a brief analysis of the reasons why the leader you selected was successful in influencing positive change. Evaluate the degree to which his or her strategies would transfer across different times and different contexts.

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