Leadership: The people closest to the students make school and policy decisions, including teachers, administrators, support staff, families, community partners, and students themselves. Governing boards have increased decision-making power over the school’s mission, budget approval, principal selection and evaluation, and policies.
  —Principles and Practices of the Pilot Schools Network

Shared Leadership in Pilot Schools
Strong, shared leadership and governance enable Pilot Schools to achieve their missions and create high-performing schools. Research is clear on the important link between leadership and student achievement, particularly as leadership shapes teaching and learning. When members of a school community are empowered to make decisions, a school culture becomes more collaborative. From staff to administrators, parents to community members, and with students always at the center, the “we” is automatic. As Rob Bustamante, a Harbor School student support staff member described, “Because we’re a Pilot School, we have a say,” and, “We figure decisions out together.”
   Decisions are made by those closest to the students in Pilot Schools due to their small size and autonomy. In small schools, staff share leadership responsibilities with principals. The Pilot School areas of autonomy—staffing, budget, curriculum and assessment, governance, and schedule—allow each school community to structure itself according to students’ needs. Staffing autonomy ensures that Pilot School staff are committed to the work they are doing; all staff voluntarily choose to work in a Pilot School. Budget and schedule decisions are decided at the school level, with staff input and decision making and governing board approval. With increased school-level decision-making power, there is increased responsibility for each decision that is made. CCE coaches work with schools to develop leadership at all levels, including administrative, staff, student, family, and community.
   Setting a mission first enables Pilot Schools to guide their efforts for building a successful school. High expectations and equity for all students are the focus. Once the mission is set, the five areas of autonomy are used to fulfill each school’s unique mission. The school community in both start-up and conversion schools sets the mission through a collaborative process that is revisited and revised on a regular basis. The governing board, along with the entire school community, is responsible for keeping the mission at the center of the school’s work, using it to set measurable goals, and for analyzing progress based on multiple indicators.

   As leadership roles are transformed and a mission is set, a strong professional collaborative culture is essential in Pilot Schools. Through autonomy, schools form creative staffing patterns and schedule time for staff to meet to set goals for improving teaching and learning. They implement strategies such as analyzing student work and performance data. Staff and administrators work closely together in teams and committees, utilizing their strengths to achieve the school’s mission. Pilot School decision-making teams include leadership teams, interdisciplinary teams, content-based teams, grade-level teams, and full faculty. Strategies and tools for organizing meetings are utilized as groups work together.
   Governing boards, a structure created through governance autonomy, represent the voices of an entire Pilot School community. Decision making and leadership are shared among staff, administrators, families, community members, and, for high schools and some middle schools, students. Governing boards operate with expanded powers in the place of traditional district- and state-mandated school site councils. Boards are responsible for setting and maintaining the school mission; hiring, supervising, and evaluating the principal; approving the budget; and approving election-to-work agreements.
   Like governing boards, election-to-work agreements are a structure of shared accountability in Pilot Schools. These agreements serve as the staff’s contract with a school in place of the district’s teachers union contract—except for seniority, salary, and benefits (which are set at the district level). Governing boards approve the annual agreements. Election-to-work agreements are crafted to create the conditions that enable a Pilot School to achieve its mission. Staff sign the agreement based on the fit of the school’s beliefs, practices, and structures with their own.
   Throughout other sections of this web-guide, the leadership and governance framework of Pilot Schools is outlined in greater depth, including leadership roles, setting a mission, professional collaboration, governing boards, and election-to-work agreements.