BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Strong leadership skills are essential for charter sector leaders to navigate the challenging times during a public health crisis and unprecedented academic year, and beyond. A new master class from the National Charter School Resource Center (NCSRC) focuses on elements of effective leadership to help charter school leaders support others and maintain focus on their vision in an ever-changing landscape.
"Charter school leaders can sustain momentum and impact by leveraging adaptive strategies and providing extra support to their teams," said Carter Clawson, Project Director of the National Charter School Resource Center at Manhattan Strategy Group. "Leading in the Unknown provides a blueprint."
Leading in the Unknown is a three-part series of modules featuring experts in the charter sector who provide real world applications on leading teams through change. Moderated by Lisa Diaz, founder of Lumen Impact Group, the series provides three ways to lead in uncertain times:
- Create a culture of care – The first module, "Creating a Culture of Care: Building a Life RAFT for Your Team," explores how developing and maintaining a culture of care is critical to organizational impact. Leaders can develop and foster a culture of care in an uncertain, complex, and highly emotional time by focusing on relationships, acknowledgment, flexibility, and transparency. Dr. Kelli Peterson, assistant superintendent at the Louisiana Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, shares insights about how she is caring for her team during the pandemic.
- Be strategic – "Strategic Leadership: "Where are We Going?," the second module, helps leaders explore how to move their teams and stakeholders from crisis response to a shared long-term strategic vision of success. Bevon Thompson, Principal and CEO at Imagine Me Leadership Charter School, discusses how he is strategically leading his team to stay focused on its mission and vision during the pandemic.
- Track strategy to sustain impact – The third learning module, "Sustaining Impact: How are We Doing?," focuses on how charter school leaders can narrow their focus and sustain the impact of their strategic plans using short-term targets, expectation setting, powerful reflection and refinement practices, and supportive feedback cycles. Dr. Paula Bevan, an author and expert on educator and leader effectiveness, teacher professional development, and educational leadership development, provides practical insights on the strategic planning process.
Each module includes three components – a webinar with implementation strategies and a guided self-reflection workbook, an interview with a charter school leader on putting the content into practice, and key takeaways. The full series is available at https://charterschoolcenter.ed.gov/learning-modules/leading-unknown-self-guided-learning-experience-focused-leadership.
NCSRC is an initiative of the Charter School Programs (CSP) within the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education. NCSRC supports a variety of focus areas within the charter school sector, including facilities, authorizing, accountability, new school development, Native American charter schools, and others. The master class content does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of organizations imply endorsement by the federal government. Manhattan Strategy Group is a leading government contractor in the provision of technical assistance (TA) to Federal grantees and partners. Under MSG's leadership, NCSRC serves as the central TA center for CSP grantees and other charter school stakeholders through the dynamic and managed interaction of data collection, learning, and responsive TA delivery.
About Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG)
Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG) is a social sciences and management consulting firm that brings professional services, approaches, and innovative solutions to the areas of education, workforce development, and human services. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, MSG specializes in research and evaluation, technical assistance, and communication and information services.
If you would like more information about the National Charter School Resource Center, please visit https://charterschoolcenter.ed.gov/.
Media Contact
John Lingan, Manhattan Strategy Group, (301) 828-1504, [email protected]
SOURCE National Charter School Resource Center

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