Purpose
Dr. Shaker’s leadership philosophy is fundamentally grounded in his extensive practical experience, particularly the 10 years he spent "in the seat" as a principal guiding students from Kinder to 8th grade. This background established the crucial value of balancing school and district decision-making, emphasizing the power of authentic partnership between the central office and schools. Dr. Shaker recognizes that principals carry an enormous burden of responsibility for student safety and learning, staff stability and wellbeing, and the reputation of their communities. He believes this extensive responsibility mandates a necessary degree of autonomy and flexibility for school leaders, especially when that autonomy has been earned through high achievement. Conversely, his philosophy dictates that during times of struggle, central support needs to be present and prepared to support the students, staff, and the administration’s leadership capacity. Applying this dual perspective to his current central office role, Dr. Shaker’s philosophical goal is to guide the existing talent within Academic Services and effectively integrate those resources with the specific focus and needs of the schools, ultimately directing the district toward building the capacity of school leadership.
Operationally, Dr. Shaker’s philosophy centers on cultivating a comprehensive “Culture of Achievement”. This systemic culture is built through the strategic implementation of personalized Quality tools and Lean Management principals, specifically focusing on fostering high teacher engagement, promoting school pride, and encouraging student accountability for performance. This approach involves implementing calculated risks, developing an intuition for the relationships between the school district's systems, and managing those systems to promote tiered layers of leadership. Philosophically, Dr. Shaker focuses on serving the entire range of learners by developing a methodical focus on the needs and wants of the Upper 25% of students while simultaneously building gains and achievement with the Lower 25%. Furthermore, his philosophy champions the necessity of administrative visibility and support to cultivate high morale, self-esteem, and purpose in staff members.