deutschThe Leadership Academy
»Education managers have a vision of the school of the future. They shape school and learning culture in terms of 'Leadership for Learning'!«
The Leadership Academy is the Austrian forum for nationwide continuing education at an executive level in schools. It offers innovation training for head teachers as well as for education management personnel (Target Groups) from all types of educational institution. The Academy is based on an understanding of leadership which focuses on dialogue and the main concern of all schools: providing excellent education and personal formation (Leadership for Learning).
Leadership means the capacity to actively promote the quality of education on offer and to show initiative, creativity, courage, conviction, persuasiveness and confidence in the capacity for innovation already present in the system and those involved in it. Dialogue enables orientation and trust, taking on responsibility creates clarity and confidence, handing on responsibility leads to participation and identification (Shared Leadership).
Organisation and Management of the Leadership Academy
»As a forum, the Leadership Academy opens up many opportunities for net-working and developing new ideas. It provides a space for confidence building.«
The directors of the LEA are Professor Michael Schratz, University of Innsbruck, and Professor Wilfried Schley, University of Zurich (Team).
The Leadership Academy (LEA) holds four three-day fora each year (Dates). At every forum, participants reach a new milestone on the way to membership of the Academy. Successful graduation and admission to membership of the Academy is decided on during the certification process at the fourth forum (Certification). The LEA course includes: Plenum meetings with motivational impulse lectures (full assembly), Workshops in collegial coaching groups, reflection on innovation and development of project ideas (groups of 6), Learning partnership sessions for the exchange of ideas and collegial brainstorming, Workshops in regional groups (Federal State) for regional net-working and for the presentation and exchange of ideas.
The Academy began in November 2004 with the first generation (300 participants). Several generations are planned, as is the creation of a large-scale LEA Membership Network (Membership), which will eventually link all the educational institutions in Austria.