When Vision Leads: What Systems Leadership Really Looks Like in Schools
In conversations with school and district leaders across the United States and Canada, one pattern keeps surfacing: the desire for greater coherence. Leaders aren’t looking for more programs—they’re looking for systems that align practice, pedagogy, and purpose. And sometimes, in the rush to improve or protect instructional integrity, decisions get made that create tension—like questioning how advanced coursework is structured, or whether certain approaches truly reflect a systems mindset. These questions are not mistakes. They’re signals: leaders are hungry for clarity, consistency, and trust in the frameworks they adopt.
But coherence doesn’t come from control. It comes from vision. And more importantly, from the ability to communicate and reinforce that vision consistently over time.
One school leader we recently featured on the Education by Design Podcast “It’s not the students—It’s the system” episode [S1.E3], Dr. John Falino of Dobbs Ferry High School in New York offers a compelling example. For more than a decade in leadership at the same school, he has cultivated a school culture anchored in shared values, where staff, students, and families alike understand not just what they’re doing, but why. His approach shows that when you lead with a unified vision and stay long enough to see it through, change becomes more than an initiative—it becomes the identity of the school.
What’s striking is that John didn’t begin with a pitch for any particular model. He began by inviting conversation. Together, with his team they asked, “What do we value in education?” Then, they aligned their curriculum, instruction, and professional learning to reflect those answers. Teachers weren’t just trained—they were included. They were invited to become designers of learning, grounded in real-world skills and a shared purpose that made sense. And, most importantly, they were afforded the time, the resources, and the professional learning opportunities to make it possible. Everything working together.
This is systems leadership—not because it follows a rigid formula, but because it creates the conditions for coherence. Teachers speak the same language. Students know what’s expected. Feedback makes sense. Growth feels possible. And when a system like that exists, it doesn’t need to be micromanaged. It reinforces itself. Teachers have agency to make decisions, and therefore, so do their students.
That’s what allows schools to support students thoughtfully and design advanced learning opportunities that are inclusive, purposeful, and well-supported.
It’s not about structure for structure’s sake—it’s about the alignment that underpins the practices. When adults are clear, students can be confident. That’s the difference between an open door and a revolving one. It’s worth naming another factor too: stability. In many schools, frequent leadership changes can interrupt momentum. But John Falino’s long tenure has given space for culture to deepen, for trust to grow, and for educators to see that big changes can stick when leaders stay the course and invest in the way schools function, not just what they offer.
So to the leaders navigating these decisions in real time—we see you. Your commitment to alignment and purpose is valid. And maybe, just maybe, the very system you’re seeking—one that balances innovation with clarity, and raises expectations while honoring all learners—is already within reach. It might not need to be invented. It might just need to be seen more clearly.
When vision leads, systems follow. And students thrive. What are your thoughts or experiences. Please share them in the comments.
📚 Recommended Resources for Further Reading
The Internal Coherence Framework: Creating the Conditions for Continuous Improvement in Schools
This book presents a system of research-based practices for assessing and developing the conditions that support adult and student learning in schools. It brings together three important domains of research: leadership for learning, organizational improvement, and instructional efficacy.
Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation
This book offers key insights about how to transform data and explore indigenous knowledge creation for a new world. It provides a vibrant picture of what it means to do school when we authentically center our students.
Improvement by Design: The Promise of Better Schools
This book examines why some school improvement programs succeed while others falter, emphasizing the importance of coherent design, effective implementation, continuous improvement, and sustainability. It's a valuable resource for leaders aiming to build systems that support lasting educational change.
