California Professional Standards for Education Leaders · 6C–2
Actively develop relationships with a range of stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers to identify and address issues, trends, and potential changes that affect the context and conduct of education.
A leader’s network is a listening and sense-making system, not a collection of contacts called only when support is needed.
What this looks like in practice
{"Build relationships across role, geography, perspective, and expertise"=>"students, families, educators, unions, civic groups, agencies, employers, researchers, and policymakers. Reciprocity matters; leaders should share useful context and follow-through as well as request information."}
Track claims to sources and separate observation, research finding, projection, and advocacy. When signals conflict, make the disagreement visible and identify what local evidence or further inquiry would reduce uncertainty.
Developing the practice
Diversify the network
Map whose knowledge is present, whose is missing, and which relationships depend on a single individual or shared viewpoint.
Establish a cadence
Create lightweight recurring exchanges around emerging issues instead of waiting for a formal crisis or proposal.
Synthesize responsibly
Record source, strength, limitation, implication, uncertainty, and the next question before recommending action.
Useful connections
Leadership voices
SDLA’s interviews provide a growing window into the specialized practitioners whose knowledge can strengthen a leader’s network.
Data governance coordinator
This interview illustrates how relationship-building and specialized expertise can shape districtwide practice.
Questions for reflection and mentoring
- Does my network challenge my assumptions or mostly reinforce them?
- Which relationship would help us notice an emerging issue earlier?
- Can I distinguish a signal, a finding, a forecast, and an advocacy claim?