Job and professional competencies of the school principal

In the contemporary educational context, there is a general and growing tendency to recognize the specialized professional nature of the role of the school principal and the consequent need for his professionalization.

This recognition has materialized, in more than a few countries, in orderly and concrete actions, as occurs with the accreditation processes to certify the suitability and professional development of those who assume the task of running schools.

Even though in some countries the influence of conservative and reductionist forces against professionalization is maintained, considering that this restricts the democratic participation of members of the school community in the management of educational institutions, the trend is progressing with some speed.

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Such progressive development has been closely related to the educational reform processes that in the last decades have been practically present throughout the world and have been a regularity in the countries that are the object of the aforementioned study.

The need for professionalization is determined by the greater attributions that the reform processes are transferring to the educational units, both in the curricular, administrative and financial aspects.

Among the basic concepts of the content of educational reforms that have a direct impact on the role of the school principal and demand the need for their professionalization, they can be recognized:

The need for schools to have greater autonomy and capacity to respond to the demands of multiple actors, especially at local levels. The greater responsibility of schools in the process of change and improvement of school performance.

The professionalization of the role of school directors is inextricably associated with the need to increase their professionalism, a concept that is also associated with others such as profession, competencies and professional performance.

This work aims to analyze aspects related to the professionalism of the school principal, particularly those that concern its content. To achieve this objective, it is necessary to clarify questions such as the following:

What should be understood by professionalizing the role of the school principal? Can the activity of the school principal be considered to have its own professional identity? Can it be understood as a specific profession? How can professionalism be defined? How important is the theoretical modeling of professionalism? What premises must be considered for its modeling? What are the competitions? What competencies make up the professionalism of the school director in contemporary conditions, which demand the need for their professionalization? What elements make up those skills?

The answer to these questions is exposed in the different sections that make up this work.

The professionalization of school principals

In not a few reports and other documents prepared by international organizations and forums, containing data, analysis, trends, projections and policies on the development of education, explicit reference is made to the need to professionalize the role of school directors. Some examples of this are:

“Research and empirical observation show that one of the main factors of school effectiveness, if not the main one, is the director of the center (…) Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the management of schools is entrusted to professionals qualified ”(Delors Report, UNESCO, 1996)

Other approaches are made in the document “Towards a new stage of educational development” of the UNESCO Regional Office for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNESCO / OREALC):

"The director of the school is asked to (…) assume his position not only as a stage within a civil service career, but as a moral, intellectual and functional position, from which he has the possibility of running an establishment and printing one direction. Thus, more than mere administrators, it requires teaching leaders capable of directing and who are at the same time efficient organizers. »(" Towards a new stage of educational development "of the UNESCO Regional Office for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, 1993). “Due to the needs presented by the new school management model, the director of the establishment must have specialized organizational skills and adequate instruments for their performance. “(Page 29)“ In this vision, the director is responsible for the operation of the establishment and the results of children's learning. For this, specific training needs must be made compatible with a certain degree of stability and flexible management career standards that include incentives. ” (Page 30)

Many experts on educational issues such as the Spanish José María Ruiz Ruiz and the Argentine María A. Abrille de Vollmer have also referred to the need to professionalize the role of the school principal:

“In the near future, a common note is seen in almost all countries: their greater professionalism. The evolution of the directors' profile has ranged from exclusively pedagogical functions to others more related to management, administration and even marketing, which at the moment is being imposed with the highest demands of society, are factors that intervene to generate this profile in the directors of centers. "(Ruiz Ruiz, J., 1994)." Strengthen the role of the director for the exercise of a democratic and responsible leadership, and advance in the search for alternatives for the choice of a professional that combines criteria of professional competence and theoretical knowledge, with legitimacy of leadership and acceptance of their authority, will undoubtedly be a priority for governments.»(Abrile de Vollmer, M., 1996).

Such references serve to confirm the existence of a consensus on the recognition of the need to professionalize the role of school directors.

It is necessary to emphasize that such demand is not only present in the education sector. In this regard, Longo (2002) points out, who in turn refers to Losada (1999) and Murray (2000): “The problem is that traditional systems of public function or civil service generally lack the capacity to produce managerial profiles in the proportion required by the reforms. Nor do they have adequate mechanisms to stimulate managerial practice properly. For this reason, the professionalization of managers has become a priority for reformers, and has required concentrating specific Human Resources Management policies in the upper fringe of Civil Service systems "

The term professionalization, as a general concept, has been the subject of multiple definitions.

Pérez, M., (1996) points out: «It is a process that has its genesis in the education of the individual, but reaches its fullness in Advanced Education. (…) It has as its essence the reorientation or specialization, as the case may be, of qualified labor resources, so that they can achieve efficiency in the acquisition and / or development of the basic skills required by the professional model ».

The author herself characterizes it as a "scientifically organized and organized educational process" that must necessarily take place within the framework of the "link between theory and practice" and where the improvement, production of knowledge and professional performance converge dialectically ". "

Medina Rivilla (1994), who calls professional development, what is being understood here as professionalization, says about it: «… it is the peculiar way of assuming and reworking training in coherence with the educational demands and the concrete needs of each institutional context, from which to design the set of unique processes that strengthen the formal, academic and professional life of the team and of each member ».

Valiente, P., (1997), defines it as “… a formalized, historical-concrete pedagogical process that begins at the level of education in which the graduate was trained; but it has its greatest intensity and concretion in the post-discharge stage; that it starts from the determination of the educational problems and needs of the subjects and the demands derived from the social assignment; requires management with a systemic approach; and it has as its purpose to achieve the professionalism of the subject and raise it to higher levels. "

Many of the authors consulted (Estruch Tobella, J.; Herrera, M.; Obin, JP.; Gairín Sallán, J.; Álvarez Fernández, M.; Unceta Satrústequi, A.) during the comparative study “Some trends in training and overcoming school principals in Ibero-American countries ”, some of whom have not intended in their work the theoretical treatment of the concept of professionalization of the school principal, have contributed elements that allow establishing the essential features that make up its content and the approach to a definition on it.

The professionalization of the role of the school principal can be defined as a directed, formalized process that occurs through training, the exercise of office, exclusive or quasi-exclusive dedication, and continuity, and must result in the scope of the levels of professionalism and professional performance required by the management of school institutions, in correspondence with the social demands expressed in the guidelines that make up educational policy.

The professional identity of the activity of the school principal

Another trend of the current moment of educational development, regarding the school principal, is the increasingly wide recognition that his activity has its own professional identity, of its consideration as a specific profession.

Before characterizing the concept of professional identity of the role of the school principal, which implies its consideration as a specific profession, it is necessary to characterize the concept of profession, in its most general content. From the analysis of numerous definitions and characterizations of the concept (Fernández, Jorge A., 2001; Garduño M., Felipe, 1997; Cortina. Adela, 1998; Pardell H., 2003; González, Juan; Gómez B., Cristóbal, 2003; Encarta, 2006) were identified as the main features that identify the profession concept, in its most general dimension, the following:

It is a job, trade, faculty, role, which is carried out jointly by a group of individuals It implies the possession by those individuals of specialized knowledge, skills and technical capacities that allow their performance to be distinguished from that of other individuals The specific knowledge, skills and technical capacities they possess Those who are part of it are acquired through a specialized and formal training process.It is a type of social and morally legitimate activity that involves the provision of a specific, essential, indispensable, institutionalized service that is carried out in the interest of other individuals. of its members for the scope of the purposes pursued by the activity they carry out and adherence to a set of ethical values that are associated with the specific characteristics of that activity.It implies social recognition of the individual's ability to exercise it through certification or accreditation. It is a remunerated activity for those who exercise it.

As Cortina, Adela (1998) summarizes, "The profession is associated with: mission, vocation, specific preparation, academic degree, task performance, technical competence, specific functions, social activity, etc."

If we take into consideration the previous analysis, together with the elements provided by several of the works consulted (Estruch Tobella, J.; Herrera, M.; Obin, JP.; Gairín Sallán, J.; Álvarez Fernández, M.; Unceta Satrústequi, A.), for the study compared to the one mentioned earlier, it can be concluded that the content of the activity carried out by the school director can be considered as an activity that has its own professional identity, as a specific profession, how much:

It is a different career from that of classroom teachers that involves particular functions and skills or competences and a culture of its own. the establishment by the subjects of a "relationship of progressive appropriation of their trade and their profession", of a "feeling of collective belonging to a profession", the identification of "their personal and professional objectives with the objectives of the profession" It builds on pillars such as: the personal project of the subjects, the institutional demands of the function, the learning that the experience offers, the exchange with other colleagues, the way of access, specific training, experience in group management and leadership,The own capacitiesOne of the key elements that make it up and define it is the function, understood "as the set of responsibilities that are incumbent upon (the manager) before the society and community of his school." It implies new responsibilities, tasks and roles that have expanded and transformed the content of the work of school principals

The concept of professionalism

The assumption of the management of school institutions as a professional activity implies new responsibilities, tasks and roles that have expanded and transformed the content of the work of school directors and generate new demands on their professionalism.

Many authors have proposed various definitions of the concept of professionalism, which is commonly used as a synonym for professionalization. In other cases, as does Gimeno Sacristán, J (1996) who has studied teaching professionalism in depth, it is identified with competence.

The work of Gimeno Sacristán, J. (1996) is of great value and interest, since it addresses some features that identify the concept for the particular case of the teacher, which can also be considered for characterization as a general concept. Among the features to which it refers, the following stand out: its multiform character (it is different for the different educational levels, curricular areas in which the work is carried out by the teacher), the complexity of its theoretical modeling (given the variety of functions that the professor), its socio-historical character (it is a socially contextualized historical elaboration, which has gone through stages, dominant orientations, diverse orientation paradigms, etc.)

Chacón, N. (2005) states: “Pedagogical Professionalism is a more comprehensive and integrating concept of the spheres or planes of pedagogical work in which to do the teacher, in this definition the most general and indispensable conditions that the professional requires to fulfill its social mission, educate the new generations. ”

The author analyzes the pedagogical professionalism of teacher educators from an ethical-humanistic conception, which is opposed to "the technocratic positions associated with the globalization of education" about it. Consequently, she understands that the content of pedagogical professionalism is also “the moral and humanistic values that move the attitude and conduct assumed in work and before society”, as well as “accumulated practical results in educational work.”

In Cuba, the concept has also been previously treated by scholars of the concepts of Advanced Education such as: Añorga, J. (2000), Cornejo, M. (1996) and Pérez, M. (1996), who provide valuable elements for its characterization and definition.

The analysis of these previous studies allows us to identify those that can be considered as fundamental features of the concept:

Its socio-historical character, Its relative and changeable content for each particular case, as well as the conditions in which the subject or gender of subjects must carry out their professional activity, Their systemic organization in which the different competences that express the degree interact of professional aptitude, not only from the perspective of the knowledge, skills, abilities and habits that the exercise of the profession demands, but also from the ethical - humanistic perspective. It not only refers to the effectiveness and quality with which the professional executes the tasks from the technical point of view: attention, care, accuracy and speed, but also implies their degree of motivation for it, It is achieved through a process of professionalization,It is revealed and it is possible to be evaluated during the professional performance and from the results

The professionalism should be understood, therefore, as a set of skills that an organization and systemic functioning make possible the harmonious combination between the "Saber", "Know - how" and "know how to be" in the subject, manifested in the execution of their tasks with great attention, care, accuracy, speed and a high degree of responsibility, commitment and motivation; that is based on the use of the principles, methods, forms, technologies and means that correspond in each case, based on a high level of preparation (including experience) and that can be evaluated through professional performance and its results. .

The professional performance is "an individual 's ability to perform actions, duties and obligations of a responsible and professional functions required for a job. This is expressed in the behavior or the actual conduct of the worker in relation to the other tasks to be carried out during the exercise of their profession. This term designates what the professional actually does and not only what he knows how to do ”

The concept of competition

The previous definition of professionalism makes it necessary to clarify some conceptual elements regarding the competences that are its constituent element.

The concept of competence has been treated from the psychological, the pedagogical, the labor, the social, etc. From each of these perspectives, multiple definitions have been developed that are an expression of the epistemological conceptions of the person who formulates them, "… each definition is based on previous assumptions or levels of abstraction that in each author operates independently and that indicate different reference parameters, what causes that the conceptual result is obviously different. ” (AM and others 2006)

The study of the competences from the labor perspective, in the contemporary management of human resources, which is the one that concerns the purposes of this work, begins in the United States in the seventies of the last century (Longo, F., 2002). However, even from this perspective, the concepts present in the studies carried out differ, in many cases, substantially.

Within the labor competencies, professional competences and directives have been studied as particular types of these. In the educational field, teaching and pedagogical competences have been studied and, in some cases, those that are specific to certain managers in this sector, such as school directors.

One of the issues to which particular attention was paid during the conceptual analysis of competition is that of its definition. In this regard, it was observed that there is a wide range of more general concepts (the "next genre") in which the authors frame the concept of competence:

ability (perhaps one of the most reiterated) characteristics underlying the person psychological configuration construct element set attribute set complex and integrated set of attributes attribute combination behavior (observable, habitual, not sporadic)

The analysis of the previous list of general concepts, in the context of the formulation of the definitions in which they are raised, allows to show that competence is a complex and holistic formation , formed from the functional integration of qualities, attributes, elements, which have been established and consolidated in the subject.

In the numerous definitions studied, differences are also seen in terms of the degree of amplitude and specificity in the approach of those qualities, attributes or elements that are functionally integrated in a complex and holistic way in the competition. The growing trend is observed not to limit such qualities, attributes or elements to those of a strictly technical nature that are necessary to perform the functions of the specific work activity.

From this analysis it can be summarized that the competences are configured from:

Conceptual and procedural elements: knowledge, abilities, habits, capacities, skills, aptitudes, that make possible and demonstrate the "know-how" of the subject in their work activity (teacher, manager) Attitudinal elements: values, convictions, attitudes, commitment, that enable and reveal the subject's "knowing how to be" and "knowing being" during their performance Motivational elements: interests, needs, motives, individual fulfillment, which determine and highlight the individual's "wanting to do" in their professional activity Other traits and characteristics of the subject's personality

The studies about the competences in the professional field also coincide, at present, in considering in addition:

Its contextual character, which is explained by its direct relationship with a specific function or activity and with the required result in a certain job or work environment. Its dialectical relationship with performance (professional, managerial, teaching) as: the level of development of competence ensures the level of quality of performance (effectiveness, efficiency, autonomy, flexibility, etc.). competence is only evident and can be evaluated through performance. Its transversal nature, as it affects the set of functions, responsibilities, roles, that the subject must play (professionals, managers, teachers) His acquired character , is achieved through experience: in the course of training and in the further development of the activity (professional, managerial, teaching)

In relation to the types of competences, Sosa Castillo, AM and others (2006) indicate two general types for professional competences: the basic and the specific ones.

The basic competences: They are the most general, first in precedence, highest degree of need and are transferable between professions. They refer directly to professional work behaviors that respond to the prevailing trends in the organization of contemporary work. Specific competences: Are those that each professional requires for the exercise of their profession. They also include those that correspond to a specific sector or branch of society, as well as those that concern a specific organization or entity.

In the particular case of managerial competences, for which the features that make up the content of the concept of competence are valid, as a more general concept than that of one of its representatives, Cardona, P. (2006), proposes the following types: strategic competences and intra-strategic competences. Add, to these two types of managerial competencies proper business, the competencies of personal effectiveness.

The strategic competencies, are aimed at obtaining financial results: business vision, problem solving, resource management, customer orientation, negociación.Las intrategic skills, are aimed at developing employees and increase their commitment and confidence with the company: communication, organization, empathy, delegation, coaching, teamwork. Competencies of personal efficacy are those habits that facilitate an effective relationship of the person with his environment. These habits refer both to balance and personal development, and to maintaining an active, realistic and stimulating relationship with the environment. They enhance the effectiveness of strategic and intra-strategic competences and must also be considered as managerial competences. Among them he mentions: Proactivity: initiative, creativity, autonomy Self-government: discipline, concentration and self-control Personal management : time, stress and risk management Personal development: self-criticism, self-knowledge and personal change

The mention of this type of managerial competences has been considered necessary, even when it is modeled for the business world, because of the references it can provide for the identification of the basic competences of school directors.

The modeling of the professionalism of the school principal: its importance and premises

The modeling of the professionalism of school principals, based on the identification of the basic competences that comprise it and the elements that make them up, constitutes a necessity and is very useful for HRM processes with these important “base managers” of educational systems.

The model of the professionalism of the school principal represents a system in which the fundamental competences that make him / her suitable to carry out their responsibilities effectively are present and interrelated. The harmonious operation of this system also guarantees the projection of an integral image from which its prestige and authority emanate.

The model of the professionalism of the school principal, based on competences, can become a referential pattern or norm for:

the selection and appointment of directors, the selection of future candidates, the evaluation of their managerial performance, their initial and permanent professional development and training, their recognition and encouragement.

The identification of the competences that make up the professionalism of the school principal and the elements that configure them must start from the consideration of premises such as the following:

The contemporary demands made to education in the national and regional context, derived from:

The normative legal framework on which educational systems are based The content of the Policies and Strategies that guide educational activity The content of reforms and change processes

The characteristics of its management object, derived from the social mandate of the educational institution

The corporate purpose and priorities of the educational level to which the educational institution belongs The mission of the school The type of school The characteristics of the teaching staff The characteristics of the students corresponding to the educational level

The place that the position occupies in the educational structure and the functions, roles, tasks and responsibilities that it must carry out

The definition of the school principal and his role. In the case of Cuba, it is defined as "… the representative of the Ministry of Education in the educational center and his function is to exercise authority in the political, technical and administrative aspects of teaching, as well as direct, lead, supervise, control and evaluate the performance of the faculty and staff and activities of the development of the teaching educational process and lifelong school of the center. "His administrative subordination (who responds) the functions and powers legally conferred the tasks and responsibilities to be played starting of the consideration of the character and professional content of its managerial function. Today, the following are recognized, associated with their professional role, among others: The organization and general operation of the school institutionPedagogical work, the direction of the curriculum and the learning outcomes of studentsThe conduct of multiple processes of human resource management such as the selection, evaluation, and training and development of the school's teaching staff. The decision of institutional development policies, goals, objectives, and strategies, based on the various degrees of authority that have been conferred on it, and the promotion and coordination of efforts for its materialization The direction of administrative, economic,Legal and financial aspects of school activity Accountability for the results of institutional management and compliance with educational policies before the school community, the family and society. roles to be played based on the new character and professional content of its managerial role. Among them, there is consensus to consider the following: Leader, Administrator, Curriculum manager, Evaluator, Negotiator, Promoter of change and innovation, Promoter of a collaborative culture, Planner, Trainer, Guarantor of educational policy, Manager of material and financial resources

The spheres of action in which he carries out the management activity that “… specify where the object is manifested (the“ where ”of the profession)”. They are associated with the main processes that the school principal must directly conduct professionally. In the particular case of Cuba, at present, these are:

The planning, organization, regulation, control and evaluation of the integral work of the school. The direction of ideological political work and the formation of values. The direction of methodological work, through which it acts in the direction of student learning. The direction of the training process of the future teachers inserted in their school, in their condition of micro-university The direction of the scientific - pedagogical work The direction of the improvement of the teaching staff The school organization The school supervision The direction of the work with the Family and Community: Work with school organizations, particularly the Pioneer Organization.

The theoretical concepts on which the current educational management model is based:

Philosophy on educational management Conceptions on the quality of education and its evaluation The conception on learning and comprehensive education of the schoolchild The current curriculum conception

The general and specific requirements that those who assume the function need to fulfill, established in the corresponding political and legal documents. In the case of Cuba, the general requirements established by Decree Law 196 of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba (1999), for all those who occupy managerial functions in the country are:

Ethical work and personal behavior, management and organization capacity, degree of awareness and responsibility before the job, mastery and knowledge of the activity to be conducted, adequate professional or technical level, satisfactory results at work, prestige and social recognition

For the specific position of director of the educational center, the “Branch Regulation for work with the cadres of the Ministry of Education” (2000) establishes as an additional requirement that of having “experience as deputy director and / or cycle head and / or department head or base guide of the José Martí Pioneers Organization ”

The model of the professionalism of the school principal: his basic competences

Taking these premises into account, a proposal for a model of professionalism for school principals is presented, structured by competencies, which although it has been specially designed for the Cuban context, may be valid for others. The proposal has been updated from the original, which was designed in 1997, and had a first moment of adaptation in 2001.

Some of the characteristics that distinguish this proposed model of professionalism of the school principal are:

It is a systemic model whose components are competencies, with the elements that configure them.The competences that make up the model are basic directives, with a degree of generality that is valid to explain the professionalism of school directors at different educational levels. an ideal model, an image of the school director's professional excellence, containing the main attributes (conceptual, procedural, attitudinal, motivational, and other desirable personality traits) that he must be a carrier for successful professional performance.

Leadership is characterized, among others, by the following essential features:

· Has a direct relationship with the so-called moral authority , personal, informal, natural or influence

· It presupposes the existence of followers. Without followers one cannot speak of the existence of a leader.

· Represents the ability to use the different bases and sources of power in order to influence the behavior of followers in different ways.

The specificity of this competence lies in the director's ability to interact with the subjects who are the object of his directing activity, and lead them, with a high degree of commitment and motivation, within the reach of the institution's objectives. The central element of leadership resides in the communication capacity of the director that is expressed in his management style. The leadership that a school director can achieve is closely related to his personal qualities, in particular with his exemplary, and his lifestyle. The personality of the director becomes an "instrument" for the successful exercise of his responsibility.

The main attributes that make up the basic management skills, of which must be carried by the school principal, performance management for effective, efficient, autonomous, flexible and relevant, are:

The political-ideological competition:

Identification and commitment to the public interest and educational policy of the country. Deep knowledge and mastery of the main strategies that specify the content of the national educational policy and its regional and local implementation, as well as the arguments that support them. Ability to implement educational policies in the school context, within the institutional planning process. Knowledge of the concepts of educational quality and their evaluation, assumed as part of the national educational policy. Ability for accountability to society for results of his management and those of the institution he directs.Up-to-date knowledge about socio-economic events and environmental issues on the local stage,regional and national and the essential aspects of it in the international context Knowledge of the basic aspects of national, regional and local history Preparation (relevant knowledge and skills) to design, organize, control and evaluate the strategy for the formation of values, patriotic and citizen in its educational center. Exemplary civic conduct characterized by full compliance with ethical values and principles, socially recognized as desirable.Exemplary civic conduct characterized by full compliance with ethical values and principles, socially recognized as desirable.Exemplary civic conduct characterized by full compliance with ethical values and principles, socially recognized as desirable.

Technical-professional competence:

Basic knowledge of the scientific foundations that theoretically and methodologically underpin the pedagogical process, particularly those related to conceptions of learning, comprehensive school education and curriculum, assumed as part of national educational policy. Knowledge of basic foundations of the School Directorate, as a theoretical-methodological tool for interaction with its direction object.Knowledge and deep mastery of the particularities of the educational level to which its educational center corresponds and of its interaction with the rest of the National Education System. plan, organize, regulate, control and evaluate the different processes that take place in the school,from the mastery of the actions and operations that make up the content of these general functions of the management process. Ability to identify problems in your teaching center and to design, conduct, control and evaluate strategies aimed at their solution. Ability to direct the design, execution, control and evaluation of the School Educational Project. Ability to project improvement strategies based on the results of local, regional, national and international operations of evaluation of educational quality, as well as to direct institutional self-evaluation processes in its educational center. plan, organize, regulate, control and evaluate the change processes in the school institution. Skill in applying effective management techniques for timely decision-making,the delegation of authority, the management of meetings and offices, and the optimization in the planning and use of their personal time. Skill for the effective use of the possibilities offered by ICT in the directive management of the school institution. Ability to design, organize, and execute the comprehensive diagnosis of the students at your school, interpret their results and determine the regularities to project the corresponding strategies. Ability to determine and incentivize activities that contribute to improving student achievement. Ability to plan, organize, guide, conduct and evaluate the methodological work of the school as a way to improve the work of the group and the pedagogical process, relying on the collegiate management and technical bodies.Ability to plan, organize and carry out the diagnosis of the educational problems and needs of their pedagogical group and project from it their overcoming and professional development. Ability to project, conduct and evaluate the scientific-investigative work in their educational center (especially the aimed at improving pedagogical practice from itssystematization), as well as for planning, promoting, developing and introducing innovations and initiatives. Ability to coordinate work with school organizations and take advantage of their potential according to the institution's strategic objectives. for the diagnosis, projection and direction of work with the family and the community. Knowledge of the basic aspects related to economic management in the educational activity and ability to efficiently manage financial, material and bibliographic resources. Exemplarity in pedagogical performance as a teacher, particularly regarding the direction of learning of their students.

The competence to exercise leadership:

Ability to achieve, in a climate of security and trust, an empathetic, dialogical, open, fluid, affective, reflective, respectful and participatory communication with students, the workforce, the family and the community in which the school is inserted. expressive characterized by clarity, precision, coherence, accuracy in ideas and command of the Mother Tongue. Ability to motivate, know how to stimulate and incentivize good individual and collective results. Sensitive attitude towards opinions, concerns, concerns, aspirations, Complaints and discrepancies of the students, the pedagogical group and the parents and ability to apply in a timely manner, and with the necessary ethics, the pertinent ways and methods to know them and to design and put into practice the corresponding actions to attend to them and channel them.Ability to solve dysfunctions and conflicts and to harmonize the interests of the teachers with the expectations of the families and the objectives of the institution. Ability to evaluate comprehensively, with demand, fairness and differentiating the staff that they direct. Perceptive ability in observation and understanding of the state of relations and processes that take place in your school institution, as well as detect problems where others do not see it. Ability to lead your group with educational and persuasive methods in achieving institutional objectives. Skill in using methods and techniques of group work and building networks of co-participation and collaboration for the exercise of participatory leadership in your group.Ability to act with autonomy and responsibility within the framework of the faculties that have been granted to him / her. Capacity for self-knowledge, self-control, self-discipline, self-criticism, self-demand and willingness to personal change. Critical attitude and rational demand Proactive attitude characterized by vision of the future, creativity and initiative.Healthy lifestyle characterized by the harmony between their social, work and family activity.

Conclusions

The contemporary demands that are placed on education today presuppose the elevation of the professionalism of school directors, which is only possible after their professionalization, a need that is currently recognized on a universal scale.

The professionalism of the school director is based on his possession of a set of basic managerial competences, which, when interrelated systemically, guarantee the effectiveness of his professional performance.

Today's school directors must be politically competent, as they are the main guarantors of the concretion of the educational policies proposed nationally, in the educational centers, which constitute the basic structures on which the educational systems rest. and where such policies must come true.

To this essential competence, the director must add the professional technical competence, by virtue of which he becomes a suitable manager to conduct the different processes that are part of the various spheres of his managerial professional activity.

The contemporary school principal is not expected to be a technocrat, or simply a good administrator. He aspires to exercise transformative leadership over his subordinates, who more than this must be his most enthusiastic followers and collaborators.

The scope of such powers is not a utopia. They are achievable, if the directors are subject to human resource management, by those who have the task of developing it, that takes into account the specificities of their professional identity. The proposed model of professionalism of the school principal that has been exposed in this work can be useful for that purpose.

References and Notes

VALIENTE SANDÓ, PEDRO (2004) Some trends in the training and improvement of school directors in Latin American countries. Paper presented at the XII World Congress of Comparative Education. (In CD with the Memories of the event) Havana, Cuba, October 2004 and in the Electronic Magazine Luz del ISPH, Year III, No. 3, 2004. ISSN 1814-151-X

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF CHILE. Directors: path towards professionalization. Taken from Education Magazine, Ministry of Education of Chile, Edition 312, Year 2004 Consulted at https://www.mineduc.cl/ on June 15, 2004

OREALC-UNESCO (1993). (V Meeting of the Major Project of Education for Latin America and the Caribbean. Santiago, Chile, June 8-11, 1993) Towards a new stage of educational development / Regional Office of Education for Latin America and the Caribbean.. 31, Santiago de Chile

RUIZ RUIZ, JOSÉ MARÍA (1994). The training of the manager seen from the University. In Educational Innovation Magazine No. 3, Madrid, Spain

ABRILE DE VOLLMER, MARIA INÉS (1996). New demands on education and the school institution, and the professionalization of teachers. In: Training Course for Educational Administrators. Ministry of Culture and Education of Argentina, Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI).

LONGO, FRANCISCO (2002) "The development of managerial competences in public systems: a priority of institutional strengthening" Presented at: VII International Congress of CLAD on the Reform of the State and Public Administration, Lisbon, Portugal, 8-11 Oct. 2002. Consulted on September 29, 2006, at:

PEREZ GARCIA, AGUEDA MAYRA. «Proposal for a professionalization strategy for Spanish-Literature teachers.» Thesis in option of the title of Master in Advanced Education, Havana, CENESEDA-ISPEJV, 1996

MEDINA RIVILLA, ANTONIO. "The continuous training of teachers from a collaborative perspective." In Educational Innovation Magazine No. 3, Madrid, 1994

VALIENTE SANDO, PEDRO (1997) "Proposal for an improvement system to increase the professionalism of the directors of educational centers". Thesis in option of the title of Master in Educational Research, ICCP - MINED, Havana, 1997

ESTRUCH TOBELLA, JOAN. "Towards the professionalization of school management".

HERRERA, MANUEL. "Professional Identity and Training of Directors."

OBIN, JEAN-PIERRE. "The professional training of school principals".

GAIRÍN SALLÁN, JOAQUÍN. "Participatory management".

ÁLVAREZ FERNÁNDEZ MANUEL. “The professional management. Unspeakable suggestion or need? ”

UNCETA SATRÚSTEQUI, ALFONSO. "The possible management models in our educational reality"

Ibid

FERNÁNDEZ, JORGE A. (2001). Elements that consolidate the concept of profession. Notes for your reflection. Electronic Journal of Educational Research, 3 (2). Consulted on September 30, 2006 at:

redie.uabc.mx/vol3no2/congido-fernandez.html

GARDUÑO MADRIGAL, FELIPE (1997). Teaching as a Profession: Its New Challenges. Center of Studies of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (CEU-Universitas).

Quoted in "Professional work" Consulted on September 30, 2006 at:

Quoted by Horwitz Campos, Nina. "The social sense of medical professionalism" Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile. Santiago de Chile.

GONZÁLEZ ANLEO; JUAN, In: "Professional values".

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Microsoft® Encarta® 2006

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HERRERA, MANUEL. "Professional Identity and Training of Directors." Consulted on June 3, 2004 at www.reduc.cl/raes.nsf

OBIN, JEAN-PIERRE. “The professional training of school directors”.

GAIRÍN SALLÁN, JOAQUÍN. "Participatory management".

ÁLVAREZ FERNÁNDEZ MANUEL. “The professional management. Unspeakable suggestion or need? ”.

UNCETA SATRÚSTEQUI, ALFONSO. "The possible management models in our educational reality".

GIMENO SACRISTAN, J. "Improvement as development of teaching professionalism." In Training Course of Educational Administrators. Ministry of Culture and Education of Argentina, Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI), 1996.

CHACÓN ARTEAGA, NANCY. "Pedagogical Professionalism, Values and Educational Change. Challenges and Prospects ”. Course material of the same name (Course 70). International Congress of Pedagogy 2005, IPLAC, Havana, February 2005

AÑORGA, MORALES, JULIA; and collaborators. Glossary of Advanced Education Terms, New version on floppy disk. Havana, Cuba, 2000.

CORNEJO LOPEZ, MARGARITA DALIA. Curricular design to improve the pedagogical competence of professionals in Primary Education for the teaching of calligraphy. Thesis in option of the title of Master in Advanced Education, Havana, CENESEDA-ISPEJV, 1996

AÑORGA, MORALES, JULIA AND COLLABORATORS (2000). Glossary of Advanced Education Terms. New version on floppy disk. Havana, Cuba, 2000

SOSA CASTILLO, ANA MARGARITA; IÑIGO BAJOS, ENRIQUE; VEGA MEDEROS, JUAN FRANCISCO (2006). Professional competences: a proposal for the assessment of graduates of higher education in Cuba ”. In Memories of the 5th International Congress of Higher Education, University 2006, Havana, Cuba

The “next genre” is a component of a type of definition that conceives in its structure the declaration of the most general concept of which the concept being defined is one of its representatives.

CARDONA, PABLO (2006). "In search of managerial skills".

MINED (Ministry of Education) CUBA (1995). Cuban National Educational System / Ministry of Education, Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture.-Havana, Cuba

VALIENTE SANDÓ, PEDRO (2001). Systemic conception of the improvement of the directors of Basic Secondary. Thesis presented as an option to the Scientific Degree of Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences. Holguin, Cuba

RUIZ RUIZ, JOSÉ MARIA (1994). The training of the manager seen from the University. In Educational Innovation Magazine No. 3, Madrid, Spain

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FIPELLA, JAUME AND RAMÓN PES PUIG (1988). Transformational Leadership. A new approach to the management role in light of current global research. Direction Problems Series. Edited by the SUPSCER National Commission, Havana, Cuba.

Moral authority is that which is given to the leader, who enjoys credibility and trust, by the members of the collective of his organization. The main features that characterize this type of authority are:

It is spontaneously recognized and accepted by subordinates The high ability of their owners to influence the attitude and behavior of others, beyond obedience Subordinates tend to carry out tasks voluntarily and with a sense of satisfaction It is related to those characteristics and individual aptitudes that allow certain managers to be obeyed, respected, and accepted by their criteria, through the use of requests, persuasions or suggestions, rather than by the exercise of power and Legal authority. The word, the criteria and the orders of the manager find a quick and easy answer in the subordinates. It arises from the ability to deeply know people and to understand their aspirations and personal needs.It solidifies to the same extent that the manager achieves a deep understanding of his organization and the content of his activity. It can, in certain circumstances, replace formal authority.

The bases of power are the "means by which the modification of people's behavior can be achieved" and they list among the most important: coercion, reward / sanction, knowledge and charisma (Menguzzato and Renau (1996) "The Strategic Direction of the Company. An innovative approach to management" Edited by the MES; Havana, Chapter 16, page 328)

The sources of power "refer to the reasons that justify the use of the bases of power by people" (Reitter and Ramanantsoa, 1985, cited by Menguzzato and Renau (1996) "The Strategic Management of the Company. An innovative approach of management ”Edited by the MES, Havana, Chapter 16, page 328) There is a coincidence in recognizing among the most important: the position of the person in the organizational structure, personal characteristics, opportunity and experience.

Such knowledge and mastery is fundamentally related to the guidelines that specify educational policy at the educational level, the end and the objectives of the educational level, the study plan, the normative and legal documents, etc.)

Here systematization is understood as a “process of critical, permanent reflection of the experiences lived in pedagogical practice, which implies understanding, interpreting, explaining, reconstructing, and transforming that reality, and generating new knowledge, to achieve the purposes and aspirations of the education system." (Collective of Authors, Higher Pedagogical Institute of Holguín, In Tabloid No. 2 of the Master of Science in Education, Havana, 2006).

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