Vision of leadership assumptions

I was thinking today about the assumption that "Educators yearn to be purposeful, professional human beings". There probably should be an adjective in front of the word educators in that statement. Something like excellent educators or master educators or effective. I see teachers every day who expect to be treated as professionals; yet do not act like professionals. They do not dress like a professional (sweats or nylon shorts), nor do they act professional(complaining to students about the principal not letting them teach what they want to). To them, it is just a job. On the other hand, there are those teachers who are always working on improving themselves in their profession, taking courses, attending conferences, sharing with colleagues. These teachers, the ones who 'yearn' to be purposeful almost always turn out to be the same ones who take up the leadership roles in our school. So this proves the second part of Lambert's assumption - that "leadership is an essential aspect of a professional life"(p4). It seems to me that these teachers in our school have the vision that the adult learning environment is a critical factor. If I as a teacher do not have the enthusiasm for school, how can I expect my students to. In the same way, if my principal or superintendent doesn't have the enthusiasm or the professionalism, how can they expect their teachers to. It is the old trickle down theory. It starts at the top. We have a superintendent who has several times in meetings said to one of my colleagues when questioned, "You high school teachers..." and then dismissed the inquiry. Is this professional behavior? Is this leadership with a purpose? No wonder teachers become disillusioned and complacent. Without the proper professional leadership, either at the top or within our own ranks, there can be no shared vision, no involvement or of course, no collective responsibility for what goes on in that building.