What's Wrong with What We Have
One of the first questions that pops up when the subject of
change comes up is “What’s wrong with what we have?” People do not want to be
bothered to go through the process of change unless there is a reason to do so.
So, that is where we will begin our discussion of Distributed Leadership – with
a look at the way our current administration operates and why there is a need
for a change.
To begin with, I would like to clarify that I teach at a
charter school, which is different from a typical public school. For starters,
charter schools receive government monies in the way of a charter. According to
the Colorado League of Charter Schools website, a school’s charter serves as a
kind of contract “detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students
served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success.” (Coloradoleague.org)
Another difference is that our school has a board consisting of community
members and parents who are responsible for ensuring the charter is followed
and for making major financial decisions. We also have a principal and an
assistant principal who are responsible for the same things that a typical
principal is responsible for such as “developing standardized curricula, assessing
teaching methods, monitoring student achievement, encouraging parent
involvement, revising policies and procedures, administering the budget, hiring
and evaluating staff and overseeing facilities.” (work.chron.com) In addition,
they are the final stop on the disciplinary trail, and contact parents when there
are detentions and suspensions to discuss. They should also be present at
school events and activities, like our Fall Fest and Family Nights. They are
also responsible for making sure staff and students know about and practice
safety procedures and fire drills.
There are a lot of responsibilities that principals are
expected to do and do well. For this reason, there is need for a change. It
seems unreasonable to ask one person, or maybe two if there is an assistant principal,
to do all do the things listed above and have any sort of time for their own
lives. Not only that, but the skill set required for the job is so diverse that
it is highly unlikely that one (or two) people will be strong in all areas. For
example, a principal may be very good at hiring and motivating staff, but may
not have a head for business. Or they may be very well versed in standardized
curricula but are not strong disciplinarians. A cohesive team of leaders who
are able to perform the above duties will ensure that all areas are covered.
I agree with your premise that there's just plain too much for one person to do, and that one or two folks' strengths may not cover the whole spectrum of areas for which a school leadership team is responsible. In addition to the amount of hours needed to 'cover' the required responsibilities, I wonder if a shared leadership model shifts the way the school and community think of their leaders, fostering greater buy-in and collaboration with administrators? I wonder if society is ready to shift its appreciation of what's possible through distributed leadership?
ReplyDeleteHi Gaye, thank you for commenting! I have some of the same questions that you do. I worry that our parents, students, and even board are going to have difficulty believing that a team of leaders will be as effective as one or two. I also wonder if the staff will be okay with a team, or if they will see it as a group of "bosses" that are making things difficult. I hope to address these concerns in my next couple of posts, when I will explore redefining and distributing school leadership responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteGreat questions - It's a shame that we seem to still have a culture of 'us and them' - meaning 'workers and bosses' - in many fields. I'd love for us as a society to move to an inclusive culture where we all know we need each role and duty to be fulfilled in order to be safe, happy and productive!!
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