12/17/99

Opinions about School Leadership

Answers to the question, "Why Be a School Administrator?" (see article) included both pros and cons, from the viewpoints of a seasoned elementary school principal, a student soon to enter graduate studies in educational administration and a veteran teacher who decided against climbing onto the administrative ladder. Their remarks follow:

Elementary School Principal

"I just finished reading your "Why Be a School Administrator?" piece. Certainly the Hartford Courant and other local news outlets have begun to discuss the upcoming exodus (400 plus) of school administrators over the next three or four years.

"I have received enormous gratification from being part of the educational leadership dedicated to every child's right to equal access to a quality education. I have taken delight in the growth and development of a whole new generation of teachers, and have enjoyed watching teachers at all stages of their careers continuing to do the very best they can for some awfully needy kids. I wouldn't trade these past years for the world, although there have been many difficult days.

"I'd be less than honest, though, if I didn't admit that the job is getting more and more difficult as time goes by. Those of us who serve the neediest, most disadvantaged urban populations have always been sustained by the notion that our efforts with these children and their families were appreciated and understood. With more than our fair share of abject poverty, drug/alcohol abuse, child abuse/neglect, chronic absenteeism and tardiness, transience that would boggle suburban minds, and the need to play "catch up" with kids whose early lives have had too little in the way of early intervention and stimulation, we always thought that people appreciated the fact that ours is probably one of the toughest tasks in public education. I have always been amazed by the level of dedication and resiliency shown by teachers who have chosen this lot.

"Now, however, in the rush to "accountability," it is becoming fashionable to equate schools where the poorest kids go with schools that are poor. I am stunned that so many people are shocked that kids in Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven and other urban centers are not performing at levels like kids in West Hartford, Cheshire and Cromwell. When I tell people that we begin in kindergarten with some children who cannot even identify a single color by name, they look at me in disbelief.

"I know that my 3-year-old granddaughter, loved and nurtured in relative affluence, knows all her colors, many letters of the alphabet, and has a working vocabulary which far exceeds that of many beginning urban kindergartners. Yet we're supposed to have academically unprepared five-year-olds above the "intervention level" on the Connecticut Mastery Test by the time they are nine? Oh, we try, and we maintain high expectations, but isn't that akin to our kids being asked to run a mile and a half in the same time their better-prepared peers are being asked to run a mile? Would a hospital that specializes in critical care be found deficient because so many of their patients are found to be gravely ill and healing too slowly?

"I hope that these thoughts aren't perceived as excuses during these politically charged times when everyone is spouting off about "higher expectations" and "increased accountability" ... as if we who work with the state's poorest children are unconcerned about such things. I fear it will be tougher and tougher to get top notch administrators to go into situations like these knowing that they will be judged a failure if they can't quickly enough turn around the cycle of poverty and failure that has been in place in neighborhoods for generations.

"A bigger fear is that the wonderful, talented, dedicated teachers in Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Meriden and other urban centers in Connecticut will get to the point where they say "Who needs this?" I've taught in Hartford and West Hartford and worked as an administrator in Meriden for several years, while my son has spent those years in the Cromwell schools. Take a guess where I've seen the best teaching. The politicians and much of the public are convinced that the best education is in the suburbs. That's not so. What on earth will we do if our fine young urban teachers begin to believe that, too? Calling them and their schools failures sure seems like a short-sighted, potentially catastrophic message to me."

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Graduate Student in Educational Administration

"At this time in my professional career, I aspire to a school leadership position as an Assistant Principal in a middle or high school setting. From my past teaching and administrative experiences, in both urban and suburban schools, I have recognized that with the right leadership, all students can achieve; all school buildings can be safe, and all members of the school community -- students, teachers, staff, and parents -- can promote excellence.

"I aspire to school leadership for several reasons. In my second year of teaching high school English, I was appointed as a head advisor, responsible for the academic and social welfare of the sophomore class, as well as the performance of the tenth grade faculty advisors. Although I remained truly enthusiastic about Shakespeare and literature, I bounced out of bed each morning excited and energized to grapple with student crises, faculty concerns, parent issues, and community relations. School leadership became my passion.

"My years in the classroom, although limited, exposed me to the intricate challenges and intrinsic rewards of teaching. Nonetheless, today it remains appalling but true that teachers exist as the unappreciated backbone of society. To reverse such a status, I stand fully committed to doing all I can to professionalize the profession. Further, under no uncertain terms do I believe administration to be a level above the classroom. In fact, I view the role of the administrator as subservient to the welfare and needs of students and teachers. A school administrator must help facilitate the educating of its school members by enabling the teaching professionals to do their work with the best possible resources in a safe and supportive environment, an environment conducive to learning. Effective leadership is my goal and my obligation to education, and I genuinely believe I hold a responsibility to serve students and teachers alike.

"My priorities for education include equity for all students, rigorous and supported professional development for teachers and staff, and the belief that in a school family, all members -- students, teachers, staff, and parents -- are learners and potential leaders. To fulfill my vision of a community of learners and leaders, however, I must remain sensitive to the unique culture and climate of my school community. By so doing, I can nurture and cultivate an environment that guarantees just and optimum growth for all.

"Lastly, my appointment as Policy Assistant to the Mayor of New Haven significantly strengthened my school leadership promise. Today's educators cannot afford to ignore the multitude of ecological factors that impact schools and families. Factors such as health, violence, crime, housing, racism, and taxes continue to plague educational institutions, and about these matters, school administrators need to be informed and aware. My policy experience definitely sensitized me to the serious implications of such issues. Today, school leadership is a multifaceted responsibility, and one to which I truly aspire."

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Veteran Teacher

"My most important message is to parents and communities. Wake up and realize what these vital people (school administrators) are trying to do and be aware of how YOU may thwart them!

"I've taught for 27 years in what many regard as one of Connecticut's finest districts. I thought about becoming an administrator, but decided against it because I want to have something left for my family at the end of the day. The administrators with whom I've worked are fabulous (at least those who have endured), but the nonsense with which they must deal on a daily basis is ridiculous!

"The higher up one goes, the worse it gets. Check out how many job openings there are for superintendents this year. People keep complaining about how schools aren't preparing students for jobs or college, but could it be that schools can't do their job because people keep preventing school leaders from doing theirs? One parent who demands an exception form established school policy and presses that demand right to the superintendent's office or into the courts, diverts so much energy from a district, right down to the classroom level. As a veteran teacher, I've decided to confine my talents to a classroom, because there isn't enough incentive to move up."

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.