ISLLC Standard VI: A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by understanding, responsding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context. The administrator facilitates process and engages in activities which ensure communication occurs among the school community concerning trends, issues, and potential changes in the environment in which schools operate.
Name/Situation: "Growing Pains"
Problem: Importance of seeking teacher, parent and community input in regards to school expansion and re-organization.
Key Issues/Questions:
1. What role does the administrator play in ensuring a successful transition when rezoning occurs?
2. Who is responsible for communicating trends and issues to stakeholders?
Introduction:
The Alcovy School District is currently divided into two attendance zones. Within each zone there is one traditional K-5 elementary school as well as a K-2 primary school which feeds into a 3-5 elementary school. Each of these schools then feed into a middle school and finally a high school. This make-up means there are currently 8 schools in the district. However, this district is growing significantly due to its proximity to a highly populated metropolitan area.
There are currently plans underway to open two additional elementary schools, one additional middle school and one additional high school. The Board of Education has announced its intention to re-organize the current K-2 primary and 3-5 elementary schools into one traditional K-5 school for each attenance zone. With this re-organization and the addition of the four new schools, the system would then house 6 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 3 high schools which could be reorganized into three attendance zones.
As a result of this reorganization and new building plan, the system will experience significant changes in zoning as well as the need to reorganzie staff and personnel.
Analysis and Solution:
As attendance zones and school personnel are reorganized, it is imperative that the transition process be closely monitored in order to insure that each stakeholder is represented in the decision-making process. It will be impossible to insure that all stakeholder wishes are honored. However, every effort can be made to work collaboratively in developing the most efficient and fair plan for restructuring.
Initially, it will be the responsibility of the Board of Education to communicate the trends and patterns which have prompted the need for the reorganization of attendance zones and the restructuring of staff. An accomplished response to this situation would require that district level personnel host town hall meetings to present enrollment data and proposed attendance lines. Once the proposed changes have been recommended all stakeholders should be given the opportunity to share concerns and recommendations for ammending the proposed attendance zones. However, ultimately the Board of Education is responsible for establishing the changes. Stakeholder input can be solicited by open forum discussion meetings where propsed zoning maps are reviewed and discussed.
Once the rezoning model has been approved, the responsibility then lies with both district and building level administrators to ensure that a successful restructuring transition occurs. In particular, the issues involved with transitioning from a primary school to a traditional elementary school will need to be addressed. Some key points to consider are 1) changes in the learning environment (room arrangements, materials etcl), 2) changes in staff and personnel (who is better suited to teach higher/lower grade levels), 3) changes in the curriculum plan and/or materials (is the media cetner equipped), and 4) changes in the discipline plan (does the addition of older students/younger students mandate a need for alternative discipline strategies).
In addition, it is possible that changes in attendance zones will translate to changes in demographics. It will be important for the administrator to address these issues and provide appropriate training for staff in order to meet the needs of all students. A failure to communicate with parents and teachers regarding the changes that may occur will negatively impact the school's ability to experience a smooth transition.
Finally, there may be a need for a restructuring in staff in order to ensure that highly qualified personnel are located in each of the buildings. Particularly in the new buildings, it will be important for building level administrators, with the help of distric personnel, to ensure that there is a balance unmong staff which reflects a variety of experience levels as well as the overall demographic population of the students served.
Response to Questions:
The school is an extension of the larger community. Therefore, it is the responsibility of both district and school administrators to insure that communication exists between the school and community in order for a successful transition to occur. Further, it is critical that the school administrator evaluate staffing needs in terms of identifying strengths as they relate to instructional delivery. This will insure that the needs of all students are being met. The leadership style of both the district level and building level administrators will be instrumental in determining if there is collaboration among stakeholders and if transitions are viewed as a positive change.
Evaluation:
At the minimum, a proficient response would involve both district and building level administrators actively seeking input from staff, parents and community members. This input could be obtained through open forum discussions and community open house opportunities where parents and community members could express concerns and meet with the faculty and staff from each school. An accomplished response would indicate that all contingencies were discussed and allowed for while not only seeking stakeholder input but using that input to drive the deision-making process.
Guidelines:
1. School climate reflects leadership style.
2. Communication skills are critical to a successful leadership style.