Practicum Leadership Case Study 1 by Hector Salas

Practicum Leadership
Case Study 2 by Hector Salas

ISLLC Standard 2:

A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.

Name of Case Study: People are Your Greatest Assets

Questions the Case Answers:

How does the school administrator impact the school climate when all their focus is on student learning?
How does the community of students, teachers, and parents perceive the school administrator management style?

The Situation:

Though the purpose of a school is for student learning, a leadership style that relies heavily on the getting the production out, good numbers to brag about, and on-time shipments to satisfy customers (in educational term: student achievement, high SAT scores, 100% college acceptance, 100% graduation rate) and fails to pay attention to the people who make it happen is not a mature leadership style.

The administrator has taken all the right steps to promote student learning by repeating at every opportunity what our focus should be. To ensure the numbers are improving, some changes were made such as, an increase in instructional time in every class, double blocking of English for students preparing to take the SAT (many seniors in the class), and establishing a new SAT Prep course (an elective). Was faculty involved in these decisions? Was this part of a local quality team effort? The answer to that is, clearly no and no. Did the numbers improved? It was announced that yes, the SAT numbers did increased. But the responsibilities and contributions of the individuals involved were not recognized. The administrators failed to also acknowledge, recognized, or celebrate the accomplishments of the teachers at three separate opportunities – end of year events. This has been the second year of major disappointment for the teachers not being engaged nor connected with the success of students.

Many faculty members don’t feel valued or important. One star teacher that had made countless contributions to the school, left to teach at a public school system, because he was in a round about way told he was replaceable. All he wanted to do by “talking out loud” about going elsewhere was to at least get some positive feedback and appreciation. You have to understand the school hasn’t given any teacher awards the eight years I have been there, nor has there been a pay raise for anyone the last three, going on four years. Another teacher left because as they said, “I’m not going to get anywhere here” I actually heard that line in some fashion at least a dozen time, in the last four years. What accomplishment can a teacher add to their resume, if they are not recognized? Professional growth has to be more then just another research, theory to learn and apply and hope that it would improve classroom performance and thus student learning. Maslow says, in his theory of needs, “people need to have a sense of being appreciated, before they can move on to a higher level.”

The former superintendent knew everyone’s name, visited teachers, established a rapport with everyone, involved many of the faculty members in continues improvement efforts and at ceremonies of any type, he took time to recognize teachers. And students, and parents witnessed the joy on our faces and how we stood straight, and that extended to our students. Now that is recognition and celebration that sustains a school culture that works toward the attainment of the school’s goal, vision, and purpose. These days, there is this illusion – the administrator and parents act like the teachers are satisfied. The teachers being professional do give it their all when it comes to teaching and student learning. The teacher’s job is to help the child succeed academically and finish high school prepared for college and life. On occasion a teacher might make inferences to how unfair, or disappointing work can be due to the management style (school leadership) perceived as having a low concern for the people, in this case, the teachers. I remember hearing tip bits, from my student expressing their disappointment with teachers being negative (about their sense of unimportance to the school), having a real bad day, or something because of something that happened regarding one thing or another.

At my daughters graduation, in a public school system, there was complete participation by numerous faculty members which illustrated teacher and student recognition and celebration of student learning, thus achievement. Totally, opposite of what happens at our school. Reflecting back at our school graduation, in the last three years some parents confided in me with a voice of disappointment, how the teachers just sat there, and how the teachers are not recognized, not even asked to stand up.

There were at least three opportunities at the end of the school year to give teachers recognition when parents and student were present- at the awards ceremony, silver taps, and graduation – but it didn’t happen. Which brings up another point, when does the student see a teacher being recognized for their achievement when management is more concern about the task (student learning) and neglects the people (teachers doing the work)? Back to the three opportunities; one parent said to me, “How sad is it that the teachers just seat at the graduation, awards ceremony, or silver taps, there was no connection made between the student and teachers.”

Answer to the Questions:

How does the school administrator impact the school climate when all their focus is on student learning?

There were at least three opportunities at the end of the school year to give teachers recognition when parents and student were present- at the awards ceremony, silver taps, and graduation – but it didn’t happen. Recognizing teachers’ contributions is a form of cultivating a school culture that is conducive to the success of student learning. If the school culture or climate would be assessed on a regular basic then maybe our administrator would get a clue of on how their management practices impact the faculty and staff, thus, student learning. Recognition and celebration of teacher accomplishments has a major positive and contributes to building a school culture that works toward the attainment of the school’s goal, vision, and purpose – student learning.

2. How does the community of students, teachers, and parents perceive the school administrator management style?

One parent said to me, “How sad is it that the teachers just seat at the graduation, awards ceremony, or silver taps, there was no connection made between the student and teachers.” Teachers leaving the school because as they said, “I’m not going to get anywhere here” I actually heard that line in some fashion at least a dozen times in the last four years. It is said, that non-verbal communications speak louder then words. The community sees when the administrator’s management style, or leadership style is not right. Parents and students alike sense the teachers’ disappointment because of being left out, not being engaged, not connected with the success of students.

Evaluation:

From my perspective the leadership style demonstrated in this case study by the administrator is developing (gaining competence, with some limited evidence) The administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students but facilitating activities while demonstrating a lack of teacher recognition, and lack of assessment of the school climate and culture, and staff not feeling valued is all detrimental to the purpose of school – student learning.