Interesting how the new items presented tonight pertained to both teacher leadership (the need for it) and the students recently arrested for breaking into a school and stealing AP exams. As I think about this, the two issues are intertwined. As teacher leaders, are we addressing the need for a moral dimension to schooling? What is the hidden curriculum here? To what extent are students learning (from us, from the media, from their in-school actions) about the consequences of making wrong decisions? Speaking of decisions. . . Principal Kate Sullivan needs to make some decisions and fast. But she's distracted by her concern for Miguel. And although Miguel didn't do anything illegal (yet), what is her responsibility as a school administration? as an educational leader? I charged groups to make a list of priorities for Kate. What should she address first? Some of you mentioned that she needs support from below (since her concerns fall on deaf ears from above). So, establishing teacher leadership groups is one way to leverage the ongoing support of her staff. From there, issues such as bilingualism, overcrowding, writing the report for the state can be identified and then developed into action plans and tasks. The first step, though, is to identify (and prioritize) the felt needs of the school community. We are reminded in Barth's "Culture Builder" that the school culture is a complex pattern of norms, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, values, traditions that are DEEPLY ingrained. We need to first identify the culture of our school so that we can uncover and better understand the felt needs within the school as culture. Taking this into consideration, and also integrating Fullan's ideas from Chapter 12, ask yourself: "To what extent is my Statement of Need an issue of accountability, incentives and/or capacity-building?" and "To what extent is there 'permeable connectivity' in this school culture?" Have your colleagues provide you with feedabck as to the richness of detail and description in your Statement of Need. Eliminate all references to change at this point. Continue revising it until it you arrive at a draft that adequately describes your school culture/climate/context and a "portrait" of need.
Bring a revised copy of Part I next week (for reference during class). I will be guiding you towards a draft of Part II of the CAP which requires you to engage and critique the issues that emerge from Part I. Please also return the Teacher Leadership survey I distributed at the end of tonight's session.
