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Navigating the Complex Web of School Policy & Bureaucracy

Without feeling like a fly . . .

+1. Learn the System (As a newbie, patiently observe and learn)

Figure out how things work in your school. Who are the key decision makers? What are ways that teachers get representation? What is the history of decision making and change?

Do big initiatives tend to come and go like a thunderstorm? Do major initiatives tend to stay? What is the traditional level of “enforcement”?

Find a mentor Someone you admire who has learned to be a “team player” and also an

independent thinker Watch and ask questions as this person navigates change and administrative

demands

Example: Carol Lynn

+Interpret Generously

Assume that (in general) people want to do what’s best for children

Assume that there are lots of things you don’t know

Example: Suzanne

+Have a Voice

Assume that stakeholders want to hear you (whether they do or not) Refuse to be intimidated or bullied Example: Teresa

Get involved in decision making

Advocate for yourself, your colleagues, and your students Legislative committees District committees School board meetings To the public

+Remember

"Good teaching also requires looking critically at the way things are in schools, questioning how they might be different, and taking action if the situation calls for it. . . Asking questions like these is even more important now than it was when I was starting out as a teacher, as pressures brought on by top-down accountability measures threaten to extinguish more expansive visions of what a good education might look like. Even school school practices that appear on the surface, to promote engaging, student-centered learning should be opened up to critique." (Greg Mitchie, Holler If You Hear Me, p.198)

+Don’t Sell Your Soul

Focus on principles, not rules

Figure out how to “work the system” Example: Ben’s teacher Example: Kathleen

Do the right thing Example: Greg

+Don’t Surrender

"I am sad when I see so many good teachers and parents surrender to forces that sap their potential excellence. The demons are everywhere. Those who care deeply often feel outgunned by apathetic or incompetent administrators and politicians. Expectations for children are often ridiculously low. Racism, poverty, and ignorance often reign supreme on campus. Add to this mix ungrateful students and even mean-spirited people in the teaching profession itself, and the hardiest of souls can be crushed. Each defeat usually means a child's true potential will not be developed." (Rafe Esquith, Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire, p. x)

+Nothing is Easy

"There are so many charlatans in the world of education. They teach for a couple years, come up with a few clever slogans, build their Web sites, and hit the lecture circuit. In this fast-food society, simple solutions to complex problems are embraced far too often. We can do better. I hope that people who read this book realize that true excellence takes sacrifice, mistakes, and enormous amounts of effort. After all, there are no shortcuts.”

(Rafe Esquith, Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire, p. xii)

+Be Faithful

“Are you, in the end, successful? Naturally, I find myself heartened by Mother Teresa’s take: “We are not called to be successful, but faithful.” This distinction is helpful for me as I barricade myself against the daily dread of setback. You need protection from the ebb and flow of three steps forward, five steps backward. You trip over disappointment and recalcitrance very day, and it all becomes a muddle. God intends it to be, I think. For once you choose to hang out with folks who carry more burdens than they can bear, all bets seem to be off. Salivating for success keeps you from being faithful, keeps you from truly seeing whoever’s sitting in front of you . . .The tyranny of success often can’t be bothered with complexity.”

(Gregory Boyle, Tattoos on the Heart, p. 167-169)

+The Big Picture

"At the core of our work is the belief, despite the distressing signs around us, that the world is indeed changeable; that it can be transformed into a better, more just, more peaceful place; and that the kids who show up in our classrooms each day not only deserve such a world, but can be instrumental in helping to bring it about. Their voices are abiding reminders that there is something to hope for in spite of the hopelessness that seems to be closing in around us - something tangible, something real, something in the here and now."

(Greg Mitchie, Holler If You Hear Me, p. 193)