Barnett, D., McKowen, C. & Bloom, G. (1998). A school without a principal. Educational Leadership, 55(7), 48-49.
This article is based on real experiences at Anzar High School in where else but California.....
The teachers are all very positive about the school and say that it works well although it is not without its challenges. But of course they would say that because probably all of the staff that don't believe in the system have either left or didn't work there in the first place.
There is a set of guidelines that are followed to ensure that the school runs smoothly. They are:
(1) Commitment to practicing good communication.
(2) Collectively owning problems and collectively solving them. This means that teachers are learning to anticipate problems that would not always be apparent to teachers. They commit to the idea that the needs of the school outweigh the needs of individual teachers or of the teachers as a group.
(3) Allowing conflict and being accountable for speaking up.
(4) Commitment to help and support others.
(5) Commitment to honesty.
I wouldn't mind seeing a reality style television show of Anzar High School to see just how it operates. As it is in California I guess it's not out of the question that we may see it on our tv screens in the not too distant future.
All I can say is that I don't think I could work in that system, and nor would I want to send a child to that school, although after my experience of the public school system ( and some private schools) some schools would probably be better off without a principal!
No comments:
Post a Comment