District Administration - May 2011 - (Page 91)

Superintendent’S inSightS • randall Collins You Ask, Our Leadership Expert Answers dear randy... School officials do not appear to be concerned about the fact that it is far more difficult to teach children from low-income families than those from upper-income homes. Why is it that when test scores are evaluated, so many superintendents never seem to take this into account when judging which teachers are to be dismissed? growing. In opening the White House Conference on Bullying Prevention on March 10, President Barack Obama stated that nearly one out of three students in middle and high school had been bullied. We all assume that it will not happen in our schools and to our children or grandchildren or, if it does, that it can be dealt with quickly. But cyberbullying is just one manifestation of a broader increase in incivility in this country. Whether it is a congressman shouting, “You lie!” to the president during a speech to Congress, various protests going on around the country by teachers, or a parent’s angry words during a local board of education meeting, it seems that the manner with which we express our disagreement and exhibit our frustration is out of control. While I am the first to support the right to protest, we should do it in a manner that models for our children how we can disagree without threats, vile signs and shouting other people down. After all, isn’t incivility just another manifestation of bullying behavior? We adults should be setting the example for children, and I am afraid in our society that is not happening. Patrick Groff Professor of Education Emeritus San Diego State University Dear Patrick, There is a correlation between the performance of students on tests and their socio-economic status, but I disagree with your conclusion that superintendents fail to recognize this. Whether it is called merit pay, pay for performance, value-added instruction or bonuses, none of it works to improve student achievement. As Linda Darling-Hammond said in DA recently, “We have a lot of evidence that what improves student achievement is teachers working together.” It’s baffling why so-called reformers think that introducing these types of divisive incentives would actually work. When I was president of the American Association of School Administrators, I traveled this country extensively and I cannot recall one superintendent who advocated firing teachers based exclusively on test scores. It is a fact that the method by which we evaluate teachers is going to change, but this should be done with the recognition that special education students and less privileged students require teachers who can help them succeed and that their success is not necessarily measured on a test. I firmly believe superintendents recognize that to accomplish that requires a collaboration with teachers, not gimmicks that divide them. Randy Have you ever encountered a parent group that thought it was the board of education? These parents try to establish policy for their school and have complete disregard for the expendiwww.DistrictAdministration.com tHe OnLIne SOCIAL netWORKInG explosion has made bullying a more difficult problem. We have seen in the news heart-wrenching stories of children who have committed suicide after relentless bullying online. Cyberbullying is a pervasive, anonymous and particularly cruel activity. There is no escape for those who are being pursued. today, bullies can reach into the home, and victims have no safety zone or means of escape. Cyberbullying has also become a problem for school administrators. Laws have been passed that make school systems responsible for intervening in bullying situations that occur off campus, posing unique problems for school principals. Unlike when most of us went to high school, the persistence and intensity of bullying seems to be widespread and ture protections that have been established to ensure that the monies raised and expended are accounted for in a proper manner. Anonymous Dear Anonymous, Occasionally, parent groups overstep boundaries and put the district at risk. They typically raise and spend significant sums of money, but if those funds are not expended according to board policies, auditors will note the lack of adherence. Misappropriation of funds can damage the system’s reputation, making fundraising difficult. How to handle this dilemma? First, I would establish a parent liaison council to regularly meet with the superintendent, and stress the dangers of ignoring protocol and board procedures. Then I would recommend, if necessary, visiting the offending parent group with the school auditor and perhaps board attorney. If that fails to impress, then I would recommend the drastic step of disbanding the group and reconstituting it, with all parents involved, into a new group that understands the need to comply with the board’s leadership. Randy E-mail your leadership questions to Randy Collins at rcollins@districtadministration.com May 2011 91 http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - May 2011

District Administration - May 2011
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Conversations
Administrator Profile
District Profile
The Cradle-to-Career Solution
Turnaround Principals
Starving for Recess
Army Strong, Superintendent Savvy
Budgeting Based on Student Needs
Research Center
Books
Product Focus
Products
Superintendent's Insights
Crisis Response
Going Mobile
Professional Opinion

District Administration - May 2011

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