Dr. Blackburn asked earlier today if moving around the "best" teachers and principals would fix our educational woes. My answer? Maybe, but what makes a good principal? School wide test scores? School wide growth? Good climate survey results? Low referrals? Low truancy? The 5th district is one of the BEST at students getting in trouble, not going to school, and failing tests. Does that fall on our principals? Partially, but no more than student performance should fall on teachers.
Education nationwide is a bit of a dumpster fire that has so many contributing factors to its failures. The questions we're looking at is if moving around people that are doing well will help.
A good principal, in my opinion, supports their students by supporting their teachers. Principal is a hard job. You have to be an instructional leader AND a business manager, often times when you don't have expertise in either area.
Here is the recipe for a failing school:
1. Teachers won't go to PD because they don't feel like they're learning
2. Students won't go to class because they don't feel like they're learning
3. Students don't respect the teachers
4. Students don't respect administrators
5. Discipline isn't enforced
6. Policies for students and teachers are inconsistent
7. Principal is afraid to go against DISD
8. Building is in poor repair
9. Teachers don't have supplies
10. Students don't care about anything and don't do work
11. Low parent engagement
12. Students don't know the principal/APs
13. Teachers don't feel supported/appreciated
14. Students can't read
15. Principal wastes money on meaningless things and doesn't invest in the areas where funds are needed
If your school has 4 or more ingredients in that recipe, the school will fail.
Is it fair that all of that rests on the shoulders of the principal? No. We have a lot of principals that are good and support teachers, but the best principals are able to wear both the instruction and business hats. Most importantly, they are visible. They are leaders to teachers and students and aren't afraid to do what is right for their schools. This is what we are lacking.
Will moving our BEST to a new campus help? Maybe. If the pressure of being moved to turn around a school doesn't make them afraid to be great, then yes. If they aren't big enough for the job and the school is too tough, then no, but a principal who thinks that / refuses to acknowledge that up front isn't "the best" anyway.
Education nationwide is a bit of a dumpster fire that has so many contributing factors to its failures. The questions we're looking at is if moving around people that are doing well will help.
A good principal, in my opinion, supports their students by supporting their teachers. Principal is a hard job. You have to be an instructional leader AND a business manager, often times when you don't have expertise in either area.
Here is the recipe for a failing school:
1. Teachers won't go to PD because they don't feel like they're learning
2. Students won't go to class because they don't feel like they're learning
3. Students don't respect the teachers
4. Students don't respect administrators
5. Discipline isn't enforced
6. Policies for students and teachers are inconsistent
7. Principal is afraid to go against DISD
8. Building is in poor repair
9. Teachers don't have supplies
10. Students don't care about anything and don't do work
11. Low parent engagement
12. Students don't know the principal/APs
13. Teachers don't feel supported/appreciated
14. Students can't read
15. Principal wastes money on meaningless things and doesn't invest in the areas where funds are needed
If your school has 4 or more ingredients in that recipe, the school will fail.
Is it fair that all of that rests on the shoulders of the principal? No. We have a lot of principals that are good and support teachers, but the best principals are able to wear both the instruction and business hats. Most importantly, they are visible. They are leaders to teachers and students and aren't afraid to do what is right for their schools. This is what we are lacking.
Will moving our BEST to a new campus help? Maybe. If the pressure of being moved to turn around a school doesn't make them afraid to be great, then yes. If they aren't big enough for the job and the school is too tough, then no, but a principal who thinks that / refuses to acknowledge that up front isn't "the best" anyway.
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