Final Class- April 14

In our final class we had the opportunity to reflect on the course. Some students talked about confusion in the beginning and settling in and enjoying the course towards the end.

I would agree that the lack of structure in the beginning was frustrating for me. This was further compounded by the technological aspect of doing a course on-line. I had never done a course in this format and I was uncomfortable. I quickly learned that my dial-up internet was useless on the learnQuebec and I hade to make a decision: either stay at work every Monday until 7:30, or order up high-speed internet. After trying to use the internet at work for a few classes, I realized that I would prefer to pay a little and enjoy being at home.

It was an interesting experience to learn the on-line format and I quickly became comfortable using it. I definetly enjoyed doing this at home as oppossed to staying at work or having to meet in class every week.

I am not sure that I can look back and pick out a particular class and say this was the best class. I guess what I am trying to say is I never experienced what some people might describe as an uh-hum moment. There was sure an abundance of topics that were covered through the presentations; however, I often found it difficult to follow 2 hour power-point presentations. As I have already said, I think that a strict 1 hour limit should be followed to allow the instructor to expand on the issues and provide more insight. I guess I would have enjoyed more of Sam's wisdom and experience.

The course did allow me to share experiences amongst some of my peers. If it were up to me, I would offer these courses as two-day seminars and do away with the compulsory 30 credit certificates. I think what we need more is support from the school boards in the way of workshops on using Dofin, dealing with discipline issues and everything else that junior and senior administrators can benefit from. I don't think it is fair that new administrators are obligated to complete this certificate program. I also think that this is going to be a disincentive for attracting more people to the ranks of administration.

To you, Sam, I would like to thank you for your contribution and passion. I think you care about what you do and I enjoyed your anecdotes. Take care and have a great summer.

George Koutsoulis (a.k.a. GEO)

April 7 (Budgeting)

As a first year Vice-Principal, I have yet to deal with any budgets. I fully understand the importance of familarizing oneself with this administrative task; it is essential if you are to move up to a principal. Although I have never dealt with any budgets, I do understand some of the general principles associated with budgeting.

I know it is important to be transparent. Schools are scutinized by both internal and external auditors. Schools are given money for the various operations of the school. The budget is broken down into funds such as operating, capital investment, salaries, daycare, special programs. Each one of these then has certain levels of activity like capital investment may include money for general or major renovations for the school. Schools are also responsible for collecting consumables and lunch fees from students to help defray some of the costs. Raising costs of consumables, as I learned this year, cannot be done unless consent is given by the Governig Boards.

Indeed, the Governing Board plays a major role in the finacial activities of the school. The school principal must always present the schools upcoming yearly budget before the Governing Board and give a clear indication of how monies will be spent for the upcoming school year. The Governing Board must then approve of the budget so that it may be passed.

I laready mentioned the importance of being transparent, but it is also crucial to deal with budgets in a way that conform to ethical practices. The principal is held accountable when there are questionable practices with how money is utilized.

My school is part of a network of schools called SMS (Supporting Montreal Schools). We receive a budget that allows us to utilize money for field trips that have a specific educational purpose. Many such places to visit are found in a directory that provides the location, schedules of vistis and cost. Each school is given up to $20 per student to use this cultural resource.

Again, I don't know much about the mechanics of budgets but I will be working with my principal next year and be attending workshops provided by our finance department to become better aquainted on this subject.

Journal No.11 (March 31, 2008)

This was the week that my group (Lynda &Rob) presented our research into the topic of the personal dimension of a school principal. Our presentation focused on ten attributes needed to survive and be successful as a principal.

The most difficult aspect of this was to narrow down all the information we came across. We wanted our presentation to be a balance between theory and practical suggestions and I believe we accomplished it. I was especially pleased with the scenarios we came up with. They involved real life type issues that required critical thinking.

If I could change anything, I would have made the presentation much shorter. I think that 2 hour presentations are too long and most of my classmates have become very weary at this point. This was reflected in the group that I facilitated during the breakout room activities. I really had to prong the members despite the what we thought was an interesting topic. There was also a reluctance to report what was discussed. Again, I think this reflects the fact that these presentations go on too long.

I would recommend to Sam that in the future he limit them to 60-75 minutes including the breakout activities. This way, more people will be able to follow the discussion and not have to wait too long to engage in dialogue.

For me personally, the format of being on-line made it even more difficult to stay focused on the various presentations. Face-to-face is obviously more ideal, but either way, the presentations should not exceed an hour.

I enjoyed working with both Rob and Lynda. We met at Nesbitt twice, and on-line once to practice our presentation. During this process, I got a chance to learn more about how private schools and the alternative system work. In Rob's case, a principal is not very visible because he is appointed at various alternative settings. In Lynda's case, the principal runs the show because they do not have the complicated hieracrchical system found in public school (i.e., chain of command from principal to regional directort, to assistant director general, etc.). Both described their experiences and we all shared aspects of our jobs that gave us more insight into the role of a principal. Overall, it was a positive learning experience.

March 17 (Journal No. 10)

This week we had a group do their presentation on the topic of scheduling. I must admit that this is one aspect of administration that i know very little about -given this is my first year as a vice-principal at an elementary school.

The group gave us a run-down on aspects of scheduling in various contexts: elementary, secondary, and vocational schools. My experience with scheduling in the secondary school level is that from a teacher. When I was given a schedule, I normally occupied between 24 to 27 periods over a nine day cycle. The thing that interested me the most was the courses I would be given and the amount of prep time this entailed. One year I had 4 preps and this was very difficult to endure. I have already discussed this at length in last week's journal entry.

What I found interesting about the presentation was the amount of work that goes into planning a schedule and the disparity in terms of time involved between elementary and secondary schools. What I mean is that at the elementary level, the obvious difference is that the homeroom teachers workout most of their schedules alone given that they teach their own math, English, science, etc. Or at least, they are able to work out a schedule amongst themselves as cycle teams. The administration is then left with plugging in the specialist courses like French, phys ed. music, computers, etc. This entails less work for the administration than the more complicated schedules at the secondary level.

One interesting tip that was mentioned by the presenters is that phys ed. classes at the elementary level are usually slotted in blocks of time for younger classes together to facilitate equipment set up. This is something that I will be considering when I meet with my principal to set up next year's schedules.

The breakout room activity we were given involved discussing the question of priorirties reflected in the master timetable for out particular schools. One thing that i found interesting was that in one of the secondary schools that I worked as a teacher, students requiring remedial English received instruction 8 days out of a possible 9 day cycle. Normally, English was slotted for 6 periods out of a nine day cycle. Also, these classes never exceeded 15 students per class. At the secondary three level, students were exempt from taking courses like geography in order to receive help from their resource teachers in other courses like math, English, science, etc. I don't believe that this was an ideal situation because this sends students a message that some courses are more important than others. In summary, schedules were modified to meet the special needs of students.

A question that we were asked to consider and respond in our journals this week was: "What makes a good schedule." I believe that first and foremost, the schedule must reflect the special needs of students as described above, but not sacrifice courses considered to be "soft". This is an old problem that deals withcurricular issues like replacing art courses to supplement science and math. I think we needs to have a balanced curriculum that requires more creative ways of providing quality instruction, not quantity. Adding more minutes for math and science will not yield better results. I would like to come back to my experience of teaching remedial English to secondary two students. As I mentioned above, I was teaching 8 classes over a nine day cycle as oppossed to 6 which was the norm. At the end of the year, I don't believe that this added time helped my students. I think it woulod have been more helpful for them to have a teacher who had some experience teaching "special ed" students. I had absolutely no training, experience, or support during this time. I found other colleagues who also taught this course to be left alone without support. This was one of the most frustrating experiences I had throughout my teaching career. Unfortunately, I was a first year teacher and i was given the assignment that nobody else wanted.

Schedules should be more than just plugging in people in convenient slots. They should be about maximizing your staff's talents to meet the needs of your students. Ideally, this is what one should consider before drawing up a schedule. Shedules should also give teachers proper time to prepare for transitions between supervision and class time. Nothing was more frustrating to me than to be on supervision and then hustle back at the end to my office to prepare for the on-coming class. Another problem was having a last period class and then having to run over to supervision after school. After class, at the end of the day was the time most students needed to see me and I would have to postpone this because i had to rush down to do my supervision. These are things that should be considered when planning class schedules and the accompanying supervision schedules. Not an easy task, but one well worth it for the sake of students and teacher satisfaction. Will I consider these things when given the opportunty to create schedules? I'll defintely try!

March 10 (Journal No.9)

This week Gil and Lisa presented their topic on managing human resources. The issues presented included staffing, hiring practices, teacher retention and disciplinary measures.

One of the breakout activities involved a discussion on the issue of whether teachers should participate in the hiring process. Most of the members of my group were in agreement that teacher input is vital. For example, the administrator may not be fully familiar with the tasks associated with a science lab technician. It was pointed out that in one school, the principal allowed a science teacher to make the hiring decision. Some individuals were against going this far; pointing out that the administrator must have the final say when it comes to hiring.

Another important issue discussed, and the issue which I would like to address predominantly in my blog this week, was teacher retention. Gil pointed out a startling statistic: 50% of teacher leave the profession within 5 years. This is significant given the high turnover we are experiencing already due to retirements.

Our breakout group discussed ways to increase retention for teachers. My contribution to this discussion was that as an administrator I support my teachers when it comes to dealing with unruly students. Teachers need to feel that they can come in your office and discuss these things, and that you are able to listen, provide encouragement, and help them with solutions.

A comparison of reasons for low retention from North America and around the world demonstrated that teachers everywhere are having a hard time staying in the profession for reasons like unruly students and low salary.

The article that I read: "Responding to New Teachers' Concerns", addresses the issue of teacher retention. It reports the results of a 3 year in depth study of factors that push teachers out of the profession.

One contributing issue to low retention is the fact that most new teachers receive the worst teaching assignments. The study reported that the subjects (novice English teachers) felt a sense of hopelessness and were overwhelmed at their workloads. Receiving 5 different 'preps' and giving new teachers the most difficult assignments has no place when teacher shortages are a reality, according to the aurthors.

I have to admit that I came close to quitting the profession during my first year as a high-school teacher. I was given Drama (Sec. 1), Special Ed. English (Sec. 2); English (Sec.4), and Economics (Sec.5). Not only did I have 4 preps, but I was dealing with the entire spectrum of students from sec. 1 to sec. 5. Adding to this frustration was the fact that I had some of the most unruly students in the school. Long nights preping and contemplating early retirement were the norm that year. The only reason I decided to stay was because I was lucky enough to be transferred in another school where I taught courses in the social sciences: History and Economics. Courses I was comfortable teaching and not having to worry about multiple preps.

The authors also refer to mentoring programs as a means to improve retention but offer the caveat that such programs can be detrimental. The subjects of the study discussed how such mentoring programs can be a sham: teachers are asked to meet late in the evenings and are often paired up with "mentors" they don't respect or get along with. The conclude that novice teachers can benefit from a broad network of contacts with peers and external resource people.

Another means of improving teacher retention is to encourage greater participation in associations affiliated with specific subjects areas.

My own observations lead me to believe that novice teachers require administrative support when it comes to dealing with parents and unruly students. Here, I have made myself present in certain classrooms and have taken some of my teachers aside to provide constructive strategies to improve their classroom managment skills. Also, I often attend parent-teacher interviews to lend my support and intervene when necessary. The presense of the adminstration on such issues is crucial if we want to keep our teachers.

EDEM 628:Week 8:Feb. 25 (PLC)

This week in class a group of students presented their topic on Professional Learning Communities. We began by clarifying terms like "leraning", "community" and "professional learning community". There were different definitions elicited by I particularly liked the definition of learning as an "on going process" - I don't remember who provided that one. I think that everyone was in agreement that a professional learning community entails several stakeholders such as administration, parents and students who work together to seek out solutions.

It was also explained that the principal of the school had a significant role to play in developing a PLC. He or she should be able to vmodel a committment to personal growth.

During the discussion, Gil asked a very significant question with regard to PLC: "How can a principal establish a PLC when there is such a high turn-over rate of administrators? Sam interjected by confirming that this is indeed a problem and that an administrator requires between 5-7 years to stay in a particular school and oversee the plan. I have to admit that this made me feel very cynical about affecting change in a school. As a rookie vice-principal, I have just completed my first year at Nesbitt and so far I have only been able to wet me feet, so to speak. I agree with Sam that an administrator requires a couple of years to see through any initiatives that are introduced. So why do the higher ups continue to move as around like pieces in a chess game?

I think one obvious reason is that we are at a stage where both teachers and administrators are ready for retirement. This huge block of babyboomers is going to leave a huge void that needs to be occupied.

During the breakout-room portion of the class, my group pondered the question: "What leadership qualities are needed by a principal to successfully develop a PLC? Some of the answers provided were: interpersonal skills, flexible, shared vision (ability to elicit input from the staff). It is this last point about eliciting input from the staff that led to an interesting debate between myself and Rob.

I made the point that a principal needs to be a strong leader. Yes, he or she should elicit input from the staff; however, you must also accept the fact that not everyone will be happy and as a principal you must accept losses and move ahead. I think my comments may have been misconstrued because Rob argued that you cannot have a successful plan unless the staff buys into it and ramming it down their throats is not very wise. I explained that I was not advocating any such thing, and that my position was that you cannot make everyone happy.

I think there are three types of people: those who do not particularly care and will go either way; those who have legitimate concerns and will challenge your views; and those who will challenge and oppose your vision just for the sake of challenging. This last group will continue to say black when you say white, and then say white when you say black. It is this group that I was refering to. It is individual staff members that fall into this group that I feel a strong leader must be able to leave behind. In my own experiences, I have seen how administrators can become paralyzed by such individuals because they are not prepared to accept the losses or to deal with conflict. Sam overheard this exchange and provided his own unique perspective which was similar to my view. He also provided an interesting example of how to minimize the negative effect that some staff members can have on others. The concept of staff meetings was modified to involve department meetings consisting of small groups of 7. This way, those interested in opposing just for the sake of oppossing (shit disturbers), became isolated and scattered throughout the samll group formation by department. An excellent idea that I hope to use one day.

Yet, some members of the breakout room, in oppossition to my stance, refered to the McAdam article where it states that: "Leaders must be nurturing and supportive of others and must be adept at facilitating whole-group change where no one is left behind. " (McAdam, p.18). This is a wonderful sentiment, however I think it is idealistic and naive to believe anybody dealing with a large number of individuals can accomplish this task. I don't think that McAdam has ever worked as an educational administrator. I think this is a general problem with most academics who have never worked as either teachers or administrators. They write about the "correct" way to teach, develop pedagogy and manage staff without having ever been in the trenches themselves. There is a definite gap between what they understand the issue to be and how the rank and file actually live it from day to day.

Week of Feb. 18 (Special Needs Committee)

Our class on Monday, Feb. 18th focused primarily on the special needs of students and the structures in place and changes to be implemented in the near future.

Sam gave us an overview of what changes will be in effect. In essence, schools will be forming something called a "School Parity Committee" to oversee the allocation of resources for speical needs students. For example, requests may be made to have a speech therapist in the school twice a
week - something we urgently need at my school (Nesbitt). The change stems from the fact that money will be allocated by the boards but schools will get to decide who they get (e.g. speech therapist, child-care worker, etc.). In addition, the entire school staff will get to vote on proposals for resources and distribution as oppossed to a small group (school level or board level) or some ad hoc committee.

Things will get a little tricky given that you will need a majority vote from the school staff (80-85%) to approve of a particular plan. The plan will be developed by a school level committee made up of the principal, teachers and or resource teachers. Going back to the issue of a majority vote, this is going to have the potential for stalling requests for resources. That is, if a plan does not get the required majority from the staff, the plan is scrapped and a new one must be formulated. This requires more time to meet, discuss, reflect, and draw up another plan and once again go through the process of another vote. Meanwhile, little Johnny, who is desperate for a speech therapist, has to wait while we get the magic number to vote in favour. If the plan is rejected once more, a new plan will be formulated, but this time it will go to the school board where a Central Parity Committee must create it - in other words, we have gone back full circle.

As it has become obvious by now, I have some concerns about this entire process. I am worried that schools with a large staff will be faced with the kind of delays that will be detrimental to our students. I see the potential for certain staff to use this process as a way of grinding an axe with administration or other staff members by purposely derailing proposed plans. I like the concept of democratization but there is too much at stake here to allow for the kind of delays this process can create.

I think that certain things must be decided by those who have been entrusted the job of educational leadership. Consultation is crucial, but tough decisions need to be made from the top as well. As I reflected on the issue of a majority vote, I was reminded of the article by Heifetz and Linsky, "When Leadership Spells Danger." One of their recommendations for the survival and success of an administrator is to "accept casualties." They argue that changes that benefit the organization as a whole can hurt others and this is something we must accept. It is a choice between acquiesence and making progress.

Rather than risk losing the advantage of preparing a plan that is formulated at the local, school level, we must forego the need to have a majority school-wide vote. The potential for stalling, political sabotage, and losing the final say to a Central Parity Committee at the board level is not worth this particular exercise in democratization of schools - the will of the masses is not always progressive.

February 15 -OISE RUBRIC

I am currently the Vice-Principal at Nesbitt Elementary School (EMSB) and finishing off my first year as an administrator. As I reviewed the OISE rubric, I was able to identify the levels under which I fall. This exercise also gave me the opportunity to underscore some areas of strength and areas that require improvement.

Under the heading of Principal as manager, I feel that I am at the advanced level as it pertains to student conduct. I have made it a priority to use a progressive discipline policy; one that provides students with the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. In other words, an effective discipline policy entails the ability for students to change their behaviour because certain attitudes and values have been modified. Their behaviour does not change as a result of fear of consequences. I cannot claim that all the students that I have reprimanded have had this type of progressive change, but I am sure that most have.

An example of my approach involves a case where a sixth grader made an anti-semitic comment. The child's parents were contacted and our policy on racial slurs was explained. The child served a detention, but I felt that this incident should be used as an educational experience. I arranged for this student to visit the Holocaust Museum. During his visit, a Holocaust survivor spoke to the students and explained the horrors of the concentration camps. After the visit, this student wrote a report on what he saw and learned and there was no doubt in my mind that this experience had a deep impact on him.

In terms of regulations and policy, I am learning more and more everyday. Recently, I was involved in a case where I had to signal DYP because I suspected neglect in two of my students. I kept records of conversations with students, observations about their lunches, clothes, behaviour and so on. Similarly, I have had to inform myself about policies regarding absenteeism. The EMSB has a policy that is informed by sections in the Education Act and Youth Protection Act. For example, a student who has had 5 or more invalid absences in one month. I am currently monitoring such cases. I would say that I am at the intermediate level as described by the OISE rubric.

I believe that the area where I need most improvement is in time management. Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed to the point that I am paralyzed and unable to proceed with certain tasks. I feel I need to learn to delegate and prioritze my tasks to improve my time managment plan.

In the heading of Principal as instructional leader/program facilitator, I see the need for improvement as well. In terms of learning environment, I am sensitive to the needs of staff and welcome their suggestions. Recently, I implemented an idea related to improving student supervision after school that was brought forth during a staff council meeting. In this area, I think I would fall between intermediate and advanced. There is still the need for further consultation with staff and more formal and informal monitoring of the school culture.

In terms of leadership strategies, I feel that I must encourage my staff to share their instructional strengths and curricular interests. I believe some form of mentoring would be helpful for some of my younger teachers.

The role of Principal as school-community facilitator is very important to me. Here, I believe that this is an area of strength. I am very open to suggestions that parents and staff members make in terms of bussing, discipline, safety measures and security. Some of our parents had concerns with various school yard exits and we worked together to eliminate potential safety issues.

In terms of visionary, I have not had much time in my role as a vice-principal to forge an articulate vision for the school. I know, however, that effective change and setting goals are best achieved through inviting all stakeholders to contribute. If everybody feels included, the vision that is articulated can go beyond rhetoric. At this point, I would say that I am operating at the basic level in that i sense the need for change within the school and have initiated some changes. For example, community work has become an important element of the school disciplinary policy. Suspensions have been modified to include in-school suspensions and community work which entails working in the cafeteria.

An area of strength is that of problem solver. I identify problems but address those which are identified by others as well. Consideration is often given to the perspectives of parents and school staff. As stated earlier, I am always open to suggestions provided by others and encourage such input.

The OISE rubric is an excellent tool and has helped me identify areas of strength and weakness in carrying out my duties as a vice-principal. It has also helped me recognize the responsibilities of a principal.

EDEM 628- Discussion on Reform-Change Dip (Feb.8)

During our last class (Feb. 4), we discussed the reform in terms of how well staff members were coping. For example, in my group, we discussed the fact that schools varied from levels of impatience to avoidance and stress. We all agreed that it was the more senior staff members that demonstrated feelings of resistance and avoidance.

In my own school, I have not had much time to guage how my staff is dealing with the reform. The teachers have been using the assigned textbooks with their students but this hardly means that the reform is alive and well.

Another point that I brought forward in my group was how easily most administrators have accepted the reform as the way to go without much debate as to whether it can achieve its desired goal, i.e., greater educational success that translates into higher numbers of students graduating from high school. Some students brought up examples in Europe where similar reforms were implemented and abandoned because they failed to generate desired results.

Sam responded by arguing that the French school system in Quebec has been experiencing a drop-out rate of close to 40% under the traditional curriculum. He then posed the question:"How can we go back to this?"

I think that Sam is right about how the traditional curriculum has failed many students, especially minority students and students of Afro-Caribbean descent. A radical break with the past was needed; however, we do need to study the long-term effects of the reform before we can declare whether it has met its objectives. It is also necessary to look once more at the overall objectives of the reform. If we continue to try to measure its success by hoping to see a significant change in the drop-out rate, we will probably declare this educational project to have been a failure.

The reason I make this dire prediction is because I feel that it is extremely naive to believe that changing the curriculm alone can have such a desired effect. Let us not forget that schools are a microcosom of society and that students are affected by social ills such as poverty, racism and a plethora of pyscho-social variables that can affect their desire to learn and how they learn. If we are looking to make changes at the micro-level of schooling, shouldn't we also be striving to bring down levels of poverty and other socio-psychological structures that impede a child's chance for success?Does a child who goes back to a home and finds his father who is unemployed and stretched out in a couch in a druken stouper care about the new math that is being taught?

If we are truly serious about making a fundamental change in the educational success of students, we must start coming up with answers to help those living in the fringes. We must develop a wider and more comprehensive social network to provide financial and social assistance to the children that are at higher risk. If we cannot successfully meet the needs of such students at the most basic levels, how can we expect educational success for all?

EDEM 628 -Survey on the Reform (Feb.2)

I'd like to begin with the article that was discussed in last week's class: "When Leadership spells Danger". Some students remarked that the context was too American and did not have much relevance. I disagree. I think that the role of educational administrators transcends national and regional boundaries because of a few fundamentals.

Whether discussing schools in the U.S. or Canada, administrators all have similar challenges: working with a diverse staff, student population and beauracracy. All are bound by the educational structures in which they operate and all deal with the personal dimension as well.

Leadership is defined in many ways but the authors see the need for leaders to deal with what they term as "adaptive challenges" which they differentiate from "technical challenges". In the former, administrators require the skills to change people's values, beliefs and habits -a task much more difficult than making sure the thermostats in the classrooms are working properly.

My own experience thus far (one year) as an adminstrator has been challenging in terms of having to make certain decisions that may be perceived as unpopular by some. Recent changes in student supervision caused some conflict;however, the staff was made to understand that these changes would help minimize inappropriate behaviour and conflict among students during recess. I think that the dilemma that some administrators face, including myself, is that we sometimes have to initiate change that will upset those comfortable with the status quo and this may undermine good relations between staff and administration.

The suggestions offered in the article do provide some help in dealing with such dilemmas. For example, the need to acknowledge the needs and concerns of those who oppose, but at the same time to be able to accept "casualties" - not everybody will have their needs met.

In reading this article, it help shed some light into questions I had about making changes (adaptive challenges) that administrators face in trying to implement and sustain elements of the QEP.

I believe strong leadership has been achieved by my principal in terms of community involvement. The role of the parent is stressed and communication with the parents is key. One mechanism designed to achieve thisw is monthly newsletters that go out to all parents. The newsletter not only informs the parents of on-going activities but invites parents to share their own ideas and encourages involvment.

I think that areas where stronger leadership may be required is in providing opportunities for teachers to network and mentor each other. Too often, pedagogical days are used up doing the routine "house-cleaning items" A plan is required here to provide more opportunities for teachers to meet and discuss issues of pedagogy and so on.

Also, the need to become more active in monitoring the differentiation of instruction of teachers is an area that requires more active administrative presence. As a whole, some teachers will use journals, for example, to allow opportunities for students to reflect on course content or providing choice to students. However, a large gap remains between those who continue to subscribe to the status quo and teachers who have incorporated elements of the QEP. Again, this is where strong leadership needs to be present. There is a need here for building alliances to advance and make progress on getting others aboard. As the authors of "When Leadership Spells Danger " argue: "Don't do it alone."

Others areas where staff and school need to make progress is in explaining the purpose of the reform to parents. Many parents are wary of the reform because they are uninformed. Again, we are presented with a bigger problem when the actual teachers in the school want no part of the reform.

Part 1 Research Paper

This is my first course in the educational leadership certificate. My prior degrees include a B.A., in Sociology, B.Ed. in Early Childhood Education, and a M.A. in Educational Studies. Most of the courses I took dealt with various topics in the field of education. Most of the courses I took in Early Childhood explored topics almost exclusively from the theoretical paradigm of cognitive psychology.

The content was heavy on Piaget and constructivist theory. During our observations we were required to record the various behaviour of children in daycare and school settings. We explored things like initiation of play, cooperation, etc. Having previously done a sociology degree, this was very frustrating. I feel that most teacher training Universities rely to heavily, if not exclusively, on educational psychology as the discipline of choice to explore the field of education. Very little time is spent exploring sociological issues like inequality in education, multicultural/anti-racist education, critical pedagogy, etc. In relying too heavily on psychology we get a narrow understanding of critical issues and fail to see the child as a subject that is shaped by social structures.

As a graduate student my course work was interdisciplinary in that I was required to explore issues in education from a philosophical, sociological, historical and psychological perspective. I gained more insight into the politics of education and how this impacts children and their ability to faqil or succeed.

Most of my favourite courses explored issues of race/ethnicity, class and gender as important variables that intersected with the social structures of society and the education system in particular.

The theoretical paradigm that focuses heavily on such variables is critical pedagogy and anti-racist education. Some of my favourite authors who write from such perspective include Michael Apple (see Education and Power, 1982), Paulo Freire (see The Politics ofr Education, 1985), and Peter McLaren (see Life In Schools:An Introduction to Critical Pedagogyin the Foundations of Education, 1998). All these writers explored what others have overlooked: marginalization, powerlessness, oppression, inequality. On the issue of inequality, these educational thinkers argue that there is a disjuncture between economic and educational rewards and efforts to link school reform to the market value of education threatens to abandon large segments of youth living in the economic fringes.

The educational structures (i.e., assessment, tests, curriculum content) favour and are predicated on the life-experiences of middle class youth of the dominant culture. Minorities and children in the lower end of the socio-economic continuum have the deck stacked against them.
Not all is doom and gloom, however, and this was articulated by one of my philosophy professors who had great faith in the ability for school reform. There are many like-minded individuals in the field of education who want to see all children succeed. Great efforts have been made to level the playing field for children coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is where the ideas of decentralization and democratization of schooling can be vehicules for change.

The present course I am taking (Edem-628) includes essays on educational leadership and the idea for decentralization and democratization are explored in several essays including: "The Who, What, and Why of Site-Based Management", by Jane L. David, and "Leadership for the 21st Century: Breaking the Bonds of dependency", by Michael Fullan.

The essay by David echoes some of the pleas for empowering teachers and students that I read in the works of Freire and Apple. In discussing the benefits of site-based management, David argues that involving teachers, parents and community members in decisions about schooling is important in addressing the particular needs of students at risk. The potential for change is enormous, however, one must also examine the micro-politics of schooling and be wary of Governing Board members, for example, that have their own parochial agendas to move forward.

The essay by Michael Fullan (Leadership for the 21st Century...) also echoes a very fundamental precept of critical thinkers like Freire -- the powerful concept of hope. Critical pedagogy has often been criticized for failing to provide solutions in lieu of doom and gloom scenarios where change was never conceivable. Fullan describes how reform-minded administrators can form new alliances to affect change. In one of the four guidelines he describes the need to fight for lost causes. In my favourite line he writes about hope: "Principals with hope are much less likely to succumb to the daily stresses of the job." (p.21).

This is probably the most important lesson that I can take from his essay. Much too often I have found myself in my office asking why I ever got into administration. I see children come in the school with the same problems (behavioural and socio-emotional) and this takes a toll. I need to begin to see some of the little things that have contributed positively to the livfes of these children. The idea that an adult in their lives cares enough to provide them with free breakfast and lunch can probably be sources of hope in their own lives. I think this is where we as administrators must focus: keep hoping and fight for the lost causes.

WEEK 2 EDEM 628

I was ready to join in on Live Classroom on Monday the 14th, however I was left out in the cold. I could not hear anybody nor could I write any text. The next day I called an EMSB techie and he explained that my problem was the dial-up internet that I have at home. I tried the set up wizard at my office using high-speed and things seemed to go well. To test it out, Sam and I did a test run and things checked out okay. After going through the in's and out's (breakout room, etc. ) I feel comfortable with this format (it's my first time) and look forward to joing the group on Monday, 21st.

Although I did not participate in last week's class, I did read the article by Jane L. David. What I found interesting about the article is the fact that site-based management and cite-councils, as they are referred to in the U.S., are called Governing Boards in Quebec. I am pretty sure that this would be the equivalent of what she describes.

What I enjoyed about the article was how she pointed out the contradictions and problems inherent in such organizations. In the case of Governing Board, the idea is that the democratization of decision making will effectively engender greater student achievement. However, what this greater success for students means is never really articulated, nor is it explored in the article. When we say increased student achievement are we only referring to higher grades? Do we factor in other things llike increased self-confidence or the general social-developmental aspect of the child? This is important if we are going to measure (if that is at all possible) long-term effects of student achievement.

My own experiences with Governing Boards reinforce an important point addressed by David: broadening the decision-making base does not necessarily yield greater student achievement. I think this is true especially if the decision-making body is bogged-down by trivial issues and self-congratulatory items like fund-raising targets and field-trips. One of the most frustrating aspects of Governing Board is the desire to tackle money issues and fund-raising. Everybody is fundrasing for this and that and all schools are pressured to follow. Money is often raised and the most popular item on the wish list becomes computers. The idea that greater access and time spent on computers is tantamount to increasing student achievement is a very common one. I don't believe that more computers or books for the library or newer textbooks, in and of themselves, will generate greater success. Very little or no time is spent tying to figure out what we will do with the students in the fourth grade that are reading at a first-grade level. How will more books and a lap-top help such a child? The bigger and more fundamental questions are often pushed aside.

That is it for now.