Education Today

Who is in Charge?

What used to be a locally controlled system--public schools today are now beholden to the wishes of state departments of education, a federal Department of Education, multiple interest groups, textbook publishers, and the faux-intelligentsia at Schools of Education. One effect of this has been the decline of traditional administrators from positions of leadership to positions of facilitator.

There are basically three types of school administrators, and by that I mean everything from assistant principals (called Learning Directors in some schools so they can be paid less) to the superintendent of the district. This category does not include classified staff like secretaries, janitors, food workers, groundskeepers, bus drivers, etc. The original administrator was just that, a person hired to carry out the administration of a school with little curricular responsibility. They have largely disappeared. Thirty or more years ago curriculum and instructional methods was left up to the teacher in the classroom. Teachers at various grades or subjects in secondary schools knew what to teach and they used methods they were comfortable with to reach as many students as possible. Administrators watched and observed but had little role in curriculum formation or delivery. They ran the school according to Ed. Code and ensured that all the proper paper work was taken care of. They gave out awards at the end of the year, attended athletic events, supervised dances, etc.

The second type of administrator tentatively entered the field about thirty years ago. This person administrated like before but were also considered to be the "curriculum leader." This required a bit more effort and knowledge. Some administrators proved to be effective curriculum leaders because they had a fair amount of teaching experience and were generally from academic backgrounds (Mathematics, English, History, and Science). This is not to say that administrators with other backgrounds were not intellectual or effective, but to be so required much more work with the heavy emphasis on rigor, standards, testing, etc. after the release of A Nation At Risk. Many administrators forced into this new role failed. Unfortunately too many administrators are educators who want out of teaching or are only attracted by the higher salaries. About twenty years ago (I am still tracking down the article) the Wilson Quarterly published a research piece that showed school administrators and others pursuing a Masters Degree in Education scored the lowest on the GRE as compared to other subject areas. A 2002 study using GRE data showed Education majors ranked 27th out of 28 majors in terms of combined score and each of the three sub-categories. Only Public Administration majors ranked lower (that's interesting, and disturbing). It is no wonder that school administrators had a tough time filling the role of curriculum leader, especially in high schools where many teachers were better informed and simply smarter.

The third type of administrator, the "facilitator," evolved from the curriculum leader. Keep in mind that they could always administrate well, but so many administrators failed as curricular leaders that they were essentially demoted. So much of what we teach and how we teach it is now determined by the state, federal government, or passing fad of some educational think tank, that administrators are simply seen as conduits for change, or facilitators of change. Administrators, in addition to their traditional role, are now jetting around and getting all goose pimply about standards, assessment, super cool instructional strategies, making every student proficient or better, and embracing like a long lost cousin every unfounded, undocumented, crazier than a loon approach to education. And they do so without a critical eye (remember the GRE scores). They never ask why? Where's the research? I've been to some of these things. It blows me away when a presenter talks about how this strategy is backed by research but can provide no citation for that research. It's almost like a modern version of the snake oil vendor.

So what kind of administrators do we need? We definitely need the old fashioned kind. The ones trained in the law and code of education. The ones that can get the proper paperwork done on time. The ones who actually attend school functions. The ones who walk "the yard" during snack break and lunchtime. The ones who counter a teacher's tunnel visioned view of school (meaning from the purview of their classroom) with a wholistic picture of what school is. The one's who ask the simple question when decisions have to be made, "Is this good for kids?" We also need intelligent administrators who will be instructional leaders. They can not be curriculum leaders since no one can master all the subjects, but they should guide the academic life of the school, deferring to those with content expertise when needed. We need administrators with courage who are willing to ask, "Is this new instructional strategy or set of standards good for kids?"

Some thoughts on the role of the Superintendent. Why do we have them? Most are just great public relations people and that's it. In many ways principals and assistant principals want to be the kind of administrator we need but are hogtied. Much, much more needs to be demanded of superintendents. They make more money than anybody, but do the least amount in terms of actually impacting education. They have an easy out today, "I'm simply following the mandates of the state and federal governments." Bullshit! Someone needs to be "the leader" but with leadership should come responsibility. And responsibility requires courage. Too many superintendents are spineless and go around flaunting their low GRE MA's or PhD's. The public needs to hold superintendents accountable through the elected school board. I challenge you to find a quality school. I bet that school has an amazing superintendent. And poor performing schools have superintendents just sitting there raking in a paycheck waiting for that sweet payday on retirement.

I want to finish though by praising the great administrators I have known. The sad part is that they are all gone and probably would not survive in today's top-down, do as I say, facilitate the process system that has been created.

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