Case Study 6

• ISLLC Standard 6: A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by understanding, responding to and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context.

   

  Case Study: Non-renewal: A Necessary Option

   

  Key Knowledge:

  . the role of public education in developing and renewing a democratic society and an economically productive nation

  . the law as related to education and schooling

  . models and strategies of change and conflict resolution as applied to the larger political,

  social, cultural and economic contexts of schooling

  . global issues and forces affecting teaching and learning

  Key Dispositions :

  . education as a key to opportunity and social mobility

  . using legal systems to protect student rights and improve student opportunities

  Key Performances :

  . the environment in which schools operate is influenced on behalf of students and their

  families

  . the school community works within the framework of policies, laws, and regulations

  enacted by local, state, and federal authorities

  . public policy is shaped to provide quality education for students

  . lines of communication are developed with decision

   

  Questions:

  •  How do you respond within legal and ethical boundaries to teachers who are not looking out for the best interests of students?

  •  When is non-renewal the best option?

   

  Introduction:

  Due to the transition of one principal to another very late in the summer, the school was forced to hire teachers very late. As a result, some of the new hires were inexperienced in middle grades education. They had serious classroom management and instructional deficiencies. As part of the support team, I was assigned to work with these teachers. I was struck by the differences in how they responded to my assistance. In particular, one teacher completed all of the written requirements that were a part of her PDP; however, the concepts that she could put into writing did not result in any change in her instruction or management techniques. I worked with her over several months as she completed 2 phases of Professional Development Plans. Though she technically completed the plans, she did not show improvement, as a result she was non-renewed.

   

  Analysis:

  My principal included in the both Professional Development Plans the following statement:

  Successful completion of this professional development plan will be determined by the teacher's sincere participation in the aforementioned activities and successful implementation of new classroom management skills as determined by the principal, grade level administrator and the curriculum assistant principal.

   

  This statement assured that in difficult cases where the employee follows the letter of the PDP but not the spirit of it, we still have the right to continue the PDP or to move forward with non-renewal. In addition to have at least five straight forward conferences with the teacher, my principal ensured that all documentation and paperwork was forwarded to human resources by the appropriate dates and that a variety of people observed the teacher. This prevented the teacher from claiming that her non-renewal was personally motivated by the principal. In doing all of these things, as difficult as some of them were, the principal used the legal system to protect the legal rights of students and to improve student opportunities. I understand now how crucial it is for principals to act quickly and within legal guidelines to protect the best interests of students. I cannot imagine having this teacher return. I had several students come to me to express their concern about this teacher. Their primary worry was that they were not learning and that they might not be ready for the CRCT.

   

  Evaluation:

  The principal proved her proficiency in this area. She handled the conferences with the teacher in a direct yet, tactful way. She followed all legal requirements, and above all her primary focus was on how best to make sure that our students get the best education available.