Political Undercurrents

Political undercurrents are always part of education.   We are governed by the Ministry of Education and the British Columbia Teachers’ Union (BCTF).  The political nature of education filters in to site specific decisions for daily functioning so we are always made aware of the impact of local decisions.  Administrators have their own career goals which can determine how they lead a specific school.  Keeping parents on side is a political move which often relegates the teacher to following the dictates of decisions made with little consultation. Many educational decisions are made in the public eye through the media which results in teachers being treated as a general collective—if one does it, we are all guilty of the same behaviour.

Each school has a specific climate and public image.  Since this often reflects on the leadership at a school, principals often make decisions to foster the image they wish to project to the parent community.  Employees must, therefore, participate in activities and events that support that image which is often beyond the classroom and beyond regular work hours.  Schools have become micro-communities with multi-facetted commitments which require staff involvement without compensation.  The political need for public support leads to political decisions which do not always benefit the staff.

Power Plays

Some leaders I have worked with have the personality trait of needing to be the ones who make all the “good” decisions.  I have had some administrators that very boldly state that their way is the right way; others merely point out the flaws and weaknesses of proposals put forth by employees. Strong leaders should build up their employees and create opportunities for the employee to shine. Teachers will do a better job in the classroom—the job they are hired to do—when they are encouraged, supported, and entrusted to make sound educational decisions.  Administrators who seek personal glory cannot afford to inform their staff, share data, and let others learn to lead.

Protecting Trust

Consistent decision making for the good of all can lead to a trust relationship between administrators and their staff. Schools are often in the spotlight and do need management for consistent progress.  Since everyone bears the responsibility for building the school community, everyone must be trusted to do their part. Our personality traits will weave themselves into every area of our lives including our leadership; knowing ourselves is as important as knowing those whom we are leading. When the trust relationship is strong between leader and followers, everyone can work together as a team.

Positive Approaches

Many meetings at school are long dispensations of information where the staff receive the information and the administrator delivers.  The meetings are led by administrators, the topics are primarily selected by administrators, and the outcomes are gently (or sometimes firmly) controlled by administrators.  While there may be a few minutes left at the end of a meeting for topics or issues raised by staff members, these items seem so unimportant at the end of a meeting that there is usually very little discussion and no real buy-in for change.   Since trusting employees seems difficult for some administrators, employees are often treated as incapable, unreliable, and short-sighted in considering what is truly beneficial for their school environment.

Practical Observations

Some administrators seldom to get to all the classrooms in a school and certainly do not have time for personal conversations with employees unless initiated by the administrator.  How can their observations be accurate?  How can their objectives meet the needs of teaching staff if they do not ask?  Having been moved from school-to-school for the better part of 10 years in one of my districts, I have had the privilege of working under many different styles of leadership.  Since I was often a temporary staff member (one-year contracts), administrators did not spend a lot of time checking in on me or investing in me.  As one administrator told me when I asked to have an evaluation done for my classroom practice, “We focus on the staff that actually works here.”  Building up people on a staff should include all staff members.  It seems that a lot of information could be delivered via e-mail, power point, or perhaps a podcast with a short Kahoot to ensure some comprehension.  Perhaps then our meetings could include important matters that pertain to our day-to-day survival in the trenches.