Posted by Flatnose
In his State of the State speech new Nevada governor Jim Gibbons described his new "Empowerment" plan for Nevada schools as a "bold new approach" that "started in Canada 30 years ago." Then he introduced Michael Strembitsky, in the audience, as "the architect and father of the Edmonton Empowerment Program." Edmonton has been in Nevada news since then.
So what IS the 'Edmonton Model'? Here's an interview with the man who took the Edmonton school system over when Strembitsky stepped down. It's part of a report an Ohio school reform group did: The Edmonton Model of Public School Reform
February 8, 2007
February 3, 2007
Teacher abuse: Public ed's dark & dirty secret
Posted by Flatnose
Unfortunately, Miss Kitty's situation with her lying, sadistic principal -- read about it here -- is, in its broad outlines, much more common in Nevada and around the country than the public knows or teacher unions will ever admit (as it shows they don't protect teachers).
But a new book is entirely devoted to the subject and suggests that the number of sadistic principals who indulge their bullying appetites inside our public schools is quite large, probably averaging more than one out of five. The book, Breaking the Silence: Overcoming the Problem of Principal Mistreatment of Teachers, is very soberly written and not at all sensationalist. The authors are a husband-wife pair of professors at the University of Georgia, Joseph and Jo Blase. Well respected professionals, they have researched, written and published for years on education matters. Now, finally, they are venturing into this very taboo subject.
A few quotes from the book:
Unfortunately, Miss Kitty's situation with her lying, sadistic principal -- read about it here -- is, in its broad outlines, much more common in Nevada and around the country than the public knows or teacher unions will ever admit (as it shows they don't protect teachers).
But a new book is entirely devoted to the subject and suggests that the number of sadistic principals who indulge their bullying appetites inside our public schools is quite large, probably averaging more than one out of five. The book, Breaking the Silence: Overcoming the Problem of Principal Mistreatment of Teachers, is very soberly written and not at all sensationalist. The authors are a husband-wife pair of professors at the University of Georgia, Joseph and Jo Blase. Well respected professionals, they have researched, written and published for years on education matters. Now, finally, they are venturing into this very taboo subject.
A few quotes from the book:
“Principal mistreatment of teachers is surely a dark topic, one that has undoubtedly been a part of the legacy of public education in the United States.”
“…researchers who have used survey protocols to study large samples of the general population estimate that between 10 and 20% of all American employees work for an abusive boss… Given this, we suggest that there may be significant numbers of school principals who routinely mistreat teachers ….”
“… prominent power theorists have demonstrated that power itself may have a corrupting effect on a powerholder and even those over whom power is exercised….”
The “failure to study this dimension of the dark side of school leadership, to apply the same rigorous research protocols we use to investigate other educational problems, has resulted in incomplete, naïve and even false understandings of how some, perhaps a noteworthy percentage of, school leaders and teachers experience their work… Moreover, this failure allows the problem of mistreatment to continue without challenge and without hope of improvement.”
“This book is a first attempt to bring to light a problem that has heretofore been ignored by both the academic and the professional educational community in the United States.”
“Mistreatment of teachers is especially damaging because such mistreatment is often clearly visible to students. Even when mistreatment is more subtle, the subliminal perception of it by students is certain to undermine teachers; in fact, in some cases a mistreated teacher may become angry and the anger may be directed back toward students. Students then resort to further aggressive behavior as they internalize the hostility that has been directed toward then…”
“The role of district offices and boards of education is important in light of research on workplace abuse indicating that upper-level management in organizations usually ignores or colludes with abusive bosses when victims make formal complaints.”
“Examination of the personal and official documents submitted to us and reports from those who had worked with and referred us to the veteran teachers we studied suggest that the teachers were highly respected, accomplished, creative and dedicated individuals. In most cases, they had been consistently and formally recognized by their school and district not simply as effective teachers but also as superior teachers: in many cases, such recognition for their exceptional achievements as public educators extended to state levels.”
“In analyzing our data, we found that principals who mistreat teachers are power over-oriented in the worst sense.”
“The general climate of schools and the undemocratic rules under which they are administered tend to make principals autocrats and teachers yes-men … Clashes with the principal over method, ideas, or conduct usually lead to discrimination if not penalties… The situation is made worse by the fact that autocracy or inefficiency or even immorality cannot be safely opposed in a principal in the many systems where his appointment has depended upon political or social influence.”
“…researchers who have used survey protocols to study large samples of the general population estimate that between 10 and 20% of all American employees work for an abusive boss… Given this, we suggest that there may be significant numbers of school principals who routinely mistreat teachers ….”
“… prominent power theorists have demonstrated that power itself may have a corrupting effect on a powerholder and even those over whom power is exercised….”
The “failure to study this dimension of the dark side of school leadership, to apply the same rigorous research protocols we use to investigate other educational problems, has resulted in incomplete, naïve and even false understandings of how some, perhaps a noteworthy percentage of, school leaders and teachers experience their work… Moreover, this failure allows the problem of mistreatment to continue without challenge and without hope of improvement.”
“This book is a first attempt to bring to light a problem that has heretofore been ignored by both the academic and the professional educational community in the United States.”
“Mistreatment of teachers is especially damaging because such mistreatment is often clearly visible to students. Even when mistreatment is more subtle, the subliminal perception of it by students is certain to undermine teachers; in fact, in some cases a mistreated teacher may become angry and the anger may be directed back toward students. Students then resort to further aggressive behavior as they internalize the hostility that has been directed toward then…”
“The role of district offices and boards of education is important in light of research on workplace abuse indicating that upper-level management in organizations usually ignores or colludes with abusive bosses when victims make formal complaints.”
“Examination of the personal and official documents submitted to us and reports from those who had worked with and referred us to the veteran teachers we studied suggest that the teachers were highly respected, accomplished, creative and dedicated individuals. In most cases, they had been consistently and formally recognized by their school and district not simply as effective teachers but also as superior teachers: in many cases, such recognition for their exceptional achievements as public educators extended to state levels.”
“In analyzing our data, we found that principals who mistreat teachers are power over-oriented in the worst sense.”
“The general climate of schools and the undemocratic rules under which they are administered tend to make principals autocrats and teachers yes-men … Clashes with the principal over method, ideas, or conduct usually lead to discrimination if not penalties… The situation is made worse by the fact that autocracy or inefficiency or even immorality cannot be safely opposed in a principal in the many systems where his appointment has depended upon political or social influence.”
February 2, 2007
Forcing Good Teachers Out
Posted by Slim
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. It has become a pattern and practice among too many principals to drive out veteran teachers who are likely to point out the emperor has no clothes. The hypocrisy of the public education system telling lawmakers that they can't keep good teachers because of a lack of funding while they drive out the best and brightest is a scandal of epic proportions.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. It has become a pattern and practice among too many principals to drive out veteran teachers who are likely to point out the emperor has no clothes. The hypocrisy of the public education system telling lawmakers that they can't keep good teachers because of a lack of funding while they drive out the best and brightest is a scandal of epic proportions.
I am a teacher of 43 years who retired in January although I had planned to teach until June. I started to be harassed by my principal at the end of the prior year. He saw me privately to tell me that, after an announcement at the faculty meeting that I had missed, he received messages from twelve of my colleagues that they did not want to work on a teacher-team with me the following year. When I questioned other teachers who had attended the meeting, no one remembered him soliciting information about next year's team make-ups. In fact, at that time we knew our school would be dropping a lot of teachers due to decreasing enrollment and no one yet knew who would be coming back to the building.
After only a few weeks of the new school year, the principal e-mailed me on a Friday afternoon. He wanted me to come to his office on Monday during my conference period. He said complaints from students and parents were "piling up on a daily basis." I should come prepared with a plan to alter my teaching practices. He was not available at the appointed time. He was not available at lunch. He was not available after school.
The next day I received a angry e-mail reminding me of the meeting he had demanded, and told me to see him after school. But he wasn't there! So I left a note with his secretary that I would be in my room until 4:00. He came in close to that time. He began by assuring me that this meeting was not evaluative, but that I needed to do something about all the complaints. I told him that I was retiring in June, so I wasn't concerned about his evaluation. I was concerned about the complaints ... what were they about? All the rest of the meeting consisted of his memories of when his parents retired from teaching. He never again brought up any complaints. Obviously, he was satisfied that I would be leaving.
Later...when he told us in a faculty meeting that "We will not teach spelling in this school any more." and that "the purpose of this school is to teach kids to work in groups to solve a problem." I gave up and put in for retirement. I teach middle-school kids who spell went "whent" and does "dose". I teach individuals who have serious needs...not groups.
Do I feel that I have been harassed? Yes. Do I feel that I have pushed into retirement before my time? Yes. Why did he want me to suspect my friends with whom I have taught for years? Why did he want me to believe that my students and their parents didn't like me? I will probably never
know.
Sincerely,
Miss Kitty
After only a few weeks of the new school year, the principal e-mailed me on a Friday afternoon. He wanted me to come to his office on Monday during my conference period. He said complaints from students and parents were "piling up on a daily basis." I should come prepared with a plan to alter my teaching practices. He was not available at the appointed time. He was not available at lunch. He was not available after school.
The next day I received a angry e-mail reminding me of the meeting he had demanded, and told me to see him after school. But he wasn't there! So I left a note with his secretary that I would be in my room until 4:00. He came in close to that time. He began by assuring me that this meeting was not evaluative, but that I needed to do something about all the complaints. I told him that I was retiring in June, so I wasn't concerned about his evaluation. I was concerned about the complaints ... what were they about? All the rest of the meeting consisted of his memories of when his parents retired from teaching. He never again brought up any complaints. Obviously, he was satisfied that I would be leaving.
Later...when he told us in a faculty meeting that "We will not teach spelling in this school any more." and that "the purpose of this school is to teach kids to work in groups to solve a problem." I gave up and put in for retirement. I teach middle-school kids who spell went "whent" and does "dose". I teach individuals who have serious needs...not groups.
Do I feel that I have been harassed? Yes. Do I feel that I have pushed into retirement before my time? Yes. Why did he want me to suspect my friends with whom I have taught for years? Why did he want me to believe that my students and their parents didn't like me? I will probably never
know.
Sincerely,
Miss Kitty
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