Public Relations Idea

Almost every weekend, my wife and I pack up the kids and head to Buffalo's Elmwood-Bidwell Farmer's Market. We enjoy the fresh produce and it gives us an excuse to roam the city afterward in search of a local spot to grab lunch.

Today, I was intrigued by a new stand with a sign promoting the Wisteria Charter School initiative. Based on the conversations I heard while loitering nearby the stand and the flyer they handed me, the initiative is comprised of a group of teachers looking to establish a new Waldorf-inspired charter school in the city. Regardless of your opinion of charter schools, you have to admit that setting up a stand in a public and highly trafficked place in order to raise awareness is a pretty good idea.

It made me think. What if public schools did this too? What if they set up stands at local supermarkets, libraries, or malls as a means to connect with the community and share exciting things that are happening in the district? The social perception of education is quite negative lately, so I'm sure teachers would be willing to donate a few hours to staff the booth and help improve the district's public image. What an excellent opportunity to share upcoming events, highlight student work, and reinforce the district's commitment to the community.

Just a thought.

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The Cycle of Failure for Administrative Decision Making

Having a good relationship between administration and faculty is paramount for a positive work environment. When that bond crumbles, everything else is soon to follow. No one likes being told what to do and it's even worse when the person handing down the commands is out of favor. Here's the series of events that leads to total collapse:

1. The administrator sends down a directive. Either because of poor rapport with the faculty or nearsighted decision-making, he/she does not ask for input before doing so.

2. Naturally, the faculty is furious. They vow to either ignore the directive completely and rely on safety in numbers to avoid consequence or they pursue the directive in such a lax manner that there is no way its goal will ever be achieved.

3. The directive is a spectacular failure.

4. Frustrated and looking to make things right, the administrator sends out another directive. Again, the faculty throws up its arms in resentment. This time, however, they cite the failure of the previous directive as the reason to not do as they're told. "His/her previous plan didn't work, so why should we believe this one will?"

The administrator's efforts will always fail because of the faculty's ill contempt. It's a vicious circle that is nearly impossible to recover from without some major personnel changes.

When this cycle of administrative failure happens, what's to blame - the poor attitude of the faculty or the myopic approach taken by the administrator? Probably a bit of both. I understand that me offering advice to administrators is like the flight attendant telling the pilot what to do in the cockpit, but sometimes a different perspective helps. Before handing down orders, do yourself and every else involved the courtesy of gathering as much input as you can before making a decision that affects everyone in your building.

While most posts on my blog are reactive/reflective of something happening in my professional life, this one is not. At least not recently. Several teachers on my team at school currently have student teachers, and I thought about this today while discussing with them what they should hope for as they begin the interview process for a permanent teaching position. In my opinion, working in a positive environment far outweighs all other aspects of a district. It's the job of both the administration and the faculty to make this happen.

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Am I a lifer?

My father was a teacher for 25 years at a small junior/senior high school in Western New York. The school was surrounded by farmland, the pay was meager, and for the first 15 years his office was a broom closet behind the stage. But he loved it.

He told me he was a lifer. For better or worse, that was the district that he planned to be at forever.

It has been seven years now in the district that gave me my first job, and I often ask myself if I will be a lifer too. Some days that question is easier to answer than others.

I love my job, and my district. But sometimes I wonder what it would be like in another school. Or another profession all together. Is that abnormal?

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