Mastering the Balance of the Principalship by Ricken Robert;

Author:Ricken, Robert; [Ricken, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1994389
Publisher: Corwin Press
Published: 2006-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

7

Nonnegotiable Issues in Dealing With Parents

When a superintendent of schools is employed by a board of education, both sides must understand the difference between policy and administration. The board is responsible for policy making, and the superintendent is responsible for implementing those policies. The board is empowered to establish the district’s instructional programs, and the superintendent devises the systems to deliver the curriculum to the school district’s children. Understanding roles is critical to the district’s success.

Principals must be able to define the roles of every segment of the school population. Role descriptions are essential for teachers, noncertified staff members, and students. Relationships with employee unions are frequently spelled out in collective bargaining agreements. But no document exists that defines the role of parents in the school. Defining their relationship with the school’s principal and the staff is an administrative imperative. This relationship is nonnegotiable, and my own perception is often viewed as being rigid and dogmatic. No apology will be forthcoming.

Many situations should be anticipated, and preemptive action needs to be taken by the principal before the issues arise. Notwithstanding the cordial relationship principals have nurtured with their students’ families, parents have to know that no child or family will ever receive any preferential treatment. All decisions are made by the professional staff and are geared to benefit of children. Board members and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) leaders should be made aware that the principal will never hire one of their relatives, and there should be no expectation that anyone else will receive preferential treatment. In many districts, this position may be a dangerous one for the principal, particularly if nepotism is the district’s standard operating procedure. As the reader will see, standing up for what’s right is often a lonely position. However, it separates those who are merely liked from those who are truly respected!

The following is a discussion of potential confrontations with parents. The principal should utilize the firm philosophy mentioned above.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.