Principals as Bullies

Join Teachers.Net

Chatboards

Recent Groups

Ed Advocacy

MEMBERS

2 Members

+ Join Group

Pinned Posts

ALLAll Teachers

Teachers.Net LIVE CHAT Support group - Tues eve!

Featured Jobs

Full-timeMontessori Teacher

Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

TemporaryTeachers, rural schools

Peace River North School District

Full-timeHead Teacher: 2nd/3rd Grades – Mills College Children’s School

Mills College

Teaching Jobs on Teachers.Net

Featured Job special only $39!

https://teachers.net/jobs

Become a Teachers.Net sponsor!

Ed Advocacy Chatboard

Principals as Bullies

by Anthony Fraguzzi

Sep 25, 2010

I have been working in the field of education since 1970; and I have come to believe that one of the main obstacles to student achievement and academic success is the middle manager known to us as - The Principal. It is he or she who sustains poor teaching by failing to use the necessary administrative tools to help flagging teachers or to remove them, if necessary. It is he or she who too often uses the principal's position of power to humiliate and/or intimidate teachers for reasons that are often non-educational. It is he or she who often sets the tone in the school building which can either contribute to a warm and effective learning atmosphere or a cold and hostile enviroment. Any teacher can easily supply a half-dozen examples of both types of principals. My own experience has been that the principal too often allows his or her personal politics of power to interfere with the true mission of the educational system. Principals, I believe, are given a good deal of power that is too...See More

Comment

(1)

report post

Lynde Although I've been very fortunate to have worked with awesome principals so far (knock on wood), I have teacher-friends all over the country who have not been so lucky.

My statement: When a teacher leaves the classroom, it is no longer a "classroom"--it's just a room. Take a teacher out of the classroom, and you no longer have a classroom....See MoreAlthough I've been very fortunate to have worked with awesome principals so far (knock on wood), I have teacher-friends all over the country who have not been so lucky.

My statement: When a teacher leaves the classroom, it is no longer a "classroom"--it's just a room. Take a teacher out of the classroom, and you no longer have a classroom. In which case, you no longer have a need for a principal, a vice principal, or a superintendent. It's long past time when these folks need to learn what education is all about--it's the meaningful dialogue between student and teacher. What it is NOT about is egos (anybody's), trappings of puffed up self- importance, bullying, or mean-spiritness.

On 9/25/10, Anthony Fraguzzi wrote: > I have been working in the field of education since 1970; > and I have come to believe that one of the main obstacles > to student achievement and academic success is the middle > manager known to us as - The Principal. > It is he or she who sustains poor teaching by failing to > use the necessary administrative tools to help flagging > teachers or to remove them, if necessary. > It is he or she who too often uses the principal's position > of power to humiliate and/or intimidate teachers for > reasons that are often non-educational. > It is he or she who often sets the tone in the school > building which can either contribute to a warm and > effective learning atmosphere or a cold and hostile > enviroment. > Any teacher can easily supply a half-dozen examples of both > types of principals. > My own experience has been that the principal too often > allows his or her personal politics of power to interfere > with the true mission of the educational system. > Principals, I believe, are given a good deal of power that > is too often abused in the hands of immature, egotistic > personalities. In the name of 'respect to the office' too > many individuals ascribe to themselves the trappings of > power which alarmingly resemble that of minor potentates or > miniture monarchs. > The principal should be a collaborator and facilitator with > and for the teacher - who is, afterall, the professional > who has day-to-day, hour-to-hour contact with the learner. > More respect for teachers and less for the middle-managers > would go a long way into resolving some of our educational > shortcomings. > Anthony Fraguzzi

Dec 30, 2010

report post