how messed up are the politics at your school?

by is this how it always is?

May 9, 2013

I am working at a school that's fairly new and I have wanted to help shape it's direction but have been very frustrated in my attempts to do so. It seems that smart and effective decisions simply can't get made or put into place and there's a lack of common sense. Every seemingly straightforward issue is complicated by people twisting it into something else and emotions run high. A lot of the faculty is cynical while the few people making all the decisions complain that no one wants to help.

How much influence do you have on your school culture and how much do you care? It seems to me like a school is just too big and complicated a mess to have much impact on, so staying out of everything and isolating yourself in your classroom is ultimately the wisest choice. It just seems so complacent to me and so it doesn't sit well. Can someone offer a different perspective?

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I hear ya On 5/09/13, is this how it always is? wrote: > I am working at a school that's fairly new and I have > wanted to help shape it's direction but have been very > frustrated in my attempts to do so. It seems that smart and > effective decisions simply can't get made or put into place > and there's a lack of common sense. Every seemingly...See MoreOn 5/09/13, is this how it always is? wrote: > I am working at a school that's fairly new and I have > wanted to help shape it's direction but have been very > frustrated in my attempts to do so. It seems that smart and > effective decisions simply can't get made or put into place > and there's a lack of common sense. Every seemingly > straightforward issue is complicated by people twisting it > into something else and emotions run high. A lot of the > faculty is cynical while the few people making all the > decisions complain that no one wants to help. > > How much influence do you have on your school culture and > how much do you care? It seems to me like a school is just > too big and complicated a mess to have much impact on, so > staying out of everything and isolating yourself in your > classroom is ultimately the wisest choice. It just seems so > complacent to me and so it doesn't sit well. Can someone > offer a different perspective?

New schools are very bad. I'm the bitter veteran of two "new" schools: one was the combination of 2 Catholic schools, the other was a Catholic school in which the nuns pulled out and it was run by a board of alumni. I'm now going through my second school closing. Most new schools don't do well, in my experience, whether they are private or charter. A well-funded public school run by the Bd of Ed might be a different story. You don't say what type of school this is, or who ultimately is running it. In my case--both of my cases, actually--, there was a board of interchangeable people who met after school and never saw a kid or teacher, and a weak principal who refused to discipline a kid for anything, ever, unless a teacher pitched a fit and made a drama. A few loudmouth teachers controlled everything, and while they meant well, I think they didn't help keep these schools afloat, but rather hurt the effort in some ways.

You should find a group of like minded teachers and together try to get something done. One person with common sense alone can't do that much.

Let us know how it goes

May 10, 2013

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is this how it always is? On 5/10/13, I hear ya wrote: > On 5/09/13, is this how it always is? wrote: >> I am working at a school that's fairly new and I have >> wanted to help shape it's direction but have been very >> frustrated in my attempts to do so. It seems that smart and >> effective decisions simply can't get made or put into place >&g...See MoreOn 5/10/13, I hear ya wrote: > On 5/09/13, is this how it always is? wrote: >> I am working at a school that's fairly new and I have >> wanted to help shape it's direction but have been very >> frustrated in my attempts to do so. It seems that smart and >> effective decisions simply can't get made or put into place >> and there's a lack of common sense. Every seemingly >> straightforward issue is complicated by people twisting it >> into something else and emotions run high. A lot of the >> faculty is cynical while the few people making all the >> decisions complain that no one wants to help. >> >> How much influence do you have on your school culture and >> how much do you care? It seems to me like a school is just >> too big and complicated a mess to have much impact on, so >> staying out of everything and isolating yourself in your >> classroom is ultimately the wisest choice. It just seems so >> complacent to me and so it doesn't sit well. Can someone >> offer a different perspective? > > New schools are very bad. I'm the bitter veteran of two "new" > schools: one was the combination of 2 Catholic schools, the > other was a Catholic school in which the nuns pulled out and > it was run by a board of alumni. I'm now going through my > second school closing. Most new schools don't do well, in my > experience, whether they are private or charter. A > well-funded public school run by the Bd of Ed might be a > different story. You don't say what type of school this is, or > who ultimately is running it. In my case--both of my cases, > actually--, there was a board of interchangeable people who > met after school and never saw a kid or teacher, and a weak > principal who refused to discipline a kid for anything, ever, > unless a teacher pitched a fit and made a drama. A few > loudmouth teachers controlled everything, and while they meant > well, I think they didn't help keep these schools afloat, but > rather hurt the effort in some ways. > > You should find a group of like minded teachers and together > try to get something done. One person with common sense alone > can't do that much. > > Let us know how it goes That does sound like an awful situation. We have it much more together than that. Mine is a public school, but the money is tight and the most fundamental problem is that we are expected to do more than other high schools and with less resources. There is a basic denial of the fact that this strategy won't work. We won't become the kind of school our mission statement says we are to be because to be so would require getting more resources and flexibility from our district, which isn't happening

May 10, 2013

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