Sharing Responsibilities: A Professional Story

Committees, Boards, Administrators, Educators
and their responsibilities
A professional story

An educator was asked by her children’s school to be the chairperson of a sub-committee of the education committee. Wanting to help the school, its students and especially her own children she accepted the responsibility. She pulled together a group of interested and invested parents, teachers and administrators. The committee met regularly. They conducted a survey to look at the current activities offered students, the methods and practices of the teachers as well as the parents’ expectations. They conducted research into different methodologies, processes as well as classroom and school-wide organization for their domain. They visited other schools both in-person as well as virtually (on the web). They consulted academia at the local university and through readings from professional magazines, news media and books on the subject. From all their work the group created a document outlining a series of recommendations and suggestions for improving the education and socialization of their students in the particular domain. One could also say that implementing (most if not all of) the recommendations would help to qualify students for both further study and ultimate employment. The committee presented their report to the school principal, administrator, school board representatives as well as the would-be affected teachers (at least one of whom was on the committee). The presentation went extremely well. The committee was commended on its hard work and the principal stated that most of the recommendations would be implemented the following school year while others would take up to three years to implement. The committee chairperson was thanked and felt that all the work was worth it, that change would be forthcoming. Summer was here and it was time to enjoy the sunshine and time off with her family.

August was almost over and school began. The educator and her children went back to their respective schools. Towards the end of October (almost a full two months into school) the educator was faced with a very frustrated child. The class in the domain that the educator had worked tirelessly the previous year to improve frustrated the child. The educator called the school principal and asked if any of the recommendations had been implemented as had been discussed. The principal replied that at school’s commencement the classroom teacher felt them impossible implement.

What is the educator to do?
What should the principal do?