New Leader or Imposter?

Teacher-powered school...Teaching democracy

If you missed a couple of episodes, the best way to binge-read Scrambling for Voice, Choice, and Agency is to use the Table of Contents links to previous posts.

Episode # 22

Kerry
Re: the parent meeting
To: Chance sent - Gmail 7:29 AM

Hi Chance—

I look forward to hearing more about your meeting. I am only a few days into this principal thing, and I know that I am going to need to learn more about dealing with unhappy parents.

Maybe we should schedule another after school meeting. What is your schedule for the next few days?

Kerry

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Chance
re: the parent meeting
To: Kerry sent - Gmail at 8:02 PM

Hi Kerry—

How does Thursday sound? I can meet at 4 at the usual place.

I want to tell you about talking to the parents yesterday and telling them how I teach 5th graders about democracy.

One of the most powerful parts of the meeting was when Ernie’s mom and Sarah’s mom realized that part of what the kids are learning is democracy. In my class the kids understand how democracy works by participating in a democracy. It had not occurred to them that concepts such as compromise, consensus, majority rules, communication, parliamentary procedure, critical thinking, and collaboration are skills that need to be taught in order for citizens to be able to understand how to be successful citizens and contribute to the common good.

When I stressed that compromise and consensus are concepts that many powerful people in politics must have missed in school, they knew exactly what I was saying.

It is funny, they had only been thinking about democracy as something that you learn about in 8th grade civics class and American Government in high school.

Both of them are eager to visit the class and see democracy lessons in action. I told them we were headed into some lessons on child labor, the Great Depression, and the Industrial Revolution. They want come in and observe how I turn those complicated topics into project based learning opportunities that are meaningful for the students.

I’ll see you on Thursday.

Chance

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Kerry
Admin meeting at DO
To: Chance sent - Gmail 5:29 AM

Hi Chance—

I had a hard time sleeping last night.

Yesterday was my first regular Monday afternoon meeting administration meeting at the district office. It was a little surreal. I overheard someone asking why I was there. The answer I heard was appropriate, but the weird thing was that the superintendent did not mention anything about my presence. It makes me wonder if other people thought I was an interloper or an imposter who did not belong at the meeting with the big kids.

I wonder if the other administrators in the district will think that a teacher-powered school is a crazy idea or if they will think it would be great to have everyone working together and making collaborative decisions.

I know that changing the leadership structure of the school will be quite a bit of work. Every time I was awake in the night, I wondered if I am up to the task of leading the effort. Then, I would remember that all of the teachers are committed to making this work.

The added responsibility is a bit daunting. I certainly see why more traditional leadership structures survive in schools. People who complain that teachers are stuck and committed to the status quo don’t understand exactly how much emotional energy is required to interact with students and parents and peers each and every day.

I hope that adding the responsibility of budgets, buildings, policy, schedules, hiring and retaining staff, peer evaluations, and professional development to everything we already do is not a fool’s errand.

I have my first meeting today with parents who do not have a child in my classroom. They want to know how we are teaching concepts about race to their students.

I plan to take our social studies textbook to the meeting, but I have a feeling they are going to want to know more than I can answer today.

I am so happy that I had my first meeting with Rosemary, your principal. Did I tell you that she has agreed to be a mentor for me? She gave me excellent ideas about meetings with angry parents.

I am not planning to take any sharp pencils to the parent meeting……but maybe I should.

Kerry

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Chance
re: Admin meeting at DO
To: Kerry sent - Gmail at 8:30 AM

Hi Kerry—

Good luck at your meeting today. I hope you won’t need sharp pencils.

Chance