Comments on: Hard Times at Douglass High – A Review

By: n benson

n benson — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:23:29 +0000

The principal may have been soft with the students, but from what I saw she could be extremely nasty to the teachers. Did you notice how she talked to the math department teacher about the students’ grades. She was basically bitch slapping (I’m sorry- is that an offensive term? It is a pretty common one in the inner city) her into inflating grades. Her message was basically pass ‘em or else.

This is typical of inner city principals. Many of them are overly soft with the students but cruel to the teachers. These principals enable the student misbehavior and then make the teacher’s the whipping boys for the students. This is why there is such a high turnover of teachers in “these types of schools.” Oh, sorry, did I offend again by saying “these types of schools?”

By: Jon Becker

Jon Becker — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:34:53 +0000

Betsy, you raise great questions. They are questions that ed. leadership faculty wrestle with all the time. Can/should we teach relative to specific contexts or is our job to teach “leadership” more generally? I tend to lean towards the latter and would imagine that leaders can find other leaders working in similar communities with whom to network and learn professionally. The VCU program needs to change and will change. Surely we’ll involve recent graduates in that process. When that time comes, may we call on your insights?

By: Betsy

Betsy — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:20:13 +0000

I just watched this last night (gotta love COMCAST ON DEMAND) and what was interesting to me as a recent graduate and newly licensed school administrator was the comment you made here about the Principal. She seemed to have been schooled in the same ideas and behaviors I have been in my program, yet she is having to apply her leadership to a world far away from the one we are prepared for leading. Kind of connects to your study about the requirements for school leadership programs. Shouldn’t there be concentration areas for school leaders to practice in poor, urban districts, Gifted schools, huge schools, and small rural ones? I realize Richmond’s Superintendent is heading to Harvard to participate in a Urban Superintendent group, but what about on-the-ground leadership actually in the schools? The lady in the film seemed nice enough, but I thought her reaction about the back to school night was straight out of School Community Relations class. She needed to get real, and that community needed to hear it. Other than that, watching that film reminds me that improving schools has to start with improving lives. What purpose does technology have in a school like that? I wonder, if that English teacher had an online community of other inner city English teachers, would he have left mid-year? What about that poor Principal (who drove an Escalade)? What could have helped her here?

…all just rambling thoughts of a summer insomniac. Happy 4th.

By: Marshall

Marshall — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:13:45 +0000

Jon

Having not seen the film, I will take your word for the characteristics of the principal. My question is, however, if the school selected her for the position, what right do we have to determine what she “should” be doing. Maybe (for that poking and prodding effect) she was selected following a very inspirational leader that ventured 30 different directions in search of learning but in doing so got nothing accomplished and the school is rebounding with a solid no-nonsense approach to the bottom line. In my experience it is clear that any hiring is immensely impacted by the weaknesses of the “outgoing” individual. This is true for the times I’ve been hired (strong with student relations and weak with curriculum organization) and when I am hiring (inspirational teacher following a methodical blah). Your point is well taken and appreciated, but it got me to thinking if the principal is doing what was laid out to her when hired. The next question (if that is affirmed) is whether that aspect is what is still necessary.

By: Phil

Phil — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:54:00 +0000

Jon,

I worked in a school much like that and whenever our enthusiasm would wane or the despair would become too much we would rerun the first few minutes of Primary Colors. NO CERTIFICATES FOR OUR KIDS was the battle cry. I absolutely get the link between NCLB and Douglass High. Web 2.0 is about finding a way to engage those kids with the tools we are now gaining and finding. I look forward to someone out there picking up the gauntlet. Great tweets today.