Carole Smith fails to bring out the best in Madison teachers

"Creating opportunities for teachers to work together, to teach in teams, to share in professional development, and to be more involved in educational decision making are ways to bring out the best in teachers."

                            Ronald Wolk, founder and former editor of Education Week

The quote is from a Wolk article taking issue with the "five faulty assumptions" underlying the school accountability movement which began over 25 years ago with the publication of A Nation at Risk.  One of the assumptions Wolk takes aim at is the belief that putting a "highly qualified teacher in every classroom" will assure educational excellence.

Wolk says that's impossible.  What he suggests instead is what I have long advocated --teacher empowerment.

Portland superintendent Carole Smith apparently hasn't gotten that message.  Her decision to freeze out teacher input at Madsion High School into one of the most crucial decisions affecting a school, the appointment of a new principal, is evidence that Smith has little regard for the educational expertise of the district's teachers. 

Instead of involving Madison's teachers in "educational decision making", Carole Smith has ignored them.  She appears to have gone out of her way to show them great disrespect. 

Bear in mind that the Madison faculty had earlier voiced no confidence in their former principal.  For that, Smith had the apparent ringleader of the staff insurrection, counselor David Colton, transferred to another school.  This latest episode appears to be some sort of payback for the Madison challenge to top down and arbitrary administrative decision making.

Here's the latest PPS Equity comment on the principal appointment dispute at Madison, from a Madison sophomore student:

"None of this would ever happen at a place like Lincoln or Grant. Smith never would have been able to get away with something like that. ... Never in my life have I met teachers so dedicated to helping students learn and succeed. ...  Now how our teachers weren’t included in the decision to choose a new principal I have absolutely no idea ... .

"Something needs to be done.  And it needs to be done soon."

I would suggest that what needs to be done is to sit Carole Smith down with Ronald Wolk's advice on how to get "the best" out of the district's teachers.

Comments

[howard]

Headline should read: All PPS stakeholders fail to bring out the best in their district.

Site councils were supposed to empower school building staff, students and parents to reach consensus on matters relating to their building. In PPS, there seems to be a preference tor power struggles as opposed to building consensus.

[Terry]

Sorry Howard. Ramming a new principal through at Madison without the advice and consent (or consensus, if you will) of Madison's staff is simply a power play by Carole Smith, pure and simple.

Apparently the previous principal wasn't up to the job. So what happens? She's promoted to the district office. Of course the teachers are upset and wary of what will happen next.

Smith, and Smith alone, has some explaining to do.