How Will You Participate in School Reform?

The Situation

In the middle of your first year in teaching, while you are still struggling to learn how to teach well in your own classroom, the school reform movement hits you head on. Your principal has just conducted a special faculty meeting at which she informs you and your colleagues that several of the trends and developments discussed in this chapter will affect your school directly.

For one thing, state government officials have announced that your school will be designated as producing inadequate achievement and will have to meet standards set by external teams of educators who will frequently observe your classes.

Second, district officials have decided that your faculty must develop a "whole-school" reform approach (discussed later in this chapter) that involves substantial staff development designed to bring about "systemic" improvement. All faculty will have to participate.

Third, your principal has suggested that the reform effort should include a major emphasis on technology, so that all faculty can work to improve achievement. She also has decided that planning for this effort should involve research on unusually effective schools.

Thought Questions

1. Has your teacher-preparation program prepared you well to work with new technologies? Would you be willing to provide leadership in this part of your school's improvement effort?
2. Are there some topics you studied in your preparation program, such as unusually effective schools, that you wish you would have given more time to pursuing on your own?
3. To what extent can you help provide leadership in developing a comprehensive plan that will involve all faculty? To do so, do you need to learn more about what other teachers are doing?
4. Will you feel comfortable being observed frequently by "outsiders" who you think are likely to be critical in their evaluations?
5. Are you ready to try new methods and approaches while you are still coping with the basics of learning to teach? What methods and approaches might be most feasible for you?