Reflections: Then and Now
Submitted by Frank Murphy, Oct. 7, 2010
The demands of the principalship are many. Teacher supervision, student discipline, parent interaction, community relations, facility management and instructional leadership are some of the varied responsibilities that compete for a principal’s time and attention. Although each of these tasks is different, all of them call for the ability to create meaningful and trusting relationships with people.
When I first arrived at Meade School, trust and respect, like money, were in short supply in the community. Making ends meet was a challenge for most of our families. Looking out for one’s own interests took precedence over concern for the good of the whole. I have on many an occasion heard a parent say; “I am only concerned about my own child. I don’t care about someone else’s child.”
This mindset was prevalent during most of my early days as principal of Meade. It was difficult to sell the members of my school community on the virtue and benefits of teamwork.
The time it took for me to win the trust of the various constituency groups that composed the Meade School community varied from group to group. The younger students were the first to accept me. Then again, younger children are generally accepting people. Within two years, I had formed the beginning of a strong partnership with my teaching staff. Around the third year, most of the parents had decided that I had come to stay. When we added on the middle grades to our k-four school, the older students were initially angry that they were not going to move on to the middle school. This resentment passed quickly when they realized that we were creating a school environment that respected and valued them.
Building a united and connected school culture required a long-term investment of energy and time. The high transient rate of our students often slowed the process. It wasn’t until Year Ten that the rewards of relationship and trust building started to pay off in significant ways. Serious incidents and discipline referrals declined dramatically. Student achievement greatly improved. Parents readily expressed satisfaction with the performance of the school. They had come to trust and respect the staff. The fact that so many of us chose to remain in the school for more than five years contributed to the parents belief that we truly cared about the well being of their children. They were confident that their children were well taken care of at Meade.
Getting to know the folks you work with is a time intensive and long-term process.I was the principal at Meade School for twelve and half years. Over time, I was able to develop a deep knowledge of the concerns and issues of the members of my school community. It was possible to build the kind of relationships that contributed to the creation of a healthy and robust learning community. Getting to that point required me to relentlessly plod through a myriad of situations, some of them unpleasant and hostile.
As the principal of Meade I invested the time needed to make real changes that positively impacted my school community. Nowadays, new principals, especially those assigned to turn-around schools, are expected to achieve great results in two to three years. This is such an unrealistic expectation especially in schools that historically have been neglected and disrespected. It might be possible to artificially increase test scores in two to three years. There are many tricks that can be utilized to accomplish this feat. But to truly transform a beleaguered and demoralized school community into an engaged, vibrant, and empowered community of learners takes far more time.
To believe otherwise is nothing more than a willful attempt to deny the truth.