 
Week 4 - Local School Management
|  | 'Bounds' 'Leaps' and 'Tailoring': Crucial Elements of Local School Management |
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DR E. JACQUELINE McGILP
Victoria, Australia
DR E. JACQUELINE McGILP
Victoria, Australia
WHAT'S WORTHfighting for out there? (Hargreaves and Fullan, 1998) explores the challenge to schools of dealing with immense complexity in a changing world.
Hargreaves and Fullan (1998) suggest that schools will need to involve the community in broader and deeper ways if they are to survive the relentless and often contradictory pressures of today's complex environment. They suggest that schools will need to develop partnerships. These relationships with many groups need to address the sharing of common and complementary skills and interests for mutual benefit, but ultimately for the improved learning outcomes for students.
Crucial Elements of Local School Management
In this text some of the complexities which local school management might face are addressed within creating 'bounds', taking 'leaps' and appropriating 'tailoring', which are argued to be crucial elements of local school management today and for the future. Aspects of partnerships are incorporated within the discussion of the elements. The partnership dimensions, as described, may not be seen as new means of operating.
However, they are emphasised as crucial to local school management and are regarded as sources of hope and inspiration; seen as part of the increasing stewardship ethic (Slaughter, 1996:18), where people identify with a wider, school community in working for 'the greater good', through service to students.
In considering local school management from the perspective of creating 'bounds', one might suggest that, by definition, 'bounds' are:
- ideals for which a school strives;
- the value system which enhances relationships and learning;
- opportunities for learning within and beyond a school; and,
- one's own and others influence on learning.
Each is a perspective that has to be managed in the local school but has implications for students' learning and recognition of the wider community contribution.
The taking 'leaps' for local school management can involve:
- the establishment of a dynamic community;
- provision of a well-resourced, updated school;
- overhaul of curriculum for relevance;
- monitoring the school's achievements for community acceptance.
All these are argued to have an influence on students' development.
The 'bounds' and 'leaps' are supported, or indeed, subject to 'tailoring', by:
- citizens' perceptions of the school's profile in the wider community;
- accountability to internal and external groups;
- reviews and evaluation completed by the school or other authorities;
- a school's ability to listen, reflect and act appropriately; and,
- acceptance of change.
The 'bounds', 'leaps' and 'tailoring' are the foci within which challenges are presented to local school management. 'Bounds', 'leaps' and 'tailoring' can be seen as leaven from which schools gain their impetus for development. The three elements can be managed for success, providing schools believe in themselves and there is acceptance of change for growth. However, when local school management is addressing 'bounds', 'leaps' and 'tailoring', students' learning and teachers' development must be to the fore.
What is at the Heart of School Management?
What is it that is at the heart of school management? It should be the ideals for which a school strives. One would argue that upholding certain ideals and values can be means of inspiration and challenge and can ultimately lead to better learning experiences for all. The ideals within the local school are often spelt out in value terms - honesty and respect are but two examples.
Complexity enters the equation for value promotion when students see things differently or are mentored directly, or otherwise, by others in their lives' paths. Acquaintances and other groups may uphold a different value base than that projected by a school. Theirs might even be more challenging and demanding. The issue then becomes one of dialoguing with partners for understanding and support for the school's promotion of values to assist the students. While this can sound easy, the challenge is to work within values that create not a marketplace mentality, but rather, contribute to solidarity, participation and the building of self-esteem for individual students.
Any dialogue can bring conflicting views to light and involve much deliberation for resolution ' ... we never see from our lofty perch' ... yet 'often those who resist have something important to tell us' (Robbins, 1997:8) is worth keeping in mind when working for relationships built on trust and sensitivity.
Values penetrate why a school exists, add clarity to purpose, and influence the setting of directions for learning that hopefully is enjoyable and/or challenging for students. An example of handling the complexity of the learning issue is for local school management, successfully and sensitively, to promote the value of learning when some of the parents of the students are struggling with unemployment. The reality of unemployment can place pressure on students to succeed unrealistically, or in contrast, a question raised by students whose parents are unemployed might be: 'What is the value of learning?' Local school management often cannot address such concerns without the support of partners. Their support for a value system, which enhances relationships and learning, is essential.
Consideration of opportunities for learning within and beyond the bounds is important. Opportunities within the bounds can be described as those offered directly by a school. The opportunities outside the bounds are those beyond the school, which students engage in but which are not directly under the jurisdiction of the schools. They could be offered by other groups, for example, family, church groups and sports clubs. A challenge for local school management is to decipher what learning opportunities are worthwhile, to avoid competing with other learning sources and providers, and to ensure that learning is at the heart of school experience. It is important to reflect on the quality of learning at school being equal to, or better than that provided by other means.
The concept of 'learned helplessness' (Brewer, 1995:111) is an important factor here. It is clearly related to one's own and others influence on learning and setting the bounds for education. Lack of opportunity to engage in meaningful learning in the school can influence attitudes to learning and students' self-esteem, so too, can lack of opportunities beyond the school. This raises concern for equity. Local school management must ensure that meaningful learning experiences are provided. They are often partly a consequence of local school management's selection of staff, provision of funds and worthwhile partnership agreements.
'Leaps' Can Promote 'Bounds'
The 'leaps' promote the 'bounds' when the school community is operating as a dynamic community. Local school management is involved in 'leaps' for creating and recreating the scene. The 'leaps', ultimately, are connected to the 'bounds' and can mean aiming for a well-resourced, updated school which, in turn, can lead to overhaul of curriculum for relevance and enhanced, advanced curriculum opportunities being provided.
However, this, in reality, can only happen with the wider community's acceptance of a local school and the provision of sufficient funding. Community acceptance can be based on citizens' perceptions of the school's profile within the wider community, or even hearsay. There are different kinds of schools, for example, those perceived as sinking, struggling, strolling, cruising or moving (Stoll and Fink, 1997:115-116). Different partners can assist these schools, however, it is also acknowledged that education can be the butt of so many action groups.
An example of the complexity faced by local school management is as follows. The profile of a school in the wider community might be controlled by changing demographics, which result in reduced numbers, hence, a viability question arises. This example can be linked with accountability to internal and external groups in regard to meeting the student-teacher ratio or providing the curriculum opportunities that are seen as important by parents today. This might be part of any review and evaluation completed by the school or other authorities from the wider community.
Any direction setting in learning opportunity, through curriculum foci and resource provision is based on a school's ability to listen to parents and the wider community, and consequently is based on an ability to reflect and act appropriately. Listening for reflection and action requires local school management to work within appropriate structures. This is a challenge, since, for example, no longer can the views of a Parents' and Friends' group and/or a School Board suffice, or be seen as representative of all interested parties.
There are more partners who are supporters of, or 'watch dogs' within, any education scene. Public debate on education results from someone's perception of many a school's efforts. Consequences of public debate on education can mean changes that local school management must implement. Public debate often emerges from 'the outer circle', for example, educational authorities and employment agencies. They particularly influence local school management when identifying competencies for work and the preparedness of students for citizenship. Legal implications are a bound of local school management when considering accountability to any group. However, the ideal is that all groups will think 'insightfully about complex issues' for innovative, co-ordinated action, thus 'commonality of direction arises' and 'individual energies harmonise' (Senge, 1992:236) to the extent of showing acceptance of change.
Sketching the 'bounds', 'leaps' and 'tailoring' has so far centred on some issues highlighting the complexity which local management faces in running a local school and presenting a vision for the future. Adding to the complexity is to acknowledge two important groups, main stakeholders - students and teachers - 'the inner circle'. In any accountability, the complexity and expectations of local school management must always be tailored to the student's learning. Administration, while monitoring the community expectations, must ensure administration contributes to better opportunities, smoother delivery and sufficient funds allocation for participation in learning. Contributing to local school management's centredness on students' learning is teachers' professionalism.
Students' learning is dependent on the 'bounds', 'leaps' and 'tailoring'. The following principles must be kept to the fore in local school management for students' learning:
- the context presents the invitational element for learning;
the experiences set the bounds for focused learning, risk taking and future possibilities;
- learning is experiential and participatory (Hicks, 1999:3);
- learning contributes to changing self and changing society (Hicks, 1999:3);
- learning is part of the journey of life, where appreciation of efforts,
- acknowledgment of attempts and contributions to engagement, with and for others, are highlighted; and,
- learning experiences of students are seen within the bounds of lifelong learning and there is an anticipation of personal fulfillment and a sense of, 'what next?'
These alone demonstrate the complexity involved in the management of students' learning.
'Desperate for Lifelines of Hope'
To use the term 'management of students' learning' means arrangement for learning possibilities and provision of resources and facilities. However, the most important resource is teachers. They mould relationships between students and learning. Fullan (1995:10) states that 'teachers are desperate for lifelines of hope'. 'Leaders have to have, and display, hope' (Fullan, 1995:10). These two points can be addressed when there is acknowledgment of the wealth of schools, the teachers. It is therefore imperative that local school management implements the following principles:
- acknowledges teachers as a valuable resource;
- knows the learning patterns of students and teachers;
- provides adequate opportunity for professional development rather than 'just in time learning' (Lepani, 1996:5);
- encourages purposeful, multi-skilling;
- creates opportunities for sharing of expertise; and,
- acknowledges personal initiative for learning through some reward scheme.
It is not an easy task for local school management to keep the learning paradigm to the fore when so many demands call for attention. However, prioritising for learning opportunities is crucial. Perhaps the learning paradigm can only have its rightful position if local school management takes time to reflect on what is happening. It is not sufficient to engage in school reviews and outside audits - both of which have a necessary place in education - but also, the voices of students and teachers must be heard. Students and teachers are at the coalface of learning experiences. To listen to them is not to deny that viewpoints might need local, national and international perspectives of partners to be presented, but if there is not satisfaction and excitement for students and teachers in learning, then local school management needs to question: 'why?' An answer has to be found within the 'bounds', 'leaps' and/or 'tailoring', so that learning has its rightful place in the local school.
In conclusion, in times of change, many challenges for local school management abound. Since students' learning is the core business of a school, and schooling is a service to the community, there are many other parties in support, or criticism, of a school's efforts. It is therefore important that local school management justifies creating 'bounds' and taking 'leaps'. Justification will be clarified by reflection which results in appropriate 'tailoring'.
Working with the three dimensions of local school management - 'bounds', 'leaps' and 'tailoring' - calls for different partnerships to be established. It is importance for local school management not to fall into the 'zone of indifference' in considering partnerships, but rather, to put others views to the test of relevance, the test of expertise and the test of jurisdiction (Owens, 1998:277). In this rapidly changing society, with an explosion of knowledge and also persistent and different social challenges, the help of others needs to be appreciated.
In reply to: 'What's worth fighting for out there?' (Hargreaves and Fullan, 1998) an answer in the immediate term is local school management, in genuine partnership, for enhancing students' learning.
'Schools put themselves in the driver's seat when they invest in . . . collaborate cultures that focus on student learning and associated improvements in instructional practices . . .' collaborative cultures support, but they also elevate expectations' (Fullan, 1998:9).
However, local school management does not have to respond to the pressure of meeting all the challenges presented by other partners influencing students' development, but is compelled to be accountable for creating 'bounds', taking 'leaps' and appropriating 'tailoring' for a school.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr E. Jacqueline McGilp IBVM (TPTC, BA., B.Ed., Dip Ed. Admin., Grad. Dip. Bus. and Admin., M.Ed., Ph.D.) is a senior academic, School of Educational Leadership, Australian Catholic University, Aquinas Campus, Ballarat, Victoria.
She has taught in primary, secondary, tertiary in state, Catholic and independent systems in Australia, holding principalships in the Catholic system. Dr McGilp has had overseas teaching experience in Britain, Hong Kong, New Zealand, United States and South Africa, as well as educational community experience in the Philippines and Mauritius. She is currently National Co-ordinator of Educational Doctorate Program (ACU); State Co-ordinator Educare 2000 (Vic); and Aquinas Campus Adviser - Graduate Studies in Education.
Dr McGilp's areas of interest include leadership, quality learning, organisational change, communication and technology; parental involvement and community education; supervision of projects from graduate diploma level to Ph.D.
Jacqueline McGilp can be contacted by email at:
j.mcgilp@aquinas.acu.edu.au
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