Case Study 3: Redesigning and Remodeling the Structure
Standard 3: Educational leaders have the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by implanting a continuous organizational improvement approach to developing and managing the organization, operations, and resources as prescribed in
(3.1) Manage the organization by effectively and efficiently analyzing and organizing resources, processes and systems to support teaching and learning and organizational effectiveness.
(3.2) Manage operations within the structure of
(3.3) Analyze and organize resources, processes and systems to support teaching, learning, and organizational effectiveness.
(3.4) Create, implement and monitor a budget based on
(3.5) Provide and maintain facilities that support teaching and learning.
(3.6) Recruit, hire and retain qualified personnel to support teaching, learning, and organizational effectiveness, and to dismiss those who have demonstrated unsatisfactory performance.
Questions: How does this educational leader support teaching and learning while the school building is under construction? What does the educational leader do specifically to ensure that the facilities are maintained to a level that fosters academic achievement?
CASE STUDY:
The principal (Ms. K) in this case study is the leader of a suburban middle school with a population of approximately 630 students and a staff of about 65 with 65% of the students being on free or reduced lunch. Students are culturally diverse with about 50% being Hispanic, 30% being African –American, 17% Anglo, and 3% Asian. Within the school students make up other subgroups almost equally: 25% English Language Learners, 20% Talented and Gifted, and 20% Students with Disabilities.
At the beginning of summer 2008, this leader’s school began a process of remodeling and renovation that would last throughout the next school year with a planned completion date of fall 2009. The building was once a former high school and has been a middle school for twenty four years without any major renovations until now. The renovation was fully funded with SPLOST III money with the result of a state of the art building, with a new wing for administrative offices, music departments, media center, and additional classrooms. In addition, the entire existing building has been renovated and includes a larger cafeteria, an extended courtyard, and a new theater. The gym was set to be updated with new sound system, new ceiling, new floor, and new lighting. The renovation of the building includes new windows, lighting, flooring, doors, and a complete upgrade of the electrical system.
This was no small building and maintenance facilities project. This renovation was a major undertaking not only for the construction workers but for the teachers, students, parents, and administration of the school. Understanding her job as the leader during this project, Ms. K quickly worked to get the mind set ready for the community with the slogan “Building Our Future”. In this one small act, Ms. K wanted to ensure to all stakeholders that though this project might be hard and difficult at time, the end result would be a better place for student’s to learn and grow.
Over the past year, most teachers had to move their classrooms at least twice and some had to move three times. All Fine Arts classes, all 6th graders, and all 8th graders also had to be relocated at the end of the first semester to new classrooms. Some went to a newer part of the building and some relocated to portables away from the building. As the construction continued and roofs and walls were removed and replaced, the potential for flooding increased. After each rain this past school year, at least one if not six classrooms would be flooded. Construction noise, drilling and hammering, became a common everyday occurrence throughout the building. When students and staff returned after Spring Break, the entire ceiling in the older part of the building had been removed and the kitchen was closed with meals having to be trucked in each day.
However, throughout all of these issues, Ms. K maintained a calm focus with a resolve that “as long as we think safety first” and “keep doing what’s right for kids” then everything else would work out. At each stage of the construction, Ms. K was able to work with multiple teams of people to ensure that resources and systems continued to “support teaching, learning, and effectiveness.” She communicated clearly and speedily when needed, always keeping anxiety low by her open, honest, and transparent relaying of information. When situations arose, such as flooding, she would step in and help by mopping or bucketing the water out of classrooms in order to maintain as much as possible the facilities so that student learning was impacted as little as possible. Throughout the entire process, Ms. K maintained the ideology that this was “building our future” physically and inquired constantly as to what the educators were doing to “build our future” academically. With this philosophy constantly in mind, the school, despite the enormous challenges, made AYP this year with close to 90% of the students making a Level 2 in reading.
In looking at the questions of this case study, it is clear that everything this leader did throughout this process was in an effort to focus teachers on teaching and students on learning. From the motto, to her way of lowering anxiety through open communication Ms. K’s continued refocus on education is evident in the CRCT test scores. Likewise, this leader has employed and retained faculty and staff who are dedicated to ensuring students learn at high levels regardless of situations which surround them. Ms. K was not afraid to mop or sweep when needed to help maintain the facilities.
Leadership Level: Accomplished
In regards to this standard, Ms. K. would be considered to be at an accomplished level for her multiple ways she demonstrated each element of the standard through focusing on the students and organizing the systems of the school in such a way as to limit the negative impact such a huge construction project had on students.
