Chef Dave
09-09-2009, 04:57 PM
CNN has posted an article about a teacher run school in Colorado. This school was founded on several interesting premises.
The concept is not unique. I've heard of this done in some of the smaller American schools located abroad that lacked the budget to hire a building administration. The basic premise is:
1) Traditional school organization hasn't changed in 150 years.
2) Administrators aren't needed unless you're in a really large school. Teacher leaders can take the place of traditional administrators, fulfilling administrative responsibilities while "keeping their feet wet" as actual teachers. In contrast, how many administrators in this country have lost touch with what it's like to actually be a classroom teacher? I've worked with building administrators who have had totally unrealistic expectations as to what teachers do. This loss of connection has resulted in unrealistic expectations, poor support, and even worse faculty morale.
3) Teachers need to be flexible. Instead of following a curriculum with instructional objectives that are sequenced by a district, shouldn't teachers have the flexibility to sequence state mandated objectives in any way they choose? Teachers are the people in the classroom ... not members of the school board, not the superintendent, and not building administrators. Who knows their students better than teachers? Why not allow teachers the flexibility to teach as needed providing they follow the state standards?
The CNN article may be found at:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/09/08/education.overview/index.html
The concept is not unique. I've heard of this done in some of the smaller American schools located abroad that lacked the budget to hire a building administration. The basic premise is:
1) Traditional school organization hasn't changed in 150 years.
2) Administrators aren't needed unless you're in a really large school. Teacher leaders can take the place of traditional administrators, fulfilling administrative responsibilities while "keeping their feet wet" as actual teachers. In contrast, how many administrators in this country have lost touch with what it's like to actually be a classroom teacher? I've worked with building administrators who have had totally unrealistic expectations as to what teachers do. This loss of connection has resulted in unrealistic expectations, poor support, and even worse faculty morale.
3) Teachers need to be flexible. Instead of following a curriculum with instructional objectives that are sequenced by a district, shouldn't teachers have the flexibility to sequence state mandated objectives in any way they choose? Teachers are the people in the classroom ... not members of the school board, not the superintendent, and not building administrators. Who knows their students better than teachers? Why not allow teachers the flexibility to teach as needed providing they follow the state standards?
The CNN article may be found at:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/09/08/education.overview/index.html