It all starts with the district budget. Isn't that the hot topic as of late and the root cause of all the hubbub in public education here in Wisconsin? Gradually members of our boards of education, school administrations, teachers, and our local public are morphing their mindset into a new way of thinking. Is unionized labor for our public workers coming to an end? Are we heading into an age of being able to sit down at the table to "meet and confer" with student performance as a central focus? Are we moving into an age where the school's mission, vision, and purpose are actually going to be implemented? Even with budgets straining, school districts must continue to abide by state school and employment laws. How can districts staff our public schools with quality educators with such restrictive policies? Will eliminating negotiating union contracts and rewriting laws, polices, and personnel management procedures influence K-12 education? Only time will tell, when the dust settles will all this commotion have made a difference in our student's performance?
Employment practices in education are changing and the hope is school's will eventually be a better working environment. Recruiting and selecting effective educators starts with the job description. Take a look at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's website under "jobs" and read a few job descriptions for teachers. What should be evident is the required standard for qualifications are increasingly more specific and that the bar has been raised. Identifying quality educators that possess the mutual purpose of increasing student performance is central to the hiring process. Interview questions that have morphed from meaningless questions like "if you were a fruit which one would you choose and why" to "how do you determine if a student is learning?" "what strategies have you used for students that refuse to learn?" Orientation and probation periods have become increasing longer as schools engage in extensive training for new teaching staff. Principals are increasingly communicating and working with people as they grow into their position to keep everyone on the same page. District's mission, vision, and purpose are being implemented and viewed as everyone's responsibility. District's are looking more at what contributions a new hire can bring to the organization and diversifying talent to enhance differentiation in instruction.
Today's school administrator is taking an active role in instructional leadership. Evaluating for effective teaching strategies and mentoring teachers is sustainable through discussion forums focused on communicating the district's mission, vision, and purpose. Increasingly districts are integrating technology for staff development and supervision as a process of providing the support needed to continuously improve their work force. Our school's culture are becoming one of recognizing and celebrating student achievement. When a staff member demonstrates an unclear understanding of the districts mission, vision, and purpose, swift corrections are made with principals knowledgeable of a clear process for training. Even
resignation and retirement procedures are undergoing change.
Human relations is the name of the game in human resource management. Principals and teachers working in isolation behind closed doors is antiquated. The work of educators is finally being seen as social in nature. Management has evolved in recent years and continues to morph into an organizational behavior movement. District's are held responsible for justice and fairness. Discrimination and harassment policies are guiding administrators in the treatment of employees with dignity and respect. Present day human resource management theories have shifted dramatically from historical models of fear, secrecy, and instability. Job responsibilities now include cultural awareness, staff and student wellness programs, and conflict resolution education. We've come a long way baby.
