CaseyGeyer

EDL647
KennyRichards
March23,2016

Introduction
Thepurposeofthisprojectwastoidentifyadisenfranchisedsubgroupwithinan
organization.Identifyingdisenfranchisedgroupswithinmycurrentschooldistrictwasnota
difficulttask.Havingworkedinasmallschoolforthelastfouryears,withrelativelystable
staffingitiseasytoidentifyparents,students,staffandotherstakeholdersthatfeeltheyare
outsiders.Iwasapprehensivewhenselectingoneofthesegroupstospeakwith.Workingin
suchasmallschoolwithnewleadership,ofwhichIamapartof,Ifeltuncomfortabletakingon
thischallenge.Beingapartoftheleadershipteamoncampushasputmeinauniquesituation.
IamawareofchangesthatwillbeimplementednextyearandIanticipatethesechanges,while
necessaryforourschool'sfuturesuccess,willbemetwithsomeresistance.Workingwithsome
oftheseresistancegroupsthisyear,willputmeatadisadvantageinthefollowingyear.Forthis
project,Iwouldhavelistentotheirconcernsandissues,attempttofindresolutionsthatIwill
notbeabletoimplementandthus,eitherbeperceivedasuselessorindifferentnextyear
becauseofthethealreadyplannedchanges.IfIweretotakeonthisprojectwithoutmy
administratorsparticipationIwouldbeconcernedthatmyinvolvementspeakingwithanyofthe
identifieddisenfranchisedgroupswouldbeperceivedasstirringthepotbyourschool'snew
administration.AfterreviewingbothofthesepossibleoutcomesIdecidedtofocusonone
personcurrentlyonstaff,whoisalsoapartoftheleadershipteam,thoughhasexpressedthat
theysometimesfeelexcludedorpassedover.ThissolutionIfelthadthemostpositiveoutcome
forallparticipants.
Methods

Whenresearchingmyselecteddisenfranchisedstaffmember,PattyIusedfirstperson
interviewsandobservationstolearnwhyshefeltleftoutandexcludedfromtheleadership
team.ExamplesofquestionsaskedduringinterviewswithPattywere:

WhatisthetitleandresponsibilitiesofyourcurrentAdministrativeposition?

Howhasthenewadministrationaffectedyourattitudetowardsyouradministrative
position?

Whatspecificeventshavehappenedthathavemadeyoufeelseparatefromthe
AdministrativeTeam?

Whatdoyouthinkcanbedonetocreateamorecohesiveandinclusiveteam?

ThroughoutmultipleinterviewsPattyexplainedthatwhileshewasfeltsheisidentifiedaspartof
theleadershipteambycurrentAdministration,jobsandexpectationsassignedhavetrivial,a
misuseofherskillsandnotinlinewithherjobdescription.
Attheendofthe201415schoolyear,PattingwasgiventhetitleofAssistantPrincipalof
CurriculumandTechnology.Shefeltconfidentandexcitedtoleadinthiscapacityatherschool.
Inthispositionshewouldmentornewteachers,leadcurriculumselectionandtakeon
technologytrainingandproblemsolvingforthedistrict.Uponenteringthe201516schoolyear
therewasaturnoverinAdministration.TheexpectationwasthenewAdministrationwouldbe
parttime,butuponenteringthe201516schoolyearitwasannouncedthenewAdministration
wouldbefulltime.
SincethebeginningoftheyearPattyhasfeltthatshehasbeenremovedfrom
meaningfulleadershipresponsibilities.Insteadshehasbeenputinapositionofmonitoring
studentsandparentgroups.Pattyhasalsoexpressedthatthoughshedoesfeellikea
recognizedmemberoftheschooladministrativeleadershipteam,itisintitleonly.Thisyear
duringAdministrativeLeadershipTeammeeting,Pattyfeelsthatheropinionandsuggestions
havebeendismissedimmediately.
Pattyleadershiprollswereevaluatedbynewadministrationandreassigned.Oneof
Patti'snewrolesistheschoolrepresentativeforour8thgradetrip.Pattywastoldthather

responsibilitiesweretoincludeleadingparentmeetings,organizeandmonitortheeffectiveness
offundraisingactivities.Whileworkinginthatareofherleadership,Pattyapproached
Administrationwithconcernregardingtheamountofparentcommitmentandtheeffectiveness
ofafundraisingproject.AdministrationagreedwithPattythatthefundraiserdidnothavethe
commitmentandfollowthroughfromparentsandthatitshouldbediscontinued.Patty
communicatedthistothe8thgradeparents.The8thgradeparentsinresponsewentdirectlyto
Administrationandexpressedtheirangerinthedecisionthatwasmade.Administrationinthe
endbackedtheparentsandthefundraiserwasputbackinplace.Pattywasnotincludedaspart
oftheparentAdministrationthisdecisionmakingprocess.AsaresultofthemeetingPattywas
toldthatherrolewouldbetotakenotesatthe8thgrademeetingsandensuretherewouldbe
noconflictsofwhenplanningevents.Pattywasdisheartenedathowthesituationwashandled
andfeltconfirmationthatshewaspartoftheAdministrativeTeaminnameonly.
WhileworkingaspartoftheAdministrativeTeamIhaveobservedinmultiplemeetings
wherePattyssuggestionsbeingsimplydismissedbyAdministration.Therehavealsobeen
timeswhenasapartoftheAdministrativeTeamIhavefeltthatmyopinionsdonotmatter,
muchlikePatty,andwhileourthoughtsareheardthedecisionhasalreadybeenandsimply
dictatedtous.ThoughthisIhavenoticedonlyhappenswhenthesubjectmatterisdirectly
linkedtostudentlearning,staffingdecisions,fiscalallocationorbasicschooloperations.Other
trivialissuesofproblemsseemtohandeddowntoPatty.
ThislackofinvolvementincoredecisionmakingandproblemsolvinghasleftPatty
feelingostracizedfromtheleadershipteam.ThisdisenfranchisedfeelinghasreducedPattys
desiretocontinueontheAdministrativeLeadershipTeam.
Results
WhilereviewingpossiblesolutionstohelpPattyfeelmoreofakeycomponentofthe
AdministrativeLeadershipTeamIfeltthatmyhandsweretied.Thefactthatcurrent
AdministrationhadnothingtodowithPattysjobassignmentasAssistantPrincipalplacedmein
adifficultposition.Throughinterviewsanddirectobservationsitseemsthatcurrent

AdministrationdoesnotwantorneedanAssistantPrincipal.Thequestionthenbecomesif
administrationdoesn'twantaleadershipteam,howdoyoumakesomeonelikePattyfeelmore
apartoftheleadershipteam.WorkingwithcurrentAdministrationPattyhastriedtovolunteer
helpandtimebutshehasandcontinuestobepolitelyrefused.AtthispointIhavetakenonthe
responsibilitiesofpullingPattyinandmakingherfeelmoreapartofateam.
PattyhasbeeninvolvedinleadingdifferentprojectsoncampussuchasNationalHistory
Day,DistrictSpellingBeeandorganizingschoolwidetestingschedule.Ihavebeenworkingwith
Pattytohelporganizetheseeventsandprovidesupportforher.Pattyhasexpressedthatsheis
verythankfulformyhelpandsupport.Pattyhasstatedthathavingsomeonetoworkwithhas
relivedalargeamountofstressregardingschoolrelatedresponsibilities.
Conclusion
ThiswasachallengingyearforourAdministrativeLeadershipTeam.Ourcurrent
AdministrationinheritedanAdministrativeLeadershipTeamthattheyhadnopartincreating.
Thiscreatedanenvironmentwheresomemembersbegantofeeldisenfranchised.Solvingthis
problemhasbeendifficultattimes,butnotimpossible.Throughworkingwiththisspecific
disenfranchisedstaffmemberIhavebeenabletomakethemfeelsupportedandmoreapartof
ateamthanbefore.
WhenaddressingourcurrentAdministrativeattitudetowardsPattysinvolvementinthe
AdministrativeLeadershipTeamthereisnotmuchthatcanbedonetopromptchange.Pattys
jobasAssistantPrincipalnotbeenrenewedforthe201617schoolyear.Whenthisschoolyear
endstheAdministrativeLeadershipTeamwillnolongerbeinplace,whichmayfixanyfeelings
ofexclusion.Therewillbenotgrouporteamtobeleftoutof.Hopefulynextyear,ifcurrent
administrationcreatestheirownteammemberswillfeelwantedandvalued.