Socio-Political Context Platform

Jacob Tucker

Lynch (2014) defines socio-political context as “contemporary ideologies, regulations,

policies, conditions, laws, practices, and events that define American’s education” (pg. 1). As an

administrator it is my responsibility to understand the socio-political context in order to meet

the needs of all stakeholders, specifically students. It is my belief that schools are more likely to

succeed when all stakeholders are working together harmoniously within the socio-political

context.

Murphy (2017) explains that children tend to do better academically when parents are

involved with their children’s education within the home and when community involvement is

associated with improved culture in the school. Deal and Petersen (2016) also explain a

relationship between student success and school staff collaboration. “Successful schools

distribute the responsibility of articulating the philosophical principles that embody what the

school stands for throughout the entire staff” (Deal & Petersen, 2016, p. 206). All stakeholders

play a vital role in the success of students. This includes (but is not limited to) administration,

staff, parents, community, and government. It’s when these stakeholders are not in agreement

that the real work begins.

As good example of this is the teacher day of action happening on May 8th. Oregon

teachers are preparing to walkout on May 8th due to chronic underfunding in the state of

Oregon, which has led to large class sizes and a lack of mental health specialist among other

things. Even with the potential passing of the Student Success Act, which would add an

additional $2 billion in funding toward education, school districts are still forced to cut

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positions. Teachers, parents, and community members plan to protest on May 8 th in order to

prove to the legislature that proper funding for education is a priority.

When the ideas of stake holders don’t align, such as the May 8th walkout, the role of the

administrator is to make decisions based on the best interests of the students. Terrence & Deal

(2016) explain that school leaders need to sometimes fulfill the roles of visionaries, potters,

poets, and healers. All of these roles help navigate stakeholders within the socio-political

context. They explain that administrators as visionaries, “continually find ways to communicate

communal hopes and wishes, capturing the essence of the school’s mission and purpose” (p.

202). They explain that administrators as potters shape the culture of their school in a variety of

ways. They explain that administrators as poets have the skill to communicate with stake

holders using expressive languages and images invoked from the heart and soul to convey

powerful sentiments. Finally, they explain that administrators as healers help schools and

stakeholders navigate hardships and changes, especially ones that cause the existing cultural

fabric to fray.

My promise as an administrator is to be aware of the socio-political context so that I can

align the ideas and visions of all stakeholders involved as best as possible. And when those

ideas don’t align, I promise to always put the needs and success of all students first.

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 References

Daresh, J. & Alexander, L. (2016). Beginning the principalship: A practical guide for new school leaders.

4th edition, Corwin Press. ISBN: 9781483380117.

Deal, T.E & Petersen, K.D. (2016), Shaping school culture. 3rd edition, San Francisco, California. Josey

Bass. ISBN:9781119210191.

Murphy, J. (2017). Professional standards for educational leaders. Corwin Publishing Company.

Lynch, M. (2014). Education Leadership. Deciphering the sociopolitical context of school reform.

https://www.theedadvocate.org/deciphering-the-sociopolitical-context-of-school-reform/

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