Dominique Williams

EDUC 5392
June 14, 2020

Sally’s Socialization

Sally’s scenario happens in schools around the country way too often and it is a huge

indicator of the lack of student success on a campus. New teachers are usually eager and full of

witty ideas that challenge the normal of a school in the best way possible if handled correctly.

The scenario presented several issues including a misaligned school culture. The norms and rules

for socialization will not be found on the district website or posted in the teachers’ lounge but

discovered when someone dares to challenge to norm. Sally was the labeled as the rebel and

almost because she refused to fit in the with everyone. The campus retention rate increased over

a short span of time and no action to discover why and possible interventions to support the

students.

The principal demonstrated on more than one occasion that she was focused maintaining

relationships with the teachers and not student success. I believe leaders should build and

maintain relationships with their staff, but it should not be at the expense of the students. She

never sought to investigate Sally’s concern, find a solution, or attend a grade level meeting to

discuss the topic. Her actions undoubtedly displayed that of a transactional leader, this is evident

by the lack of effort put forth to support Sally’s valid concerns and becoming upset after she

spoke to the superintendent. I don’t believe it was appropriate for her to attempt to intimidate

Sally and instruct her to be more of a team player. In my opinion, filing a grievance with the

Human Resource department would be appropriate because sounds like it could possibly become

a hostile environment, or she might be retaliated against. I’ve experienced leaders similar to this

principal and it makes me wonder how and why they were ever hired.
Dominique Williams
EDUC 5392
June 14, 2020

Sally’s grade level team seemed to be more of a dictatorship and not a democracy.

Mrs.Quigly is the experienced teacher that is not challenged by her team or the principal. She

automatically dismissed Sally’s valid point due to her lack of experience and her inability to be a

team player. The other teachers had objections to this retention matter, but they were afraid to

speak up or preferred not to deal with the hassle and all of the backlash that comes with it. I

believe the grade level team could have been more receptive to Sally’s ideas and created a

culture of collaboration on their team. Collaboration has so many benefits when it is done

properly because each person is able to bring their unique knowledge, personality and strengths

to the table and it will yield great results.

Being a school leader is not an easy task but with the right strategy and team, it can be

done successfully. One of my core values is improvement, so I am always exploring ways to

become better in my personal and professional life. It think is very important to have likeminded

people who are also committed to constantly changing to better meet the needs of the staff and

students. This scenario represented stagnation at its finest, which was counterproductive for all

parties involved especially the students. If I were the principal, I would be addressing the

increased retention rates and creating an action plan to decrease the number. The action plan

would include assessing the criteria that is being used to retain students. The criteria actually

could’ve been used to create an intervention plan for the student were struggling. I would also

conduct walk throughs to observe the instructional practices of the teachers that might be

contributing to the student’s lack of success. Lastly, I would strategically focus my efforts on

developing new teachers because without the proper support from leadership or colleagues they
Dominique Williams
EDUC 5392
June 14, 2020

tend to lose interest in teaching all together. I’ve been able to see the benefits when a new

teacher is coached and mentored properly, and the results were fantastic.