School Leadership - 10/11/00
Film: "Lean on Me" -
not "Stand by Me" J
In viewing today's film, consider the following issues and questions:
- What are the leadership traits portrayed in the film?
- How does Clark interact with others in his organization? Think about similarities and differences in interactions with teachers and students, for example.
- How do you think students, teachers, and parents perceive Clark as a leader? As a person? Does the latter matter? If so, why?
- What methods does Clark use to influence change in the school?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of his methods?
- In influencing change in his school, whom does Clark help, or what problems does he solve? Who does he not help, or what problems does he not solve? What problems might he help create within his school and outside of his school?
- Overall, how effective would you say that Clark was in solving his school's problems? How would you rate him as a leader? Why?
After
the film (for Monday's class):
Consider the chapter on organizational leadership, power, and politics.
- What leadership characteristics does Clark display?
- In your opinion, which definition of leadership from those described on pg. 152 best describes Clark?
- How would you describe Clark under the Trait, Behavior, and Situational models of leadership?
- In the chapter, the authors discuss the issue of "charisma" and leadership. How is Clark a charismatic leader? What are some of the reasons why his "charisma" might have been effective in his particular school? In what ways does Clark NOT represent a charismatic leader?
- What type(s) of power does Clark does Clark hold, and how does he communicate/enforce this power in his school? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the way he uses his power?
- How would you describe Clark in terms of the way he addresses issues of gender and diversity in the way he oversees his school setting?
Consider the Ingersoll article on teacher decision making.
What questions does the author seek to answer?
How is teacher influence and autonomy related to school climate?
How do the findings and conclusions from this research relate to the interactions between faculty and principal in "Lean on Me"?
In what ways did teachers have influence on school functioning in the film? In what ways did they not have control? How did this control or lack of control contribute to solving the problems that existed in the school?
Finally, consider the Griffith article on school leadership and school climate.
How would you evaluate Clark in terms of the traits that Griffith asserts as those of effective principals?
What characteristics of the school setting itself, as well as the context surrounding the school, does Griffith discuss as contributing to the effectiveness of a school's leader? How do these characteristics play a role in Clark's school?
What are the implications of having leadership (principal) change in a school? Given what you have read in the previous two readings, in what ways might this change affect teachers and students?
What types of schools are more likely to have changes in leadership?
How does this reading influence the way that you might receive or interpret Vice-President Gore's proposal to close and re-open schools under new leadership? What factors would have to be addressed in making such change?