According to Wikipedia;Synergy refers to a mutually advantageous conjunction where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. A dynamic state in which combined action is favored over the sum of individual actions.The following argument is based on my education, experience, and intellect. I will bow any to controverting fact.
The opposite of synergy is antagonism.
According to an article in the Journal; Andy Barrett has been the Principal of the tiniest school in the Albuquerque District for 12 years. He will be moving to another school in the Venegas/Everitt principal shuffle.
According to the article, no explanation was offered by the district to Barrett or his staff, to justify the move.
The parents at MacArthur Elementary School are protesting the shuffle. The teachers are against the move as well. Students are upset that their "father" figure principal is being moved. Like most all of the stakeholders in this decision; none were asked for, or allowed input in a decision that affects their interests; an egretious violation of the standard of conduct that Everitt enforces upon students; but not upon administrators.
The same thing is happening at Barcelona E.S. "It's a loss to our school" was the message carried by parents in a petition delivered to the school board.
Taft Middle School teachers are circulating a petition to keep their principal as well.
However good these men and women are as principals; they did not make their schools successful. If these schools are successful, it is because there is a synergy between the administration, staff, students, and their parents.
Pulling one piece out of that synergy will only destroy that synergy. Carrying that piece to another school will not create the same synergy.
It would be like taking the battery out of a race car; installing it in a clunker, and expecting the car to fly.
The principal shuffle makes sense only if a principal is an essential and portable element of student success.
They are not. I have personal experience with a principal who is as loathed, as Andy Barret is loved. He is corrupt and incompetent. The successes at his school are achieved inspite of him; not because of him.
The argument that, the only thing that will make a school more successful is a better leader; or even that a better leader will make a school more successful, is specious; it has the ring of truth or plausibility, but is actually fallacious. It is unsupported by any hard evidence.
The district will not listen to controverting arguments; stakeholder rights are of no consequence.
"There are no plans to reconsider the principal moves", said APS spokesperson, Rigo Chavez;
confirming the supreme arrogance of the senior administration of the APS; who will never, ever, admit they are wrong about anything;
...much less be held accountable for it.
1 comment:
perhaps the top administration is trying to pressure several older principals out to make way for younger ones, and football coaches to move into their slots and to break their political base. In this light these moves make more sense.
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