Melissa Carruth

EA 754
Winter 2014
The Webster Case
Introduction
This case is being examined through the point of view of the human
resource (HR) specialist. This HR specialist has been assigned to Webster
Elementary School to coach and advise the new principal of Webster
Elementary School. Together, they will develop the steps and plan that is
needed to face the challenges that are facing this school.
Webster Elementary School used to be a school that everyone was
proud to send their children to. Through the years, and especially over the
course of the last three years, the school has been showing a steady decline
in success. Staffing for the school is filled with teachers that are counting
their years left until they are able to retire, instead of being dedicated to
their students. There are pockets of success in the building with the recent
hires of a few new employees that are offering a fresh point of view for staff.
Unfortunately, these teachers are of the minority. Other obstacles the school
is running into is with an increase of ESL students and meeting their needs
combined with a decrease in revenue from the city as the economy is in a
decline and funding is at a low. The good news is that the school has more
vested families seeking to move back into the community and a
superintendent who is willing to make a financial commitment to the school
wherever they seem fit.
In understanding the background, it is time to dig deeper into what can
be done to turn this school around. For the remainder of this paper using the
word I it is spoken from the point of view of the HR specialist for the
district.

Question 1
Assessing the staff is important to see what knowledge and information
the principal has with the staff going into the school year. It is important for
the principal to see who evaluated the teachers and to see if that is a true
measure of what the principal is seeing in the classroom. The inconsistency

between the formal and informal evaluations brings a red flag as the informal
observation seems to be lower than the formal observation with the
exception of three teachers. Informal walk throughs into the classrooms is a
quick measure to see if the evaluations are a true measure of what is in fact
happening in the classrooms. Though according to the data, there is a
strong member in each grade level team and auxiliary staff with the
exception of 3rd grade. When strong is stated, it means that in an evaluation
they received an excellent or above average rating.
So in discussing the staff with the new principal, I would suggest the
importance of walk throughs and having your presence be made within the
building. A suggested time frame, would be for her to do a walk through in
each classroom at least one time a week and stay for more than a few
minutes. Following this suggestion would help her to better gauge and
evaluate her hunches. In analyzing the schools data, I would suggest that
the principal could look to her staff to see who her alliances and who her go
to people could be. It seems like Kindergarten is a great grade level to
bounce ideas with initially and then reach out to her older grade levels from
there. Making her presence be known is important.
Other conclusions could be for her to examine what is happening in
gym. The students may be able to provide some insight because typically
gym is a favorite place in elementary schools. If the teacher is as marginal
as her evaluations are stating, then the students may be able to provide
some insight. The ESL and Resource room teachers could be a great area to
work with for the auxiliary staff. They also work with many grade levels and
may be able to provide the principal with some initial big picture painting of
the culture of the school for the principal. So meeting with these staff could
immediately be beneficial for this principal.
Question 2
Some questions I would share with the principal to improve the
effectiveness with the staff is as follows:

Does your building have a school improvement team? If so, who are
your members and what is the selection process? If not, lets talk
about how we can develop a SIT team immediately.
When you have a school improvement team, what would you want to
be included on the school improvement plan? Remember to go slow,
in order to go fast.
Who do you look to as teacher leaders in the building?

In now knowing your teacher leaders, what immediate impact or role

can they make with the staff that could aid in the effectiveness of the
staff?
Has your building created building norms? If so, were the norms
revisited at the beginning of the school year? If not, do we have staff
meeting times at the beginning of the year where norms can be
established with the staff?
Does your building have a mission and vision statement? If so, when
were they established and should they be revisited? If not, is there
time after you establish the norms that can devoted to creating a
mission statement for the building?
When do grade levels have time to collaborate both horizontally and
vertically?

The evidence that I would have the principal use as a way to show
teacher improvement is from the walk throughs. The principal should start to
see the areas of the school improvement plan to be implemented with the
staff. The plan should not be complicated, but should include the main
subject areas of math, writing and reading. Once the goals are in place for
the school improvement plan, then it becomes adopted and owned by the
staff and you should start to see it trickle into the classrooms. It should be
validated to the staff that the school improvement plan is for the building,
not for the principal to have a document for the state. It should be a plan
that we all adopt.
Question 3
The meeting with the superintendent has occurred and a follow-up
meeting will happen on November 30th. At that time, it would be learned the
expectations the superintendent has of me with the mentorship between the
HR supervisor and the new principal. After the expectations are made clear,
a meeting with the new principal will be made immediately. The mentorship
between the HR supervisor and the new principal will be clarified and a
discussion will be had to see what the new principal hopes to gain for the
monthly meetings and the HR supervisor will share what hopes and wishes
they have for the meeting. The meetings will occur on the first Tuesday of
each month, if the schedules align. At each meeting, collaborative goals will
be made to accomplish throughout each month and reflection will occur as
well. Most importantly, the new principal knows that they have someone to
turn to in a time of need or to know that they are not alone throughout this
process.

The suggested first issue that will be on the agenda in the first meeting
is a collaborative discussion on how to reach to the staff and change the
climate with the teachers which will impact into the students. Currently,
staff eats in their rooms and rarely interacts with each other. A discussion
will be had with the new principal to come up with ideas on how to better
reach the teachers and how to create a climate that invites and brings
teachers out of their classroom to collaborate with each other. In order to
have a climate that invites and encourages a Professional Learning
Community, trust and letting staff know that their voice is heard needs to
occur. As Bolman and Deal state in examining the human resources frame,
our most important asset is our people. When there is a good fit between
organizations and individuals, the individuals find meaningful and satisfying
work and organizations get the talent and energy they need to succeed.
(Bolman and Deal, 2008) Currently, Webster Elementary is not a good fit for
their employees. The teachers human needs, according to Maslows
hierarchy, are not being met. Currently, the staff does not have esteem,
social belonging and self-actualization. (Bolman and Deal). It is up to the
new principal to have those needs meet. How can that happen?
With the school year just under way, as HR, I would suggest of the
principal to bring the staff together and ask her to reflect and see how she
could reach and connect to her staff. Through discussions, a suggestion I
would have for her, would be to submit a questionnaire that would help to
guide the coming year. The questionnaire can be anonymous, but they can
provide their name. The purpose of the questionnaire is for the principal to
gain an understanding to where Webster Elementary is and help to allow her
to reflect as to what the:

Culture of the building looking at ourselves, each other and the

building
Professional Development you are looking to learn from to help
you to become a better educator
What has worked with the building up until now
What has not worked with the building until now
What are you looking for in your principal

If the principal is uneasy with the open questionnaire, as HR, I would reflect
with her as to other strategies to accompany the questionnaire. Some
suggestions would be other activities to give to staff, like the activity called
Current Reality vs. Our Future Ideal. Providing a suggested deadline for the
questionnaire and then tally the responses, individually. Additionally, a

suggestion to the principal would be to have her set-up a time with each
staff member and provide staff time to share with the staff the results of the
questionnaire and try and gain some insight from the responses with each
staff and encourage taking a neutral approach with staff and ask the staff to
help clarify and provide for reflection as to why the overwhelming results of
staff may steer towards an answer or reaction. After the meetings have
been set, then reflect with the principal how the first meeting should run and
look like? In reflecting, as HR, it would be beneficial to guide a suggestion of
setting norms with staff. Reflecting with the principal as to the benefits of
establishing norms to help the new principal understand the value is an
important aspect of the first meeting.
Immediately after the questionnaire, September staff meetings are
important to the culture. A great starting point would be suggested to create
working norms with the staff and remind the staff of our norms at the start of
each meeting. After working on the norms, have some fun in working on the
culture with staff. Have the new principal think of some fun ways she can
work with the staff to build culture. Some suggestions, would be to have
staff take a personality activity so that the staff can get to know how each
other learn. A simple What color are you? or What direction are you?
Additionally, staff could work together on creating a school mission, vision,
and motto. Working together on these tasks could make some team building
activities. In the end, you hope that the new principal will reflect in that first
month with staff to help them to start understand the difference of a group
vs. a team. In the end, you hope that the staff will start to accept and grow
iunder new leadership.
In the meetings with the new principal, as HR, I would reflect to the
principal to think about how mindset, culture and climate can happen at the
beginning of each staff meeting to start the meetings on the right note. A
suggestion for the principal is to start each meeting, by having staff share
some funny stories to help set the tone since humor adds some much
needed ice breakers. If staff does not volunteer, then maybe pull names out
of a hat to have staff share funny stories from the start of the year so that all
the staff can laugh together. Be sure to have the new principal share some
of her funny stories from her start at the school. This is a great way for the
principal to add humor to any misstep or mistake that the principal might
have made at the start of the year while getting to know the families of
Webster. If nothing has happened, then share stories from past experience.
Just reflecting with the principal to provide time in each meeting to have her
reflect on how she can continue to add humor with staff.

Starting by October, staff meetings or professional development days

could be provided to staff each month. This would be a suggestion I would
make or help to guide the new principal to reflect how professional
development opportunities will be provided for staff. Building the
professional development time with the principal would be a powerful
reflection of the questionnaire. If the principal reflects back to me, I would
suggest a strategy for staff to engage the initial professional development to
be on 7 Habits, Growth Mindset, or Love and Logic strategy. There is so
much information on-line that the premise can be shared without paying a
big trainer to lead the building. In the end, you want to reflect back to the
teachers and see how they can share these strategies with their students
and to see if the new principal can create some school-wide initiatives with
the staff and students to help them and the teachers with referrals to the
office. Any further professional developments could relate to initiatives that
were added to the school improvement plan so that staff is more comfortable
implementing what is in the plan.
Additionally, suggesting to the principal to preserve time each month
to meet with grade level teams is another strategy for preserving time for
professional development. A suggestion would be to set up bi-weekly grade
level meetings. You would hope they have common planning where this
could happen. If not, then reflect with the principal about how to be creative
with the calendar or schedule to provide staff meetings or hire subs to
provide release time for staff to have that common time to learn and grow
together and create that culture. The superintendent verbalized that money
is here to aid this school, so encourage the new principal to use this
opportunity and spend the money to pay for subs to give teachers common
planning, would be a great use of funds that could aid in setting up the
culture. Having the building principal to be present at these grade level
meetings would be a helpfulf suggestion too.
Question 4
Sitting down with the new principal to reflect and brainstorm together
of some ideas of how to meet with the families and parents of the school is a
great initial step. Some suggestions that could be offered to the new
principal are to have the new principal start with the PTO as a potential initial
step. Hearing what has been done in the past from the PTOs point of view
and then look to the future with them and see what they are planning on
implementing this year. A helpful reminder to the new principal to offer to
the PTO that as building leader, you are wanting to work with the PTO and to

help them to make it a successful year for the committee. Holding PTO
meetings in the evening that is open to the community is another suggestion
you and the new principal could collaborate to create so that teachers and
non-PTO parents can participate with the committee.
Brainstorming other suggestions with the new principal would be
imperative for the new principal to see the importance of working with
parents. Some options and ideas to share with the new principal would be to
have grade level, Conversations with the Principal and invite a teacher to
attend. Holding them during the day or in the evening and have it open to
all parents. This is an opportunity where parents have an intimate and
casual event to share their ideas, concerns and have their questions
answered.
Finally, suggest to the principal do car duty in the morning or the
afternoon shows a presence with the parents and the community. Parents
know that you are present in the building and that you care about the safety
of their children get to and from school.
Communication is the best way to reach out to the community. Reflect
with the principal for ways that might best meet the communication needs of
the building. Offering some suggestions, like sending out a questionnaire to
the community at the beginning and the end of the year is a great way to
see how the external image has changed. Weekly News You Can Use with
parents, social media sites and monthly newsletters are all great ways to
bridge the message and making sure everyone is on the same level for
communication.
Parents play an integral role to a schools success. Showing how you
support the teachers, but letting parents know that you care about their
children will really help to improve students. Parents trust in the school
really helps to move the students and if the parents trust the principals
leadership, they will be more inclined to support and help the school
however they are capable to.
Question 5
The landmine issues are putting out too much, too soon. It is
imperative that the principal goes slow in the beginning so that they can go
fast in the end. Too much being thrown at the teachers will make the staff
even more disengaged. Make sure that the initiative and changes to

instruction all occur after the group vs. team activities and some building
initiatives are worked through as a building; i.e., norms, mission, vision, etc.
Another issue is for teachers to make sure that when you are walking
through, you are walking through. Not to take notes and let the teachers
think every time you are coming into their room is because they are being
evaluated, but rather you are doing the walk throughs so that you can learn
how things are done around here, get to know the students
Be careful not to align yourself to much with the new teachers. It is
important to get those veteran teachers on your side too. There has to be
some veteran teachers that is ready for the change and will embrace the
new leadership, you just have to find it. If the veteran teachers think you are
only with the newer teachers, your credibility could become lost and the
divide could still prevail.
Make sure that the building sees you a presence at all times. Whether
you are helping the custodian wipe off tables at lunch or covering a
classroom to give a teacher a break, set the precedence with your staff that
even though you are the leader of the school, nothing is beneath you. You
are just a part of the puzzle not the star on the top of the tree.

Question 6
Below is a rubric that the HR specialist and the building principal will
go through together throughout the course of the year. The HR specialist will
evaluate the building principal on a 4-point Marzano scale. The scale is as
follows:

4
3
2
1
0

innovating
applying
developing
beginning
not using

The evidence that the building principal will use to support the score is in the
timeline below each scale. If the building principal follows the timeline, data
should improve for the building and the school should show improvement.

Timeline and Rubric for Webster Elementary School

Area of Focus &
Rubric
Culture
Evidence
4
3
2
1 Building developed
0
school norms
Building developed
school mission
statement
Building developed
school vision
statement
Provide staff with a
questionnaire
Meet with each staff
members at the
completion of
questionnaire to gain
feedback
Create a school
improvement team
Have a staff meeting to
develop a group vs. a
team
Meet with the school
improvement team
and build a plan
Provide semi-weekly
business briefs to staff
all year long
Implement a character
building program for
the school (i.e.,
Leader in Me/7 Habits,
Growth Mindset, Love
and Logic)
Continue to meet with
the school
improvement team
monthly

Timeline
Due by the end of
September
Due by the end of
September
Due by the end of
September
Due by the end of
September
Due by the end of
September

Due by the end of

September
Due by the end of
September
Due by the end of
October
Due by mid-September
and continue all year
long
Start by the end of
October and foster
throughout the school
year.

Start by the end of

October and meet
monthly

Provide teacher
collaboration time two
times a month
Meet with grade level
teams monthly
Informal walk throughs
into each classroom

Parents and
Community
4
3
0

Conduct formal
observations and
meet with teachers
Conduct informal
observations
Provide a mid-year
questionnaire to staff
and meet with staff to
discuss
Provide a year-end
questionnaire to staff
and meet with staff to
discuss
Evidence
2

1 Collect a list serve email list of all parents

Send out weekly News
you Can Use to
parents
Send out monthly
school newsletters
Meet with the PTO
month
Hold evening PTO
events
Hold Conversations with
the Principal for

Start by the end of

September and
continue to meet bimonthly
Start by the end of
September and
continue all year long
Start at the beginning of
the year and continue
weekly
By the end of January

By the end of May

By the end of January

By the end of May

Timeline
Due by the end of
September
Start by mid-September
and due every Monday
to the listserve
Start by the end of
September and do one
each month
Start by the end of
September and do one
each month
4 times a year, the first
one should be done by
the end of October
K September
1 October

parents by grade level

Do car and bus duty

daily

Attend any fundraising

events at the school
Teacher Instruction
Evidence
4
3
2
1 Include the
0
implementation of
school-wide teacher
strategies in the
school improvement
plan
Develop a list of teacher
leaders within the
building
Develop a professional
development calendar
for the year complete
with who will be
leading the training
Documentation that the
strategies in the
school improvement
plan is being used in
the classroom
Conduct informal walkthroughs to see if the
strategies are being
implemented
Conduct formal and
informal observations
Student Achievement
Evidence
4
3
2
1 Test scores show an

2 November
3 January
4 February
5 March
6 April
Daily starting the first
day of school if you
cant be there ask an
auxiliary staff member
to fill in for you
Throughout the year
Timeline
By the end of October

By the end of
September
By the end of October

Throughout the year

teachers show in walkthroughs and during
formal and informal
evaluations
Throughout the year

Formal end of January

Informal end of May
Timeline
Throughout the year

improvement on
standardized tests
school-wide
Conversations with staff
on data
School-wide data on
standardized tests are
shared with the
community at evening
PTO event
Areas of improvement
that are stated in the
school improvement
plan are areas that
data supports to be
areas of improvement

Throughout the year at

grade level meetings
Throughout the year
once the data is
released

By the end of October

Question 7
The most serious problem is the lack of funding. The building is
screaming for assistance. The superintendent says there is money, but at
the end of the day, when big rebuilding needs to occur, the new principal will
have to be creative with her resources to ensure that the needs of the staff
can be met. Funding is needed for subs for release time. Funding is needed
to send teacher leaders to conferences to support the initiatives for the
building that is laid out in the school improvement plan. Funding is needed
for supplies to support the behavior plan for the building; i.e. 7 Habits,
Growth Mindset, or Love and Logic. When you are in public education, funds
dictate too much of where you wish to grow a school. When the school is in
the disarray that it is in, being creative for funding is not something that
allows itself as a priority. Knowing that the funding is accounted for makes it
easier for the building and the principal to expedite an idea or plan.
To help the principal with funding, I would remind her to share with the
superintendent of ideas your school is leaning towards with plenty of time in
advance. Time would allow for the