Fullan, Ch. 6 – The Teacher
Although there is a great deal of research supporting Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), policymakers seem very reluctant to support or fund them per Fullan and other researchers. These researchers state that policymakers are looking for a “quick fix” to our schools. If you, as a teacher from your school or district, had an opportunity to talk for a few minutes with an important policymaker on the state or federal level, what points would you make in the short time to try and convince the policymaker why she or he should support and fund PLCs? (Remember, you are not “talking to the choir.”)
Use the link below to access the following textbooks that you will need to add as references and cite within the post.
Professional learning communities (PLCs) are strong mechanisms that help educators in joining forces to promote continuous growth and improvement for themselves and their students. However, their aim cannot be achieved without the support and fund from the policymakers. Specifically, PLCs have two main aims. First of all, it tends to make knowledge and skills better for educators through collaborative study, exchange of expertise, and also having professional dialogue. Secondly, PLCs also helps in improving achievements in education, aspiration, and attainment of students through better teachings and leadership. In fact, Fullan (2016) states that schools pursuing PLCs serve to develop three mutually related functions: building and managing knowledge, creating a common language and standards for students’ outcome and practice, and finally sustaining school culture aspects that are vital to consistent norms and instructional practice.
The complexity of challenges in education to improve the quality of education calls for favorable policy constructed by constituent groups including federal and state policymakers, school principals, and other stakeholders in education. For instance, Bryson (2018) stated that to improve organizations, policymakers need to develop laws and regulations that will guide the organization on the right path. Therefore, policymakers need to support and fund PLCs since it not only helps teachers in addressing professional development but also addressing isolation and attrition of teachers.
EDUC 7004: Organizational Development
Bolman & Deal, Ch. 18 – Reframing Change in Organizations
Bolman and Deal discuss Kotter’s eight stages of successful change initiatives on pages 380-381. Which of these stages of change do you believe some change leaders unintentionally (or intentionally) skip? Why might this be so? In thinking of a specific change from your past – other than the one for your Course Project – how might change leaders remedy this situation? What frames would be useful in using in conjunction with the missed stage(s)?
Use the link below to access the following textbooks that you will need to add as references and cite within the post.
Change leaders should know that the process of change goes through a series of the eight phases that cannot be ignored or skipped intentionally or unintentionally. Skipping any of these phases only creates the illusion of speed but does not produce a satisfying result (Bolman & Deal, 2020). Specifically, most change process that leaders skip is removing obstacles and empowering people to move ahead towards change. In fact, Leaders tend to skip the change process because they do not want to go through the whole process but are only interested in the quick results. For example, narrow job categories within the organization structure undermine the efforts to increase the productivity or make it difficult to think of customers (Harvard Business Review, 2020). All in all, bosses refuse to make changes and demands that are consistent with the whole effort thereby making the change initiative fail.
To help in such a situation, change leaders need to structure their organization such that they have a broader job categories that will increase productivity. Additionally, performance appraisal will make the employees choose between the new vision and their self-interest. In conjunction with the missed stage, the structural frame will also be useful. The frame will help in altering structures that would give support to the old ways. Besides, the human resource frame would also be vital since it would help in providing training, resources, and support to the employees for better achievement of changes.
References
Bolman, L., & Deal, T. (2020). Artistry, Choice, and Leadership: Reframing Organizations (6th ed., pp. 2-32). New Jersey: Jossey-Bass.
Bryson, J. M. (2018). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement. John Wiley & Sons.
Fullan, M. (2016). The NEW Meaning of Educational Change (5th ed., pp. 112-118). Toronto: Teachers College Press.
Harvard Business Review. (2020). Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. Retrieved 16 June 2020, from https://hbr.org/1995/05/leading-change-why-transformation-efforts-fail-2
