Thomas Moore says:
As a “former administrator,” I hear what you are saying teachers. But, change comes S L O W. The elementary school where I was principal got a federal grant for a reading program to boost scores on the state-wide test. The training went well and we started that fall. What I failed to see is that some teachers thought that I didn’t think they knew how to teach reading. Where were the spelling tests? Where is the grammar? These stories are too easy. These stories are too hard. You get the idea?…
While some enjoyed the program, the complaints grew louder. No matter what I or the facilitator did, it did not please them. Frustration grew and spread. I finally had to mandate that the program was followed to the tee, and that was not what I had envisioned. Our scores went up the first year, which helped the cause. We ran it three years, superintendent changed, and it was pulled, although many of the ideas and strategies that our school used was “borrowed” by the district.
Was I sad that we tried and it didn’t go well? No. For our students, it was the right thing to do. Was it easy? No. But, change never is easy.
While some enjoyed the program, the complaints grew louder. No matter what I or the facilitator did, it did not please them. Frustration grew and spread. I finally had to mandate that the program was followed to the tee, and that was not what I had envisioned. Our scores went up the first year, which helped the cause. We ran it three years, superintendent changed, and it was pulled, although many of the ideas and strategies that our school used was “borrowed” by the district.
Was I sad that we tried and it didn’t go well? No. For our students, it was the right thing to do. Was it easy? No. But, change never is easy.
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