Running head: THINKING IN THREE DIMENSIONS 1

Case Study 2: Thinking in Three Dimension

Name

Institution
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Case Study 2: Thinking in Three Dimensions

Byrne-Jiménez and Orr (2012) articulates that schools in urban areas

normally faces a high flux of turn overs. However, most researches in the

past few decades have posted sustained leadership as one of the best ways

of school improvement. The researches imply that a sustained leadership

over a period of time forms an integral function of the school improvement.

The authors postulate that management of a school demands the principal

to work in all dimensions. The implication here is that the principal should

work as an individual capacity level or group empowerment level. The

movement continues to the whole school capacity and back to individual

empowerment level. The authors use an appreciative inquiry model to

approach this phenomenon associated with the urban schools. The

researchers argue that principal should be having sufficient skills to enable

them mitigate on the ever-demanding duties as heads. That is, principals

should be having the skills to enable them act at individual empowerment

capacity level and as well at a group empowerment capacity level and back

to the individual level.

Byrne-Jiménez and Orr (2012) states that most urban principals are

left in the hands of public scrutiny and themselves without any sort of

empowerment. The authors present a case of one principal who learnt to

allocate and plan for his eleven years term in a school. The principal learnt

to distribute leadership to individual and group learning. He laid down

strategic plans to ensure there is continued development even after he

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leaves the school. The scholars used an appreciative inquiry model towards

approaching the change and determined how creation of the community

and institutional structures led to sustained school development. The

aspect of long-term planning facilitated the establishment of plans and

strategies of development within the school. However, this is something

that is not common to urban schools as the principals’ experience frequent

turn-overs thus leaving without any outstanding project achieved. The

principals are not being given enough time to plan on their strategies of

achieving the school targets for the periods they run the school.

Achievements of the Principal

Recent researches show that most urban schools face a frequent

transition turn-overs. Therefore, this fails to give the principals enough time

to plan on the effective and efficient strategies of goal fulfilment over their

specified periods. Performance in urban schools seems trickier and more

technical as it comprises of students from different regions, both

marginalized and unmarginalized. For example, Ellison school comprises of

students with several diversities such as in spoken language. Students from

Latino and Mexican Americans speak different languages, and this may

automatically result into social, cultural, and economic problems. However,

Mr. Matt Donaldson ran the school for 11 years without any form of conflict

between the teachers and students. This is an achievement for him as many

principals fails to reach the standards. Moreover, the Principal Matt

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Donaldson brings together the community and the organization functions

in achieving his goals.

Failures of the Principal

The principal of Ellison school Mr. Matt Donaldson can be said to have

left a remarkable legacy on his professionalism. Since most of the principals

fails to get such opportunities, he being among the few ensured that he

established an outstanding strategy and plans for his 11 years term at

Ellison school. However, no human is perfect as the say normally goes. Mr.

Matt Donaldson period in school did a lot that were quite remarkable

although one might have noticed some pitfalls. One can perhaps say that

Mr. Matt failed to change or lobby for the rapid transition of teachers in

urban areas, he being one who got the chance.

Next Actions by the Principal

In order to maintain the status quo, the principal should continue

bringing the external part of the school, which is the community together.

The incorporation of community and entire school constituents into the

managerial activities of the school provides one with varsity of experiences

to borrow. In addition, the principal should begin on facilitating sustaining

leadership in any committee he meets. This will enable the board

responsible for the relocation and recruitment of teachers to minimized

turn-overs in the urban schools.

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Conclusion

Recent researchers have outlined the frequent turn-overs

experienced in the urban schools. Heads in these schools finds it quite

challenging to act on long term plans and goals. The sudden relocation of

teachers of teachers in urban areas leaves the schools under performing as

compared to the other schools. Therefore, principals should be given quite

enough time such as that given to Mr. Matt Donaldson in order for the

school to attain its goals.

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Reference

Byrne-Jiménez, M., & Orr, M. T. (2012). Thinking in three dimensions:

Leadership for capacity building, sustainability, and succession.

Journal of cases in educational leadership, 15(3), 33-46.