Running head: LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY 1

Case Study Response on ‘But They Just Can't Do It’

Name

Institution
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Case Study Response

This paper highlights a case of educational predicament facing the

Latino students learning in the United States public schools. Rodríguez

(2012) states that Mexican American students together with the other

immigrant students faces educational plight in these U.S. public schools.

The challenges cultivate on the prevailing mismatch in social and cultural

factors. Economic catastrophe emerges into the school since some of the

students (immigrants) come from a very poor regions such as Rio Grande

Valley. Moreover, sequencing of these social and cultural plights mitigates

into a swinging educational hick-ups to such groups of students in the

school. The author articulates in the case a phenomenon where the

principal is facing a difficulty in resolving about the situation. The students

feel uncomfortable and unsatisfied as a result of the mismatch in social and

cultural views. However, their interests seem to be in contrast with those

of their teachers. The principal is at a quagmire of thoughts in terms of

making decision on the correct approaches to the education and

institutional changes.

In most scenario, executing professional duties as a school head in

traditionally marginalized regions such as Rio Grande Valley is head

cracking. This is because these areas face several challenges such as

diseases break out as a result of the prevailing poverty. The region’s

calamity is transferred to schools as parents and guardians lack sufficient

funds to support their children efficiently. In return, the school gets

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incompetent in deploying and maintaining very useful and competitive

resources such as teachers and support staffs. An implication of this is

evidenced in the U.S. public schools as presented by the text. In addition,

the variance exhibited in social and cultural aspects of these students make

it difficult to comply with the expectations from the teachers. This in turn

causes a conflict of views between the teachers and the students.

Consequently, it becomes quite challenging to the principal to enact any

educational changes. When this happens, it is more probable that the

school fails to meet its objectives.

Best of the Principal from the case study

Most of the students coming from traditionally marginalized regions

such as Rio Grande Valley and Latino find it difficult to corporate effectively

in school due to their diversified languages. Particularly teachers at

Esperanza Elementary school take little interest in teaching such students

claiming that they don’t understand anything in English. However, when

Principal Morales comes in, she made three significant changes that marks

her best performance in the school. These included changing the mind-set,

finding way forwards, and scrutinizing teaching notes. In addition, she did

best in unifying teachers and parents to form part of the learning institution.

Ms. Morales also ensure that the students’ interests were met by remaining

an outstanding advocate of the students.

Failures of the Principal from the case study

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Since the time Ms. Morales get into the Esperanza Elementary school,

most things changed. She questions some of the teachers she found in the

school about certain pitfalls observed and rectifies the mess immediately.

She starts by changing the old mind-set of the teachers, then gets into the

teaching pedagogy such as quality of teaching notes. She consequently,

begins on finding the way forward for some of the remaining challenges

untouched. Therefore, administration of Ms. Morales is more outstanding

on the success than as one would identify her failures.

Actions to be taken by the Principal

In order to effectively and efficiently improve the performance of the

school, the principal needs to research on proper methods and strategies

of change approaches. She should deploy both the deficit, strength-based,

and appreciative inquiry models to establish her next steps of actions. The

case already provides her with sufficient knowledge on the school status

quo. Therefore, it is upon her to identify her strengths and areas of success

of the school to effectively compete other institutions. Besides, she should

look forward to finding ways of making the students more competitive in

the field than other students from other schools. This will set her a part and

eliminate the sidelines of view directed to the students from such regions.
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Importance of the Actions

The use of deficit model, strength-based model and appreciative

inquiry model will help the principal identifies the weaknesses, strengths

and success of the school. A knowledge on these aspects facilitates easy

decision making on the school activities. Improving students’ efficiencies

after graduating from the school makes her school more competitive than

others. Implementation of additional teaching programs would enhance the

students’ commitment into the academic work hence performance much

better.

Conclusion

The case therefore, presents a situation that befalls most school

heads in the world. Some regions not only limiting view to the Latino and

Rio Grande Valley faces educational plight. The underlying poverty and

marginalization unleash cultural and social diversity, which makes it

challenging to survive in more diversified regions. Therefore, this requires

school heads of such schools to come up with appropriate strategies of

managing the school effectively and efficiently.

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Reference

Rodríguez, M. A. (2012). “But They Just Can’t Do It” Reconciling Teacher

Expectations of Latino Students. Journal of Cases in Educational

Leadership, 15(1), 25-31.