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Topic 4: Clinical Field Experience C: Evaluating Campus Operations

Jessica N Delgado

GCU EAD 536

Dr. Karin Johnson

December 8, 2021
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Evaluating Campus Operations

Safety and Welfare of Students and Staff

The principal has many responsibilities as both the school leader and instructional leader.

However, their duties also include the maintenance of their school building. A principal can

better prepare for routine and unexpected maintenance by staying informed and working

alongside the maintenance manager. At Concordia Place, the maintenance manager is Mr.

Williams. Mr. Williams oversees the four school buildings. As a teacher and from past

observations and interactions, I know that Mr. Williams takes care of various issues such as

routine repairs, managing the janitorial crew, landscaping, emergencies, and working with

contractors for more extensive repairs. 

To better understand the facilities' needs and management at Concordia Place, I walked

through each of the four Concordia Place locations with Mr. Williams. Each school location

requires different levels of maintenance due to the age of the buildings. The Seeley location is

the oldest and the first school established within a church building. There are multiple entrances,

and one could easily get lost through the maze-like hallways. To increase student safety at the

Seeley location, Mr. Williams stated only specific entries are designated for students and parents,

and the other entrances must be accessed with a code.

Additionally, to prevent confusion, most hallways can only be accessed with an

identification badge, while the main hallways remain accessible to students and teachers. The

Whipple location is the second oldest school and is the biggest building of the four. During the

Whipple walkthrough Fire Marshall stopped by for an unannounced inspection. Mr. Williams

and I and the Fire Marshall walked through the building to ensure the building was up to code.
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According to the Fire Marshall, Whipple location was up to code; however, the Fire Marshall

recommended adding more signage indicating the fire extinguishers within a specific area. To

help with this matter, the principal mentor directed me to the website utilized to input work

orders for Mr. Williams. I entered the location, description of the problem, and urgency through

the website. 

The Milwaukee and Ravenswood locations are newer facilities. They do not require as

much work, just general maintenance such as janitorial services and routine checks by the

electrical, gas company and fire department. Overall, I notice that Mr. Williams works alongside

each director to ensure each school location is maintained and up to code. The classroom

environments are kept at comfortable temperatures and cleaned daily. Mr. Williams helps with

fire drills, evacuation drills, and lockdown drills. All schools are under surveillance, and students

are safe within the school buildings until they are released to their parents or guardians. 

Allocation of Resources

Budgeting is critical in securing a safe and effective school environment for teachers and

students. Concordia Place assesses and determines school needs at the beginning of the year

through stakeholder collaboration and reviewing expenses from the previous years. The principal

mentor stated Concordia Place receives funding from the state, grants, and private donations. The

funding received is budgeted, and Concordia determines the amount set aside for each building's

operational capacity. Maintenance functions that are budgeted for are utilities, routine repairs,

janitorial services, emergencies. 

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Procedures to Monitor and Manage Operations

Concordia Place always thinks of the future and wants to ensure they are budgeting

accordingly. The budgeting team reviews the budget quarterly to ensure expenses remain

reasonable and identify future costs to stay ahead of any potential situation.  

Implications for Future Practice

PSEL 7a. States that effective leaders "develop workplace conditions for teachers and

other professional staff that promote effective professional development, practice, and student

learning (2015, p.15.). By maintaining the school grounds and conducting routine repairs,

educational leaders create a safe and healthy learning environment. Principals that work

alongside their maintenance manager, teachers, and stakeholders gain a valuable understanding

of the school's needs.

Additionally, planning for unexpected repairs or expenses is also essential. PSEL 10. i

states effective leaders "manage uncertainty, risk, competing initiatives, and politics of change

with courage and perseverance, providing support and encouragement, and openly

communicating the need for, process for, and outcomes of improvement efforts" (2015, p. 18).

Principals must advocate for their students and school community by securing school funding

and planning for future expenses. Collaborating with the budgeting team and creating an expense

plan ensures I am spending funds appropriately. As a future educational leader, I must take a

proactive approach and plan for unexpected expenses, so the school community does not suffer

from the stress of uncertainty. 

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References

Reston, V. A. (2015). Professional standards for educational leaders. Npbea.

http://www.npbea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Professional-Standards-for-

Educational-Leaders_2015.pdf