Issue Analysis and Communication Plan: Teacher-Admin Collaboration Committee

Kristin DeLuca

Oakland University

Author Note

Kristin DeLuca, Department of Organizational Leadership, Oakland University

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Kristin DeLuca, Department of

Organizational Leadership, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309

Contact: kdeluca@oakland.edu
Program Title: Teacher-Admin Collaboration Committee (TACC)

Issues That This Program Addresses

According to a recent poll presented by the Graide Network, “46% of teachers report

high daily stress, which ties them with nurses for the most stressful occupation in America

today.” (p. 1). While education is a profession that already had significant stress and pressure

pre-pandemic, “COVID-19 is adding [has added] onto the stress that is already crippling the

majority of teachers.” (Kinder, p. 2). At Wyandot Middle School, many teachers are beyond

stressed and burnt out. Sometimes it is hard for me, as an administrator, to empathize,

because I, too, have experienced the same stress and fatigue from COVID-19, but I think it is

important to seek to understand and try to implement initiatives to help eliminate the stress

and pressures teachers feel. It is not only important for the well-being of our teaching staff, but

will also positively impact our students.

According to Mark Greenberg, a researcher on teacher stress, suggests that teachers

feel stress from three main sources: student behavioral problems, standardized testing, and

unstable school leadership (The Graide Network, p. 3). Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,

Wyandot Middle School experienced many changes in leadership. Over the last five years, the

building has been under the leadership of five different assistant principals and two principals

due to advancements and retirements. The lack of consistency has resulted in evolving

initiatives and protocols which makes it difficult for teachers to feel a sense of support and

stability. As our current administrative team enters our third year together in the 2021-2022

school-year and as we overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, I think it’s important that teachers
feel heard and supported through open forums and stable initiatives and protocols. My goal for

the upcoming school-year is to provide our teaching staff with a structure and platform to

provide input on current deficits and help us to make decisions and create initiatives to address

their concerns.

Articulation of the Program

This program would be open to teachers in collaboration with administration. The

committee would work together to discuss current school issues and work together to create

initiatives to solve the concerns presented. Teachers from all grade levels would be invited to

attend as the goal is to improve the overall culture and climate of the entire school. I envision

meeting being held bi-weekly. Teachers would communicate any concerns, ideas, and/or

talking points that they would like added to the next meeting’s agenda. Any teacher who adds

a talking point must be present at that meeting. At the meetings, we would provide time for

the teacher(s) to discuss their agenda item, provided time to dialogue as a group, and either

create a committee to address the issue or allow administration time to discuss next steps

which would be addressed at the next TACC meeting.

Challenges

While I want teachers to feel heard and feel a sense of autonomy and ownership in the

decision-making and implementation of protocols and initiatives, I do worry that these

meetings will become a platform for negativity. My hope is that we can minimize negativity by

seeking solutions to problems as a team. I also think it will be important to maintain order in

the meetings by having meeting norms which will be established, as a group, during our first
meetings. Some of these ground rules may include: one person speaks at a time, allow each

topic to be discussed for a set time before ending the conversation and tabling discussion,

having mutual respect, etc.

Professional Development Plans

It will not be necessary to provide any professional development prior to beginning this

program.

Communication

Since this program is intended for staff involvement, it will not be necessary to

communicate it to the community. I intend to community our intentions to teachers at the end

of this school-year. In August or September of the upcoming school-year, we will provide

teachers with a meeting schedule, intentions, and protocols for adding items to the agenda

prior to the first meeting. We will also communicate our vision for the program and purpose

for implementation. If new initiatives or protocols are established as a result of TACC meetings,

we would then communicate this information to our stakeholders including students, staff, and

parents/guardians through various formats including PowerSchool, School Messenger, our

school website, and our school’s social network platforms.

Timeline

• June 2021: communicate intentions to staff.

• September 2021: communicate meeting dates, vision, and program procedures to staff

through email and at a staff meeting.

• September 2021: Create a form where teachers can submit topics to be added to the

agenda.

• October 2021:

o Begin bi-weekly meetings.

o Create group norms at first meeting.

• November 2021-June 2022

o Administration will meet after each meeting to discuss agenda items and create

plans to respond, as necessary.

o Committees will be created, as need, to create initiatives/protocols that address

staff concerns.

o Minutes from meetings will be provided to all teachers via email.

o If/When new initiatives/protocols are created, they will be communicated to

staff and students.

• June 2022: Discuss successes/failures of program and create changes to implement in

the upcoming school-year.

 Works Cited

Kinder, M. (2020). Misdiagnosis: teachers are engaged during COVID-19. The Hill.

The Graide Network, Inc. (2020). The epidemic of teacher stress. www.thegraidenetwork.com.