SOURCE OF AUTHORITY IN

SCHOOL
Prepared by:
JAN ANDREA P. REYES
Teacher 1
• Republic Act (RA) 9155,also known as the
Governance of Basic Education Act of
2001, provides the overall framework for
principal empowerment by strengthening
principal and leadership goals, and local
school-based management within the
context of transparency and local
accountability.
• It shall be the goal of basic education to
provide them with the skills, knowledge
and values they need to become caring, self-
reliant, productive and patriotic citizens.
The school shall be the heart of the formal
education system.
There shall be a school head for all public elementary schools and
public high schools or a cluster thereof. The establishment of
integrated schools from existing public elementary and public high
schools shall be encouraged.

The school head, who may be assisted by an assistant school head,

shall be both an instructional leader and administrative manager.
The school head shall form a team with the
schoolteachers/learning facilitators for delivery of quality
educational programs, projects and services. A core of non-
teaching staff shall handle the school’s administrative, fiscal and
auxiliary services.
Consistent with the national educational policies, plans and standards, the school
heads shall have authority, accountability and responsibility for the following:

• Setting the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the school;

• Creating an environment within the school that is conducive to teaching and

learning;

• Implementing the school curriculum and being accountable for higher learning
outcomes;

• Developing the school education program and school improvement plan;

• Offering educational programs, projects and services which provide equitable

opportunities for all learners in the community;
• Introducing new and innovative modes of instruction to achieve higher
learning outcomes;

• Administering and managing all personnel, physical and fiscal

resources of the school;

• Recommending the staffing complement of the school based on its

needs;

• Encouraging staff development;

• Establishing school and community networks and encouraging the

active participation of teachers organizations, non-academic personnel
of public schools, and parents-teachers-community associations;
• Accepting donations, gifts, bequests and grants for
the purpose of upgrading teachers’/learning
facilitators’ competencies, improving and
expanding school facilities and providing
instructional materials and equipment. Such
donations or grants must be reported to the
appropriate district supervisors and division
superintendents; and

• Performing such other functions as may be

assigned by proper authorities.
Sources of Power that Affect the
Teacher-Student Relationship
 Communication educators have taken a well-
known typology of power and applied it to
teachers. According to this theory-based
schematic, individuals exert influence over
other individuals based on five different
sources of power.
 Five (5) Different Sources of
Power in School

1. Reward power
2. Coercive power
3. Legitimate power
4. Referent power
5. Expert power
1. Reward power—Students learn quickly that
teachers can give them rewards such as bonus points,
extra credit, or other forms of positive feedback.
Students do what the teacher asks or tells them to do
because they are motivated to get these rewards.

2. Coercive power—Students also learn that teachers

can punish. There may be penalties for late papers or
unexcused absence. In this case, students respond to
the teacher’s power because they want to avoid these
kinds of punishments.
3. Legitimate power—Students expect teachers to have some
authority over them. Teachers determine what students will
study, what assignments they will complete, and what
standards they must reach in order to pass and do well. If
students accept these agreed-upon definitions of a teacher’s
role, they will acquiesce to the teacher’s direction.

4. Referent power—Students do the teacher’s bidding because

students admire the teacher. Because students identify with
the teacher and have positive regard for him or her, they
willingly do as the teacher says.
5. Expert power—This power comes from the teacher’s
knowledge of content and/or expertise as an educator.
Students are willing to do as the teacher says because they
recognize that the teacher knows more than they do.

Teachers make moves based on these sources of power

—they tell students how to solve a problem, or that points
will be taken off if papers are late, and they respond with
smiles, nods, and positive reactions to a student’s answer.
If students respond by following the teacher’s direction
their behaviors confirm their willingness to let the teacher
influence them.