The Pedagogy of Principals Leading
is sharply defined: The "yes" men who
"go along to get along" are entrenched
in leadership positions in the nations schools.
In a society where the population is increasingly
diversified, there is one reason that the teaching
and administrative staff of the schools is almost
totally white: The power of principals to hire,
renew, not renew, support, and even destroy the
teachers under their supervision. In one State,
New Mexico, the State's population is 44.7% white,
42.1% Latino, 9.6% Native American, 1.9% African
American, and 1.3% Asian American (Census 2000).
In a society which values diversity, a proportionate
percentage of the teachers should come from each
population. In New Mexico, like the rest of America,
the administrative and teaching staffs, the State
Department of Education, the colleges of educations,
and the universities are 95% white. School districts
with up to 88-99% minority populations in the State
are staffed by all white teaching and administrative
staffs. IF the principals do the hiring, then the
diversity, or lack of, is laid directly on the doorsteps
of the principals.
The Pedagogy of Principled Leadership forms the
oppositional and vastly minority alternative in
a small number of schools. In these schools, leadership
promotes diversity, strives to eliminate racism,
integrates the culture into the curriculum, rewards
excellence, makes waves, and gives voice to the
voiceless and power to the powerless. This leadership
is responsive to parents, sensitive to race and
culture, sets challenging standards, commits to
the concept that all students can learn, and seeks
a better world and a better life for each of its
students. Under this leadership, teachers continue
lifelong educational goals, share responsibility,
are warmly appreciated and highly motivated, are
the chief learners in the classroom, and relentlessly
pursue excellence. Unfortunately, if a national
convention was held for this latter pedagogy, a
small closet in the Holiday Inn in Gettysburg could
probably fit all the participants adequately...and
if one of the conventioneers got sick, the other
would not want to attend alone.
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