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Aspects of effective leadership in urban schools
Abstract
The failure to adequately educate urban children is a shortcoming of such magnitude that many people have simply written off city schools as little more than human storehouses to keep young people off the streets. With a lack of positive climate, the students quickly recognize this and react accordingly. In September of 1987, a new administrator came to the Donald McKay Elementary School in East Boston, Massachusetts, and immediately took insight to the multitude of problems which existed in the school. She immediately realized that the school tone was a major problem and began to revamp the climate in the school so that the quality of education would improve. The solution to the problem was of immense magnitude and required that both long- and short-term goals had to be immediately stated in an attempt to make the necessary changes so that these students would not become another statistic. This administrator knew that she had to maintain a strong leadership style which would produce students who value their school and monitor their own behavior as opposed to the administrator which she replaced who produced students that placed no value in their school and demonstrated irresponsible behavior patterns. Also, her leadership style had to change a negative attitude to a positive one with all teachers, support personnel, and parents. This administrator knew that she had to set and control the direction of he educational program in her school. She had to convey to her staff that each and every pupil can, must, and will learn. She knew that a principal either breaks or makes a school and that a turnabout in the decline in the school would only take place if she was a risk-taker who would not be afraid of rocking the boat and at all times would be personally inspiring. Strong leadership has produced a path towards an effective urban school at the Donald McKay Elementary School. Such was accomplished through team dedication which was culminated by a visit by the Massachusetts Commission of Education, Harold Raynolds, who visited the school in the spring of 1989 to observe a school in which the commitment to excellence in education is being achieved by a dedicated administration, faculty, students, and parents.
Subject Area
Educational administration
Recommended Citation
Montes, Catalina Blance, "Aspects of effective leadership in urban schools" (1990). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9022723.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9022723