It is eighth period Friday afternoon, and I’m not sure who is looking forward to the weekend more. I usually love my environmental science class. I have a small group of seniors, and we take field trips and have lively discussions, but today the atmosphere in the class is not quite as optimistic. We are discussing environmental sustainability and the factors that contribute to it. One student responds, “We are past the point of no return, I mean we have done so much to screw up the environment there is nothing we could do to make it better.” What a bleak outcome. Class ended and we all went our separate ways but this student’s comments lingered. I have studied the factors that contribute to the sustainability of our natural environment, but what are the factors that determine the sustainability of our school environment? As I reflect about our school, and New York City Public Schools, the unequal distribution of leadership and teacher and principal attrition are immense challenges facing schools’ long-term sustainability.
The decentralization of school districts and the advent of empowerment schools have given more power to the principal. The success or failure of each school now lies in one person’s hands. If the principal is committed to the school, and rising up leaders from within the school then this can be a positive model. Just like an environment that relies solely on one source of food for its survival, a school that is too dependent on one person for its survival is not a model of long term growth. This can be accomplished by establishing a clear chain of command, clear communication between each level of leadership and a shared vision with all stakeholders. If leadership is spread out within a school, as it has been within the school district, then the school will be better suited to evolve and adapt to any challenges that it faces in the future.
One of the challenges facing our school system is a high rate of attrition. A report by the New York City Council Investigation Division (CID) shows that over 70% of the most experienced NYC public school teachers are likely to retire within the next two years, while more than 25% of mid-career teachers and nearly 30% of newer teachers say it is likely that they will leave the system within the next three years—potentially creating as many as 30,000 vacancies in the City’s classrooms in that time.[1] How are schools ever supposed to have long term steady growth and success when attrition rates are so high? PACE High School has a young staff and teaching in the city can be exhausting. Our principal works tirelessly and has had great success for the past three years, but the amount of work that she has done for the last three years is not sustainable for an extended period of time. Leaders from within the school need to rise up and begin to share the responsibilities of school success, as well as help convey the principal’s vision for the future of the school. Teachers need to have vested interest in the success of the children at the school, as well as the long term success of the school.
When the weight of responsibility for school success lies completely on the shoulders of one or two individuals the school is not sustainable. To ensure the long term success of our school, leadership must be distributed, and a clear chain of command must be understood by all. When leadership is distributed communication of the principal’s vision can be understood by present and future staff members. This establishes a firm foundation of academic support, as well as leadership that will allow the school to thrive despite the influx of staff and principals through the public school system. I am optimistic that I can have a positive impact on our school’s current and future environment.
