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March 1, 2006 Focus on Issues & Decision Making: Who Really Calls the Shots? An ideal decision making process is collaborative, with all members of the community actively involved. The advantage of a collaborative, community based decision-making process is that it keeps the focus squarely on learning and on the needs of students. A truly collaborative process also frees the administration and board from "political" responsibility for any decision because of broad-based community ownership. The welfare of the student should always be the driving force for every decision made by the district. When the flow of power starts in the community, and then moves through the board to the administration and educational institution, student-centered decisions are made. I’ve noticed that the further removed decision-makers are from daily contact with students, the greater their tendency to base decisions upon adult-centered issues such as balancing the budget, educational reforms or teaching schedules. You can easily see, then, why the community – and especially your local music coalition – has such a key role in advocating for student-centered decisions and the support of music in the curriculum. Exert “the 3 V’s” – Be Visible, Be Verbal and Vote! Who really influences school administrators and board members to listen to the needs and interests of students? Voters! Regardless of how strong your case is to save (or build) your music program, the administration and board must see and hear from voters to persuade them to decide in your favor. If your music coalition has an administrative liaison committee, use it to keep open lines of communication with the board and administration at all levels of decision-making. The board is the appropriate and most effective place to make your visible, verbal and voting presence felt. The educational system is based upon a political structure and process. It is a product of public elections at federal, state and local levels and, not surprisingly, is a system that tends to focus on adult-centered issues. The largest single factor impacting decision makers is their perception of prevailing public opinion. If the majority of your school board’s constituents visibly support a strong music program, they (as your elected officials) will be less likely to weaken or eliminate it. Process is Politics Unfortunately, the practice of making decisions in typical school district tends to be based more on who has been given - or assumed - the right and responsibility to make them. This may be determined by the relative strength of personalities or organized groups within the educational structure, or by the adoption of an authoritarian concept of administration. In such cases, any one or all of the following situations may be evident: 1. The administration makes centralized and/or local site based recommendations and decisions as empowered by the board. This can happen by intent or default, and often includes various assumptions of autonomy in the process. 2. The board normally gives “rubber stamp” approval to administrative recommendations or decisions. This may occur because no one besides the administration has offered information or input, and their recommendation may then be perceived as the only possible solution. 3. Teachers may or may not be involved in the process, depending on the amount of power associated with a particular teacher organization. Usually music teachers are not involved. And, if music teachers do become directly involved, their actions may be interpreted as a conflict of interest or insubordination. 4. The decision making process is adult-centered. This can happen because the community is either intentionally excluded (your participation is not wanted or valued), or excluded by default (no one shows up at board meetings). With little or no community involvement, decisions tend to be driven by adult issues (salaries, benefits, teaching loads or schedules, educational reform, money, etc.). 5. Such decisions are often power-based. Whoever has the power - or claims it - gets the decision to go their way. If community members are not active participants, students often lose. The Powerful Influence of Unity The single most important reason for organizing a unified local music coalition - made up of parents, community members and teachers representing band, choir, orchestra and general music concerns in equal measure - is to broaden your political power base. A single body presenting a unified voice speaks much louder than any small group of parents. A unified music coalition is usually far more effective than any of its sub-groups. In the process of making any decision about school budgets, one question must always be asked: "What will the short and long term effects of this decision be on the students in the district?" As music advocates, it’s up to us to get, and sometimes even provide, the answers - before decisions are made. The next time it’s school board meeting night or time to go to the polls to vote for local school board members, remember the wise words of Dr. Dennis R. Morrow: “The decision belongs to those who show up." If you show up and take part of the process, you’ll find out who really calls the shots. The answer might surprise you, because it could - and should - be advocates for students. That means YOU and the other members of your local music coalition! Until next time, John Benham |
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Organizations:
Artists:
Scott Brady |
