This study examines the challenges and complexitites within the role of a building principal during a time of reform. Presented from the lens and voice of an experienced principal who came to a struggling urban elementary school, this portrayal represents three years of key moments of change as collected, described and interpreted from the lens of the principal. Compiled as a series of narrative accounts, the storied snapshots were crafted from personal jopurnal notes along with the supporting details obtained from sources such as meeting notes, emails, surveys and other day-to-day documents reflecting a change in practice.
Organized around several collections of "key moments of chsange", rich description and additional narrative devices are used to examine variuos human experiences related to leading during change. A representation of stakeholders within a building are portrayed- teachers, support staff, parents. Along with a description of the external environment and context from this single instance of change, the underlying emotions, hopes, reactions and moral dispositions of the building level leader interacting with others is examined and interpreted.
This study reveals that leading during change holds unique challenges that are frequently in conflict. Both a sense of rigidity needed to meet the present accountability required from schools yet a flexibility to deal with the diverse human side of teachers, students and parents is required within the role. Throughout the study, specific examples of these paradoxes and dichotomies are described and interpreted.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-05162008-150356 |
| Date | 27 June 2008 |
| Creators | Amato, Eileen Ann |
| Contributors | Joseph Werlenich, Sue Goodwin, William E. Bickel, Charlene Trovato |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-05162008-150356/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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