EA 8820 Human Resource Management

Webster Case
Jeremy Mitchell & Kate Kimball

MEMORANDUM

To: Dr. Caryn Wells, Superintendent

From: Jeremy Mitchell and Kate Kimball, Directors of Human Resources

Date: October 24, 2017

Subject: Webster Elementary Leadership Plan

Thank you for taking the time to meet last week to discuss Mrs. Jane Doe, Webster Elementary
Principal. We have reviewed the information you provided as it relates to the current state of
Webster Elementary and its staff members. Being that this is Mrs. Doe’s first year at Webster
and her maiden voyage as principal, we felt it would be best to begin by sitting down to get
better acquainted with her and her leadership style. We invited her to have an open discussion
with us before setting out on our building tour.

Our goals were to ascertain her perceptions of the school community, its staff members, and the
school culture as a whole without judgment and in a mindful manner. Following our discussion,
we completed a building walk through where we stopped into various classrooms and we were
able to see first-hand how Mrs. Doe conducts herself as the building leader. We also took the
time to chat with support staff members in the cafeteria, on the playground, and during
intervention groups. We then spent a few days reflecting on our experiences with Mrs. Doe and
her role as a leader of Webster Elementary.

We have shared our insights and recommendations in the responses that follow. You had given
us a series of questions and asked us to respond in a manner that will help get Webster
Elementary back on track and thriving as a building.

It is important to note that we must set a realistic time table for Mrs. Doe. The suggestions that
follow will take time to implement and it would be naive to think that any new building leader
could accomplish these lofty expectations in the first year of work. Therefore, we propose that
this serve as a three-year guide for Mrs. Doe. We will plan to meet with her once per marking
period where we will listen without interpretation or judgment. During these short “check-ins” we
will coach her just as we expect her to coach her staff. She will also be assigned another
principal mentor with whom she can rely on, on a more frequent basis. We have appointed Dr.
Neff, veteran principal from Wallace Elementary, to be her mentor. As you’ll recall, Dr. Neff has
been through mindfulness training. We are pleased with the results we are seeing at Wallace
since she began integrating mindfulness practices with her staff two years ago. Dr. Neff will be
an excellent administrator to emulate in Mrs. Doe’s first year on the job.

1. How do you distinguish between telling the principal what she needs to do and
guiding or coaching her to discover what needs to be done? How are these
practices different?

As you know, Mrs. Doe’s predecessor retired after 20 years as principal so the staff may be
reluctant to a different leadership style. The majority of the Webster staff are veteran teachers
who were comfortable with their former leader’s managerial style. Therefore, it will be imperative
that Mrs. Doe begins to establish trust by coaching her team as opposed to being a top-down
manager who mandates expectations. As Buckingham (2015) says, ​“Great leaders tap into the
needs and fears we all share. Great managers, by contrast, perform their magic by discovering,
developing, and celebrating what’s different about each person who works for them.”

We know as administrators that there is a big difference between being a boss who “tells”
people what to do, and a “leader” who “coaches” or shows people how and what to do. Bosses
who “tell” are known to intimidate, to belittle, to be hands-off, to watch for mistakes, and to make
demands. Leaders who “coach” are known to inspire, to listen, to be hands-on, to ask for input,
and to nurture those who work for them. We will share the following chart with Mrs. Doe to
illustrate the differences between a coach who guides her team and a boss who makes
demands of her team:

Leaders Who Coach: Leaders Who Tell:

Lead by example Mandate

Use guiding principles to move people Tell employees what to do

forward

Value unique abilities Expect employees to be a clone of others

without consideration of a person’s attributes

Capitalize on strengths and celebrate Criticize weaknesses

achievements

Forge a high-performing “we” out of the Cast doubt and blame on the principal
principal and her team members individually for “her” shortcomings.

Allow time for principal to shadow other Tell how others lead successfully rather than
successful leaders mentoring their team

Foster and Cultivate trust to establish a Instill feelings of self-doubt and not
foundation of influence. measuring up to their colleagues.
2. What are the questions you would ask the principal to get her to think about improving
the effectiveness of the staff?

When thinking about improving staff and teacher effectiveness, we think of Maya Angelou’s
profound statement that speaks to teacher effectiveness, “This is the value of the teacher, who
looks at a face and says there's something behind that and I want to reach that person, I want to
influence that person, I want to encourage that person, I want to enrich, I want to call out that
person who is behind that face, behind that color, behind that language, behind that tradition,
behind that culture. I believe you can do it. I know what was done for me.”

Angelou's words are a powerful reminder for teachers to think about as they educate their
students. They can also serve as a compass for Mrs. Doe as she begins to cultivate a
community of teacher-leaders. It will serve her well, as Dr. Angelou says, to get to know and
reach each educator as an individual; to see each face, to reach each person, to encourage and
influence them. By valuing them as ​people​ first, and then ​employees​ who work under her
leadership, she will know what they value, their unique cultures and traditions. This is how we
reach those staff members who have grown frustrated with the changes that have taken place in
the school community and in their leadership team. It will be Mrs. Doe’s challenge to reignite the
passion her staff no doubt had when they began their careers. Additionally, we would ask Mrs.
Doe the following questions to get her to think about improving staff effectiveness:

1. What do you see as strengths/weaknesses in the Webster staff as a whole?

2. Who are the respected, positive teacher leaders at Webster Elementary?
3. Who are the teachers who are negatively influencing the staff?
4. When you do classroom visits, what does effective teaching look like?
5. Describe the current school culture and staff morale at Webster.
6. Are their professional learning communities? If so, are they improving teaching and
learning? If they are not, what can be done to make PLC time more meaningful?
7. Do your teachers collaborate within their grade levels and across grade levels? If they do
not, how do we promote an atmosphere for collaboration to begin.
8. Who are the master teachers at Webster? How do we tap into their strengths to promote
a better learning environment for our students?

3. How does a leader work to change the culture of a school? How will you frame the
questions to guide her thinking, as opposed to tell her what she must do?
Assessing the staff:

Leaders must make emotional connections with their staff in order to inspire them. We know that
trust begins with the adults in the building before it can trickle down to students. Fostering
positive relationships by listening first, finding common ground, and confronting inappropriate
behaviors, is the first step in changing the culture at Webster. As a faculty, Mrs. Doe will need to
create a fail-free zone, eliminate blame, clarify expectations, and engage staff like Blankstein
(2015) touts in ​Failure is Not an Option​.
Presently the culture at Webster Elementary is negative and self-serving. Therefore, it is
recommended that Mrs. Doe begin fostering relationships with each staff member individually as
we described in the previous question. Some additional recommendations to begin boosting
morale at Webster:
● Take the time to get to know each staff member on a personal and professional level.
What does each person value? What are their personal traditions and cultural beliefs?
What motivates them and inspires them personally and professionally?
● Seek input from each staff member on what they feel are the school community’s best
qualities and attributes.
● Seek insights as to where improvement is most needed at Webster.
● Work hard to be present in the hallways and in classrooms so students and staff begin to
see you as part of the fabric of the school.
● Complete daily walk-throughs to informally observe staff in a friendly manner to establish
trust
● Additional ideas to Boost morale:
○ Recognize staff members individually and collectively whenever possible (e.g.
“Webster’s Wows” where staff members are recognized for their professional
growth and achievements, positive notes, random acts of kindness, etc.). Offer
time in PLC’s and staff meetings to recognize achievements outside of work.
○ Consider a positive call to action or implement a program such as the ​Positivity
Project​ where the approach is on relationships: ​Relationships are the cornerstone 
of health, happiness, and resilience. The Positivity Project equips schools with the 
knowledge, resources, and strategies to inspire staff and students to build strong 
relationships.
○ Offer mindfulness training to staff
○ Begin ​Wellness Wednesdays​ where staff members host healthy luncheons for
one another

4. How can you guide the principal to assess the community and the parents?

The Webster community has undergone a socio-economic shift and changing demographic the
past few years. As a result, the district has an influx of ESL students and families with parents
who are struggling financially due to the plant closures. Mrs. Doe has a challenge on her hands
because she will need to begin establishing family-school partnerships to bridge the gap
between the school and the community and between the families who’ve lived in the Webster
community for years and those who are just moving into town. It is evident that family-school
partnerships are based on mutual trust and respect, and shared responsibility for the education
of the children at Webster. Research demonstrates that effective schools have high levels of
parental and community involvement. This involvement is strongly related to improved student
learning, attendance and behavior. Family involvement can also have a major impact on student
learning regardless of social or cultural family backgrounds (Family and School Partnerships
Framework, 2016).

Mrs. Doe can use the following guiding principles and ideas to begin fostering relationships with
the parents and community members:
 ● Conduct surveys and parent interviews to gather input from community stakeholders on
the current state of Webster as well as ideas on how to strengthen the school
community.
● Be sure to communicate with parents and the community;
○ Distribute digital and printed newsletters
○ Create a Facebook page, and Twitter Feed that highlights all the positive things
happening at Webster.
● Establish programs that engage parents and the community;
○ Host a ​Parent University
○ Create a family-school action team to plan, organize, implement, and evaluate
partnerships
○ Support networks to enable school communities to share ideas, issues, and best
practice.
○ Report on successes and drive improvement in partnerships
● Seek ways to involve parents through PTO and/or a Parent-Engagement Committee,
host Curriculum Nights, and change the format of Parent-Teacher Conferences to a
Learning Showcase where students get to showcase their learning.
● Establish home visits with your home-school liaison
● Host a Volunteer Luncheon at the end of the year to show appreciation for
parent-volunteers
● Partner with Webster’s Intermediate Schools to offer resources and materials for families
who speak English as a second language
Consider creating a volunteer position for a clothes closet and food pantry manager to provide
services, clothing, and food for families struggling financially

5. Are there ‘landmine’ issues that you should warn the principal about with regard to
Webster or the larger school district?

Before addressing landmine issues directly with Mrs. Doe, an important step to coaching her
ability to resolve these issues and turn Webster around, will be hearing her insights based upon
her assessment of the current climate at Webster. While we completely understand the
dynamics of this school, it’s important to let her come to conclusions under of her own
reasoning.

In discussion with her, here are a list of landmines that we hope she brings up. She will also be
steered to those unmentioned through guided questions:
● Attempting to build relationships with individuals and in turn appearing to show
favoritism.
● Relying on human landscape assessments from those attempting to cozy up to the new
leader.
● Pushing a new school wide cultural identity too hard in hopes of incorporating the new
demographic, without honoring the history and tradition that legacy families are proud of.
 ● Failing to identify and inspire key disciples from all stakeholder groups that will help craft
and spread the message of the new vision for where Webster is headed.

6.​ ​What do you think are the most serious challenges to moving forward and how would
you work in a supportive relationship to help the principal?

● The most serious challenge moving forward is the toxicity of people currently
representing the stakeholder groups: staff, parents, and students.

One of the biggest pieces Mrs. Doe will need to reflect upon is how she is inspiring her staff,
students, and families through positive communications, both directly and in a broad media
sense. Hopefully she understands that the negative climate will never improve through negative
interactions. Peterson and Deal describe steps to promote a positive and inspiring culture:
● Communicate core values in what you say and do
● Honor and recognize those who have worked to serve students and the purpose of the
school
● Observe rituals and traditions to support the school’s heart and soul
● Recognize heroes and heroines and the work these exemplars accomplish
● Eloquently speak of the deeper mission of the school
● Celebrate the accomplishments of the staff, students, and the community
● Preserve the focus on students by recounting stories of success and achievement

As a human resources director one of the most supportive thing possible for this new principal
will be to coach their crafting of these messages. Additionally, as the human resources director,
Mrs, Doe will be supported with the development of plans of improvement for staff members
who choose not to buy into the the new positive culture. Potentially, decisions to shift staff
members to different positions will need to be made, or even support for appropriate
documentation for the potential termination of a staff member who sabotages change after the
the critical mass has been achieved.

7. What are the listening skills that would make a difference in your work to support the
new principal?

Dialogue and open discussion as described by Eric Glover in the accompanying ASCD article
will guide the conversations we have. Just as our instructional model feedback cycle, the Five
Dimensions of Teaching and Learning, Mrs. Doe’s progress will be probed in a gentle and
supportive way via “Noticing” statements, and “Wondering” questions that lack judgment and
seek to understand. The goal is to model in our own conversations those that Mrs. Doe will
have with her individual staff members.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept07/vol65/num01/Real-Principals-Li
sten.aspx
8. Develop a success rubric for goals for this school year along with the principal,
realizing that not everything can be done in one year, and that it is important to triage the
areas that are most essential. List up to five goals and what would convince you that
success had been made in these areas. In your opinion, what would be realistic staff
development goals for this year? If you had your choice, what would you most want to
see happen?

Mrs. Doe will need to review the attached administrator evaluation rubric and collaboratively
craft one specific goal tied to each of the four domains of the rubric that will serve the
improvement of the school based upon her assessment over the next year.

Goal Timeline What does success look like?

Communication: Ongoing, provide examples -Formation of Building Level

Establishes strong lines of
communication with and
among teachers and
students.
to HR Director throughout
and summatively
Leadership Team
-Administer staff, student,
and parent satisfaction
surveys
-Establishes weekly school
newsletter for staff and
school community
-Establish multimedia
communication platforms for
school and community -
social media, screencasts,
blogs, etc.

Developing People: Pre Self-Assess Is fully trained on district

Monitors the effectiveness of
school practices and their
impact on student learning:
Check-Ins Quarterly
Post Self-Assess
Assessed by Evaluator
approved teacher evaluation
and growth model. Can
effectively give feedback to
staff members via the
observation cycle to improve
instruction.

Redesigning the
Organization:
Input: Involves teachers in
the design and
implementation of important
decisions and policies.
Draft plan with stakeholder
group feedback by second
semester start.
Rollout rebranding event at
end of year in an unveiling.
Will work with building
leadership team to develop
stakeholder feedback
sessions centered around the
rebranding of Webster
Elementary. Resurrection
with a history and tradition of
excellence.

Setting Direction/Shared Monthly and Summatively Monthly events that bring the
Vision: school community together in
Culture: Fosters shared belief a fun extracurricular manner
and a sense of community to engage, seek feedback,
and cooperation. and promote growth.