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Teachers' Perspectives on Principal Mistreatment
Teacher Education Quarterly, Fall 2006 by Blase, Joseph, Blase, Jo
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This study is the first empirical report of the actual experiences of abused teachers, that is, what constitutes principal mistreatment and some of its common effects on teachersí work. Yet, although we have begun to illuminate this problem, it nevertheless requires much more investigation. For example, studies of victimized teachersí coping skills would be helpful. Quantitative studies using random samples of teachers are critical to understanding the pervasiveness of the principal mistreatment problem; qualitative studies can provide descriptions beyond those provided here (i.e., beyond forms of abuse, effects, and how abuse is perceived by victims) to include how and under what contextual conditions abusive relationships evolve, victimsí interpretations of abusive principalsí behaviors, the degree to which victims may contribute to the abuse, when and how victims are willing to challenge abuse, the effectiveness of district policies designed to stop abuse, and the exorbitant costs of abuse (e.g., costs related to investigations of complaints, teachersí time, legal fees, union representation, health insurance claims, hiring, training, and teachersí performance and productivity [Field, 1996]). In addition, much more research is needed on the impact of principal mistreatment on victimized teachersí mental and physical well-being, classroom teaching, relationships with students, involvement in school-wide improvement efforts, and student learning. Finally, research on teachersí familiarity with laws and organizational policies associated with workplace mistreatment and with ways to take individual and collective action in cases of mistreatment is warranted.
Conclusion
Internationally, school leaders and teachers have expanded their responsibilities linked to school reform, including handling new power arrangements, collaborative planning, evaluation, and accountability. Plainly, the norm for schools in the US and abroad is fast becoming standards-driven, technologically-managed collaboration among educators and community members. According to Caldwell and Spinks (1992), this means that administrative and teacher leadership for schools must become cultural (replacing dependence with self-management and excel- lence driven by the values of quality, effectiveness, equity, efficiency, and empowerment), strategic (developing a capacity to understand emerging trends and impacts on schools), educational (nurturing a learning community by developing teachersí, parentsí, and studentsí capacities to collaboratively accomplish tasks), and responsive (becoming accountable). Furthermore, Caldwell (2000) recently described new directions for public education; that is, the creation of self-managing schools, maintaining a focus on learning outcomes, and creating schools for a knowledge society, all of which have profound implications for the field.
In short, more than ever before, school reform efforts require that principals and teachers at the school level work together collaboratively to solve educational problems. Such collaboration is successful when principals build trust in their schools, because trust, in turn, serves as a foundation for open, honest, and reflective professional dialogue; problem solving; innovative initiatives; and, more directly, the development of the school as a powerful community of learners willing to take responsibility for and capable of success. All school leaders need to work toward such ends, and all educational scholars need to willingly confront the kinds of administrative mistreatment that, most assuredly, are antithetical to and undermine such efforts:
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