Thursday, December 10, 2009

Protocols

I have been the principal of my high school only since July 1, 2009. In that short time, I have encountered more than a few instances where a parent, having a concern regarding the way a teacher or coach has handled a situation involving the parent's child, has gone directly to the superintendent or a school board member first, without ever addressing the issue with the teacher, with the coach, or with a building-level administrator. The worst part about this behavior is that the superintendent or school board member does not insist that the parent take the concern or complaint to the teacher or coach first. This is a violation of proper protocol.

The proper protocol for dealing with complaints, concerns, and issues involving the relationship between the student and the teacher or coach is to first contact the teacher or coach. If the complaint, concern, or issue is not resolved through this process, then the parent should contact a building-level administrator--the principal or assistant principal or perhaps a guidance counselor. If resolution is still not established, then the parent should contact the superintendent or assistant superintendent. If resolution is still not established, then the parent may take his or her concern to the school board.

It is not entirely the parents' fault that such a violation of protocol has become the culture of a school district. Any time that a school board member or a superintendent responds to a complaint, concern, or issue registered by a parent without redirecting the parent to contact the teacher or coach, the superintendent or school board member is guilty for creating such a culture. I will, however, forgive the superintendent or school board member, suggesting that these individuals have not considered the appropriate response to parents and are, therefore, not prepared properly. (However, as the top professionals of the district, they have a responsibility to be properly prepared.)

I suggest that when a superintendent or school board member has a parent address a complaint, concern, or issue to him or her directly before talking to the teacher or coach, the first question that the superintendent or school board member should ask is, "Have you talked directly to the teacher or coach about this concern?" It will be likely that the parent will say that he has not and the parent will provide a rather convincing argument as to why the parent believes talking to the teacher or coach will not resolve the problem. Whatever the parent's reason is for not talking to the teacher or coach, it is imperative that the superintendent or school board member insist that the parent do so, regardless. By not forcing the parent to confront the teacher or coach, the superintendent or school board member is enabling the parent in avoiding conflict resolution, is expressing a lack of trust in the teacher or coach in having the ability to resolve the conflict, and is breaking protocol. If a parent is absolutely unwilling to address the complaint, concern, or issue directly to the teacher or coach, then the superintendent or school board member should express that nothing can be done to resolve the conflict.

Stating that nothing can be done to resolve the conflict at this point may sound callous and counter-productive; however, what is actually being expressed is a strength of resolve to follow the proper protocol. Through following the proper protocol, the superintendent and school board are expressing a trust in the professionals that they have hired to do their jobs effectively and allowing these professionals the opportunity to meet the challenges of their jobs.

People do not learn to resolve conflict by avoiding conflict resolution. Teachers and coaches cannot become proficient at conflict resolution by having the superintendent or school board member passing judgment from on high.

My final point is that I have heard that parents have expressed that they take their concerns to the superintendent or school board member because they are "tired" of taking their concerns to the building and nothing ever being resolved. The irony here is that I am a new principal and these parents have not given me the opportunity to resolve their issues. Granted, there are times when issues are not resolved to the satisfaction of the parent--and in response to this I will suggest that the parent's satisfaction is unreasonable. But this does not provide a sound reason to violate protocol. To allow a parent to bypass protocol for any reason is to enable that parent to avoid learning to resolve conflict and to teach the student the method of avoiding conflict resolution. It is the teaching and reinforcement of a bad habit that has been translated in our society that everyone is entitled to get their way.

This has got to stop and the only way that it will stop is if everyone, from the teacher to the school board member, makes a commitment to follow the proper protocol and to practice proper conflict resolution.

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