Advancing toward Shared Decision Making

In May 2004, a group of 25 teachers at Jenks High School in Oklahoma received an invitation to the Summer 2004 Advance. Although many organizations hold retreats for their employees, the administrators wanted to send a different message: we're not retreating; we're advancing! Like many sta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPrincipal Leadership Vol. 7; no. 6; pp. 45 - 48
Main Authors Muller, Lisa, Thorn, Judi
Format Magazine Article Trade Publication Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Reston National Association of Secondary School Principals 01.02.2007
EditionMiddle Level ed.
Subjects
Academic Achievement
Administrative Organization
Administrative support
Advanced Courses
Changes
Citizenship
Class Size
College Applicants
Cooperative Planning
Course Selection (Students)
Decision Making
Enrollment
Extracurricular Activities
Family Involvement
Feedback
Grading
High Schools
Instructional Leadership
Job Satisfaction
Leadership Styles
Oklahoma
Organizational behavior
Participative Decision Making
Principals
Secondary School Teachers
Seminars
Students
Substitute teachers
Success
Teacher Administrator Relationship
Teacher Morale
Teaching Methods
Teamwork
Tutoring
Oklahoma
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ISSN1529-8957

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Summary:In May 2004, a group of 25 teachers at Jenks High School in Oklahoma received an invitation to the Summer 2004 Advance. Although many organizations hold retreats for their employees, the administrators wanted to send a different message: we're not retreating; we're advancing! Like many states, Oklahoma suffered a school budget crisis during the 2002-2003 school year, which resulted in cuts in custodial services, supplies, substitute teachers, and travel for students and staff members. Some administrative and teaching positions were also eliminated, which led to larger class sizes. By summer 2004, teacher morale needed attention. Keeping in mind that principals' leadership styles (transformational or transactional) and decision-making strategies (participative versus autocratic) affect teacher job satisfaction, the administrative team designed a series of activities to give teachers the opportunity to offer feedback, share their ideas, and propose solutions for the challenges facing the school. This article describes these activities. Through shared decision making, the Jenks administrators trust that they and their teachers will always be better able to see and seize opportunities to solve problems while they are manageable.
ISSN:1529-8957