ORGANIZATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Dr. Marites U. Sy

Name: RAGUDO, MARK ANTHONY Subject code: EDUC 311

Course: PhD Educational Management

August 9-12, 2020

Direction: Organizational Development is sine qua non of Decision-making. That is evident on
the first 6 chapters of our subject, EDU 311. This task will once again reveal how ready you are
to face the realm of supervision and management in the Public and Private Schools. The case
scenarios presented below are not in any way reflective of the Department of Education or
institutions under it. The case scenarios are purely intended for this subject.
Reminder: 20%- above plagiarism result will grant an automatic retake of the Comprehensive Examination.

BOTH SIDES

Case Synopsis
Geronimo was principal of a small public elementary school serving some 300 students
up to grade six. Most of the students were from low-income families and were considered at-risk
children, though their performance on regional and nationwide standardized tests was
outstanding. Geronimo faced a difficult choice between two staff members for a new important
position of coordinator of student life.
Overview
The case highlights the personnel issues that a school director must manage. How to
decide between two internal candidates each of whom have special skills and strengths.
Personnel decisions are some of the most important decisions school head can make and this
case allows a healthy debate to occur with regard to this decision.
Case Discussion Suggestions
This is a case about making personnel decisions within a small closely knit community.
While the decision was supposed to be made by a committee, all of the committee members
looked to the principal for the final say.
1. What is the best way for a school leader to engage other staff members in an important
school decision? Should he talk to individuals privately or hold a public meeting?
Decision-making in an organization needs the opinions of others. Everybody is
contributory to whatever decisions will be made. For me, if I were the school head,
meetings should be done in public. Shared decisions are very important in making a
final decision which depends on the hands of the school head. Suggestions, inputs and
opinions of other staffs would be of great help to the school head to come up with the
final say or decision. Successful organization needs members who are collectively and
collaboratively working together either in decision-making or other matters. There are
times that some members have better ideas than the other or the school head that’s
why all voices should be heard. But in the case that matters are confidential and it
needs privacy then the school head should talk privately to the concerned teachers.

2. What does shared decision making look like in a healthy school? Are shared decisions
always possible and best?
Professional collaboration is what really needs in the decision-making of the
school. If teachers work together and share their ideas then decisions are better and are
more likely to be implemented successfully. Teachers should work with their principal in
whatever matters the school are about to handle. For me, shared decisions always
possible and best because higher-quality decisions are made possible if collaboration
takes place. There is a higher chance that school will be improved if there is greater
coordination of work among teachers and school head.

3. What can a school leader do to ensure that all voices are heard?
For me, if I were the school head, I will conduct a meeting and everybody should
participate and share ideas on how to deal with problems or issues encountered by the
school. Open forum should be done to solicit the ideas and opinions of the teachers. As
the old adage says “No man is an Island”, that is why unity and collaboration are the
spices in the successful decision-making. All should be heard and it is up to the
principal opinions and suggestions of the teachers will be basis of the school head in
making the decisions. If the teachers’ side will not be considered, tendency is that the
organization will be paralyzed even how brilliant is the school head. No one is a
monopoly of knowledge. All have their unique ideas that’s everybody should be heard
and considered in the process of making decisions.

EDUCATION FOR ALL – OR ALMOST ALL?

Case Synopsis
Ema is the principal of a small government-subsidized private preschool for children with
social and emotional difficulties who also have trouble with comprehension and expression in
their native language. One of her teachers, Lucero, is extremely successful in helping students
with academic skills, but she does not address the students’ social and emotional needs. Some
parents feel she is cold and uncaring. Ema wonders whether Lucero, who is the sister-in-law of
the owner, should continue teaching at the school.
Overview
This case presents some of the interpersonal challenges of being a school leader. How do you
assess a teacher who achieves high results in one aspect of the teaching job, but fails in another
area? The principal must assess which is more important and how to change a teacher’s behavior.
Case Discussion Suggestions
1. Despite several conversations about the emotional needs of children, Lucero insists that
it
is not the teacher’s role to “love” the children? Do you agree?
Learners are not just intellectual beings they are also emotional ones. If learners
are varied in terms of intelligences and learning styles they are also different in terms of
emotional attributes. Aristotle once said, that “the heart of education is the education of
the heart’. Indeed, education is a strong weapon to inculcate not only knowledge but
also skills and values. We have to teach our students that love is purest virtue that we
can offer to our fellows. Parents give their trust to us that’s why they let their children be
left in school with your guidance. Teachers are considered the second parent of
learners during school days. Parents have an utmost respect to teachers because they
know that our love of teaching makes us learn to love. We have to love our students
because they are the reason why you are in teaching profession – the noblest
profession. If they feel loved, they also feel secured and safe.
2. Is academic achievement more important than meeting the socioemotional needs of
special education students?
Nowadays, emotional quotient is more important than Intelligence Quotient.
Having a high IQ is nice and edge over others but having EQ can do all things possible
and can make a big difference. Even how intelligent a person is if he cannot handle
tough situations then he or she may equally likely to fail. I think socioemotional needs of
special education students is more important than academic achievement.

We can associate academic achievement to IQ and socioemotional needs to EQ.

Like the comparison of IQ and EQ, socioemotional needs of special education students
is more important than academic achievement. Socio-emotional learning plays a
uniquely important role for students with special needs. That’s why students with special
needs need teachers who have expertise in the field so that he/she can provide the
socio-emotional needs of the students. Attention and love is what the special education
learners need. That is the purpose of special education. SPED learners need support
and protection form their teachers to feel that they are not alone and that they are loved.
SPED students need caring teachers who can provide patiently their socio-emotional
needs.

3. How should Ema handle the complaints of the parents? Should she report them to the
school owner? How?
As the school head, the principal should see to it that both sides will be heard so that he
can assess the situations clearly and to come up with the correct decisions. No matter how
irritated parents behave we have to be calm. We have to give some time to the parents to express
their feelings and what we need to do is to listen.

The first thing that the principal do is to appreciate the teacher about her effort in imparting
academic skills. Then the school head should tell that as much as we are focusing on the
academics skills, we have to focus also to the social and emotional needs of the learners. The
school head should explain to the teacher that students are the very reason why we are in the
teaching profession. If there is passion in teaching then love follows. The principal should tell to
the teacher in a nice way that we teachers are considered the second parents of the students. As
the school head, you have to explain to the involved teacher that as much as students have the
right to enjoy and learn they have also the right to be loved. If the students feel that they are
loved, then they will fell secured and safe in the arms of the teacher.

The school owner also have to know everything what is happening in the school. The school
head should inform the owner and tell the concern of the parents. The school head should
prepare a black and white of the dialogue so that whatever happens in their conversation with the
school owner she will not be held accountable.