PRACTICUM IN EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION

2. Foundation of Educational Administration

 Educational Administration is the study and practice of managing the
resources, tasks and communications involved in running a school. The
school administration definition applies to leadership of private or public
institutions of learning.
2.1 Leadership
 The top administrator, whether she's called superintendent, head of school,
president or principal, is the institution's equivalent of a chief executive
officer in business. She takes an active role in personnel issues, budget
decisions, curriculum planning and setting policy that staff and students will
abide by. Administrators are responsible for setting the institution's tone and
serve as its public face.
 The school principal is expected to act as a leader in the school. The success
of the school to accomplish the goals depends upon the ability of the head to
lead staff members. Leadership builds the commitments and enthusiasm
needed for people to apply their talents fully to help accomplish plans.
 There are four (4) main functions of manager:
1. planning
2. organizing
3. command or leading
4. controlling
2.2 Decision Making and Communication
 In the decision making process in education management, the
communicational component has an important role. Communication is the
sine qua non factor of the decision. Since it takes place in the decision
situation, the type of communication that permeates the processes of making
and implementation of managerial decisions was named decision
communication.
2.3 Organizational Change and Work Motivation
 Organizational leadership behaviors have a direct influence on actions in the
work environment that enable change (Drucker, 1999; Gilley, 2005;
 Howkins, 2001). Leaders may function as change agents—those individuals
responsible for change strategy and implementation (Kanter, Stein, & Jick,
1992)—by creating a vision, identifying the need for change, and
implementing the change itself. Organizations remain competitive when they
support and implement continuous and transformational change (Cohen,
1999).
 Motivation is the influence or drive that causes us to behave in a specific
manner and has been described as consisting of energy, direction, and
sustainability (Kroth, 2007). In an organizational context, a leader’s ability
to persuade and influence others to work in a common direction reflects his
or her talent to motivate. A leader’s ability to influence is based partly on his
or her skill and partly on the motivation level of the individual employee.
2.4 Roles and Values
 Common roles of administrators are to ensure all schools, teachers,
counselors, are collaborating towards a common goal while improving
standards and opportunities. Together, with proper leadership, school
systems can meet goals set forth by school boards and foster students that
are highly educated and prepared for their futures.
 Administration has exciting leadership opportunities, which often play large
roles in forming curriculums, goals, budgets, timelines, state regulations,
mandated testing, as well as performance measures to ensure all educators
are able to meet personal and professional goals. Together, administrators
and faculty will carve a path to success for all.
 Administrators could lead organizations through the principles of what is
known as good and right; and it is included in ethic leadership (Starratt,
2004b). Society also should accept what is good and right together with the
administrators in order to reach consensus. School administrators, then
should act to appeal societal and cultural expectations and consider the rights
of the subordinate within the community they live in.