A Reader Writes... (Problems with the Boss - Part 5)

In response to the posts regarding “Problems with the Boss,” a reader writes:

“I LOVE THIS TOPIC! Now we are getting to the root of the problem in education.

"I truly believe that the people who refuse to have difficult conversations with employees have no business in leadership what-so-ever! These stuffed shirts are so below par in every area, they give no support when push comes to shove. Any effort to fire a poor teacher by objective data and a failed PDAS backfires and WE are considered the bad employees for trying to weed out the cancer. I saw this first hand last year. My principal protected a terrible teacher because he was a coach who was mildly respected in the community. That coach poorly educates over a hundred students each year and is still collecting a paycheck. When is enough, enough?"

SC Response
It is obvious that this topic as touched a cord with the LYS nation. For me, it is your last two sentences that are the most powerful. Both of which provide me with some of the motivation for what I do everyday. However, you see the symptoms as the problem.

Are there poor teachers out there? Yes. And you are right, a poor teacher can negatively impact over 150 students a year. But the poor teacher is the symptom of poor induction, poor support, and/or poor monitoring. That is the failure of campus administration. Multiple poor teachers are the symptoms of system neglect or system failure. That is the failure of campus and/or district leadership. The answer is not to fire all the bad teachers, the answer is to address, improve, or remove the breakdowns in effective leadership.

Which brings us full circle to the “Problems with the Boss” topic. If your boss is the source of the problem; if your vision and actions do not correlate with him or her, your real options are limited. Either wait the boss out, compromise your beliefs for the boss, or find a new boss. As I said in the original post, if you have a problem with your boss, it is your problem.

Finally, you asked “When is enough, enough?” Enough is enough when you are willing to take a leadership role to ensure that student needs outweigh adult needs. Just know that if you assume that role, there is a chance that it may require your exit.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...