A Reader Writes... (Yes, I Know the Hours are Long - Part 18)

In response to the 11/11/2010 post, “Yes, I Know the Hours are Long – Part 5,” a Principal writes:

Well... You have really scratched the scab of a sore wound. I read the posts and wonder if these people are “Believers” with a strong philosophy that they can articulate clearly or are they simply “Gomo’s” (going thru the motions) and that's why they're so upset.

As a wise woman once told me, “Put kids first and keep kids first. Everything else happens for a reason and you can't take it personally.”

Maybe you should do a post on how much time effective administrators put in and see what kind of response you get.

SC Response

I don’t know the motivation of the angry writers, though my gut feeling is that they are not “Gomo’s” (by the way, I love that term). Would a Gomo read the blog on a regular basis and then take the time to write in? I really don’t think so. I think that this was a case of some teachers missing the context of my post and believing that I was dismissing the hours that they put in.

I do know that the longer one works in an unsuccessful system, the more defensive one gets about their own craft. It’s the “I may work with a bunch of slackers, but I’m not one of them” syndrome. I’ve even lived through this myself.

As for the hours effective administrators put in, it’s an apples to oranges argument. Bottom line, the effective administrator puts in more hours, both weekly and annually. And no, they don’t always make more money. When I was an AP, I was one of the lowest paid members of the staff (and actually took a pay cut for the job). When I was a principal, I had some teachers who made as much as I did (and worked 40 fewer days). When I went to central office, two of my principals made more than I did. And in each case, I didn’t have a problem with this. Why? Because leading is my avocation (as it is for most effective leaders). Which is why the argument isn’t fair, especially if one considers the principalship and the superintendency. When you examine the economic equation logically, the requirements of the positions are not offset by equal remuneration. One doesn’t take the job for the money alone, you take the job because deep down you love it, hours be damned.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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