Making the Right Decisions: A Guide for School Leaders

Citation

Jean‐Marie, G. (2007), "Making the Right Decisions: A Guide for School Leaders", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 45 No. 2, pp. 236-238. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230710733014

As a road map for school leaders, this book offers insight on decision making and how to effectively lead in a time when the quality of school leadership is called into question. Fiore and Joseph (2005) through sharing their leadership perspectives and experiences as practitioners in public education, reveal important themes about how school leaders can create a positive school culture, spur school improvement, and make decisions in the context of NCLB. They contend that “decisions made my school leaders in contemporary school settings have profound impacts on the future of public education and on any educational reform movements” (p. xii). In their discussion of decision making, they present an underlying theme of family synonymous with a school community and consider the integral roles each member plays similar to schools' stakeholders.

Weaving in practical examples as a prelude to the discussion topic in each chapter, “concrete steps are explained and examples are given which lead readers toward ways in which the dynamic organizations that are their schools can be understood” (p. 5). Fiore and Joseph provide insights for understanding the “history, people, norms and goals”, and the expectations that different school stakeholders have as an essential step toward making the right decision in the school environment. Recognizing that not every stakeholder should be involved at “all” times in decision‐making, the authors engage in an analysis on “when to involve others and how to determine which others to involve.” (p. 43). Such insights are valuable for school leaders who place a value in involving others in the decision making and provide a “how to” formula to determining the merits and potential pitfalls of involving any (stakeholder) in decisions.

In greater detail, the thirteen chapters are approached through various aspects of decision making to help readers understand how schools can function effectively. The authors draw from contemporary school issues to illuminate the realities of schools and consider the types of cultures in which decision making flourishes. For example, in considering the impact of school leaders on school culture, Fiore and Joseph present ten key behaviors that principals should adopt to create a more positive culture. Be visible, communicate, empower, and model school spirit, to name a few, are some behaviors that foster a positive climate which in turn impact the climate of the school. In order to create a context in which decision making can take place appropriately, school leaders ought to ensure that the culture of their school is as positive as possible... School leaders cannot make effective decisions, either individually or as part of a group, without first creating, fostering, and sustaining positive school cultures (pp. 16, 18).

While the authors spend a great deal on how school leaders make the right decisions in our schools, they balance their discussion with a focus on the roles of many stakeholders in a school (i.e. faculty members, parents). The changing political dynamic of schools have broadened the concept of stakeholders. Fiore and Joseph assert that “an exhaustive list of stakeholders in contemporary school settings reveal that business partners, neighbors without children, community leaders, and residents and businesses in neighboring communities can all be considered vital stakeholders in our schools” (p. 43). This broader concept of stakeholders expands the involvement of constituents who are directly or indirectly impacted by decision making affecting public schools. School leaders have to balance decision making that are made individually and collectively.

The authors propose two essential questions to help school leaders decide when to involve people in the decision‐making process. They are: Does the individual have a stake in the outcome of the decision?; and Does the individual have any expertise in the issue being decided upon? These two questions will help school minimize on “making errors about involving other stakeholders in the decision making process” (p. 44). Probing deeper into this, Fiore & Joseph suggest that school leaders develop a potential list of stakeholders and classify them into one of four types which are discussed on pp. 44‐45. These strategies provide a useful formula for shared decision making.

The remaining discussion in the book takes into consideration a philosophical perspective on empowerment – teachers being empowered and school leaders empowering others. By involving teachers in decision making about curriculum, instruction, students, teachers are empowered to share their knowledge and experiences regarding such issues. According to Fiore and Joseph, bringing both teachers' knowledge and experience and the administrators' wisdom and vision together can create a team of people who are well equipped to make shared decisions. However, the authors concur that four obstacles can impede this potential combination: teachers' lack of schoolwide vision; lack of self‐importance; lack of decision making opportunities; and lack of desire to participate. Teachers' beliefs about students and the educational process can impact their willingness to participate (feel empowered and take action) in decision making at their schools. While administrators have the power to empower, they must recognize the impediments to the process and take steps to help faculty embrace the importance of shared decision making. The authors share effective strategies to help empower teachers. The ultimate outcome can result in this way: “When a teacher is brought outside his classroom and given the opportunity to see the ‘bigger picture’, he no longer sees himself as the isolated educator, but as an important cog in the educational machine” (p. 87). That's teacher empowerment! Teachers buy‐in into to the school vision and mission, and many are willing to offer their talents to the whole school (i.e. teacher leaders). School leaders are presented with a cadre of teacher leaders who can be involved in making shared decisions to promote and improve their schools.

In concluding, the authors revisit their comparison that a school community is very much like a family. They remind us that “a family holds important values such as closeness, faith in each other, and hope for the future… these are the ties that bind family members, and any school community working toward these same ties will experience the magic in education illustrated by forward motion, change, and student successes” (p. 141). School leaders are the torchbearers to these idealized values. They have to “visualize how the culture, stakeholder participation, teacher empowerment, and bureaucracies can either fuel or deflate decision making abilities in school” (p. 145). Despite obstacles they will confront, school leaders can create a school community that runs much like a united family for the purpose of improving education.

In sum, this text is ideal for aspiring and practicing leaders across all fields who are interested in understanding decision making that is inclusive of stakeholders and empower others. Readers will find the practical suggestions included in this book extremely helpful.