A clarification about my administrators at Eisenhower

I've lamented much the problems I've had with how my administrators have tried to resolve important and difficult issues that we've faced with curriculum, discipline, and paperwork issues here at Eisenhower.

I do want to point out that I think my administrators are good people. They are very good people. They are not perfect. They have made many mistakes, I think, which are really pretty plain if and when they will be honest with themselves about them. But they are good people making those mistakes largely in good faith, I think. I have made many, many mistakes as a teacher at Eisenhower (as I would expect and hope I and everyone - including my administrators - would, if I or they are going to learn anything). There is no other learning than when we are making mistakes. Anything else is rationalizing to ourselves and others about our choices, always pretending that they are better than they really are. It is being on defense about our choices rather than honestly reflecting on them. And that is the problem with the use of force in achieving goals. It puts people on the defensive in a way that has them constantly rationalizing their choices, good or bad, rather than honestly reflecting on choices and taking responsibility for mistakes.

My administrators face this kind of pressure and force, just as I do. From their bosses in the district; from Congress, the state legislature, and the school board; from parents and advocates who threaten and often follow through with formal complaints, lawsuits and other punitive measures; from the press, which can threaten aggressive means of highlighting problems to try to force solutions through shaming and other forms of coercion, and social pressures from their friends, families, churches, the media, and other sources.

They face pressure. And, like me, they are responsible for their choices in the meantime (though everyone must be cut slack in an environment where their choices and freedom are limited by constant threat and presence of force; that is the purpose of all of that force and pressure, after all).

My administrators are good people doing their best job, right now. It is not always the best job that could be done, potentially. But it is the best job that they know how to do at this point in their careers and lives. I have much confidence that they are in good faith. And, in so many ways, they are very competent at what they do. My principal is the most intelligent person in the building, other than me, and she is likely the most responsible (though the kind of responsibility I've been demonstrating is a something different than I think she is used to demonstrating or dealing with; responsibility to one's conscience is not the most common or popular way to operate, sometimes, and she has, to her credit, been wrestling with her conscience as I wrestle with mine).

The assistant principal for my team of teachers I have more confidence in as a matter of giving people and kids space to both be themselves and make mistakes. She is not as ambitious as either of my other assistant principals, I do not gather. But she is committed to kids in some very profound ways. The final administrator in the building and my other assistant principal is more ambitious, in many ways, but less capable, I think, than either of her colleagues. She prides herself as the tough administrator. But it is that pride that undermines the more genuine development of her abilities, I think. She is a good woman who is very competent in many important ways. I have a lot to learn from her in terms of organization skills and her knowledge of the inner workings of the Kansas City, Kansas and general school bureaucracy. But, sadly, she has not aspired for a stronger standard for her work. Namely, she does not care about kids or people as genuinely as her colleagues. It is a standard that she needs to aspire to if she is going to be a stronger administrator. She could pride herself otherwise. But pride is not real ability.

I care about and even feel a profound sense of respect and love for all of my administrators.

I have been frustrated with what I am clear were very important mistakes they made, this year, in supporting (or not supporting, as the case may be), and, at times, undermining my efforts to be as strong a teacher as I can be, this year, and the efforts of all of the teachers in the building to be as strong as they can be and for students to be as strong as they can be.

But I also respect and appreciate all of them and all of the many very serious and important strengths that they bring to their efforts here at Eisenhower.

Anyway, I just felt like I should say something about how much I really do respect and appreciate my administrators and all of my colleagues, really, even as I have had differences and frustrations with how to handle best a million different issues with teaching and learning from kids.

We all have lots to learn. Me, especially. And it can and always could turn out that I'm wrong about everything I've thought up until this point and that there is more wisdom to be gleemed that I am seeing, at this point. I'm sure there is, actually. For all of us.

Love,
Ben