Gerald W. Smith Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

Gerald W. Smitj~ 85
think you have the kind of support you want, I like the faculty to ifeel
that way. I
Q. In other words, what I hear you saying -- and this is I-I-QT word
if it isn't accurate, please correct me, is that the primary
administrator needs to be to try to be of
faculty, to the comnunity; and that the concept of
into so often now-a-days, is both distressing and
look upon administration as a discrete career
wself that the job I happen to be in is mine to be exploited and to be
used for purposes, to serve r y own selfish ends rather then the best
interest of others.
A. Yes, I'm af'raid that we're in an era or a cycle in which that emphasis
is the= more than I like to see it. I do not like the concept that there
is faculty and there is admlnistratlon. I think the professional administra-
tor should, first of all, be looked upon as teachers and as faculty members.
P@ concept of administration says that its primary function is to provide
leadership so as to establish and maintain an environment that mkes it pos-
sible for school, day in and day out, to do what the school is supposed to
do, and that is to provide educational experience for the children and youth
that are in the institution.
Q. I'm very glad that we had the chance to spend a little time on developing
this philosophy of yours, Gemy, because this is a key, a rmjor key, to
understanding your career and your objectives. Can we go lrpw to the second. . .
A. Yes, let's go to the second. The second problem at the tire when I
was employed was that the school was not in the best paces with the No~h
Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. They were bging
advised of certain problems which mi&t lead to more drastic action,by the
Nor*th Central if those matters were not corrected. There were two or three
mtters that were related. First of all, it appeared that the North Central
Association felt that the board of education had not given the kind of leader-
ship in its role as a board that would have taken care of the kinds of pro-
blems I spoke about when I went there. Likewise, the North Central Associa-
tion felt that the board was not engaged in sound purchasing practices with
regard to the operation of the school district, so there was a general feeling
that the school district needed to Snprove not only enviroment witbin the
school but its business practices also needed attention. The b
to be guided by a set of policies that were stronger than those
using at the time. So one of the things that I was charged wit
mtter of givhg the board itself firm leadership. Again one
things was that weld had a very open discussion about their c
fPom the North Central and about the kind of relationships th
exist between the borad and superintendant. This discussion
to agreement that f'mm this time on the Board of Education wa
making body that made the basic decisions while dkpending upo
and staff to carry them out and to implement them.
9. How long dLd it take you to brlng about this Mnd of new balanc
t
, or new
equilibrium?
A. It waa~'admst immediate. It was a very easy thing to
say that there was a readiness for it, the board having probably
some bad habits, had gotten into them not by intent but by
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