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it anyway. Eireryone Seems to come on hoard. And those that don ,, ,r,cr i,a,.e to do it
an: y\vay." Some noted that the size of the staff was an asset in that ''no one can hidem' a belief
that it \\;as difficult for anyone to avoid the scrutiny of administrators and collea~ues.
In short. according to one educator, "choosing not to change was never an option."
B U ~ this is not to suggest that il was easy to take on the added tasks of 2272. 'They never take
~ihing anray. The plate just keeps getting fuller." said one respondent, echoing a common
theme among participants. As Crandel et al. (1986) describe it "planning for, implementing,
and institutionalizing a significant change usually consumes an inordinate amount of time.
School people are already busy and rarely in a position to delegate or drop some of their
,ponsihilities while they take on new ones" (p. 42).
Moi~cjt. Teaching staff and several administrators expressed satisfaction with past
efforts to garner grant money for implementation activities. This was important in that
teachers "u.ere nrilling to put in the timev if the district had made a good-faith effort to pay
[hem. A \upcrintendenr u.as thankful his district had been able to "buy some time at nisht and
in the sunlmers." %lost \!.ere fearful that this \\yell would run dry as economic conditioners
u,cjrsencd. There n.aK little surprise that HF 2272 appeared to be one more un-funded mandate
handed d(1u.n hit legi\larors who some teaching staff saw as uncaring or unknowing. Sirotnik
120021 shou-ed little patience ivith state policymakers ~ ?ho want reform but want it cost-free.
The puhlic. he said. should not let politicians off the hook: "the gap between what politicians
;~nd poli~\~makers my they wan( for puhlic education and the actual mustering of will.
commitment. and resources necessary to do something authentic about it" (p. 67 1) is
son~ctimcs vcrv npide. It is unreulistic. he susgests. to expect deep reform n'ithout
~~ndcra*riting tllc c;lp;sity-huildillf necessary to achieve it.
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