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Clloll,~c 1)j-ncesX. It b'as difficult to recognize much difference betkccll rlrnple teacner
I-rsistance and the 131.fer issue of dealing with change. Change resistance was more likely to
recognized as an issue by administration than by teaching staff Several administrators
spoke at length about the change process and the preparation the administration had
undertaken as critical to makin: the mandates meaningful for their teachers and the district.
One superintendent believed his district had benefited from talking about the change process
rly on and even going so far as to give the various stages of change names such as "gief
and denial." But he also realized that not everyone would handle the implementation process.
The decision was sometimes made to "not water the rocks." Rather time was spent "watering
the flo\j7ers. because the plants will grow. Don't waste your water on rocks."
Tccrc.llc~r- rrrr-r~o\~er-. A final barrier to implementation that administrators in small
districts described was that of retention of teachers. "I've had five resource teachers in five
years." one administrator asserted. underscoring a problem of both attracting and retaining
L'OOJ rc.ac.hc.r\. This \!.as c\pccially prohleniatic in the math and science areas. Teachers and
~~~lmini~tsator~ alike expressed concern for the quality of applicants attracted to their small
Ji\tricts in 1hc.c highly sought after academic fields. To make matters worse. the time spent
in-\cr\i~ing tllcse educators onlv to have them leave and hire aeain a !'ear ort\vo later\"as
clpcn\i\ec, rlisrupt il-e and in nome ways made it necessary to stan the implementation Process
st;ln ;I]] o\.er again. *.I worry ahout settins people to come here" and "math and science
people ;Ire cspecisll!. difficult for us to attmct ;md keep" Were common concerns for district
~~~l~linis~r;~~ors. k,rnmcr srlperinrendent in one of the districts put it bluntly: "Sometimes you
just ncetl :I h,d,,. . TIlc hc,pe that a stmnp nientorin~ program might inl~roye marsinn'
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