Blazing New Trails - Connexions

152 CRITICAL ISSUES IN PROMOTING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
and the teachers are like parents to the students because of the amount of time teachers spend
with the students during the school day. She makes the teachers accountable to every single
student in their classrooms. Alpha asks the teachers individually if they would be willing to
teach their own children in their classrooms and in the school in which they are now teaching.
If the answer is no, then the teacher needs to find a way to improve or find another profession.
Principal Alpha stressed that the responsibility is on the teacher if a child cannot learn.
Principal Beta’s reason to go to work is for the children. She wants her teachers to
have the same priority; if they do not, they need to “change their heart or change their location
…. If they are going to be here, we’re going to work for the students.” She considers the
students as her own students. Her passion for her students can be summarized below:
They are just awesome students; they are wonderful students. We have high
expectations. We are in the highest crime rate in the city … maybe in Texas … more
suicides, more incest, more sexual abuse, more of everything. But that doesn’t say that
these students can’t … be the best [emphasis, Principal Beta], and we just expect it, so,
yes, they’re wonderful students. They’re absolutely awesome.
Generally, the teachers shared the principals’ beliefs that all children can learn, that the
students are the number one priority, and that being poor or socially disadvantaged is not an
excuse for underachievement or failure.
Shared Values
Analyzing the results from the values survey, we made some interesting discoveries.
From 18 possible terminal values listed in the Rokeach Values Survey, the top five terminal
values for principal Alpha and Beta showed two values that they have in common: self respect
and true friendship. As for their top five instrumental values from 18 possible choices, Alpha
and Beta had one value in common: honest.
Principal Alpha’s top five terminal values included wisdom, inner harmony, self
respect, salvation and true friendship. Four of five teachers, 80% of the participants, held at
least one of the top five values of Principal Alpha, and two participants held two values also
in the principal’s top five. Only one participant held no top five values similar to Principal
Alpha in School A. In comparison, Principal Beta’s top five values included self respect,
family security, health, true friendship, and equality. Five teachers, 100% of the participants,
held at least one of the top five terminal values of Principal Beta, three participants held two
values, one teacher held three values, and one teacher held four values in the principal’s top
five.
Principal Alpha’s top five instrumental values included loving, intellectual, family
security, health, true friendship, and equality. Four teachers, 80% of the participants, held at
least one of the top five instrumental values of the Principal Alpha, four teachers held two
values, and one teacher held one value also in the principal’s top five. In comparison, to
Alpha, Principal Beta’s top five instrumental values included honest, loyalty, forgiving,
capable, and responsible. Five teachers, 100% of the participants, held at least one of the top
five values of the principal, one participant held three values, and one teacher held two values
also in the principal’s top five.