ADVERSE EMPLOYMENT ACTIONS AND PUBLIC SCHOOL ...

2002). Due to the poor relationships between administrators and their constituency, few believed
in their efforts at their schools, and in situations requiring decision making few supported the
administrative choice (Sacken, 1996). There were other more reprehensible forms of misconduct
that Sacken (1996) identified. Luckily, those cases did not constitute the majority of adverse
employment action cases that were reviewed.
Finally, a vein of literature was discovered during the process that pointed to the need for
greater employment of professional development for struggling school administrators (Daresh,
2004; Deluca et al., 1997; Lemley, 1997; Raisch & Rogus, 1995). Each different work of
research noted the absence of scholarly research on professional development for school
administrators at risk to suffer an adverse employment action. Moreover, each also identified the
need for mentoring for struggling administrators (Daresh, 2004; Deluca et al., 1997; Lemley,
1997; Raisch & Rogus, 1995). Implementation of support models for struggling school
administrators, while logical, was not standard for all school systems. Confusion also existed
over the nature of mentoring as numerous superintendents misconstrued reprimand meetings as
mentoring (Daresh, 2004; Deluca et al., 1997; Lemley, 1997; Raisch & Rogus, 1995). What
could be gleaned clearly though, was that the need for professional development for struggling
administrators was great and the reward was also great for those who committed to the program.
In closing, adverse employment actions against school administrators is a realm of study
that has been explored but not with the scrutiny that other areas of education have experienced.
That is to say that the interest in the dismissal of teachers has significantly outweighed that of
school administrators. In order to be successful as a school administrator, an individual must
possess sound knowledge of educational theory and practicum. That knowledge, however, pales
in comparison to the need for basic people skills. Failure to relate well to others was crippling to
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