As we think about the climate and culture of schools, we must confront the new reality that in the near future, hundreds of new schools will be designed, constructed, inspected, and approved to meet the needs of our nation's children. This reality poses both a challenge and an opportunity for educators at all levels who seek to improve the quality of schooling and ensure a learning culture that replaces failure and fear with achievement and security. Unfortunately, data and research on the new school phenomenon is scarce and, at best, falls short of meeting the growing needs of principals who will either open a new school or lose students to one. Available literature merely provides information on structural and technical topics that are related to new schools' development, such as lighting, the width of hallways, the size of the media center and cafeteria, colors, textiles, materials, play areas, and equipment. Although these topics are important, they are only fragments of a new school's development from conception to a community that is designed for the safe articulation and socialization of students; framed for academic activity and engagement; open and accessible, yet contrived for the protection of staff members and students; responsive to the characteristics and requirements of its learners; and architecturally pleasing, yet practical. The way those involved in developing the new school integrate all the pieces of a new school in terms of suitability, sustainability, and congruence determines to a significant degree how students will experience that school and with what results. Siegel and Byrne (1994) state, "The school which is quintessentially student focused, reflects the thoughtful considerations that were made by those who best know schools and the customers they serve." Specifically, the roles of the principal, community leaders, and district personnel must intersect and they must communicate regularly and be accountable for their decisions.
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5 comments:
New schools do pop up out of the blue. This year alone in my community two new schools popped up out of nowhere and created huge competition for the private school where I work. Sadly parents do not understand about accreditation and look at the newest thing as the best with little regard for what is quality in education.
Ami
Well said, Michael. As an organization with a view to the educating of children, what takes place within the structure is equally as important as the soundness of the structure itself. This district has in the last five years completed the construction of five new schools and as noted by Ami, parents look only to the newness of these structures and contend that the climate and culture of the school is conducive to learning.
It is the responsibility of educators to provide this climate, to ensure a learning culture that as Michael stated, "replaces failure with achievement and security".
Michael,
The new school phenomenon is taking on all kinds of different meanings. Everyone wants access to the best doctors, dentist, lawyers, hairdresser etc., so why should schools be any different? People want the best, most effective school for their child, which is understandable. What people seem to fail to realize is that no school or organization can run at top performance without the support of the community stakeholders.
-Linda Duran-LaHodny
A new, modern, pretty building is not a new school. What takes place inside the building: the services, curriculum, context, procedures, and policies are what makes up a new school.
New schools or transforming schools is an idea that my rural district has decided to offer in order to compete with local private schools. We now offer four options in addition to regular, traditional schools: technology, arts, inquiry, and year round. Hopefully these programs will meet the needs of the community and students.
Christina
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