Reply to Jeanne's comment

Reply to Jeanne's comment: Rules and regulations are black and white. In program administration, there has to be gray areas that allow for flexibility. Situations will present itself that require additional consideration. The limitations of set rules and regulations are helpful in the way that it offers guidelines for administrators to have as a baseline. It's important for administrators to have experience as teachers to anticipate what the gray areas might look like. It is also a recommendation to have a committee of teachers involved in this process to add ideas, experiences, and other pertinent knowledge to the overall planning.
Regarding the political arena, I sincerely wish that education was not linked to this aspect of bureaucracy,but it definitely is strongly attached. One major frustration is what you stated in your comment/question: policymakers are directing laws and practices without any consideration to include professional input. Programs are helpless and fall victim to these decisions. Right now, the furlough situation with teachers is causing chaos for working families. The affect of Gov. Lingle's decision is impacting a larger group of people. One decision has a way of compounding so much more as time progresses. In the longrun, the cost might be more than the deficit itself.
I am totally supportive of my staff speaking out on behalf of issues. The only critical piece is that the message they are advocating for it in alignment with what the agency or the program is focused on. It would be uncomfortable for the teachers to be airing their thoughts opposite of the program. I've seen it happen with union division and it can cause a great deal of dysfunction between teachers and administration. In my experience as an administrator, the voice of reason has been collectively similar with regards to teachers and administrators. Before taking any sides, it's important for teachers and administrators to discuss issues to share thoughts, facts, and conclusions. From that point, staff hopefully can reach a shared vision to focus on and advocate as one voice. Historically, this seems to be the best way of approaching lawmakers. Being separate in our efforts has proven to be unsuccessful.