The Value of Administrators Prepared by the Professional Leadership Committee for MASA. March, 2008 The Professional Leadership Committee of MASA was asked to study the issue of the value of school administrators. We surveyed our membership and looked at the issue in depth. The purpose of this summary is to provide Boards of Education information about the value of administrators to a school district. Below is a summary of key services administrators deliver that may be compromised by the elimination of administrative positions COMMUNITY RELATIONS + Less Public relations/communication/personal touch/visibility at events + Less time to meet parental needs STAFF SERVICES + Less effective teacher supervision and evaluation + Less teacher support in resolving conflicts and disciplinary matters * Less protection (buffer) from outside distractions offered to teachers + Less time for planning professional development/mentoring INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP + Less curriculum oversight/alignment/implementation + Less use of data to improve student achievement + Less time to be proactive or forward thinking + Less time to research/enforce best practice + Less time for collaboration making simplistic top-down decisions more common « With less time to lead, administrators will be relegated to the “tyranny of the urgent” that prevents true school improvement STUDENT SERVICES + Preventative/proactive discipline takes more time, but is more effective + Student safety compromised due to less supervision and less effective communication and policy enforcement + After-school activities may need to be cut/reduced due to lack of staffing + Less time for student mentoring DISTRICT IMPACT + Less time for relationships with students, staff, parents, and community + Revert to “maintenance only” mode ~ just enough to get by + Less accountability across the board as administrators enforce Board policies + School improvement/strategic planning efforts may be put on back burner + Liability issues may increase regarding at-risk or special education students + Possible fines or loss of revenue due to lack of compliance if reports are late Il increase administrative turnover + Certain tasks still need to be performed regardless of size