Sticky Issues
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Sticky Issues Archive >
In this section, principals tell how they handled a challenging situation, how some policy that was in place actually worked, and the lessons learned from dealing with these Sticky Issues. Send your stories to principal@osu.edu. Please indicate if we may use your name in the “contributor” credits.
The Levy Failed. Now What?
The May election is over, and the last-ditch levy went down, so now the proposed cuts become real. How do you, as the building principal, keep your school together as your staff is cut and realigned, and life in your school next year will have to change dramatically?
First you need to be sure that you understand, as much as possible, what changes will actually be happening in your building. Be certain that your information is as accurate as possible. Your district's associations/unions may actually be sharing all kinds of news that you may not yet know or that central office does not yet want you to share. Your building's association/union representatives usually have accurate information, so do not make the mistake of contradicting them. If there are inconsistencies, it is generally due to changes that happen as new issues emerge, and it takes a while for everyone to get the same information.
Eventually “the plan” will start to be implemented. If you have staff members who are being laid off, try to be sensitive regarding when and how they are given the official notice. Certainly you will need to follow the contract, but time the notice so that the staff member will have an opportunity to collect himself/herself, if necessary, before being with students. This might mean having someone ready to cover a class for a short time, or schedule a meeting of this sort as close to the end of the day as possible.
During these trying times, try to provide time for staff members to support one another. Encourage staff to share resources about resume writing, possible job openings, professional development opportunities that could lead to special licensure, etc. If there are any kinds of social experiences that you could help provide for your staff, take the opportunity to make them as positive and forward thinking as possible.
As staff members prepare to leave the building, try to make it simple. If possible, help provide them with packing materials such as boxes and tape. If they are moving to another school, make sure that they are taking everything that they should really be taking. This might include such things as teacher manuals if you have sections of grade levels moving. As the room is vacated, you also need to make sure that any resources left there will stay intact, unless there is a real need to reallocate them to existing staff.
At the very end of the year, give the staff time to say their goodbyes and wish each other well. If you can give exiting staff some token of your appreciation for the time and effort in your building, it makes them feel valued. One suggestion might be a picture of the building with staff signatures on the back. Remember above all, to be human and to allow your staff to be human at this very emotional time.
Finally, through this all, you need to really be taking care of yourself or you will not have the perspective and the energy to contain the potential negativity of this whole situation. You will be insanely busy and in demand, but you must make time to breathe, so take Oprah Winfrey’s Dr. Oz’s advice: “Fight stress by deep breathing. As you breathe in, push out your bellybutton so your lungs can fully expand. As you exhale, pull your bellybutton toward your spine.” If necessary, escape to your office and close your door for 2 minutes just to breathe. Remember also to schedule downtime to do fun things with your family, if only for a short time over the weekend. Plant just one pretty planter, or go buy one, and put it someplace that makes you happy. Just do something that gives you a little break—OFTEN!
