"Cages of Their Own Design" by Frederic Hess

Principals, particularly in charter schools, think that they are or will be hamstrung by union contracts, policies, and regulations as the conventional wisdom suggests. However, American Enterprise Institute education director Frederick Hess suggests differently in a 2009 article in Educational Leadership.

 

Hess believes that many school leaders are afflicted by “debilitating timidity” that makes them “tepid agents of change.” Principals and superintendents should boldly take advantage of the power they have, says Hess. He describes how principals can do that:

A Major Element in Human Resources: Negotiation. What Can We Learn From the U.S. Army About Negotiation?

Conflict is inevitable in democratic organizations due to divergent views of individuals. Conflict takes place between individuals or groups and arises from disagreements regarding values, responsibilities, and ways of doing things, as well as from competition for scarce resources.

“Negotiation is the most widely used means for settling conflict in organizations and is the least costly in terms of time and money.” (Seyfarth, 252) Simple conflicts could be resolved through negotiations. In their efforts to resolve conflicts with and between teachers, and parents, school leaders negotiate almost every day. They have to be skillful negotiators so they can resolve conflicts relatively quickly to maintain a positive, productive, and vibrant environment.