Real-Life Decision Making
You are the curriculum director for Maplewood School. You have been directed
to implement a new curriculum. The new curriculum teaches kids to read and
write by getting them involved with more complex ideas. They are encouraged
to read as a problem-solving enterprise.
Although you personally like the new curriculum, it is very controversial.
Almost everybody you talk to has some sort of problem with it. They are all
complaining.
Some of the parents don't like it. They were taught to memorize the
letters of the alphabet, then slowly build up the length of the words that
they could read. They want their kids to be taught the same way. Other parents
have immigrated to your country from distant lands. Their customs are different
from yours, and some of them do not understand the English language very well.
They don't understand what you are trying to do.
Some intellectuals don't like the new curriculum either. They have
published opposing viewpoints and have been quoted on television and in the
newspapers.
Some teachers don't like it. They have been teaching with the old
methods for 20 years. When you introduced this new method, they felt as if
you were saying their methods had been wrong. They are hurt and angry.
Wow! What a dilemma. You think to yourself, "It is my responsibility to
implement this new curriculum and I believe that it is superior to the old
one. I have the authority to do it. I could send out a memo to all teachers
and parents advising them that it will be implemented in the fall. They will
get used to it over time.
"Or I could start a series of meetings and discussions so we can talk about
it. I could arrange for professional development for the teachers so they
will learn to teach the new way. If I schedule all these meetings, it will
be time-consuming and expensive. It will mean that I will have
to work a lot more hours on weekends and evenings."
What do you do?