Not every parent will leave the school office satisfied. Sometimes, the
parent will storm out. Mr. Pfizer, the middle school principal, knew where
such a parent was headed and called the district office to speak with the
assistant in charge of guidance, who usually handled parental issues. The
problem was explained and relevant documents scanned and e-mailed.
That the parent went to the superintendent was Mr. Pfizer’s failure,
but giving the district assistant advance warning made it easier for her to
respond. The parent was informed that the principal would be called and
would be directed to handle the matter.
New regulations, policies, or requirements are always a potential source of
confrontation. At the time of enforcement, students or parents can claim
they were never informed, creating a difficult situation for school leaders.
A change in a district’s graduation process is probably one of the most
difficult to address and one Principal Thelen faced early in his career.
Two years after Mr. Thelen became principal, the chancellor of New
York City Public Schools announced a new graduation policy: No student
would be permitted to take part in the June graduation ceremony unless he
or she completed all the graduation requirements. Some schools already
had this policy. Mr. Thelen’s school did not.
Whether students should be allowed to march in the ceremony had been
an issue previously discussed by his Academic Affairs Committee. (State
Department of Education regulations require that each school have such a
committee to decide on course accreditation and graduation issues. Many
school districts require schools to have similar committees.) This com-
mittee was composed of parents, students, teachers, guidance counselors,
and administrators.
Some felt that marching at graduation with one’s class was a once-in-a-
lifetime event and should not be denied to any student—marching did not
mean the student actually received a diploma. Others felt marching but
not receiving a diploma sent students the wrong message and confused
parents. A student needed to earn the right to march by actually earning
a diploma.
In the end, a compromise was reached: Any student within three re-
quirements of graduation would be permitted to march in June. The miss-
ing requirements (any combination of courses or required examinations)
could be met through summer school work.
16 Chapter 2