acceptance of such a proposal by all parties is not a given. Acceptance is
far more likely in a school with a good ambience and where faculty, the
union, and the administration work together and respect one another.
Department programming is complicated. However, as far as each
teacher is concerned, the programming of schedules, rooms, and classes
is not an academic puzzle for the assistant principal to work out, but a
prerequisite for him to have a good school year.
Once a school leader gets to know the teachers he supervises better,
he can refine the preference form in figure 7.1 to ask teachers to indicate
which of the three items is the most important to them: schedule, room,
or classes. This will provide more flexibility to the task of programming.
If he honors one teacher’s room preference, for example, he will have to
worry less about her schedule or class preferences.
How should an assistant principal or department chair distribute pro-
grams to teachers? In some schools, teacher program creation is shrouded
in secrecy and the first inkling a teacher has of his program is the official
form he finds in his mailbox. This is asking for trouble.
People are more important than paper. Before this school leader puts any
official schedule in a mailbox, she should speak with each teacher and dis-
cuss what his program will probably be. She will try to honor each teacher’s
“main” preference and, to a large extent, most of the preferences given.
On those rare occasions where the needs of students and the program
matrix do not permit this, the school leader negotiates. She explains why it
would be difficult to make a change in the projected program without hav-
ing a negative effect on the programs of several other teachers and then
promises that the next semester the teacher will have top priority for all of
his preferences—and she honors her promise. If the negotiation fails, she
tries to make a change that will satisfy the teacher while at the same time
have minimal impact on other programs.
This is time-consuming. But, it will bring those most affected by
the program into program decisions. In the end, it will minimize union
grievances and program angst. Everyone will have at least part of what
he or she wanted. When finalized programs are distributed, there will
be no surprises.
Another teacher issue is accessibility to needed supplies. Teachers are
hoarders and almost every teacher has paper, dry erase pens, erasers, and
Be Aware of Workplace Issues 85