Assistant principals deal with such duplication issues. In general, hu-
manities teachers fall into the “Let’s keep running paper through” method
of “fixing” machines. Science and math teachers, the tinkerers, try to
fix machines by taking them apart. An assistant principal of math and
science went into his office one day to find his department’s photocopy
machine in hundreds of pieces with one of his teachers trying to put it
back together.
The effective department or grade level leader needs to learn to fix the
duplication machines assigned to her office. This isn’t hard to do. She
reads the manual on how to clear jams and reset the machines. Her teach-
ers won’t care how she does it, but will appreciate that fixing their needed
machines is one of her priorities.
The department or grade leader should also run a workshop with demon-
strations on how to properly use the machines. This will include the admo-
nition that if the machine doesn’t work or becomes stuck, turn it off and get
the leader. If she is not in the office, they should leave a note for her that a
machine needs repair. As soon as she sees the note, she repairs the machine
(or calls for the repairman if the problem is beyond her mechanical ability).
Teachers feel handicapped if they cannot duplicate materials.
As a principal, you may be able to solve this problem for your depart-
ment supervisors. Principal Valletta of Manhattan High School took a more
global perspective on this issue when she became principal. She found that
every department had a medium volume photocopy machine under repair
contract. These machines, complicated to repair, especially if abused, were
a budgetary stress. Most became obsolete within two years. A new method
of insuring that teachers had access to duplication was needed.
Teachers in New York City are entitled, under contract, to Teacher’s
Choice monies. This is money provided directly to teachers by the district
so they may purchase materials for their classrooms. While the procedure
for doing this has changed several times, the basic principle remains
the same: Any items purchased belong to the school, not the individual
teacher, and are to remain in the school for use by teachers and students. It
is assumed that items such as paper, writing implements, and art materials
would be consumed by students.
Teacher’s Choice was intended to ensure that teachers had all the basic
supplies they needed, as many school administrators were remiss in pro-
viding these. Manhattan High School’s leaders were not among these. No
Be Aware of Workplace Issues 87