to see its imperfections—a tile slightly misshapen or a color not quite the
right hue. You see the dings and chips of time and maybe an entire tile miss-
ing. But if you begin to back away, you again see what seems to be a perfect
work of art. Up close, you may be tempted to fix the imperfections—to
replace or repair the errant tiles. However, if you do so, the beauty of the
original might be marred by the changes intended to improve it.
A school is like a mosaic. It is composed of students, teachers, guidance
counselors, social workers, paraprofessionals, aides, security agents, caf-
eteria workers, custodial workers, volunteers, and school leaders. There
are innumerable policies, procedures, regulations, handbooks, newslet-
ters, and memos surrounding all these people and governing or explaining
the school’s workings. All of this is housed in a building with plumbing,
heating, and electrical systems. A person entering a school forms an
immediate impression based on the overall ambience experienced. This
impression—based on a greeting received; the smiles or frowns on the
faces of students; the professional or unprofessional demeanor of staff;
the look of the halls, walls, and bulletin boards; and the interactions with
various people in the school—is usually correct.
A principal walking through her school gathers a more informed im-
pression, based on the instruction she sees in the classrooms she passes,
the manner in which staff interacts with students and students interact
with each other, the general order of the place. She knows if the school is
working for her students and staff.
As Ms. Valletta made her walkabouts through the halls of Manhattan
High, she always had a good feeling—the mosaic that was her school was
beautiful. However, when she looked closer, she could see the imperfec-
tions: the weaknesses of a particular teacher, the decrepitude of the an-
cient heating system, the shortcomings of an assistant principal. She was
tempted to fix myriad little things to make her school better. At this point,
she remembered the mosaic. If she replaced a less-than-stellar teacher,
what repercussions would this have on the rest of the department or the
entire school? Would the replacement be any better? If she went all out
with the powers that be to have the heating system updated, would the
work involve smashing down classroom walls and disrupting instruction
for many months?
The mosaic of a school is the sum of its details. A school leader must al-
ways remember that tinkering with any detail has multiple repercussions,
Mind the Details 169