“pound of flesh” in the resolution. Students, parents, and even the profes-
sionals in a school all seek to justify their words and actions by pointing
fingers at others. What’s a school leader to do? Here are some ways she
could handle the scenarios given above.
In the first scenario, after all parties have presented their viewpoints,
the school leader would apologize publicly to all. It was her procedure for
the Cutting Sweep Day that led to this problem. Her intention had been to
make the school safer for all. She wanted to minimize wandering in the
halls and maximize the number of students in class. She would explain
that untoward incidents tend to happen when students are not where they
are supposed to be, and this sweep was intended to prevent this. Unfor-
tunately, as the deans and school supervisors pick up students who often
cause problems for other students and staff, sometimes those with no
dean’s records are caught in the net, as in this case.
She would go on to explain that since this was her fault, she will cor-
rect the problem—she will talk to Mary’s advanced placement teacher,
explain the problem, and arrange for her to take a makeup test. If Mary
has any future problem, she should come directly to the principal for help.
The principal would give Mary’s mom her private telephone number so
she can call her if she has any future concerns. At this point, the principal
has solved the immediate problem. She took the heat off the dean who
was just following her procedure. She gave the parent and student the
apology they wanted. She made sure the student would not be penalized.
She provided the student and parent with future direct access to her. She
summarized all this on an index card for her parent/student problem file.
Now the principal can take the next step and explain to Mary that had
she not cut class, none of this would have happened. She needs to study for
her tests at home, not sitting on a staircase. The principal could speak to the
parent about having a time and place for Mary to study at home—and the
importance of the school having her work and cell phone number. She could
talk to the dean about checking a child’s previous file when a student is
caught in a sweep—and if there is no past record, dealing with the issue on
a more individualized basis. Finally, she would initiate a program to obtain
all parent work and cell phone numbers for the school files.
The second scenario, in today’s New York City Department of Educa-
tion and possibly in other school districts, is far more serious. The parent
46 Chapter 4