At 7:30 p.m. the ringing telephone was answered by Sean Jones, school board member. The angry parent had a complaint about the high school principal’s alleged lack of response to a demand that her son be allowed to participate on the school’s basketball team in spite of a low grade. After a meeting to appeal the decision, the principal had refused to allow the student to resume participation on the basketball team until the grade was satisfactory. Sean listened carefully, checked his understanding of the details of the matter, and asked the parent if she had contacted the superintendent about her concern.
After hearing that the parent had not contacted the superintendent, Mr. Jones suggested that she call and set an appointment to speak with the superintendent as soon as possible. Sean further explained that he would also call the superintendent to advise her of the concern. Early the next morning, he alerted the superintendent about the call and the nature of the concern. The superintendent thanked Sean for the notification and advised that a call to the parent would be made as soon as possible.
Mr. Jones called the parent the next evening and learned that the superintendent had contacted her and that a meeting with the principal, parents, student, and superintendent had been scheduled to review the matter the next day. While the parent remained concerned about the principal’s decision, she was appreciative of the response from both the superintendent and Sean.
How did this school board member do? Were the appropriate lines of communication followed? Was he responsive to the parent and student? Did he respect the role of the principal? What school policies would have guided the response to this event?
This story may reveal several very important issues that commonly confront school leaders. Roles on the leadership team, communication practices, and conflict resolution are evident in this scenario. Further, it might be inferred that good communication was maintained and respectful relationships within the team were honored.
You may wish to discuss the scenario presented above with your leadership team. How would this issue be resolved on your team?