1. Organizational and Governance in
American Education EDU Spring 2013 Semester Thursday, March 14, Chapter Eleven Presentation: “Schools As Political Systems” Presented by: Anyha Lord-Jerris Professor: Dr. Lauren Larsen

2. Overview The myth that public education should be nonpolitical;
The following concepts will be examined:
System shock
Decisional power
The difference between politics, governance, and policy;
A paradigm of educational policymaking – The Stage Model of Policymaking.

3. THE Myth that politics and Education do not mix
Apolitical Myth of Schooling (popular since the early 1900s)
Public schools and politics should be separated;
Politics should not in anyway influence educational decisions;
Schools and people who work there should remain pure and
untainted by the evils of politics.

4. THE Myth that politics and Education do not mix
The Source of the Myth
It is a belief shared by professional educators and the
general public for various reasons.
Professional Educators believe:
1.Being viewed as political they may develop a lack of trust with the public because the public has little confidence in
politics and politicians.
2. Educators should be neutral on a broad range of school
issues such as spending so that it does not appear that they
are advancing their own interests and agendas.
Apolitical myth began in the early 20th century during the
Progressive era amidst political problems such as corrupt contracts, party bosses, and machine politics.

5. The Progressives reformed school politics by removing politics from schools by the following means:
Advocating for smaller school boards
Non-partisian
school board elections
At-large school elections
More credentials for prospective teachers and administrators
University presidents and Deans of education worked together to create a “closed” system
“Closed”, “Apolitical System”

6. Proponents of the “closed system” adopted the Corporate model
Citywide Boards of Education
(Board of Directors)
Superintendents
(Chief Executive Officer)
Principals
(Plant Managers)
Teachers (Workers)
The Corporate Model
Centralized school organization

7. Challenges to the myth System Shock
New groups with different views of schooling challenged professionals;
The groups made their voices heard through board elections and lobbying;
Filing of lawsuits;
System shock is as a result of the belief by critics that public schools are failures.

8. Challenges to the Myth: System Shock
System Regularity refers to set routine (for example of a system routine is a lesson plan)
(Refer to page 232: System regularity uses)
System Regularity Disrupted – System Shock
War, economic depression, or widespread dissatisfaction with government policies;
Major historical example of system shock was the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on desegregation of American schools in 1954);
Horace Mann’s introduction of ideas about free public education;
Introduction of vocational programs in the early 20th century;
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

9. Decisional power
Community support is a major source of political power.
Importance of power is illustrated by two common questions:
1. Why is the music curriculum typically the first to be cut in a budget crunch?
2. Why do coaches become principals more often than other teachers do?

10. Dominance in Decision Making 20th Century
School Boards at the State and Local and legislatures formally made the decisions
The School Boards supported decisions recommended by professionals (Administrators)
Parents accepted the decisions of the professionals therefore there was a support for professional dominance

11. Groups challenging The Dominance of Administrators
Professional Dominance
Parent Organizations
Teachers’ Unions
Ethnic Groups
State & National Governments

12. Challenges of decision Making
Conflict Resolution in Policymaking
Finding methods to resolve conflicts;
Stakeholders seek to impose multiple values on public schools;
Superintendents spend a lot of their time on public relations activities;
New role of administrators “the politician”
Dual Role of Today’s Educational Leaders
Teachers and administrators must simultaneously think and act as educators and politicians.

13. Politics, Governance, and policy
Politics – “refers to the social conflict that develops when groups that differ in values and goals seek to influence public policy”.
Governance – “refers to a constitutional mechanism established to provide a legal, orderly way to resolve political conflicts”.
Policy – “substantive decisions, commitments, and actions made by those who hold or affect government positions of authority, as they are interpreted by various stakeholders”.
Political Conflict
(An Issue(s))
Governance
(Conflict resolved by the state constitution or law)
Policy
(Adopted to Resolve Conflict)

14. Four Questions of Special importance today
What should be taught?
At what age should various subjects be taught?
Who should be permitted to teach?
Who should be accountable for student learning?

15. The stage model of policymaking
The Stage Model of Policymaking – developed by political scientist to describe all the policymaking in the United States. It helps people understand how policymaking occurs.
Policy Stages
Time Stages
Public Dissatisfaction 1
Political Pressure
(Protests, Pressure Group Activity)
Elections: Referendum
School Board 2
Authoritative Decision Making
Interactions of: Legislative Body, Executive
Central Office and Superintendent 3
Public Policy Authorized
Administration/Implementation 4
Evaluation of Policy Effects 5
Impact on Group Concerns 6

16. Conclusion
Implementing school policy is more complicated today than it was 40 to 50 years ago. There are several factors that influence and shape the educational policies that are implemented or rejected. School Administrators must continue to evolve so that they are able to address these challenges in an effective manner.