From the “studies we knew the answers to already” file comes one from the University of Michigan confirming that, when principals could fire teachers, they tended to dismiss the worst ones.
Well, it’s good to know that not all government school employees are dozing on the job.
Of course, this was apparently necessary to assuage union officials’ publicly stated (mongered?) fears that principals instead would fire employees based on personal likes and dislikes or other inter-office politics. In the article, a union leader is quoted as saying principals need “checks and balances.” Yes, and those checks and balances should be the people schools serve: students and parents. It appears that, when they can actually do their jobs, principals generally act like other personnel managers: in what they perceive to be their institution’s best interests.
What a concept.
Image by Jake.
