Update on My Job

It is time I updated all my education friends on what I am experiencing in my role as a School Improvement Facilitator. Two months into my placement on the island, I was reassigned exclusively to the Pacific Island Central School (PICS), given the much larger size of this high school and the significantly greater challenges it faces relative to the other two schools I had been assigned.  PICS has 1,400 students, 73 teachers, four guidance counselors, a librarian, a secretary, and three administrators.  By any standard we might apply in the United States, PICS has serious issues.  A few examples:

• After three years of a new acting principal each year, leadership has been a serious concern.  The current principal was appointed at the beginning of this past year, but had very limited administrative experience to bring to bear on overwhelming problems in all areas of school administration.
• Teacher attendance has been a major problem.  There is no valid method in place to track teacher attendance, nor have consequences been administered to those teachers who are frequently absent, who arrive late, or leave early.  The impact is dramatic.  On any given day or period one can walk by classrooms with students gathered around the doorway or sitting under the trees on campus because their teachers are absent.
• Certainly by U.S. standards, PICS budget is inadequate.  Of equal concern, there have been no budgeting procedures in place to ensure that what limited funds are available are well spent to support PICS educational mission.
• My numerous teacher observations to date suggest the need for extensive teacher training.  Lessons are dominated by teacher lecture and/or uninspired use of textbooks, with little student engagement.
• Teaching materials and equipment are inadequate.  There is no working computer lab for student use.  There are no operating science labs; thus science has been taught from a textbook.  There are only enough textbooks to provide classroom sets, and many of these are out-dated or ill-advised given content or language limitations.
• There is a battery of standardized tests administered to students in core subject areas.  Results are dismal, with a large majority of students falling in the “below” or “well below” minimum competency levels.  This, however, is due in large measure to the lack of alignment between test and lesson content.
• The condition of PICS classrooms and campus is seriously deficient.  Despite its 25 buildings, PICS has no permanently assigned maintenance or custodial staff.  Some classrooms are unusable because of insect infestation.  Two buildings have been without electricity for months, water damage is evident in most buildings, and classrooms suffer from worn out chalkboards, student furniture in disrepair, and insufficient lighting.  Bathrooms at minimum are unpleasant, in many cases, a health hazard.  The grounds have been neglected, as have the exterior of the buildings where graffiti and vandalism are widespread.

While the picture I paint is pretty bleak, I would also point to some fairly significant changes underway which suggest we have begun to turn the corner.  Again, some examples:

• Perhaps most importantly, my sense is that I entered this picture at a “rock bottom” point where most stakeholders pretty much agreed that the current state of affairs was unacceptable.  It is certainly easier to bring about change when there is a critical mass of people who have accepted the need.  Chief among those are the building administrators.  They have been willing to listen and have been receptive to suggested changes in processes and procedures.  We now have an Administrative Council meeting weekly that includes an established agenda and minutes detailing accountability for actions taken.  We have established an action plan for the issues that must be addressed this summer prior to the start of school.  While agonizingly slow, such focus has resulted in some modest change.  As an example, we developed an action plan for our guidance office staff which will result in their move to more adequate facilities and more focused expectations for their work.   We are also in the process of buying the equipment and establishing the procedures necessary to accurately record and monitor teacher attendance.  Getting the electricity restored, establishing more productive leadership from department chairs, and addressing maintenance issues are other priorities getting some attention.
• Equally important to changes at PICS is the appointment of a new Director of Education for Pohnpei.  He has read my detailed report with regard to PICS and has made our school one of his priorities going forward.  Given his position and determination to address the issues, I am seeing renewed vigor.  Modest maintenance issues are currently being addressed, as is the condition of the campus.  There are two thrusts—what can we do immediately before school starts to prepare for a new year, and equally important, what long-range changes must be made in the governing structure and budgeting that will allow for sustained change over time.
• With the help of a local Congressman, we have received a grant for a classroom set of computers.  We are in the process of retrofitting a classroom to become a new computer lab.
• Three of our buildings have been identified for extensive maintenance and repair by the State Department responsible for such work.  Scheduling of this work is still a bit uncertain, but the good news is that it is expected to begin soon.

My role as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer has also allowed me to pursue a couple of other educational leadership initiatives.

• I developed a proposal for a Principals’ Academy, the first phase of which was a three-day retreat for 20 principals, which took place earlier in July.  It focused on the essential qualities of effective building leaders, classroom observation skills, and developing goals to address management issues.  All in all, the event was well received, and I hope to extend it to the remaining principals on the island.  I also hope to extend it to include on-going leadership training throughout my stay.
• I have coordinated an effort on behalf of all the Peace Corps School Improvement Volunteers on the island to develop a dialogue with all the significant players in FSM education.  Our various reports have all pointed to some systemic issues that go beyond what can be addressed at the individual school level.  We have drafted some recommendations and hope to bring together the State and National FSM Departments of Education, the Joint Economic Management Committee which oversees most of the school funding, the College of Micronesia, the U.S. Embassy, and the Peace Corps.  Interest has been expressed by some key players which we hope will translate into some ongoing dialogue.

So, how does all this affect me personally?  To be truthful, it has been a humbling experience.  I can bring to bear my own years of experience in school leadership, but I have come to recognize that such experience was in a totally different context and is not always transferable.  During the last four months I have not only been in the business of trying to expand the thinking of others; those others have (gently) helped me broaden my own perspective.  I have learned to accept different ways of looking at and responding to problems.  In short, the gain has been mutual.  Such is the Peace Corps experience. 

The bell system--an empty propane tank and a hammer..

Above and below-- couple of favorite teachers!

Above and below--evidence of work to be done.

On another even more important note!  Lin will be arriving in three days.  Obviously, I can’t wait!  For this blog, it will mean the addition of another perspective.  We will all benefit from that.  Stay tuned!