SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 60

(By Senators Plymale, Edgell, Bailey, Green, Hunter, Oliverio, Stollings, Unger, Wells, White, Boley, Guills, Hall and Sprouse)

[Originating in the Committee on Education]
Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the role of principals in public schools of the state .

Whereas, School principals are held accountable by state law for the administrative and instructional supervision of the public school or schools to which they are assigned, including the planning, management, operation and evaluation of the total education program; and
Whereas, The role of principals in assignment, promotion, transfer and dismissal of all personnel assigned to the school or schools under their control is limited to submitting recommendations to the county superintendents; and
Whereas, The state has adopted as a priority the goal of providing well-trained, highly qualified principals for public schools and has made findings that the quality of the principal of a school is one of the most important factors in determining the academic achievement of students; and
Whereas, In the past decade, the role of school principals has become more complex and their primary mission has evolved from instructional leadership to administration of a system of rewards and punishments and serving as inspirational leaders having little real authority to influence behavior; and
Whereas, The expanded workload, complexity and amount of information, chaotic work environment, new federal mandates and changing public expectations for principals as managers leave little time to devote to defining and communicating goals, monitoring and providing feedback on the teaching and learning process, and promoting and emphasizing the importance of professional development; and
Whereas, Principals are pressured by parents, local communities, constituent organizations and state policymakers to be accountable for everything that takes place within their buildings, but the reality of shared decisionmaking necessitates meetings, negotiations and delegation of responsibilities that discourage principals from functioning as effective and efficient leaders; and
Whereas, Principals are held accountable as instructional leaders, but have little time to spend on evaluation, instruction and curriculum, concentrating instead, almost wholly, on reactive management issues such as discipline and public relations while leaving instructional matters to the discretion of teachers; and
Whereas, Education policymakers emphasize substitutes for instructional leadership, including provision of support functions such as technical assistance, incentives, commitment to innovation and technology and assessment of student progress; and
Whereas, School districts tend to divide their organizational structures into three parts: Administration, which includes the superintendent and deputy, principals and assistant principals and teachers; school support, which includes curriculum, professional development and assessment; and operations, which administers personnel, finance and budgeting, and legal and public information functions; and
Whereas, Professionals in administration are held accountable for student achievement, but various individuals in school support control curriculum and how money is spent; and
Whereas, This organizational structure within local school districts means that as professional educators seek career opportunities beyond the classroom, they must choose either an administrative track or a school support track, but cannot choose both. Those entering administration de-emphasize teaching and learning, focusing on administrative competencies and devoting little time or attention to questions of curriculum and professional development, while those in the school support track give little attention to details and demands of day-to-day school operations; and
Whereas, These organizational structures which cause principals to retreat from their traditional role as instructional leaders also are heightened by teacher empowerment movements which tend to regard intervention or oversight by principals as an intrusion on the teachers' professional judgment and prerogatives; and
Whereas, All these factors discourage principals from developing to their fullest capacity as school leaders and from promoting a culture of learning and high expectations within their schools ; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to study the role of principals in public schools of the state; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance's study include principal selection process, principal empowerment, instructional leadership, workload, performance incentives, site-based management and accountability, classroom performance standards, professional development, organizational structures, incentives to attract classroom teachers to serve as principals, school climate and student achievement ; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2008, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.