The Superintendent Zaps A Principal
by
Bruce Conrad Davis
In the film Apocalypse Now Marlon Brando plays Colonel Walter E. Kurtz an officer gone rogue. Kurtz knows how to kill the Viet Cong. His superior officers shun his advice. Kurtz, fed up, disappears in to the jungle. He cobbles together a good guy force of Vietnamese eager to kill Viet Con. His approach drives his superiors nuts. Kurtz doesn’t follow orders. Kurtz has to go. Enter Martin Sheen playing Captain Ben Willard tasked with “terminating Kurtz with extreme prejudice.” Kill Kurtz.The brass will teach this upstart Colonel a final lesson. If Kurtz had adhered to the standard operating procedure of go along to get along this wouldn't be necessary.
It’s a bit of a stretch to compare this with the way it works in a school district. But, like the military, school district office brass want it their way.
Case in point.Tom was a nice man. He’d been a teacher before being promoted to the Principalship of Marshall school. It wasn't long before the Superintendent decided Tom should be canned. If he fired Tom some school staff and perhaps many parents would rise up and cause a stink.What to do?
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The? superintendent implemented a classic switcheroo designed to obfuscate his real intent.
He called Tom to the district office. He told Tom he was creating a new district office position that would streamline the district maintenance department. He felt Tom was uniquely qualified to head up this department. Tom, ever the go along to get along guy thanked his boss.
As a twelve month employee Tom would earn more money. Of course he was working a month longer than he did as a principal. Tom took the bait. Hook line and sinker. Eleven months in to the new job the superintendent told Tom the position was being done away with. There would be nothing for Tom to do at the district office. Every school had a principal so Tom couldn’t return to that position.Tom didn't have tenure.. He was out of a job.
Usually school district office administrators see themselves as several cuts above the troops in the field.They feel beholding to the superintendent and the school board.They are wrong.Their primary responsibility should be providing what schools and? staffs need. This includes meeting the needs of each principal. After all, principals like Brando, are on the front lines. District office personnel exist to support school staffs.