Ms. Hulbert is a new principal at Buchanan Elementary School, which has a substantial number of students who are underperforming and unable to meet educational standards. The primary dilemma of the case lies in the complete resistance on the part of the faculty to Ms. Hulbert’s intention to change the school’s teaching practices to achieve improvement.
The main problem is complicated by additional issues, including teachers’ skepticism towards a new leader and their extreme confidence in the negative outcome of any changes. These problems form the major conflict of the case, namely, teachers have a hostile attitude towards Ms. Hulbert, her propositions, and the idea of reforming the school in general. The involved leader has managed to effectively establish contact with the faculty. Yet, there is a lack of motivation on the part of teachers, and Ms. Hulbert could introduce certain benefits for engagement with her plan to stimulate the proactive behavior of the faculty.
One of the alternative action plans would be to completely replace those teachers who are not motivated and thus remove the necessity to transform school culture. This plan would allow Ms. Hulbert to quickly reshape the teaching practices at school, which in turn would lead to improved performance. Such a method will be relevant and extremely plausible if the principal continues to face teachers’ inappropriate and unmotivated conduct.
I would choose to replace the faculty since their unwillingness to deliver on their professional obligations hinders students’ right to receive a proper education. One of the possible negative outcomes of this approach is the risk that the students will not welcome the new teachers with due respect and will not be cooperative. Yet, this could be resolved with stricter discipline and punishment for misbehavior. The method will help the school achieve the desired result because it will rely on the latest practices and a motivated team.
Contextual variables affecting the issue are the teacher’s learned helplessness and their disregard for innovation which impede the process of turning the school into a positive direction. The plan of removing these variables by replacing the faculty does not require any external party’s assistance.
The case taught me the importance of hiring only motivated people and the significance of innovation. I can apply the lessons derived from the case in different contexts, including the professional one, by choosing only those candidates for a position who is not afraid of changes.