Texas STaR Chart - Opinion Piece

I would like to discuss the area of Administration and Support. To me these area seems to be a weak area in terms of accurately representing a campus. If the campus has a weak administrator it matters little how strong the staff is. The lack of leadership and subsequent breakdown in communication between the weak administrator and strong staff will cause a dip in STaR chart numbers despite the majority of the educators on that campus being technologically strong. It matters very little if the District has strong policies in place. The principal is the access point to the campus and, if that access point is closed, any positive attempt at change will stall there. That is why it is absolutely crucial for administrators to be on top of their game, promote positive change, provide opportunities for staff, and be a positive role model for everyone. It has been my experience that there is a certain sense of learned helplessness in a staff that perceives their administrator as not being interested or "on board" with a plan coming down to them from Central Office.