REMARKS

WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF A RECOMMENDATION FOR DECENTRALIZATION, THIS SPEECH DESCRIBES P.S. 192M IN HARLEM, WHICH IS ADMINISTERED BY AN INDEPENDENT PRINCIPAL WHO IS THE KEY FIGURE IN DETERMINING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION HIS STUDENTS RECEIVE. HOWEVER, A PRINCIPAL USUALLY DOES NOT HAVE THIS FREEDOM AND IS SOMETIMES LIMITED BY THE "BUREAUCRATIC CONSTRAINTS" OF THE CENTRAL OFFICE WHICH MAY CRIPPLE HIS EFFECTIVENESS, HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND HIS IMAGINATIVENESS. THERE IS A NEED FOR A FRAMEWORK IN WHICH DECENTRALIZATION COULD TAKE PLACE AND FOR ESTABLISHED SYSTEMWIDE GUIDELINES, OBJECTIVES, AND STANDARDS WHICH WOULD ENCOURAGE AND PERMIT FLEXIBILITY AND AUTONOMY. VARIOUS TYPES OF DECENTRALIZATION AND COMBINATIONS OF METHODS ARE FEASIBLE. THE ACCOUNTABILITY FACET, WHICH IS NECESSARY IN DECENTRALIZATION PLANS, SHOULD BE STRUCTURED AS A PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL RATHER THAN AS A RATING AND OUGHT TO BE VIEWED AS AN AID TO PROFESSIONAL GROWTH. THERE SHOULD BE SCHOOL-COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, WHICH SHOULD INCLUDE INTERCOMMUNICATION AND USE OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND SHOULD GIVE THE COMMUNITY A ROLE IN SETTING SCHOOL GOALS AND STANDARDS. A PROPOSAL IS MADE FOR A COMMITTEE OF PRINCIPALS TO HELP DEVELOP DECENTRALIZATION PLANS FOR THE PHILADELPHIA SCHOOLS. THIS PAPER WAS DELIVERED AT THE ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE, THE PHILADELPHIA PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION, JUNE 14, 1967. (NH)