When People Who Can Won't: Perspectives on a Teacher Empowerment Project from an Administrator, a Middle Grades Specialist and an Evaluator

Outcomes of a teacher empowerment project implemented at a middle school are described in this paper, with a focus on the perspectives of a school administrator, a middle schools specialist, and a university faculty evaluator. The purpose of the project was to improve student achievement through establishing a school improvement team. From the assistant principal's point of view, the process was perceived as "crisis intervention." The middle-school specialist focused on teachers' orientations and the resolution of tensions that emerged during the needs assessment process. Tension negotiation was critical in developing and implementing an action plan that established a sense of ownership. The university evaluator attended to the floundering of the school faculty and their need for structure and information, perceiving that a discrepancy existed between the project description and the program in process. A survey of faculty and students differentiated between general sentiment and individual grievances; understanding this difference eventually permitted the team leaders to lead. (13 references) (LMI)