In the greater Los Angeles area, some 50+ private schools--mostly religious schools--closed down in the past 15 years. That's like 3 to 4 schools per year.
There are a number of reasons for this shocking phenomenon: bad economy, a decline in religious population, a decline in birth rate, and competition from public and charter schools (I dealt with this last point in my dissertation. If anyone wants to know about my findings, let me know.). If I can add one more cause to the demise of private and religious K-12 schools, it is that internal organizational problems are poorly managed by school leaders. Put differently, some schools did not resolve their inefficiencies effectively or swiftly, thereby failing to make necessary changes required for their survival or sustainability.
Now, as a school administrator myself, I know that there is a myriad of small and large problems that school leaders must address every single day. However, I'm not talking about Suzy's scrape, or Irene's incomplete homework, or even Bob's bullying behavior. These are the stuff that will never "go away" in schools: they are simply part of running schools (though quite taxing on administrators and teachers). What I am talking about are the "big" issues: declining student achievement results, emerging competition, positioning your school in a competitive market environment, implementing better compensation structures without weakening school's financial strength, integrating researched-based pedagogical strategies through professional development, etc.
Each school has its unique set of problems. I get that. But, given that some schools "fail" while other "thrive," I think "organizational culture or effectiveness" has something to do with each school's health and sustainability. Some negative organizational culture or DNA I can think of are as follows: (1) a culture of shame: "let's not talk about what's wrong with our school"
(2) a culture of denial: "there's nothing wrong with us... we're doing just fine, thank you"
(3) wishful thinking: "we've faced problems before....things will improve soon"
(4) doom and gloom: "uh, oh...we're in deep trouble; I'm out of here"
(5) blame-shifting: "It's not my fault; it's that new principal who's at fault!" (You can insert any person or position here)
Each school (or organization) must face its problem squarely and honestly. I am convinced that brutal honesty is the best medicine for any organization. Facing the truth is the first step in the right direction. Healthy schools constantly the following Qs:
What are our major problems?
What do parents and students (a.k.a, clients or customers) say about us?
What must be changed?
Which employees should be released?
What programs must be abandoned or adopted?
Which projects will get additional funding for expansion?
These are tough questions. But, surviving and thriving in tough times require answering tough questions. The responsibility of addressing these big questions obviously falls squarely on the shoulders of school leaders.
Many schools that closed down, in my humble opinion, failed to face their problems honestly. Some identified their problems too late. Some simply felt that things will get better in time even though they were doing the same things that didn't work for years. Finger-pointing and throwing-others-under-the-bus were commonly found in dying schools. I think these schools would have fared much better if they were brutally honest in identifying and solving problems.
In a nutshell, honesty is the best policy. That truth applies in all human relations, situations, organizations. After all, what is a school or church or organization but a collection of human relations? The Bible, once again, reminds us that honesty and integrity are not archaic concepts but enduring principles.
How are you doing? How is your organization? Isn't it about time for a check-up? You might want to consider outside professionals or consultants who may see things more objectively than you do. Christian schools should not fear consultants, especially God-fearing professional consultants who take their job seriously. Their expertise might be what you need and, at least, they will confirm your hunches.
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