Table Of ContentDOCUMENT RESUME
EA 023 759
ED 342 128
Fullan. Michael G.; Hargreaves, Andy
AUTHOR
What's Worth Fighting For? Working Together for Your
TITLE
School.
Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement of
INSTI1UTION
the Northeast & Islands, Andover, MA.
Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED),
SPONS AGENCY
Washington, DC.; Ontario Public School Teachers'
Federation, Toronto.
ISBN-1-878234-02-1
REPORT NO
91
PUB DATE
RP-91-002-008
CONTRACT
127p.; The author was commissioned by the Ontario
NOTE
Publtc School Teachers' Federation (OPSTF) to prepare
this report in 1988. The Regional Laboratory for
Educational Improvement of the Northeast and Islands
(RLE:NI) reprinted the report in 1991, with
sponsorship from the Office of Educational Research
and Improvement (OERI).
The Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement
AVAILABLE FROM
of the Northeast & Islands, 300 Brickstone Square,
Suite 900, Andover, MA 01810 (Order no. 9117-09,
$13.00 plus $2.50 shipping and handling; quantity
discounts).
Guides - Non-Classroom Use (055)
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*Collegiality; *Educational Environment; Elementary
DESCRIPTORS
Secondary Education; *Organizational Climate;
*Protessional Develolment; Quality of Working Life;
Teacher Participation; *Work Environment
*Canada
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
Two challenges that face educators--developing
interactive professionalism in the schools, and facilitating teacrc!rs
and principals as change agents--are examined in this book. Chapter 1
examines the following problem areas in educational change: overload;
isolation; "groupthink"; untapped competence; narrow roles; and
failed reform. A holistic understanding of the teacher is presented
in the second chapter, and the social and working conditions of
"total schools" are discussed in chapter 3. The paradox of
individuality and collegiality is examined, showing how they can be
reconciled in order to improve schools. Chapter 4 offers action
guidelines for teachers, principals, and educators. Successful reform
is based on improving teachers and school working conditions, which
in turn leads to student improvement. (82 references) (LMI)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
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V CNIPANTSIENT OF MUTATION
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EDUCATIONAt RESOURCES INFORMATION
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"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MAI EMAL
Improvement of the Northeast
IN OTHER THAN PAPER COPY HAS BEEN
and Islands in association
GRANTED BY
with the Ontario Publk
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RESOURCES
EDUCATIONAL
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INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC):
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BEST COPY AVAILABLE
WHAT'S WORTH FIGHTING FOR?
Working Together For Your School
Michael Fullan
University of Toronto
Andy Hargreaves
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
The Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement
of the Northeast and Islands
in association with
Ontario Public School Teachers' Federation
3
What's Worth Fighting For? Working Together For Your School was
commissioned by the Ontario Public School Teachers' Federation and
edition, we have
was first published in Canada. In publishing the U.S.
chosen to leave the original text intact. In addition to minor
variations between Canadian and U.& spelling and usage, you'll note
U.S. school districts and
some differences between Canadian and
their governing structures. However, the similarities far outweigh the
differences. The authors' observations speak equally well on both
sides of the border.
Published by
The Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement
of the Northeast and Islands
300 Brickstone Square, Suite 900
Andover, Massachusetts 01810
In association with
Ontario Public School Teachers' Federation
1260 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario M5R 2B7
Canada
This publication is sponsored in part by the U.S. Department of
Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, under
pOlication do
contract number RP-91-002-008. The contents of this
other
not necessarily reflect the views of the department or any
agency of the U.S. government.
The Regional Laboratory for Educational Improvement of the
Northeast and Islands is an affirmative action employer.
ISBN No. 1-878234-02-1
Library of Congress No. 91-67681
Cover by Eva Anderson Design
Printed in the U.S.A.
Federation.
0 Copyright 1991, Ontario Public School Teachers'
All rights reserved.
4
FOREWORD
teachers,
One might hope that on a day-to-day basis, students,
excitement fis they learn,
and principals experience challenges and
schools today,
teach, and achieve. But that is ngt the case in our
both
a:coding to reports from around the U.S. For reasons
schools
external and internal to the school environment, many
education; in some schools,
struggle to provide even the basics in
uninspired.
students are unenthused and the staff
of What's Worth
Michael Fullan and Andy Hargreaves, authors
School suggest that
Fighting For? Working Together For Your
stimulating
schoolwide collaboration and communication can create
input often
learning environments. However, a lack of teacher
Hargreaves contend that
hampers efforts to do so. Fullan and
clataroom are
teachers are the locus of change, but if those in the
benefit students, how will such
not involved selecting programs to
The sheer number of teachers makes
programs ever take hold?
education; think of the
this population the strongest force in K-12
together to create
results that might be yielded if teachers acted
change.
likely to emerge,
'Total teachers,' say the authors, "are most
which value,
develop, and prosper in total schools, in schools
expertise of all their
develop, and support the judgement and
improvement." By taking into
teachers in the common quest for
individuals doing the teaching,
account the purpose of teaching, the
overall culture of teaching,
the context in which they teach, and the
of teaching
schools will not only support and develop the purposes
but the imEn behind the teaching as well.
need for teachers
Fullan and Hargreaves do not understate the
and others in order to make headway,
to collaborate with principals
the difference. 'Alone
but they contend it is teachers who will make
that will set (change]
and togetlwr, teaches can ignite the spark
alight." And they must do it now.
' educational laboratory serving New England,
As the regii
New York, Puerto Aim and the Virgin Islands, we are pleased to
publish the U.S. edition of this outstanding book, which both honors
the creativity of and demands action from those who are the very
breath of education: Teachers.
I'd like to offer a special note of thanks to the Ontario Public
School Teachers' Federation for allowing us to make What's Worth
Fighting For? available to educators and others throughout the
United States.
David P. Crandall, Ed.D
Executive Director
The Regional Laboratory for Educational
Improvement of the Northeast and Islands
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Acknowledgements
The Authors
Preface
The Problem
1
1.
3
Overload
5
Isolation
6
Groupthink
10
Untapped Competence
11
Narrowness of Roles
13
Failed Reform
16
Total Teachers
2.
Purpose
25
Person
3 1
Context
37
Total Schools
3.
38
The Culture of Individualism
44
The Power of Collaboration
52
The Problem of Collaboration
Guidelines for Action
4.
63
Guidelines for Teachers
82
Guidelines for Principals
97
Guidelines for School Systems
107
Bibliography
FOREWORD
For Your School is
What's Worth Fighting For? Working Together
and fulfilling places. The
about how to make schools more interesting
and other members of the
monograph is written for teachers, principals
students, parents and the
educational community. It has implications for
community at large.
describe the challenges
Dr. Michael Ful lan and Dr. Andy Hargreaves
developing interacthe pro-
facing educators in the new century as one of
school and system
fessionalism in our schools. Their discussions focus on
The writers admit that
relationships from the perspective of the teacher.
again. It has failed, they pro-
education reform has failed time and time
total
been on the total school and the
pose because the focus has not
teacher as these relate to the learning of students.
that the solutions to creating
Dr. Fullan and Dr. Hargreaves point out
individual and small groups
schools that are professional places rests with
worth fighting for.
of principals and teachers. This is what is
educators to create school
The monograph is a challenge issued to
recommendations for teachers,
environments of their own choosing. The
elicit debate, and pro-
principals and school systems will raise questions,
Worth
first publication in the series What's
mote reflection. Like the
catalyst for action.
Fighting For in the Principalship? it will become a
in different ways. No edu-
Different people will respond to the challenge
responding in light of his or her personal
cator will read the text without
profession.
experiences, beliefs and passion about the
Ontario Public School
This publication was commissioned by the
commitment to explore ef-
Teachers' Federatien as part of its continuing
commissioned study. the recorn-
fective alternatives for our schools. As a
of the authors and do not
mendatims and conclusions are those
necessarily represent OPSTF policy or position.
Federation expresses apprecia-
The Ontario Public School Teachers'
for their outstanding contri-
tion to Michael Fullan and Andy Hargreaves
bution to our profession.
Bill Martin
President
THE AUTHORS
Michael Fullan is Dean of the Faculty
of Education, University of Toronto, and
Professor in Sociology of Education. Prior
to this appointment he was an Assistant
Director (Academic) at The Ontario Insti-
tute for Studies in Education. An innova-
tor and leader in teacher education, he has,
since joining the University of Toronto:
organized a learning consortium of four
school boards and two teacher education
Michael G Fullan
institutions; through The Learning Con-
sortium sponsored three Summer Insti-
University of To-
tutes for cooperafive learning and coaching; and for the
Joint Centre for Teacher De-
ronto in cooperation with OISE, founded a
velopment. As well as these joint projects, he participates as researcher,
consultant, trainer, and policy advisor on a wide range of educational
and
change projects with school systems, teachers' federations, research
development institutes, and government agencies in Canada and interna-
tionally. In June 1990, as the first recipient of the Canadian Association
of Teacher Educators (CATE) Award of Excellence, he was recognized
for "outstanding contribution to his profession and to teacher education"
calibre"
and was seen as a "researcher/scholar/practitioner of the highest
by that organization.
He has published widely on the topic of educational change and re-
The NeW
form. His most recent publication (with S. Stiegelbauer) are
Teachers College Press, U.S.,
Meaning of Educational Change (1991),
Successful School improve-
Cassel ls. U.K., and OISE Press, Canada, and
(in press) Open University Press, U.K.
ment
Andy Hargreaves is Associate Pro-
fessor in Educational Administration and
the Centre for Leadership Development at
the Ontario Institute for Studies in Educa-
tion. Before moving to Canada in 1987. he
taught primary school then lectured at the
universities of Oxford and Warwick in
England. He has been widely involved in
consultation, research and improvement
activities with teacher federations, univer-
Andy Hargreaves
sities, school boards, education Ministries
and charitable foundations on both sides
of the Atlantic. He is in high demand among these groups as a dynamic
and motivational keynote speaker and workshop leader.
The author and editor of some twelve boolLs and monographs in ed-
ucation, he has established an international reputation as a leading author-
ity and innovative thinker in the fields of teacher development, the cuhdre
of the school and educational reform. Among his more recent publica-
tions are Changing Teachers (Teacher's Co Hew: Press, New York and
Cassells, London, forthcoming), Curriculum and Assessment Reform (To-
ronto, OISE Press and Milton Keynes, Open University Press, 1989) and
Rights of Passage (with Lorna Earl, Toronto. Queens Printer, 1990). His
writing about teachers and schools, like all his other work with teachers.
is characterized by a closeness to and respect for their words and their
work.
