[Ous-lp-rp13] EDAD 6020, Response to Answer for Question # 1

[Matney, Mary]

Tony,

I have to admit that I had some trouble wrapping my brain around the two very different systems: rational & natural at first. I understood the system meanings individually, however didn't completely understand the roles they played in a school system right off the bat. That being said, after reading up on the systems, and particularly your answer, I understand it better now. Your explanation of the systems & how you viewed them at your school made perfect sense to me.

Now to take this information and apply it to being an adminstrator...how will these systems effect our job as a principal? After reading your answer, it is pretty clear to me how each system plays into the four perceptual lenses. Rational systems would clearly be apart of the structural lens with it's specific goals & productivity. Natural systems would fall into more of the Human Resoruces, and possibly even the Symbolic portions, due to it's focus on the people & needs of individuals. To me, Open Systems would fall into the Political category, as it's "regulated by the system" as you explained, and also involving state/federal legislature.

Each of these systems have a role in the schools we work in, and I appreciated the approach you took to explaining how it pertains to your school.


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Tony's Original Answer:


  *   Rational systems might have collectives with the idea that, “even though this may not be right, it has to be done in order to reach the goal”  (ugly)

     *   The goal of passing the end of course exams where the students are not required to actually learn and comprehend, but rather memorize and repeat temporarily

     *   Graduation rates are another example where students are allowed to be 'knots on logs' until the very end and then are somehow miraculously allowed to graduate

     *   Students with IEPs need to have passing grades in order for the school to get paid supplemental income and the rational system gets this done many times by helping the student so much that the student is not being served appropriately

     *   Necessary and appropriate rational systems are; payroll, food service, custodial work, maintenance, etc.

  *   Natural systems are given more freedoms to individual thinking and performance

     *   Administration can allow the teachers to be more influential (more natural) with there instruction.

     *   This can happen with sports and coaching as well.

     *   Parents, students and teachers collaborate naturally when writing IEPs.

     *   In a math classroom, teachers should allow the students to use any method to complete math problems while encouraging them to understand some of the other common ways that could be used.

  *   An open system is self-sustainable (a true system?) that accepts the idea of external influence

     *   The positions (jobs) in a school are regulated by the system itself in a roundabout way.  The people, who are mostly mandated to do so, send their children to school, elect the school board members and expect those members to hire a superintendent that will ensure that positions are filled with quality people (principals, teachers, and such).  Pressures are felt by all involved to do a good job, stemming from the parents desire for their children to be well-served. I feel that many parents lack the understanding of this and therefore feel like it is not possible to affect this system so they develop a negative or non-existent attitude toward the system.

     *   This also happens with the state and federal legislation.  When production seems to not be working (test scores of american students compared to other nations; unprepared workforce produced; etc.), legislators create legislation that changes the system in order to get more favorable results.  Unfortunately, this seems to be more of a ‘guess and check’ approach instead of creative thinking and thoughtfulness.

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