Dr. Mark Turner and his business manager Howard Tremble have the capacity to re-awaken the confidence of voters in the management of North Harbor School District. This is evident in the assertion: Turner and Tremble came to the North Harbor after being instrumental in the turn-around of Glass School District (Guthrie, Hart & Ray, 2008). The district, having undergone a series of changes as a result of the rapidly evolving world, has been experiencing problems which have now led to diminished levels of public confidence in the entire management. Several reforms can be implemented to curb these challenges. However, without the confidence of the general public, even the best leaders can end up being despised and denied opportunities to manage and administer the North Harbor School District. Among the proposed strategies for reforms in the school district, there are some specific reforms that are instrumental in restoring the confidence that the voters used to have in their leaders amid changing economic and other circumstances. Some of these reforms require less planning and financial implication thus can readily be achieved in the short run. However, there are other reforms which require strategic planning especially in regard to the extent of financial implication and as such, might take more time to be accomplished. These reforms are discussed in reference to how they will assist in restoring public’s confidence in the management.
Short-Term Reforms
These reforms can readily be implemented without massive involvement of public finances that may alter the budget of the North Harbor School District. Out of the six reforms presented by the author, the following two reforms are deemed appropriate for short-term results.
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Rewards and sanctions for performance - Incentives strengthen ones capacity to perform a particular task. Rewards work in the same way to increase the motivation of an individual. Teachers and other workers are humans and have multiple responsibilities, varied priorities as well as different levels of motivation towards work. Giving incentives to teachers and other stakeholders involved in delivering hands-on responsibilities that facilitate improvement of educational affairs of learners is one way of proving to the public that the management is effective. This strategy does not require long-term planning. It can be accomplished using both financial and other resources that can readily be provided by the management. Since teachers and other members of the supportive staff come from the community, their motivation will easily be communicated to the general public. Similarly, their increased motivation and commitment will be reflected in the short-run in the students’ performance.
Openness to new ideas and people- This strategy invites new ideas, information, suggestions and input from the general public. It is applicable in such a way that it will make it easier for the community to work in close collaboration with the management. This way, the management will be able to identify the most urgent needs of the general public and their priorities in regard to the basic needs that have to be attended both first. Similarly, it increases community confidence and trust in the management because a management that works closely with people, welcoming new ideas is likely to be perceived as trustworthy and honest. Similarly, such kind of collaboration is likely to yield positive outcomes (Smiley, 2014). In this case, all the achievements as well as losses will be owned by both the management and the general public.
Long-Term Reforms
These reforms are relatively demanding in terms of planning and financial involvement. They require a minimum period of at least two years to give out results. From the author’s six suggested reforms, the following are long-term reforms which in the long run can change the impression of the general public towards the management of North Harbor School District.
Concentration of resources near the student- This reform is aimed at benefiting the learner the basic level. It aims at focusing more on the primary needs of individual learners as the core function of the public resources rather than focusing more on other functions that do not affect learning directly such as construction of buildings and salaries. Parents, who form a significant part of the general public, will be able to see results by directly experiencing the relief of the burden involved in catering for their children’s endless needs. This is an easy way through which the management can communicate its care towards the community. In regard to this reform, decisions to do with expenditure of public money should be made to be a responsibility of those closely concerned with day-to-day welfare of the children.
Strategic reliance upon community resources- One way of winning public approval is by resolving the existing differences between education and social service institutions. Thereafter, all the stakeholders from the general community, social service institutions and the management of North Harbor School District can come together and combine all the available resources with a common goal of enhancing the achievement of primary objectives which ensures enhanced access of educational opportunities by all children, including the disadvantaged members of the community.
Conclusion
In summary, the above strategies aimed at reforming North Harbor School District and restoring the confidence and trust of the general public in its services can be suggested by Howard to be implemented in the shortest time possible, especially those that require short-term planning and implementation. They share some features in common. For instance, they all require substantial involvement of the general public at different levels, which is the ultimate way to get the public embrace the strengths and weaknesses of North Harbor School District management. Collective responsibility as suggested by Smiley (2014), is an appropriate way of successfully tackling public problems and challenges.
References
Guthrie, J. W., Hart, C. C., Ray, J. R. (2008). Modern School Business Administration: A Planning Approach (Peabody College Education Leadership Series), 1st Edition . [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780134452128/
Smiley, M. (2014). Future ‐ Looking Collective Responsibility: A Preliminary Analysis. Midwest Studies In Philosophy , 38 (1), 1-11.
