In a school learning community, change cannot just be initiated and institutionalized in an instant. As. Willard R. Daggett and Richard D. Jones write in their article that, “The process of improving student performance goes by many different names” (Daggett and Jones 1). Thus, in Chapter 10 of his book, Robert H. Palestini quite quirkily describes the change process “as being like making a U-turn with Queen Elizabeth II” (Palestini 199). Both works make it evident that schools are constantly challenged by school improvement and success for every study. However, Palestini, Daggett and Jones agree that even though change it is difficult, it is necessary to develop school learning communities and improve schools. Daggett and Jones believe that, “School change can occur when guided by leadership” (Daggett and Jones 1) and according to Palestini, to become an effective leader, a “[school] administrator must become a change agent” (Palestini 199) and master ‘the change process.’
The models of change that Palestini, Daggett and Jones present in their respective works tend to vary; however, several coinciding conclusions can be drawn from both works. Daggett and Jones explain that, “Change in schools is dynamic” (Daggett and Jones 1) and from Chapter 10 in Palestini’s book, it can be deduced that this is because of “the dynamic nature of organizational systems” (Palestini 209). In this chapter, Palestini points that when significant change needs to be initiated in educational institutions, both “internal consultants” (administrators, staff, teachers, etc.) and “external consultants” (the community, parents, etc.) must be involved in the change efforts. From Daggett and Jones it must also be emphasized that “the burden [to seek change] is even greater for those in leadership positions” (Daggett and Jones 1). Moreover, while Palestini presents a detailed description of the change process, from building an action plan to implementing organizational changes, Daggett and Jones provide readers with more of a “How to” guide to implement change.
After reading the chapter from Palestini’s book and Daggett and Jones’s article, one thing that is evident is that change is not an event but a process, and the change process can take time to implement. Individuals, both inside and outside the educational institution, play an integral role in accomplishing change. The ultimate destination of implementing change is an educational institution is to reach a new educational idea, but change is not possible until the administrator and internal consultants in an educational institution see the need for change. As Palestini concludes that “Mastering the change process requires a leader to know and understand the steps involved in planning a successful transformation in an organization” (Palestini 244). Thus, Daggett and Jones quite correctly refer to the change process as “school improvement, school reform, school reinvention, and school restructuring” (Daggett and Jones 1).
References
Daggett, W. R., & Jones, R. D. (n.d.). The process of change — why change, what to do, and how to do it. Retrieved from http://www.leadered.com/pdf/Process of change white paper.pdf
Palestini, R. (2011). Educational administration: Leading with mind and heart. (3rd ed.). Estover Road, Plymouth: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
