Timing and Urgency
The Door Question-The problem had risen due to the rise in insecurity in the learning institution. Hence, the previous principal, Weis told the vice principal to instruct the teachers to close all the doors of the houses to prevent outsiders from coming in. The solution was understandable, but it limited the distinctiveness and autonomy of the houses (Gabarro, 1983). David King should thus consider seeking a better remedy such as appointing security guards instead of closing the doors.
The Avoidance of Dealing with Conflict-The challenge is closely related to the door question. It involves improving the security within the school owing to the cases of violence and attacks from outsiders. Children and teachers needed to learn how to handle their differences and a stringent security system was required.
Smith and Perkins-The issue of Burtram Perkins had developed a split in the faculty with some supporting his continued stay in the learning institution owing to his dedication while others wanted him to leave because of his poor performance. With threats flaring in the air about sending complaints to the regional accreditation council to report the matter, King had to find a quick remedy to the problem. Smith, on the other hand, was threatening to resign as the vice principal. If he did so, King would have to fill in his position and the workload would be hectic (Gabarro, 1983).
Important
The Dula-Carver Conflict-The issue arose due to a simple misunderstanding during the faculty meeting. Tempers flared and words were exchanged between Carver and Dula who are two prominent teachers in the school. Hence, the matter needed to be handled before it further escalated.
The Housing Concept-The learning strategy had been the backbone of Robert F. Kennedy High School. However, due to the reduction in teachers, the previous principal had to cover for the loss by increasing the duties of the educators to cover more courses in different houses (Gabarro, 1983). The children also found themselves learning various subjects. Therefore, David King had to look for new teachers to sustain the housing concept.
The Lack of Role Definition-The challenge is closely related to the disintegration of the housing concept. The school needed more tutors to delegate the additional work that the current teachers had. Through this, the educators would acquire defined roles.
The Need to Integrate the Housemasters and Department Heads-There seemed to be a prevailing tension amongst the faculty members concerning how they did their job. For example, the issue of Perkins counted for the largest dispute amongst the staff members. Also, the lack of diversity in the faculty raised a potential difficulty since the school did not have any Spanish teacher and almost a third of the kids spoke Spanish (Gabarro, 1983).
Reference
Gabarro J. (1983). Robert F. Kennedy High School. Harvard Business School.
