Whom We Find in Schools

The composition of the leaders who set school agendas, policies, and procedures is an interesting aspect of these public institutions. In general, we recognize two groups of people who participate in schooling as adults. There are those who liked school or were successful in school; individuals in this group tend to advocate schools that reflect their experience. There are those who did not like or succeed in school; these individuals tend to advocate different organizations and different types of teaching than they experienced. In many cases, those who were not successful also advocate for students and form strong relationships with them. While this is an oversimplification of the nature of these groups and the composition of educators, it is noteworthy that both groups include individuals who value school enough that they want to work there and support today’s students. The perceptions, experiences, and biases of individuals who never return to school in any capacity are silent in the design of schools.