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Copyright by
Edward Franklin Waggoner Ill
1983

INVOLUNTARY TEACHER TRANSFERS

By

Edward Franklin Waggoner III

A DISSERTATION

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Administration and Curriculum

1983

ABSTRACT
INVOLUNTARY TEACHER TRANSFERS
By

Edward Franklin Waggoner Ill

The purpose of this research is to describe and explain the effects
of involuntary Job reassignment on public school elementary teachers in
one rural school district. Closing schools is no easy task. Neither is
it something that should frighten educators. (Zlosing schools implies
consolidation of school physical plants, and programs, and a reduction of
the teaching staff. The reduction-in-force process of laying off teachers
and recalling them to different grade levels and/or school than their
pnevious job creates emotional stress for those teachers involuntarily
reassigned. School district policies and personnel actions can play a
critical role in alleviating some of the stress for those teachers who are
involuntarily'reassigned.

This research was conducted using ethnographic framework methods
which included: (1) direct participant observation in classrooms; (2)
interviews with elementary teachers, principals, district office adminis-
'trators, and school board members; and (3)<x>llection of formal and infor-
mal official and personal documents. ‘The research was conducted primarily
between the end of August and mid-December, 1982. During this time the

researcher spent time almost daily in the field conducting research.

Edward Franklin Waggoner ill

The major findings of this study are: (l) involuntarily reassigned
teachers help each other in a fictive kin-like professional relationship
and experience stress, when split apart, similar to that experienced in a
biological family when a death or divorce occurs; (2) the lack of release
time to help teachers cOpe with physical and emotional aspects of being
involuntarily reassigned exacerbates the stress incurred in the process;
and (3) most involuntarily reassigned teachers do not al low personal

stress, related to their reassignment to affect their behavior in the

classroom.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many people have helped me in completing this research. To them, I
give my sincere appreciation for their faith in me and in the importance
of the research topic.

Dr. James Buschman, as director of my dissertation, is highly commen-
ded for his thoroughness, dedication to the project, constant availabili-
ty, and encouragement. Dr. Ben Bohnhorst, as chairman of my guidance
committee, is to be commended for his continual interest in me as a
person, in the research project, and for the gentle way he offered excel-
lent suggestions for the study. Dr. Lois Bader, Dr. Van Johnson, and Dr.
Charles Blackman, the other members of my guidance committee, all contri-
buted to the success of this research through their genuine
personal interest, advice, and encouragement to pursue the topic and
finish the research.

Appreciation is extended to the North Umpqua School District school
board, district office personnel, principals, and teachers whose help,
cooperation, professionalism, and willingness to be open and share some-
time palnful memories and experiences made this study possible.

I would also like to thank those organizations who financially helped
make this research possible. ltiThe Supreme Council of the Thirty-Third
and Last Degree Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry South-

ern Jurisdiction, LLSJL, my sincere appreciation for your generous two-

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year scholarship. To East Lansing Trinity Church, for its two terms of
financial assistance, when my costs exceeded the projected budget, thank
you for your desire to encourage me in my academic pursuits. To the Sage
Foundation, whose financial assistance in the preparation of my disserta-
tion helped defray the costs of a very expensive part of the research,
thank you for your part in the entire process.

I would be remiss if i failed to thank, most of all, my family
because this was a family project from its inception. To my mother, Ms.
Jessie Hughes, who left her Oregon home, friends, and family for the
better part of two years and came to help in transcribing taped interviews,
proofreading the manuscripts, offering suggestions, and help taking care
of the family, I will be forever grateful. To»my wife, Melba, who even in
the midst of chronic pain typed all but the final dissertation manuscript,
kept the household together, and provided the love and encouragement which
enabled me to see through the dark periods and press on to the finish, my
gratitude is beyond measure. To Edward, Cherry Lynn, Cici, and David, the
four finest children a father could ever hope to have, thank you for your

encouragement and understanding many, many times along the way.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
LIST OF FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii
CHAPTER

I. THE PROBLEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

O
C
C
O
C
d

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Purpose of the Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Problem Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
National Enrollment Decline . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Michigan Enrollment Decline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Effects of the Enrollment Decline . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Need for the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Stress in Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Stress in Reassignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
The Effects of Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IO
importance of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Background of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
The Researcher' 5 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Entry Negotiations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The North Umpqua Public School Demographics . . . . . . 17
Background for the Reduction-in-Force . . . . . . . . . 17
Mode of the Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... . . 27
The Researcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Direct Observation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Triangulation . ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Research Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Delimitations of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Research Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

vi

II. THE PRECEDENTS IN LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Literature Surrounding the Job Reassignment Process
The Process of Corporate Job Reassignment . . . . . . .
Job Relocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Job Relocation Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Methods Used to Alleviate Job Relocation Stress . .
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Process of Teacher Job Reassignment . . . . . . . .
Job Stress in Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Effects of School Closures and Job Reassignment
Responsibility for Helping Teachers Overcome
Reassignment Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A Program for Helping Teachers Overcome
Reassignment Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Role of Professional Colleagues as Family . . .
The Concept of Family . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Family Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Family Support Functions . . . . . . . . . . . .
Professional Colleagues as a Fictive Family . .
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Literature Focused on Methodology . . . . . . . . . .
Why Conduct Ethnographic Research? . . . . . . . . . .
Humanness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Decision-Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ethnography of Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ethnographic Research Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Role of the Ethnographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Techniques of Fieldwork . ..... . . . . . . . .
Research Design Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Validity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reliability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Generalizability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

III. THE PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Purpose of the Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Problem . . . . . . . .
The Pbpulation . . . . . .
Sampling Procedures . . . .
Background . . . . . . . . .
The Selection Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Methods of Data Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Classroom Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Faculty Lounge Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Other Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Data Yield from Observations . . . . . . . . . . . .

vii

57

59
63
63
66
68
68
71
72
73
73
74
75
77
78
79
83
85
91
93
94

96

96
96
97
99
102
102
103
110
110
111
113
113
114

Interviewing . . .
Document Collection
Analysis of the Data .
Limitations of the Study
Research Questions . . .

IV. CHRONOLOGICAL OVERVIEW OF THE CLOSING PROCESS . . . . . . .

Introduction

Chronological Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Planning for School Closure:

September

1981 Through December 15, 1981 . . . . . . .

Implementing the Closure Decision:
December 18, 1981 Through August 30, I982 . . . . . .

A Last

Attempt To Save Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . .

Personnel Movement: The Layoff Process,
February Through April, 1982 . . . . . . . . . . .
Personnel Movement: The Recall Process,
May Through June 10, 1982 . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Personnel Movement:
May Through June 10,.1982 . . . . . . .

The Transition Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Materiel Movement and Custodial Cutbacks:

June I,

1982 Through August 30, 1982 . . . . . . .

Background Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

V. PRESENTATION OF

THE FINDINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Research Question One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pre-Layoff Teacher Stress . . . . . . . .
Fear of Uncertainty . . . . . . . . . .
Premature Forays Into Closing Schools to C a m

Teaching Materiel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Layoff Process Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seniority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interpersonal Relationships Between Colleagues . .
Recall Process Stress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Stress
Stress
Stress
Stress In
Stress in
Stress
Stress
Stress
Stress
Stress

Research Question Two . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

in Requesting a New School . . . . .
in the New Teaching Assignment . . .
in Visiting the New School . . .
Moving Into the New School . . . . . . . . .
Being New . . . . . . . . . . . .
in Not Being Familiar With School Routines

in Being Unfamiliar With the New Curriculum
in Not Feeling Accepted by the Staff . . .

in Not Knowing the Students . . . .
in Not Knowing the Parents .

The Teachers' Union:
North Umpqua Education Association . . . . . . . . . . .

VIII

The Teaching Assignment Process

115
120
121
123
124

125

125
125

127

132
133

136
139

145
148

169
177

179

179
179
I83
184

184
187
187
I90
193
193
195
200
215
219
219
222
226
228
231
233
233

233

District School Administrators . . . . . . .
Building Principals . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Principals' Physical Help in the Spring .
Principals' Physical Help in the Fall . .
Principals' Emotional Help in the Spring ......
Principals' Emotional Help In the Fall . .
Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Teachers' Physical Help In the Spring .
Teachers' Physical Help in the Fall . . .
Teachers' Emotional Help in the Spring . .
Teachers' Emotional Help in the Fall . . .
Family and Friends . . . . . . . . . . .
Family and Friends' Physical Help .
Family and Friends' Emotional Help .
Research Question Three . . . . . . . . .
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Behavorial Signs of Stress in the Classroom: Spring
Behavorial Signs of Stress in the Classroom: Fall .
Teachers' Professional Attitude . . . . . . . . .
Teachers' Professional Skills . . . . . . . . . . .
Teachers' Ceping Mechanisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fleeing . ............ . . . . . . . .
Freezing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .....
Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Teachers' Feelings About Their New Schools
Rivervlew Elementary School . . . . . .
Hillcrest Elementary School . . . . . .
Meadow Elementary School . . . . . . . . . . . .
Teachers' Feelings About How Involuntary ReassIgnments
Affected Them Professionally . . . . . . . ......
Help in Getting Out of the Routine . . . . . . . . .
Help in Evaluating Teaching as a Profession . . . .
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . ......... .

Conclusions From the Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I. THE LACK OF RELEASE TIME FOR INVOLUNTARILY REASSIGNED
TEACHERS TO PREPARE THEIR SCHOOLS AND THEMSELVES FOR
CLOSING AND TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THEIR NEW SCHOOLS
CAUSES STRESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Importance of Release Time . . . . . . . .....
Teachers' Requests for Release Time . .
Principals' Requests for Release Time .
Reasons for Requesting Release Time . .
The Request for Release Time Denied . .
Effects of the Denial for Release Time . . . . . . .
Reasons for the Denial of Release Time . . . . . . . .
District History of Inservice and Release Time . . .
Superintendent Meyers' Philosophy . . . . . . . . .

235
237
237
239
241
244
247
247
250
254
257
262
262
264
266
266
266
268
268
269
272
272
273
276
277
281
281
282
282

284
284
285
285

288
288

288
289
289
290
290
292
295
299
299
299

 

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The Cost of Staff Development . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Community Pressure . . . . . . . ........ . 302
Board Members' Attitude Towards Educators . . . . . . 304
Board-Union Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
2. THE INVOLUNTARILY TRANSFERRED TEACHERS' PERCEPTION
OF THEMSELVES AS LIKE A FAMILY CAN EXPLAIN WHY THEY
WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE MUTUAL SUPPORT TO ONE ANOTHER . . . . . 310
Involuntarily Reassigned Teachers' Perception of
Being Like a Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Involuntarily Reassigned Teachers' Desire for
Social Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
3. PRINCIPALS' HELP GIVEN TO INVOLUNTARILY TRANSFERRED
TEACHERS CAN BE EXPLAINED AS A FUNCTION OF THEIR ROLE
AS PRINCIPAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
4. RELATIVES' HELP GIVEN TO INVOLUNTARILY TRANSFERRED
TEACHERS CAN BE EXPLAINED AS A NORMAL FUNCTION OF A
BIOLOGICAL FAMILY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
5. MOST INVOLUNTARILY REASSIGNED TEACHERS DID NOT
ALLOW THEIR PERSONAL STRESS RELATED TO THE CHANGE TO
AFFECT THE CLASSROOM LEARNING ENVIRONMENT . . . . . . . . . 325
Teacher Self-Reported Disruptive Behavior . . . . . . . . 325
Researcher Observed Lack of Disruptive Behavior . . . . . 326
Factors Accounting for the Lack of Evidential

Stress in Classrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... 329
Teachers' Professional Attitude . . . . . ...... 330
Teachers' Professional Skills . . ...... . . . . 330

Teachers' Ability to Learn From New Situations . . . . 333
Teachers' Positive Feelings About Their New Jobs . . . 334
Teachers' Feelings About Involuntary

Reassignment as a Professional Growth Experience . . . 335

Implications for Further Research . . . . . ........ 336
Implications for Practice .............. . . . 337
Conclusion . . . . . .................... 339
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . ................. . . . . . 342

TABLE

10.
11.

12.

LIST OF TABLES

Michigan Enrollment Trends . . . . . . . . . . . .

Michigan Public School Closures . . . . . . . .
District Enrollment Trends and Projections, K-12
Elementary Building Capacities . . . . . . . .
District Staffing Trends . . . . . . . . . . . .
Student Enrollment vs. Teacher Employment . . .
Teacher Reduction-ln-Force and Recall . .
Reasons for Personnel Change, 1982-83 Staff . .
Degree of Job Change Due to Reassignment . . . .

Research Methods Used . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Research Participants and Methods Used . . . . . .

Teachers' Coping Mechanisms . . . . . . . . . .

xi

Page

18
20
21
22
100
101
101
115
122

274

 

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FIGURE

LIST OF FIGURES

Social Ecological System .

Forms of Organizational Support

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Design Differences

Teacher School Assignments . . . . .

Methodology and Information Types

Classroom Observation Position .

Faculty Lounge Observation Position

School Closing Chronology

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CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM

Introduction

During the 1980's, a common phenomenon In American education is
the closing of underenrolled schools as the student population de-
clines. (Zlosing schools is no easy task. Neither is It something
that should frighten educators” Closing schools implies consolida-
tion of school physical plants, and programs, and a reduction of the
teaching staff. The reduction-in-force process of laying off teach-
ers and recalling them to grade levels and/or schools different than
their previous job creates emotional stress for those teachers invol-
untarily reassigned. School district policies and personnel actions
can play a critical role Iniallevlating some of the stress for those

teachers who are involuntarily reassigned.

Purpose 9: the Research

The purpose of this research is to describe and explain the effects

of involuntary job reassignment on public school elementary teachers in

one rural school district.
Problem Statement

The United States Is in an era of declining public school enroll-

ment, K-12. The 1978 release of the NIE report Decl Ini_ng Enrol Iments:

 

'The Challenge gf_the Coming Decades made the public aware that three

 

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decades of growth for the nation's schools had ended" (Neill, 1979, p.

6).

National Enrol Iment Decline

In the same 1978 NIE report cited above, the most basic finding was
"that annual births have been fal I ing since 1960, with only an occasional
up-swing" (Neill, 1979, p. 6). Nell I, in her analysis of the NIE report,
goes on to say that "regardless of the location or geographic distribu-

tion, however, some demographic changes wI l l affect al I schools" (1979,

p. 7).

Michigan Enrollment Decline

This continuing national trend of declining enrollments Is having
severe effects on the Michigan public education system. The long-term
enrollment trend for Michigan is shown In summary form for grades K-12,
In Table 1.

One of the options for dealing with the declining enrol Iment is
school closings. In Michigan, the number of school closings directly
caused by declining enrol Iments Is increasing. For example, Michigan
publ Ic schools K-12 totaled 3,952 in school year 1975-76; 3,886 in school
year 1976-77; 3,843 In school year 1977-78; and 3,780 In school year
I978-79 (Chung, 1979, p. 17). The Michigan Department of Education seems
1‘0 keep Incomplete records on school closings. From such reports as are
available, however, the percent of school closings from school year 1974-
75. and 1978-79 through 1982-83, can be seen as generally Increasing.
The Michigan Department of Education Research, Evaluation and Assessment
Services recognizes the fol lowing codes as reasons why school districts

wII I not be utilizing a school for Instruction: "Obsolete, Reduced

 

 

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Table 1. Michigan Enrol Iment Trends

 

Change From
Previous Year

Number of Percent

 

 

K-12 Students Change
Total Plus/Minus From Percent of
Year Enrollment Previous Previous 1967-68
Year Year Enrollment

1967-68 2,019,787 -- -- 100.00
1968-69 2,062,301 +42,514 2.1 102.30
1969-70 2,094,714 +32,413 1.6 103.71
1970-71 2,111,354 +16,640 .8 104.53
1971-72 2,141,761 +30,407 1.4 106.04
1972-73 2,123,497 -18,264 -.8 105.13
1973-74 2,088,701 -34,796 -1.6 103.41
1974-75 2,056,449 -32,252 -1.5 101.82
1975-76 2,026,208 -30,241 -1.5 100.31
1976-77 1,989,199 -37,009 -1.8 98.49
1977-78 1,929,505 -59,694 -3.0 95.53
1978-79 1,869,811 -59,694 -3.1 92.57
1979-80 1,804,658 -65,153 -3.5 89.35
1980-81 1,743,677 -60,981 -3.4 86.33
1981-82 1,671,330 -72,347 -4.1 82.75
1982-83 1,668,332 - 2,998 -.2 82.60
Source: Chung, 1979, p. 7 and telephone conversation with Ms. Waldron,

Idichigan Department of Education, April 11, 1983.

 

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Enrollment, Replaced, and Other" (Update of District and Schools for the
School Year (1978-79). Table 2 sumarlzes the total school closures for
school years 1974-1982 for al I of the reasons cited above, and the per-

cent of those closures that are reported by school districts as being due

to enrol Iment decl Ine.

Table 2. Michigan Publ Ic School Closures

 

 

Number of Number Closing Percent Closing

School Schools Due to Enrol 1- Due to Enrol I-
Year Closing ment Decl ine ment Decl Ine

300 166 55%
1982-83 (projected) (projected) (projected)
1981-82 140 105 75%
1980-81 102 62 61%
1979-80 102 74 73%
1978-79 46 20 43%
1974-75 55 15 27%

 

Source: "Update of District and Schools for the School Year 1978-79,

1979-80, 1980-81, 1981-82;" Personal Interview with Mr. Ralph G. Turnbul I,
6 April 1982; and "School CIosure--Update," 1975.

Effects 9_f_ the Enrol Iment Decl Ine

Most districts facing declining enrol Iments have decided that
they have to make decisions In two directions: with regard to
tangible Items such as books, buildings, and busing; and
Intangible Items such as cutting budgets, ending programs,
meeting comnunlty demands, and handling personnel problems
(Fowler, 1980, p. 2).

Thomas believes that "the problems associated with school closures are
not educational; they are human. Educational leaders must be ski I led In

reSpondIng to 'people problems' when faced with fewer and fewer students"

(19E30, p. 21).

In discussing the effects on personnel of school closings, the NASSP
newsletter The Practitioner states that "Reassignment of personnel in
declining enrol Iment districts presents special problems for every cate-
gory of employee" (1981, p. 2). Of school closings, Wholeben says that
they are a "technical Iy complex and emotional Iy volatile Issue" (1980, p.
7). Divoky notes that "more than 500 schools have been closed In the
last five years, and often the business has been botched badly because of
Insensltivlty" (1979, p. 90). Fowler, In speaking about personnel prob-
lems In closing schools, notes that "the most difficult problem that any
school suffering declining enrol Iment must face Is with personnel" (1980,
p. 3). Elsenberger, in looking at ways to ease the trauma of closing
schools, discusses faculty reaction and concludes that "Most teachers
build close personal friendships, and these can be dissolved when a
school Is closed and the faculty dispersed to other bui idings. An addi-
tional area of teacher concern Is dal ly routine living within the school"
(1974, p. 34). Research by Erlandson and Pastor on teacher motivation
and job satisfaction shows that "one of the strongly expressed needs of
teachers In the study--even those with the highest order need strengths--
was, In fact, a lower order need: the desire for close col legial rela-
tionships" (1981, p. 7). Cuban's conclusion, when looking at the empha-
sis educators place on the personnel needs of consolidation and Involun-

tary reassignments says:

Cookbooks for practitioners on how to avoid disastrous commu-

nity conflict, search out 51 1 var linings to gray clouds of

consolidation, and find community uses for empty buildings

dominate the literature. The technical side of the genre

spotlights cohort survival ratios, live births, and a dozen

other means of refining enrol Iment projections. Yet the lit-

erature _o_rl the pol Itlcal Impact 9__f_ fewer students remains thin
[emphasis added] (1979, p. 367).

 

 

 

 

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An NEA opinion poll on teacher job satisfaction seems to confirm the
trend seen in the literature that emphasizes the material aspects of
involuntary teacher transfers:

An estimated 150,000 teachers (7 percent) who were still teach-
Ing In 1980-81 had been Informed by their school system in
1979-80 that they might not be employed the next year. Even
though most them--137,000--were subsequently rehired in the
same school system ....13 have gg_measure‘gi the trauma the
notices caused [emphasis added] (1981, p. 65).

 

Cuban, In discussing the psychological effect on teachers when school

consolidation occurs, says that

when a school Is merged, all teachers with sufficient seniority
to remain In the system must be placed in other schools. ‘The
trauma of such moves for Individuals who have spent five to

twenty-five years in the same building may be shattering (1979,
p. 391).

Lytle echoes Cuban's interest in the teacher's psychological well-being
as he discusses teacher job satisfaction based on a case study, 1978-
79, of Philadelphia Public schools staff reduction:

We seem to have forgotten the importance of the teacher and his

or her job satisfaction as prerequisites of effective schooling.

It would seem obvious that youngsters aren't going to be taught

well (“Tiess their teachers find this work satisfying (1980, p.
702).

Need for the Study

There have been a number of studies conducted on the effects of
declining ennollments on school systems. Issues explored by these stud-
IIes Include: (1) job satisfaction of transferred vs. non-transferred
teachers (Weber, 1975); (2) social and political factors In school clos-
Ings (Faust, 1976); (3) court decisions concerning non-renewal of teacher

contracts (Krltsonls, 1976); (4) bui lding utl I Izatlon and staff redeploy-
ment-s (Poynter, 1976); (5) verbal comnunicatlon patterns with reduction

IrT fkarce (Wagstaff, 1976); (6) methods of determining procedures to

minimize or eliminate difficulties in districts (Burgner, 1977); (7)
Board actions to lessen resistance to change (Burns, 1978); (8) Impact on
staff development (Heitzeg, 1978); (9) role of the elementary principal
Ukallweg, 1978); (10) district planning and strategies for coping (Lam-
bert, 1978); (11) impact of an alternative to teacher layoffs (McCabe,
1978); (12) strategies to deal with problems (Spathelf, 1978); (13)
designing a model for staff reduction (Berryman, 1979); (14) management
styles in districts (Buster, 1979); (15) courses of action for legisla-

tors and educators (Graham, 1979); (16) planning model for faculty reas

slgnments (Enslin, 1980); (17) how transfers affect teacher morale (Kim-
belI, 1980); (18) stress and alienation among teachers (Amodio, 1981);
and (19) teachers' attitudes towards reassignment (Potter, 1981). Yet,

Potter concludes that

although some has been written about the many effects of de-
cl Ining enrol Iment on school faculties, little has been men-
tioned concerning the factors that affect reassigned teachers

and/or the preparation of staff members for new assignments
(1981, p. 1).

Teachers are affected by normal job stress. Coates and Thoresen note
that "while the Incidence of anxiety may be no greater for teachers
than for other professional groups, the possible negative effects on

students could be serious" (1976, p. 161). ‘The process of reassignment

compounds this stress.

S‘I‘r‘ess _I_r1 Teaching

Selye has defined stress as "the nonspecific response of the
body to any demand made upon It" (1974, p. 27). Research conducted
by Sparks concludes that "teaching has become a more demanding and
streassful task" (1979, p. 447). lDillon notes that "schools are

stressful places" (1978, p. 30). In looking at the problem of

 

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stress in teaching and ways of dealing with it, Styles and Cavanagh
conclude that "it fol lows that the person who lives and works In an
environment characterized by excessive stress must pay a high price"
(1977, p. 76). Research conducted by Coates and Thoresen Indicates
that, although teachers normal Iy incur considerable stress in the
classroom situation, "stress and tension, or anxiety, among teachers
represents one area of teacher personality that has remained al I but
Ignored from a cause-and-effect perspective" (1976, p. 160). This
normal Iy stressful situation is exacerbated by the additional stress
lnvol ved in the changes which come about in being Involuntarl Iy
reassigned "to subject areas and/or grade levels for which they have

not had recent training and/or experience." (Potter, 1981, p. 1).

_S_t_r_e_s_§ _I_r_i Reassignment
In research conducted by Sparks, he finds that "the stage Is
set for job-related stress when Involvement In work 15 high, but
feelings of control or power In the work setting are limited" (1979,
p. 448). Gmelch also notes that "the more control we have over a
situation the less stress there Is" (1982, p. 8). In the North
Umpqua School District, which Is the site for this study, reduction-
in-force (RIF) notices, In the form of registered letters, were sent
In March 1982 to those teachers affected. In discussing the effects
Of declining enrol Iments on teachers, Divoky says that "RIF notices
have become a springtime rite In many districts, causing enormous
S‘I‘r‘ess" (1979, p. 88). This is a process over which teachers, even
through their unions, have little control. For example, the teach-

ers ' contract for the North Umpqua schools addresses the Issue of

RlFs and recall in a major section containing fourteen major sub-

sections. The union

recognizes the exclusive right of the Board to determine If a
reduction in personnel Is necessary due to a decrease in
students, educational revisions, or budgetary or financial
considerations (Professional Agreement North Umpqua Board of

Education and Hood County Education Association, 1981-1984, p.
19, section 2.6-A).

In a later subsection, the contract specifies that "When a decrease
in personnel is necessary, the following procedure shall be fol-
lowed: .. . 4. Written notification will be given to the teachers
at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to the effective date of
layoff" (pp. 20-21, section 2.6-J-4). Holllngsworth says of this
phenomenon that "no longer do teachers occupy a secure niche In one
building, grade level, or subject area. ‘Tlmes are changing; teach-
ers must change too" (1981, p. 138). Scharffe, In reporting the
results of one school district's Involuntary teacher reassignments
found that "some teachers found it difficult to adjust" to the new
teaching situation (1979, p. 363). Harlin maintains that when
teachers move to a new environment or change grade levels that
"these events . . . trigger the STRESS phenomenon" (1978, p. 507).
Fleming, In considering the effects of reassignment on students says
that "reassignment of staff creates tension In the schools which
must be abated" (1980, p. 7). So great ls Involuntary reassignment
as a stressor that USA _T_o_g_a_iy_, In the article "Stress in School"
says that "stress and anxiety can result just from anticipation" of
the reassignment (1978, p. 9). Potter concludes that
teacher reassignment Is a complex adjustment about which little

is known. It is therefore Important to look at factors that may

facilitate or impede a reassigned teacher's adjustments to a new
assignment (1981, p. 12).

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Selye notes that although "stress is not something to be avoided)‘

excessive stress can have negative effects in the classroom (1974,

p. 31).

The Effects 91 Stress

Fledler, in his review of research on the effects of stress,
concludes that stress affects "the use of experience and intelli-
gence" and reduces "conceptual and creative thinking" (1979, pp.
644, 646). Harlin, in discussing the effects of stress on teaching,
concludes that "the mental and physical health of teachers can
strongly influence children and their educational experiences"
(1978, p. 507). Fleming, in his reSearch on reassignment stress,
finds that "the stress level affects the classroom performance of
teachers" (1980, p. 7L Youngs, in looking at how stress and anx-
iety affect teachers, says that "high anxiety on the part of teach-
ers may have an undesirable effect on their students and can also
have a negative effect on students' performance" (1978, p. 79).
Forman's research has found that

teacher anxiety has been shown to be related to low pupil/

teacher rapport, pupil anxiety, and low pupil achievement.

Thus negative affective functioning in teachers may be detri-

mental to classroom climate and pupil outcome" (1982, p. 180).
Needle et al., in other research on the effects of teacher stress on
learning, concludes much the same as Forman. They find that

it is not only clear that job stress negatively effects teach-

ers, . . . but job stress also affects the classroom environ-

ment, the teaching/learning process and the attainment of ed-

ucational goals and objectives (1981, p. 180).

Even though the effects of stress on teachers are well documented,

Potter, in surveying research on declining enrol Iments, concludes that

 

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little is mentioned about the problems encountered by teachers
who are reassigned to teaching areas for which they have not had
recent training and/or experience. This is unfortunate since,
these are the teachers who are and will be providing direct
services to students (1981, p. 7).

From the literature, then, there appears to be a lack of research on

what happens to teachers who are involuntarily reassigned.

Importance 91 the §_1’_Ll_dy_

Between 1974 and the date of this study, there appears to be little
change in the literature which points to a lack of research on the
traumatic effects of involuntary teacher transfers. Burke, in his re-
search on the effects of job transfers on employees, says "very little is
known about the ways in which transfer opportunities are received by the
employee" (1974, p. 35). Coates and Thoresen, in their review of fifteen
research projects on teacher stress, notes that "stress and tension, or
anxiety among teachers represents one area of teacher personality that
has remained al I but ignored . . . "(1976, p. 160). Thomas, from his
personal experiences with school closings, finds that "reducing school
staffs is not an economic problem; it is a 'people problem'" (l977, p.
18). Kearney and Sinclair, as a result of their research, maintain that
"the research to date on teacher anxiety suggests that this area is still
at a very early stage of development" (1978, p. 273). Recent research by
Potter on teacher transfers acknowledges that "although teacher reassign-
ment is now being recognized as a problem within education, limited

research has been done in this area" (1981, p. 35).

Background of the Study

This section briefly traces three aspects of the background for this

study. First, the researcher's background and the process of negotiating

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entry is described. Second, the North Umpqua School District's demo-
graphics are briefly described. And, third, the background for the
district's reduction-in-force is presented. Names of participants, the

district, and the location are fictitious.

The Researcher's Background

The researcher has been an educator for twenty years. From 1966
through June, 1981, he worked in Asia in American schools. From 1969
through the present time, he was a secondary school administrator for
grades 5-12 in four different schools in two countries. In June, 1981,
the researcher came to Michigan State University. That summer, the major
concern of educators he talked to was the "pink slisz' The widespread
reduction in force going on in Michigan, as elsewhere, could be traced to
the decline in ennollment being experienced in the public schools. Some
of the teachers whom the researcher knew left the profession. Others
relocated to new teaching jobs both in and out of the state. The re-
searcher became fascinated with this phenomenon as he talked to teachers
over the next nine months.

During that time, the researcher also came into contact with litera-
ture from the field of business which indicated great emphasis on helping
employees with the physical aspects of reassignment (Foster, and Leib-
renz, i977; Wilby, 1981; Industry Week, 1981; Tavernier, 1980; Walker,
1981; Olive et al., 1976; Management Review 1981; M1 lbrandt, 1981; Collie
and DiDomenico, 1980; Zippo, 1980; Miller, 1982). In education, the
emhasis in the literature on the effects of declining enrol Iments seems
11>show that district energies focus on what Thomas calls the "bread and
butter items: cost, transportation, buildings, textbooks, demographics,

and staffing patterns" (1980, p. 21). 'Thomas goes on to indicate that

13

"when closing schools, the welfare of the children is the most important
concern of parents" (1980, p. 21). Maslach finds that, in terms of
stress in education "most of the available research .. . has focused on
the children rather than the staff" (1977, p. 253). ‘Thomas indicates
that "school administrators have an obligation to present information,
give comfort, and provide opportunities to lessen parental anxiety and
concern" (1980, p. 23).

From the literature on teacher reassignment and discussions with
teachers, the researcher came to the conclusion that during and after the
RIF process, little if any consideration was being given to the trauma
those teachers went through. By January, 1982, his concern had grown to
the point where the researcher was looking for a site to conduct research
on the effects on teachers of being involuntarily reassigned during the
RIF process. It was at this point that the researcher was encouraged by

a friend to conduct the research in the North Umpqua School District

where she lived.

£3151 Negotiations

In early March, 1982, the researcher made an appointment with the
North Umpqua Superintendent, Dr. Meyers. The first meeting took place on
March 17, 1982 at his office (FN, Meyers, 3-17-82). 'The research propos-
al and methodology were explained. [Ma Meyers agreed to the research
proposal and enthusiastically'supported the researcher's interest in
conducting the research in the North Umpqua District. He told the re-
searcher he wanted him to meet the school board and administrators, and
gave him the dates and times in April to attend meetings (FN, Meyers, 3-
17-82). At the end of the meeting, he said, "You have my permission to

conduct the research and I will help you in any way I can" (FN, Meyers,

14

3-17-82). On April 4, the researcher cal led Dr. Meyers just to see if
everything was in order. [Ma Meyers told him that he should not attend
the board meeting April 13 and the administrators' meeting April 15 as
planned. He said he was concerned about negative teacher reaction to the
researcher being in the district conducting research on school closings.
"With firing fifty teachers, feelings are running a little high" “0L
Meyers, 4-12-82). He further indicated that he had a meeting with teach-
ers that afternoon and would let the researcher know what they said.
Prior to this, he had asked the researcher to meet with Dr. Irwin, the
school psychologist, to discuss the teachers' feelings concerning the
layoffs, recaI l, and involuntary reassignments. Meyers cal led and said
the "teachers were favorable" to the studyu Dr. Meyers also talked to
the school psychologist, and the psychologist said, "OK." Dr. Meyers
further said that the researcher was to make an appointment with Mr.
Austin, Principal of Rivervlew Elementary School where the researcher
wanted to conduct the research (FN, Meyers, 4-15-82). 'The researcher
called Mr. Austin and arranged for a meeting on April 23, which was the
first date he was available. The next day the researcher called Dr.
Irwin who suggested that he join the meeting with Mr. Austin (FN, Austin,
4-15-82; FN, Irwin, 4-16-82). At the meeting on April 23 both voiced
strong concerns for "teacher feelings both on this staff and the new
teachers coming in" (FN Austin, 4-23-82). At the meeting Mr. Austin gave
his approval for the research and said that he would call after he had a
chance to talk to this staff and the new teachers being reassigned into
the school. He said that the new teachers should be assigned by June,
but may not be until fall. He said, "If it looks good, then I'll have

you come out and meet the staff" (FN, Austin, 4-23-82). In early June,

15

the researcher called Mr..Austin at his request to see if any of the
reassigned teachers were interested in cooperating with the research. He

said that

the teachers are less than lukewarm about the idea, but they
would like to help you. I'll give you their names and you can
cal I them and give them a sel I job. Their names are: Ms.
Scott, Ms. Campbell, Ms. Underwood, Ms. Gilbert, and Ms. Brand.
If it looks like you can do the study after you talk to the
teachers, give me a call and we'll go from there. The teachers
are concerned about the amount of time this will take since they
are coming into a new school with grade levels they have not

taught before, and new curriculum materials (FN, Austin, 6-8-
82).

During June and July 1982, entry negotiation efforts were concen-
trated on contacting the five reassigned teachers and gaining their
agreement to participate in the research. 0n the whole, the effort and
results were disheartening. All of the teachers were on vacation. Ms.
Underwood was on vacation through the end of June. The sixth phone call
reached her and she agreed to a meeting to discuss her potential irnualve-
ment. The fiollowing day, however, she called and said that'H have
though over my involvement with the research project and have decided
that I do not want to participate" (FN, Underwood, 7-8-82). Ms. Brand
was reached on the third phone call. She was somewhat interested, but
real Iy worried about how much time the research would take. She said
that "the change is especially stressful because I have two pre-schoolers
at home. I am going from teaching half-time to teaching ful r~time, and
in a grade I've never taught. Besides, it is a one/two combination" (FN,
Brand, 6-20-82). Three weeks later, when she was asked for an appoint-
flmnt to discuss the research further, she said, "I've done a lot of
thinking about it and I'd rather moH'(FN Brand, 7-14-82). Ms. Gilbert
was on vacation most of June. In July, on the fourth phone call, she was

treached but said, "I am too busy with the change in schools and teaching

16

assignment, so I am not interested" (FN, Gilbert, 7-6-82). Ms. Campbell
was gone much of the summer also. The second phone call reached her and
she said, "I am concerned about the time my involvement in the research
wil I take, but I wil I participate if the other four teachers do" (FN,
Campbell, 6~20-82). 'The fourth phone call reached Ms. Scott. She said,
"i am interested in participating in the research but I am concerned
about the time it wil I take. I am wil ling to meet with you" (FN, Scott,
6-27-82). ‘The meeting went very well. She reconfirmed her desire to
participate in the research by saying several times, "I'm going to help
you" (FN, Scott, 6-30-82).

During the latter part of June and all of July there was no contact
with North Umpqua school district administrators who were on vacation.
Moreover, since the board had not approved the research, nothing could be
done in the district. In August, Dr. Meyers made arrangements for the
researcher to be introduced to the board. The Superintendent's Report

from a board meeting shows that

Dr. Meyers introduced Mr. Ed Waggoner, who will be working with
the North Umpqua School system during the first semester of the
1982-83 school year. Mr. Waggoner is currently working on a
doctorate dissertation on the subject of "Involuntary Transfers
--Effects on Teaching and Teachers)‘ He will be working at the
Rivervlew School with Mr. Austin, Ms. Scott, and Ms. Campbell

(North Umpqua Public Schools Regular Board Meeting Minutes, 8-
17-82).

Thus ended a six months process of district and school entry negotia-
tions. 'The board's approval of the research cleared the way for the
research to begin on the first official teacher work day for the 1982-
83Ischool year which was August 30.

The slow progress made in the entry process and the initial unwill-

it1gness of some people to participate in the study was, in large part, a

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reflection on the stressful nature of the school closing process within

the North Umpqua School District.

The North Umpgua Public School Demggraphics

The North Umpqua Public School District comprises a modern area

of about 125 square miles . . . Included in the area are the

City of North Umpqua and the vil lages of Green Park, Forest

Glen, and Rivervlew. North Umpqua is an interesting smal l city

of about 6,000 people . . . The present population of the total

school district is estimated at about 26,000 people (North

Umpqua Public Schools information brochure, 1982).
The district is part of "ten different townships and three different
counties," explained one district administrator (FN, Ward, 12-8-82, card
1). In its ethnic makeup the K-12 student population is predominantly
Caucasian, with only 2.4 percent reported as either Black, Indian, Asian,
or Hispanic (North Umpqua Fourth Friday Report, 1982). According to the

State Department of Education, al 1 K-12 teachers are reported as Cauca-

sian (Wing, 1983).

Backggound for the Reduction-in-force

Until June, 1982, the district had eight K-5 elementary schools, two
6-8 middle schools, and one 9-12 high school. These schools served 5,220
students. in June, the board closed three elementary schools and laid
off forty-seven teachers as part of an effort to cope with a projected
one million dollar deficit for school year 1982-83 due to dwindling
financial resources caused by enrol Iment declines, economic conditions,
and the corresponding drop in state and local revenue. Table 3,
shows actual district enrol Iment trends from school year 1975-76 through

1982-83. Projected enrol Iment trends are shown for school year 1983-84

through 1986-87.

18

Table 3. District Enrollment Trends and Projections, K-12

 

75-76a 76-77 77-78 78-79 79-80 80-81 81-82 82-83 83-84b 84-85 85-86 86-87

5,978 5,880 5,837 5,711 5,652 5,483 5,220 4,907 4,630 4,400 4,220 4,051

 

Source: aFourth Friday Report, 1975-82; and b"Future School EnrollmentJ'
In Budget Information For 1982-83 School Year, November 30, 1981,
Appendix B.
Comments by board members on the closing issue show strong convic-
tion for the need to close the schools:
it was obvious to me that we were in trouble. My calcula-
tions said roughly $1,000,000 is what we were going to be in
the hole the following year (FN, Olson, 1-19-83, card 5%
The major goal was economics (FN, Palmer, 1-6-83, card 8).
There was a necessity to act fairly aggressively now . . .

there was no choice at that point (FN, Lane, 12-2-82, card 4).
It just really wasn't feasible to keep the schools open

(FN, Nelson, 12-10-82, card 8).
At one time the district was over 6,000. Now we're down to

4,800. We lost 1,200 kids and you've got to make adjustments

(FN, Kennedy, 12-9-82, card 15).

In October, 1981, Dr. Meyers appointed four administrative commit-
tees to make recommendations for budget reductions for SY 82-83 in
the fol lowing areas: "Future school enrol Iment . . . School building
closings . . . Secondary sixth period day[:a CONNITTGG *0 study the
effects of changing the secondary school day from six periods to five
periods]. . .Financial long term planning" (Board of Education Regular
Meeting, October 20, 1981, p. 1083). These committees reported their
findings to the board on December 1, 1981 (Board of Education Regular
Meeting, December 1, 1981, p. 1092). On December 15, 1981 the board took
final action on the committees' recommendations. included In the fifteen
areas of budget reduction for SY 1982-83 were the closing of Forest Glen,

Lakeview, and Green Park elementary schools with a combined net savings

of $217,000, and the reduction in force of ten elementary teachers and

19

twenty-six secondary teachers for a net savings of $360,000 (Board of
Education Regular Meeting, December 15, 1981, p. 1096).

Two issues were involved in the decision to close the schools.
First was maintenance costs. On that issue the board members' comments

were:

The schools we closed served some useful purposes. When I

say useful purpose, I'm talking about the fact that it gets rid of

a lot of overhead . . . we got rid of a couple of schools who were

going to be a maintenance nightmare (FN, Olson, 1-9-83, card 5).

I knew economical ly, we could not afford to keep those

schools and repair them (FN, Palmer, 1-6-83, card 22).

Those schools badly needed major repairs. So it just

would not pay to keep them Open (FN, Nelson, 12-10-82, card 8).

Basical ly, we had severe physical problems with two of those

schools that were closed. Just almost Insurmountable out at

Green Park. Also, Forest Glen was pretty much In the same boat

(FN, Kennedy, 12-9-82, card 4).

The third elementary school which was closed was located in a complex
that also housed a middle school. That elementary school was closed
because the middle school program needed to expand into the elementary
part of the building and because the movement of the elementary children
to other schools would provide economical use of existing empty classroom
space. Board members said that Lakeview Elementary School was closed
because "they needed more room for the middle school operation out there
and it also fit right into their plans (FN, Kennedy, 12-9-82, card 4).
Mr. Olson Indicated that Lakeview had to be closed "in order to make the
whole plan work" (FN Olson, 1-19-83, card 9).

The second issue in closing the schools was that most of the elemen-
tary schools were operating wel l below capacity. Table 4 sumarizes the
student capacity for each of the eight elementary schools as they existed
at the end of school year 1981-82, and the projected enrol Iment for 1982-

83. Forest Glen, Lakeview, and Green Park were the three elementary

schools closed in June, 1982. The board was also definite about the

20

Table 4. Elementary Building Capacities

 

 

SY 81-82 Maximum Projected
School Usage (a) Usage (a) 82-83 Usage (b)
Rivervlew 315 500 398
Meadow 243 350 334
Hillcrest 254 400 374
Woodlawn 244 305 245
Spring Hill 370 525 476
Forest Glen 162 I70 170
Lakeview I78 300 173
Green Park 247 319 234

 

Source: (a)PreI iminary Report of the Building Closing Committee, 2nd Work
Copy, undated.

(blTransition Committee Worksheet #1. OPTIC” #1: January 20.
1982.

issue of unused classroom space in the newer, less costly to maintain
schools. Members realized that there were three schools with excel lent
physical facilities and that each had just a few students in them when
compared to their capacity.

We had three schools with a few here and a few here and a
few here. So it just would not pay to keep them open. There
just wasn't enough in those schools. There was no reason why
they couldn't go into those schools when there was room for
them. We have a beautiful school out athiverview and a decent
school at Spring Hill. And we could put those kids In those
schools (FN, Nelson, 12-10-82, card 8).

We had a perfectly beautiful school at Rivervlew that was
not ful I that had been built to hold a lot more people (FN,
Palmer, 1-6-83, card 8).

Enrollment had been going down for some time with .. . the
same number of schools and they weren't filled. It was obvious
to me that we could close two elementary schools, or three. I

21

knew there were two for sure and possibly three and still be

able to keep class sizes reasonable (FN,()Ison, 1-19-83, card
5).

We had unused capacity at Rivervlew that was a five to six
year old building, a beautiful building. We had classroom seats
available for the kids that were going to be displaced .. . (FN,
Kennedy, 12-9-82, card 4).

As the board looked at reducing teacher personnel costs, there were
two major issues. First, some board members felt that teachers had not
been gradual ly laid off as student enrol Iment declined, so that now a
large layoff was necessary. A comparison of tables 3 and 5 appears to

confirm this issue. Table 5 is based on head count figures and not full

time equivalency (FTE) counts. Therefore, the pupil-teacher ratio (PTR)

Table 5. District Staffing Trends

 

75-76 76-77 77-78 78-79 79-80 80-81 81-82 82-83

--- 296 297 298 301 291 279 232

 

Source: Fourth Friday Report, 2-17-83.

figure in Table 6 is not completely accurate, but gives the reader an
idea of the general ennollment versus teacher hiring trends over the last
seven years. Note that from 1976-77 until 1981-82 there was a general
increase, however small, in the PTR, which confirms some board members'
beliefs. The RIF process, which this study captures, accounts for the
increased PTR between 1981-82 and 1982-83 school years.
Two board members expressed their feelings about the urgent need
'ro reduce the teaching staff commensurate with the enrollment decline:
We have been losing enrol Iment over a five to six year
period. Right on the start, the first few hundred you
can't really do much about except grin and bear Pt. But
you reach a point where the pupil-teacher ratio Is getting
out of whack. It's great for the students, but it's more

than the system can stand, especially under today's
conditions (FN, Kennedy, 12-9-82, card 3).

22

 

 

 

 

 

Table 6. Student Enrollment vs. Teacher Employment
School Students Teachers PTR
Year Enrollment Change Employed Change
1976-77 5,880 296 19.86
1977-78 5,837 -43 297 +1 19.65
1977-78 5,837 297 19.65
1978-79 5,711 -126 298 +1 19.16
1978-79 5,711 298 19.16
i979-80 5,652 -49 301 +3 18.78
1979-80 5,652 301 18.78
1980-81 5,483 -169 . 291 -10 18.84
1980-81 5,483 291 18.84
1981-82 5,220 -263 279 -12 18.71
1981-82 5,220 279 18.71
1982-83 4,907 -313 232 -47 21.15
Source: Fourth Friday Report, 1976-1983.

23

Enrol Iment had been going down for some time with no
cutback on the quantity of teachers for the previous five
to seven years. We were playing "catch-up" for five years
of neglect, of not having steady cut backs on the number of
teachers needed . . . (FN, Olson, 1-19-83, card 5).

The second issue centered around the method used to reduce teacher
personnel costs. In the fall of 1981, the board held a meeting with the

various unions for instructional and support personnel to study ways of

reducing personnel costs and save jobs.

I can well recall the meeting .. . We were at a meeting where
there was an administrator, I was there, the president of each
of the unions was there-secretaries, non-instructional person-
nel, and the teachers. Basically, what we were doing was
setting down with the various employee representatives and
saying we have some real problems, they're real and we're not
joshing you. I was trying to convince people that this was for
real. That's what the meeting was. After we got through, I
thought, perhaps convincing people of where we were at, then we
were trying to figure ways out of the mess. The other unions
were quite reasonable. 'They were willing to talk about it.
When we got to the teachers . . . it was quite frankly turned
down flat--well, I won't use the same language because it was
inappropriate. The union president walked out right after that
(FN, Olson, 1-19-83, cards 7-8).

In December, 1981, the board wrote a letter to Ms. Mable LaPorte,
the State Education Association Unified Service Director, informing her
of its desire to reopen the contract, and requesting her to contact the
State Association of School Boards to arrange a meeting (Board of Educa-
tion. Letter to Ms. LaPorte, December 18, 1981L A second letter was
written to Ms. LaPorte on January 12, 1982 answering some of her ques-
tions and specifying the contract sections the board wished to reopen.

H1part,lt'said:

The paragraphs of the contract that we would like to discuss
with you are as follows: 1.4 - School Calendar; 2.10 -
Instructional Aides; 3.5 - Teaching Hours; 5.3 - Salary
Schedule; 5M4 - Extra Duty for 1981-84 (Board of Education.
Letter to Ms. LaPorte, January 12, 1982).

24

The union contract then in force called for three pay raises annually
1981-84 of 10% - 9% - 9% (Professional Agreement North Umpqua Board of
Education and Hood County Education Association, 1981-1984). The board
was interested in opening negotiations on the contract in hopes of saving

teacher jobs by reducing the annual salary increases. Garments from the

board members confirm this desire:

One of the concerns I was having at the time was that it
was obvious to me that a number of peOple were losing their
jobs which is not a very pleasant thing to deal with. So my
argument was have a concession here. I wanted them to cut back
to preferably 4 or 5%. We will close only the minimum number
of schools, lay off the minimum number of peOpIe. 'That way
we'll have more jobs. . . (FN, Olson, 1-19-83, card 7).

Basically, we were trying to get some concessions money-
wise from the union so we could have a little more freedom in
assignments. Hopefully, we could have saved some jobs (FN,
Kennedy, 12-9-82, card 3).

One of the things we tossed around was that we had given
them this graduated pay raise. Maybe hold off on it, because
by holding off on it, we might not have to lay off as many
teachers (FN, Nelson, 12-10-82, card 6).

It wouldn't be that much of a disadvantage, we didn't
think, to the teachers If we would have saved a few jobs (FN,
Martin, 12-16-82, card 4).

If we did not have to give the raise that was in there,. . .
if we could renegotiate that part, we could save some teachers
(FN, Palmer, 1-6-83, card 6).

A decrease in the increase would have helped save a lot of
positions (FN, Jackson, 12-9-82, card 10).

According to board members, this request was resoundingly refused by
both the Hood County Education Association and its local chapter, the
North Umpqua Education Association. Several board members commented on

reasons the union refused to open the contract:

North Umpqua Education Association did not want to open
the contract because they thought they'd end up doing all the
giving. They wouldn't be gaining much of anything (FN, Kennedy,
12-9-82, card 3).

The response that we got from the top union people, from
the negotiators was, 'Forget it. We don't want to save jobs.
We want the most we can get for the rest of us and if we have
to sacrifice some teachers doing It, that's the way life goes.‘
So that's basically'the response we got (FN, Nelson, 12-10-82,
card 6).

25

We got the notice--I remember seeing a letter from their
bargaining person. As I recall, they just felt that there
wasn't any reason to do it (FN, Martin, 12-16-82, card 4).
They said that North Umpqua teachers were one of the lower
paid ones in the area, and that they felt that this was just
something they wouldn't do. ‘They really wouldn't talk to us
much about it (FN, Palmer, 1-6-83, card 6).
The official response came from Ms. LaPorte in a letter dated January 25,
1982. Ms. LaPorte said that "this is to inform you that the Hood County
Education Association considered the board's request to reopen negotia-
tions and rejected same on January 21, 1982 (LaPorte, Mable. Letter to
Ms. Nelson, January 25, 1982). ‘This was confirmed in the official board
minutes (Board of Education, Special Board Meeting Minutes. February 2,
i982, p.1107).

Mr. Martin, a board member, reflected on what the board's response

was to the union's refusal to reopen the contract as he talked to the

researcher. He said:

You know, we wanted to kind of broaden--widen out the constraint
box, but we weren't able to do it, so we went on from there. At
that point, we had to get on and do what we thought was best
within, of course, the constraints now (FN, Martin, 12-16-82,
card 4).

Mr. AI len, a district administrator, said that "we met periodically
with the union. 'That started back in February (FN, Allen, 9-13-82, card
1). in March, the RIF procedure began.

The first thing we did was send out layoff notices to the staff,

I believe the middle of March. When we sent out layoff notices

we knew we had to cover about sixty-five positions for sure.

But because of the bumping situation, i went beyond that, and we

ended up laying off close to ninety some teachers (FN,lAlIen, 9-

13-82, card 2).

A.review of the 1981-82 Seniority List showed that 108 K-12 teachers
actually received reduction-in-force notices. (North Umpqua Public

Schools, Seniority List, 1981-82). 0f the 108 RlFed teachers, 27 were K-

5 elementary teachers. This research was conducted with ten involuntarily

26

reassigned elementary teachers. Six of them were RIFed, rehired, and
reassigned. One teacher was involuntarily reassigned from the classroom
to special education. Three were involuntarily reassigned due to being

displaced when their schools closed.
Mode 9_f_ the Research

Two aspects of the research mode wi l I be discussed briefly here.
First wi l I be the general methodology used. This wi I I be expanded in
Chapter 2. Second wil I be a brief overview of the procedures used.

These wi l I be expanded upon in Chapter 3.

Methodology

There are general ly two categories of research: that belonging to
the natural sciences, and that belonging to the social sciences. Within
the social sciences, both pure and applied are important. Educational
research is general Iy considered to fal I under applied research. Applied
research can take two approaches: quantitative and qualitative. The
latter approach, also known as naturalistic or ethnographic research, was
used. This consisted of a broad spectrum of techniques cal led "partici-
pant observation."

This characteristic blend of techniques, as exemplified by the

work of the lone anthropologist living amongst an isolated

peOple, involves some amount of genuinely social interaction in

the field with the subjects of the study, some direct observa-

tion of relevant events, some formal and a great deal of infor-

mal interviewing, some systematic counting, some col lection of

documents and artifacts, and open-endedness in the directions

the study takes (McCall and Simmons, 1969, p. 1).
Traditional ly, educational research relies heavily on quantitative

research to supply answers to Its questions, problems, and concerns.

Nevertheless, Erickson says:

‘ O
h“.
‘3.

27

I think that If we really want our work as scholars to be of
use in educational practice, more of us must somehow join with
teachers and administrators in their daily work and In the
transformation of it . . . If our aim is to study working
rather than works then we must join In the work . . . Only by
joining In some continuing work can anthropologists of educa-
tion discover, together with those they describe, new ways of
gaining and using insights from descriptive accounts (Erickson,

1978).
Blumer supports Erickson's contention for the need to conduct ethnograph-
ic research when he notes that

the genuine mark of empirical science is to respect the nature

of its empirical world--to fit its problems, Its guiding con-

ceptions, its procedures of inquiry, its techniques of study,

Its concepts and its theories to that world. It believes that

this determination of problems, concepts, research techniques,

and theoretical schemes should be done by the direct examina-

tion of the actual empirical social world rather than by work-

ing with a simulation of that world, or with a present model of

that world . .. (1969, p. 49).
In discussing their own research on teacher stress, Kyrlacou and Sutcliffe
note that "this conceptualization of teacher stress places emphasis on
the teacher's subjective experience of his affective state" (P979, p.
89% Participant observation is uniquely suited to researching the
empirical world around us because It Includes a variety of data gathering
techniques. Commenting on this, Dean et al. say that "a major character-
istic of participant observation and Interviewing in the field is Its
non-standardization of method . . . (1967, pp. 274-275).

The researcher, by using a variety of participant observation tech-

niques, has endeavored for a time to join in the teachers' work setting

to discover and learn about the stress and trauma of Involuntary trans-

fer.

.Erocedures
In this section, the six participant observation procedures that

‘were used are briefly discussed. They are: (I) the researcher; (2)

28

time; (3) interview; (4) direct observation; (5) documentation; and (6)

triangulation.

The Researcher. Wolcott says that "the fieldworker himself serves as

 

the key 'instrument in the research'" (1973, p. 18). The researcher's
background includes twenty years in education, the last fourteen years as
a school administrator. Academically, the researcher trained for one year
in ethnographic research procedures. By using his experience and train-
ing, the researcher was able to gain access to the research site, and to
filter what was seen and heard through that experience and training.

The researcher's goal Is to study the process of teacher involuntary
reassignment and to provide guidelines and procedures that school dis-
tricts can use to lessen the trauma for teachers involved in the process
of involuntary teacher reassignment. Bogdan and Biklen say that "The
researcher's goal Is to add to knowledge . . ." (1982, p. 42). Agar
feels that the goal should be "giving accounts" of what is (1980a, p.
81). In order to reach that goal, the researcher spent considerable time
in the research site.

T_i_m_e_. When discussing the length of an ethnographic research
Project, Wolcott states that "fieldwork accounts in schools . . . are
based on limited but Intense and efficient periods of observation rather
Than the day-in, day-out style of more traditional anthropological work"

“973, p. 8). Wolcott's primary concern is not length of time so much as
'1' is the quality of the time spent. He notes that a researcher needs to
Spend "adequate time in the field setting to know it thoroughly . . ."
(1973, p. 72). The research phase of this study was divided Into two
phases. Phase One lasted from early March to the end of August 1982.

Phase Two began at the end of August and continued through the third week

29

of December, 1982. A distinction is made between the March-August and
the August-December 1982 time periods because during the first time
period the major emphasis was more on negotiating entry and less on
gathering data, while during the second time period the major emphasis
was on data collection and analysis.

Interview. Bogdan and Biklen, when discussing the use of inter-
views, say that "qualitative research techniques such as . . . Indepth
interviewing are respected and regularly employed in the social sciences,
particularly in sociology and anthropology" (1982, p. xiii). Wilcox
agrees when he states that "ethnographers also use interviews . . . as
data gathering techniques" (1982, p. 461). During Phase One, the primary
procedure used was the Interview. ‘This was especially important as the
researcher negotiated entry at three different, yet intertwined, levels:
district, school, and individual teachers. During Phase Two the inter-
view became the primary procedure for data collection. Although origi-
ltally envisioned as an auxiliary procedure to verify data gathered
‘through observations, the value of the procedure became apparent within
the first few weeks and gradual Iy came to dominate the data col lection
Process.

Direct Observation. Direct observation became the second most im-

 

Dortant data col lection procedure. Phi lips defines participant observa-
'*'<>n as "the simultaneous occupation of a structural position within a
s<>‘::ial system and a study of that system" (1982, p. 202). Wolcott, when
Conducting research for his book, _‘l’_h_e_ _N_l_a_rl _i_Q the Principal's Office: A_r_l_
\E'H‘Inograghy, chose the form of participant observation in which
the observer is known to all and is present in the system as a
scientific observer, participating by his presence but at the

same time usual ly al lowed to do what observers do rather than
expected to perform as others perform (1973, p. 8).

30

This researcher's own form of direct observation was much like Wolcott's.
The researcher went in and out of classrooms at will. He was allowed to
attend team, school, district, and union meetings as an observer. Par-
ticipation was as much or little as desired and governed by the setting
and the event. He was known to all as a researcher. This entitled him
to a neutral status among various factions and allowed both access and
movement.

Documents. Not all the researcher's time was spent interviewing and
observing. A number of district and other documents were collected.
Erickson and Mohatt, In discussing the use of documents as a data source,
say that one of the "more useful fieldwork methods of participant obser-
vation" is the "study of written public records" (1982, p. 137). Wilcox
notes that "in addition to generating their own data, ethnographers have
assiduously collected already existing sources of data. These have
included school documents" (1982, p. 461). During Phase One, the re-
searcher collected documents from the State Department of Education.
During Phase Two, the researcher collected documents from individual
teachers, school administrators, district administrators, the local
teacher's union, the board, the State Department of Education, the state
teacher's union, and an educational consultant. Both public and confi-
dential documents were Included in that collection. The documents were
used in the effort to provide a cross-check on data gathered from other
sources.

Triaggulation. Gorden supports the use of multiple methods as a
cross-check when he notes that "this use of multiple methods, each to
cross-check or supplement the others, is often referred to as triangula-

‘fion" (r980, p. 12). Fetterman argues that "triangulation is a basic

r ll
4 c 3' f .3
5v fly a: O
a: O . - a nil a
w .3 9, 13 a.
a 3a 9
I l 0 . .‘
w in A: In A. .
t. r... . .
, A V. 8.11.!

l 1

‘1 .
ab
3. . -
A b .V
w r
. . a»
A .5 e
.. -.._

‘3.5 3

l' 3"

T“.

lve:

3i

tool used In the ethnographic approach-testing one source of information
against another from various perspectives to arrive at a balanced inter-
pretation of reality" (1980, p. 39). ‘Throughout the research and data
analysis phases, the data received from observations, interviews, and
documents are used to not only verify, where possible, that the informa-
tion received is accurate, but also to suggest new or further directions
of research efforts.

in conclusion, then, the ethnographic research procedures of
participant observation are used in this research. Procedures used
include the researcher as a research instrument, direct observations,
interviews, collecting documents, and the triangulation of these

various data sources.

Research Assumptions

The researcher entered this study with six assumptions. These
assumptions were based on conversations with teachers from around the
state who had been RIFed, on the researcher's own past experiences as
an educator, and on a limited amount of reading about the problems
involved In closing schools.

1. Involuntary job reassignment is a highly emotional process for

the teachers involved.

2. The emotional effects of involuntary reassignment will be evi-

dent on the new job site, and observable as excess absenteeism
and both verbal and nonverbal cues during teacher-teacher,

teacher-student, and teacher-administrator Interaction.

32

3. The emotional effects of being involuntarily reassigned would
Impact negatively on peer interpersonal relations and upon the
classroom learning environment.

4. Very little formal attention is given to the personal emotional
needs of involuntarily reassigned teachers.

5. The board and superintendent's office provide the direction for
whatever attention, if any, is given to the personal emotional
needs of involuntarily reassigned teachers.

6. The local teachers' union is as concerned about the personal
emotional needs of involuntarily reassigned teachers as it is
about the administration of its contractual reduction-in-force

(RIF) policyu

Delimitations 9: IDE Study

The following delimitations were placed on the study by the re-

searcher:

1. The length of the research phase of the study was set at ten
months which was considered adequate for the research method.

2. The number of research sites was limited to one because of the
length of the research project.

3. The number of schools heavily Involved in the research was
limited to one because of the researcher's original desire to
concentrate the study in depth on one site.

4. The number of teachers directly involved in the study was
limited because of the amount of time involved in daily direct

observations and In interviews.

33

The scope of the study was focused on involuntarily reassigned
teachers because of the researcher's concern that their needs,

more than those of others Involved in the RIF process, would

be overlooked.
Definitions

_C_h_a_n_gg: "Any significant change in the status quo" (Havelock,
1979,[L 4). See innovation.

Confidential: "A degree of anonymity in which the respondent is
known to the interviewer, but not to the client organization"
(Gorden, 1980, p. 219).

Comparability: Delineation of group characteristics studied "or
constructs generated so clearly that they can serve as a basis
for comparison with other like and unlike groups" (LeCompte and
Goetz, 1982, p. 34).

Displaced teacher: A teacher whose school is closed and is
transferred to another position prior to the recall of laid off
teachers.

Egflgb The viewpoint that results from studying behavior as from
Inside the system (Pike, p. 37).

Ethnggraphy: "The name for doing fieldwork" (Agar, 1980a, p. 2).
£112: The viewpoint that results from studying behavior as from
outside the system (Pike, p. 37).

External reliability: "Whether Independent researchers would
discover the same phenomena or generate the same constructs in
the same phenomena or generate the same constructs In the same

or similar settings" (LeCompte and Goetz, 1982, p. 32).

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

34

External val idl'l'j: The degree to which representations of some
reality "may be compared legitimately across groups" (LeCompte
and Goetz, 1982, p. 32).

Fictive Kin: A non-kin family system In which people customari-
ly address each other and act toward each other In ways that
closely parallel true kin behavior forms (Foster, 1979, p. 78).
Fieldnotes: "Al I the data col lected in the course of 'partici-
pant observation studies' Including the fieldnotes, Interview
transcripts, official documents, official statistics, pictures
and other materials" (Bogdan and Biklen, 1987, p. 74).

Field research: "Data is col lected in the field as opposed to
laboratories or other researcher-control led sites" (Bogdan and

Biklen,1982, p. 3).

Fieldwork: "The col lection of data at the research site through

a variety of methods sometimes also cal led participant observa-

tion" (McCall and Simmons, 1969, p. 1).

Informant: A person who "answers specific questions and then

supplies additional, unsolicited information (both related and
unrelated to the questionsP'(Fetterman, 1980, p. 34L
Innovation: "Any change which represents something new to the
people being changed" (Havelock, 1979, p. 4).

Internal reliability: "The degree to which other researchers,
given a set of previously generated constructs, would match
them with data in the same way as did the original researcher"

(LeCompte and Goetz, 1982, p. 32).

17.

18.

i9.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

35

internal validity: "The extent to which scientific observations
and measurements are authentic representations of some reality"

(LeCompte and Goetz, 1982, p. 32).

Materiel: The aggregate of things used or needed in any busi-

ness, undertaking, or operation (distinguished from personnel)

(The American College Dictionary, 1953, p. 751k

M: These title forms of address are used in an effort to

protect the anonymity of the informants in this study, especial-
ly the females. Informants, themselves, rarely used these terms
but rather referred to colleagues by their first names.
Naturalistic research: Research in which "the researcher hangs
around where the events he or she is interested in naturally
occur" (Bogdan and Biklen, 1982, p. 3).

Participant observation: The process of data collection in the
field that focuses on the researcher watching, listening to, and
making a record of the events and people he Is studying.

Pink slipped: A person who has been laid off from their job.
Qual itative research: "An umbrel la term which refers to several
research strategies that share certain characteristics" (Bogdan
and Biklen, 1982, p. 2).

Release Tjne: The use of instructional time for staff develop-
ment and other teacher activities. 'There Is no school for
students during release time. (Also called released time by
some authors.)

Relocation/transfer: The involuntary reassignment of personnel

from one job and/or job site to another.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

36

Role Ambiguity: "When an individual has inadequate Information
about his work role, that is, where there is a lack of clarity
about the work objectives associated with the role, about the
work objectives associated with the role, about col leagues work
expectation of the work role, and about the responsibilities of
the job" (Cooper, 1981, p. 23).

Role Conflict: "When an individual in a particular work role is
torn by conflicting job demands or by doing things he/she really
does not want to do, or does not think are part of the job
specification" (COOper, 1981, p. 23).

Role Responsibility: Conflicts caused when an individual is
answerable for the welfare of other people or accountable for
material things (Foster, 1981, p. 25).

Slgggg: "The nonspecific response of the body to any demand
made upon it" (Selye, 1974, p. 27).

Transfers: "Moves of employees from one job to another, one
unit to another, or one shift to another" (French, 1964, p.
159).

Translatability: "Assumes that research methods, analytic
categories, and characteristics of phenomena and groups are
identified so explicitly that comparisons can be conducted
confidently" (LeCompte and Goetz, 1982, p. 34).

Triaggulation: "Testing one source of information against
another from various perspectives to arrive at a balanced

interpretation of reality" (Fetterman, 1980, p. 39).

37

Research Questions

initial research questions which guide the study are:

1. Is the process of involuntary reassignment a traumatic experi-
ence for elementary teachers?

2. By whom, and in what ways, are involuntary reassigned teachers
given help In coping with their stress?

3. In what ways do the emotional affects of involuntary reassign-
ment effect the classroom learning

environment?

Conclusion

 

Declining enrol lment wi l I continue to be with educators wel I Into
'the 19805. Cuban says that

most organizational consequences from declining ennollments are
easy to document. 'They jump out easily at most observers and
should be familiar to informed observers. Less easy to grasp
and pin down are such phenomena as low staff morale linked to a
nostalgic yearning for some golden past that existed just prior
to the onset of enrol Iment decline; or the impactu ion staff _o_f
forced moves to different teaching situations; .... Less easily
defined and certainly more difficult to capture in numbers,
these spinoffs of enrol Iment decline and consolidation need
sensitive and careful Investigation (emphasis added) (1979, p.
382).

 

 

Cuban, in his discussion of the traumatic effects on teachers of involun-
tary reassignments, acknowledges that some efforts are made to "cushion

the shock." But, as he says, "a jolt is a jolt." The haunting question
(Cuban leaves etched into the researcher's mind--and, one hopes, Into the

l‘eaders' minds-~15 "what happens to those teachers" (1979, p. 391)?

CHAPTER II

THE PRECEDENTS IN LITERATURE

This literature review ls divided into two major subsections. The
first subsection discusses the literature surrounding the process of
Involuntary job transfers or reassignments. 'The second subsection fo-

cuses on ethnography as a legitimate method of research.
Introduction

In the beginning, It is important to note that research on the
emotional stress and problems relating to teacher involuntary transfers,
is scant. In business and industry, unlike education, job transfers (or
relocation as it Is often called) have been and continue to be a normal

way of corporate life.

Literature Surrounding the Job Reassignment Process

The researcher assumes that there exist some similarities between
the process of corporate and teacher job transfers. The process sur-
rounding corporate relocation will be presented first. Second, litera-

ture focused on the process surrounding teacher job transfers will be

Presented brief I y.

38

39

The Process 91 Corporate Job Reassignment

The first part of this section focuses on the process of corporate
transfers: the fact of job relocation; job relocation stress; and the
methods used to alleviate job relocation stress.

Job Relocation. Corporate personnel relocation is an ongoing pro-
cess which is expected to remain part of the American business scene. A
recent Industry Week staff report concluded that "whether or not business
peOple like relocating, it will remain common" (1981, p. 99). Reducing
staffs means job layoffs and involuntary job reassignment/ relocation for
those who are left. Personnel stress due to Involuntary reassignment can
be minimized when management plans ahead and makes the reassignment
quickly, has a good public relations program with the community and its
employees, and designates one person In charge of the reassignment with
both the responsibility and authority to act. Wilby, In his article on
helping employees make a new start when reassigned, found four important
aspects of job reassignment: (1) "the move should be completed as
quickly as practicalities allow, and as many of the details as possible
should be settled in advance" (1981, p. 121); (2) "relocation will prob-
ably attract a good deal of public attention at both the old site and the
new. Yet the importance of public relations can make all the difference
how the company and its transferred employees will be received. . J'
(1981, p. 121); (3) "good communications are the key to successful staff
reiations-in relocation as in all things" (1981, p. 119); and (4)

relocation....amounts to a major project In management. When

it comes to managing the move, most companies appoint a senior

executive to be the project manager. Full authority should be

given to him to plan and execute the transfer, but it is im-

portant that other executives concerned with the move do not

abdicate all the responsibility: it should be a team effort
(1981, p. 119).

40

Even when the factors WI Iby has identified are considered in job reloca-
tion/transfer, the situation produces varying amounts of unwanted stress.
Job Relocation Stress. Personal stress due to job reassignment

exists. The stress involved has been likened to a divorce or death in
the family. Magnus and Dodd, in their article on attitudes towards
corporate reassignment policies, find that "when a person relocates, the
change creates stress that can instill a deep sense of loss. . . a trauma
which many psychologists equate with the stress created by the death of a
loved one or a divorce . . ." (1981, p. 543). The stress involved in the
reassignment process occurs partial ly because of the change In supervi-
sor, job requirements, and friendships. Stress also is intensified by
management through lack of planning and producing more change than is
real ly necessary. Wi lby maintains that "relocation is Inevitably a
highly disruptive exercise--and the disruption should not be compounded
by a lack of forethought, or by changing more than is necessary" (1981,
p. 121). In addition to the normal stress produced by job reassignment,
when a person is involuntarily reassigned, the stress already present is
increased because the change Is one over which the employee has little or
no control. Foltz, in his article on comunications in relocating em-
ployees, notes that "the problems of change are apt to be intensified
when the relocation is more involuntary than a voluntary move" (1980, p.
14). Because of the presence of normal job stress, because job reassign-
ment increases personal job stress, and because involuntary job reassign-
ment increases even further individual stress, it is vitally important to
the employees' welfare that management be conscious of the emotional
needs of employees being involuntarily reassigned. Foltz feels that

management "should make a careful evaluation of, and be sensitive to, the

41

problems of moving and the moved" (I980, p. 14). It is the researcher's
contention that involuntary relocation/transfer of personnel creates
professional stress which can affect performance on the job.

Methods Used _tg Al Ieviate Job Relocation Stress. There are two
general categories of corporate actions taken to alleviate job stress
caused by involuntary reassignment. They are material incentives and
emotional relocation incentives. It would seem that by looking at the
manner in which each is attended to by corporations, Boards of Education
and educators could apply the principles learned to their own process of
teacher transfers.

The use of material incentives is, by far, the most common corpor-
ate attempt to reduce relocation stress. ()Iive et al., in discussing the
relocation problem, say that "large corporate employers frequently try
very hard to make such moves a comfortable experience, paying most of the
actual «waving costs and other associated expenses" (1976, p. 546). The
most frequently mentioned corporate Incentives in the literature are
clustered around the buying and selling of employees' homes. ()live et
al., found that corporate incentives designed to facilitate personnel
reassignment from a physical perspective include such practices as "sell-
ing the old home for the employee and free trips for the family to the
new work location to look for housing" (1976, p. 546). Corporations go
much further thanIDlive et al. indicate in helping employees sell and
purchase homes. (Rallie and DIDomenico reviewed trends In the area of
corporate housing assistance and found at least seven real estate re-
lated expenses in which corporations are becoming increasingly involved.
Collie and DiDomenico list these expenses as: "(1) loans; (2) real

estate sales assistance; (3) purchase closing costs; (4) mortgage

42

Interest differential programs; (5) interest rates; (6) old mortgage
balance; and (7) lump sum payment" (1980, pp. 33-35). Corporations use
other, non-real estate, Incentives also in an effort to ease the personal
stress of involuntary transfers. One incentive is the one time lump sum
payment. Tavernier says of direct money relocation incentives, that "a
few companies have started to pay lump sums, reportedly as much as
$30,000, which are intended to cover all costs associated with relocation
in order to persuade an employee or a prospective employee to say, 'yes'"
(1980, p. 19). Both the United States government and corporations use
cost-of-Iiving differentials and temporary livingiallowances to induce
reluctant employees to accept reassignments. Milbrandt, in his article
on relocation strategies, notes that "new policies are surfacing In the
areas of .... cost-of-living differentials, and temporary living allow-
ances, to name a few" (1981, p. 551). (fiallie and DiDomenico also found
that "tax reimbursements and miscellaneous allowances" are being used as
corporate incentives to ease reassignment stress (1980, p. 66). Some
material incentives used by corporations are less direct than the use of
money In the incentives discussed above. In this sense they can be
considered as Indirect financial incentives. One such Incentive is
helping the employee's spouse to find a good job or further his or her
education. lZippo finds that prospective employers now use "such reloca-
tion incentives as finding a good job for the employee's spouse or help-
ing the spouse gain a degree in a graduate program at a local <x>llege or
university" (1980, p. 70). Corporations commonly have been found to pay
for<:lub memberships as an Incentive to accept reassignment. ‘Tavernier
affirms that "some corporations pay for membership in local sports and

social clubs to help employees fit into the community more easily" (1980,

43

p. 23). Even insurance policies are used to induce employees to accept
transfers. An Industry Week staff report lists several Incentives which
the staff and a Merrill Lynch Relocation Management director see as
adding to the already long list of relocation incentives: "a new car and
car insurance and, . . . new life Insurance" (1981, p. 99, 102).
Emotional incentives for corporate personnel involved In relocation
appear to be largely forgotten in the push to provide material incen-
tives. 'The literature suggests that this second corporate action is
real ly more apprOpriateiy considered inaction. Levenson and H01 lmann
mention that "most corporate efforts to deal with employees' relocation
problems have been financial and logistical" (1980, p. 46). In spite of
this emphasis on the material aspects of reassignment, the emotional
factors involved in Involuntary reassignment are at least of equal impor-
tance. Kunisch finds that in reassignments, both material and the "psy-
cmological factors are of equal importance" (1980, p. 25). According to
an Industry Week staff report, little if anything is being done by cor-
porations to help with the psychological factors in reassignment. The
report notes that psychological counseling for transferees and their
families is atypical (1981,;x 99L. Still, several authors find that
corporations are, in fact, attempting to deal more and more with the
psychological factors involved in involuntary job reassignment. Levenson
and H01 lmann point out that "some companies provide workshops for employ-
ees. . . to assist them in dealing with many of the feelings and prob-
lems associated with transferring" (1980, p. 49). Magnus and Dodd find
that "Increasingly companies are providing counseling services and
stress-management seminars to help employees . . . adapt to new areas"

(1981, p. 543). Zippo affirms that "more and more companies are

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44

considering the psychological factors involved in employee relocation"
(1980, p. 71).

Conclusion. Foster says that "most corporations now concur that the
financial costs of a move are their responsibility; yet few admit they
need to shoulder some of the psychic costs" (1977, p. 70). Olive et al.
conducted research Into the effects of corporate relocation from the
perspective of the employees. They found that "from an emotional point
of view, little is done; and occupational physicians see more disturbed
family groups and individual family members as a direct result of fre-
quent transfers" (1976, p. 546). Mi lbrandt concluded the second of a
two-part series he wrote on relocation strategies on a somewhat positive
note by saying that "relocation policies are being modernized today
because peOpIe continue to be the No. 1 asset in any company." (1981, p.
646). Wi lby aptly points out that "it is a cliche, but nevertheless
unavoidable, that people are the company's most valuable resource.

Thus, . . . everything should be done to help them through the traumatic

business of moving" (1981, p.119).

The Process 9_f_ Teacher Job Reassignment

Selye defines stress as the "nonspecific response of the body to any
demand made upon it" (1974, p. 27). He also cautions that stress is not
to be avoided (1974, p. 31) and even goes so far as to conclude the
"complete freedom from stress is death" (1974, p. 32). Too much stress
leads to distress, which can be harmful to the Individual, and affects
how the individual functions on and off the job. Any number of stress-
causing phenomena, commonly cal led stressors, can cause excess stress.
Because it is assumed that the process of involuntary job transfers

Produces excess stress, which Is harmful, and therefore needs to be

45

alleviated, literature which is focused on: (1) stress In teaching; (2)
the effects of school closures and job reassignment; (3) the responsibi-
lity to help teachers; and (4) methods to al ieviate excess stress wi l i be
presented briefly.

Job Stress lg Teaching. Teacher job stress is a real phenomenon.
Asl)lllon noted in her article on the death of a teacher, "Schools are
stressful places. They are growing more so almost daily .. . (Dillon,
1978, p. 30). Research seems to confirm Dillon's statement. Spark's
conclusion from his research involving K-12 teachers in a stress workshop
is that "teaching has become a more demanding and stressful task" (1979,
p. 447). Needle et al., after conducting research on teachers' occupa-
tional stress and health problems, find that job stress adversely affects
both the teacher and classroom environment. They say "it is not only
clear that job stress negatively affects teachers .. . but job stress
also affects the classroom environment, the teaching/learning process and
the attainment of educational goals and objectives" (1981, p. 180).
Coates and Thoresen, in research on teacher anxiety, affirm that "teach-
ers experience considerable strain, tension, or anxiety in the classroom"
(1976, p. 161). This stressful situation is common enough that Sparks,
when discussing the results of his research on K-12 teacher stress,
states 70% of the teachers "frequently or always left school physically'
or emotionally exhausted" (1979, p. 448). Coates and Thoresen conclude
from their research on teacher anxiety that "the problems of stress and
tension experienced by teachers are real, prevalent, and potentially
deleterious to teachers and students" (1976, p. 176).

There are a number of causes for teacher stress. One of the most

Inmortant Is change. Magnus and Dodd examined the change involved in

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46

corporate relocation and found that "when a person relocates, the change
creates stress that can instill a deep sense of loss .. . a trauma which
many psychologists equate with the stress created by the death of a loved
one or a divorce (1981, p. 543). in schools, stress can be induced by
program and/or curriculum change for which there Is a lack of prepara-
tion. instructor magazine surveyed 9,000 teachers in 1976 to ascertain
the medical effects of stress in teaching. in commenting on the results,
Lansman notes the teachers indicated that a "lack of general inservice
education or specific preparation for new programs . . . has caused undue
stress" (1978, p. 49). Styles and Cavanaugh have identified nine general
areas that are stressors for teachers. Four are especially relevant as
stressors to those teachers involved In change brought about by involun-
tary job transfers. They are: (1) expectations; (2) student-teacher
relations; (3) personal competence; and (4) self-relationship (1977, p.
76-77). In their research on teacher anxiety, Coates and Thoresen found
that when teachers encounter new teaching situations, the change produces
stress and anxiety. According to their research, these anxieties center
around concerns about (1) classroom discipline; (2) student-teacher re-
lationships; (3) knowledge of the subject matter; (4) what to do when
they make a mistake; and (5) how to relate well with Fellow staff members
(1976, p. 164). So great is teachers' worry over change that just the
anticipation of the change can produce stress and anxiety ("Stress in
School," 1978). Sparks found an additional, important cause of teacher
stress: teachers' feelings of powerlessness. His study showed that
ninety-one percent of the sampled teachers said that they had "little or
no Influence In curriculum or policy decisions," and that "seventy-five

percent of the teachers said that their jobs were, to a large extent,

ISN-

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J‘ ~'
Vic

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47

physically or emotionally stressful" (1979, p. 448). 'Teachers want to be
involved, in some meaningful way, In the decisions that affect their
working conditions, and are willing to work with their supervisors in a
cooperative effort. Rothstein, in his study of teacher-administrator
relationships, noted that teachers "want to exert some contnol over their
working situation" (1980, p. 227). Research by Cichon and Koff confirms
what others have said. They conducted a study of teacher stress in
Chicago schools. Using 4,934 responses to a thirty-six item question-
naire on stress, they concluded that events over which a teacher has
little control represent stress that is imposed on the teacher (1980, p.
99).

Excess stress and anxiety manifest themselves in two major ways:
physical il lness, and emotional or behavioral signs. Freudenberger notes
that physical signs--"exhaustion and fatigue, being unable to shake a
lingering cold, suffering from frequent headaches and gastrointestinal
disturbances, sleeplessness and shortness of breath"--are easy to see
(1974, p. 160). Harlin, in commenting on the physical responses to
stress and anxiety, Identifies additional physical signs among which are
skin rashes, hypertension, sleep disturbances, weight loss, and fatigue

. ." may occur (1978, p. 507). Behavioral signs of excess stress and
anxiety include

a staff member's quickness to anger and his instantaneous irri-

tation and frustration responses . . . He cries too easily, the

slightest pressure makes him feel overburdened and he yells and

screams. With ease of anger may come a suspicious attitude, a

kind of suspicion and paranoia. 'The victim begins to feel that

just about everyone is out to screw him, including other staff

members (Freudenberger, 1974, p. 160).

Youngs notes that "those experiencing high anxiety have strong desires to

remove themselves from painful situations or remove themselves from al I

48

risk-taking situations" (1978, p. 80). Gmelch has identified four gener-
al areas where excess stress is behaviorally manifested:(fll fight, which
manifests itself In adversary situations; (2) fleeing, which Includes
fantasizing and withdrawing; (3) freezing, which is the Inability to
perform due to preoccupation with a stressor; and (4) learning, which
(allows the Individual to cope and control to some extent the stressor
(1982, pp. 10-11). Fledler, et al. conducted research on organizational
stress. They found that stress and anxiety affects "the use of experi-
ence and intelligence" and reduces "conceptual and creative thinking"
(1979, pp. 644, 646 respectively).

The effects of excess stress and anxiety on teachers should be of
great concern to educators for two reasons. First, teachers' mental and
physical condition will have an effect on their performance on the job.
Harlin, in his article on stress declares that "the mental and physical
health of teachers can strongly Influence children and their educational
experiences" (1978, p. 507). Fleming, when conducting research on school
closings, found that "the stress level affects the classroom performance
of teachers" (1980, p. 7). Teachers' performance may be affected in
their ability to teach, and in their ability to comply adequately with
set curricular goals and objectives. Research by Needle et al. on teach-
ers' stress notes that job stress "affects the classroom environment, the
teaching/learning process and the attainment of educational goals and
objectives" (1981, p. 180). 'The result, ultimately, can be poor student
performance. Youngs, in her article on teacher stress, maintains that
"high anxiety on the part of teachers may have an undesirable effect on
their students and can also have a negative effect on students' perform-

ance" (1978, p. 79). Forman's research on teacher stress management

49

affirms Young's feelings. Forman declares that "teacher anxiety
has been shown to be related to low pupil/teacher rapport, pupil anxiety,
and low pupil achievement" (1982, p. 180). Lytle sums up this need for
concern when he says, "It would seem obvious that youngsters aren't going
to be taught well ("tiess their teachers find this work satisfying" (1980,
p. 702). The second reason why the effects of excess stress and anxiety
on teachers should be a major concern of educators is that so little
attention has been paid to it in the past. Neville, in discussing school
librarians, feels that "the ability of the Individual to handle a stress-
ful occupation has received little attention" (1981, p. 243). In addi-
tion to a general lack of attention to teacher stress, attention that has
been given has ignored cause-and-effect relationships” Coates and Thore-
sen, from their research, state that "stress and tension, or anxiety,
among teachers represents one area of teacher personality that has re-
mained all but ignored from a cause-and-effect perspective (1976, p.
160). There is a definite need for research in this area. The research
in this study attempts at least in part to answer some of the cause-and-
effect questions. This Is an important area where more knowledge is
needed because of the potential adverse effect on teachers and learning.
Coates and Thoreson conclude from their research that "the problems of
stress and tension experienced by teachers are real, prevalent, and
potentially deleterious to teachers and students" (1976, p. 176).

When schools close, the layoffs and reassignments of teachers who
remain or those who are called back and reassigned constitute significant
changes for teachers. As such, the process involved becomes a major

stressor for those teachers.

50

The Effects 91 School Closures and Job Reasngnment. Change is not
just an event. It Is also a process. Hall and Loucks, in commenting on
their research on teacher concerns, say that "in educational institutions
change is a process, not an event" (1978, p. 37). The change process in
closing a school and reassigning staff can be traumatic. Arth, when
talking about change, says that "the familiar is safe. The unfamiliar .
. . causes uncertainty, frustration, and fear" (1978,p. 290). Shakeshaft
and Gardner note that "change . . . can prove traumatic when teachers do
not choose it" (1982, p. 494). As one school board member is reported to
have told an audience, "Voting to close one of our schools is tantamount
to deciding which member of one's family to send away" (Uslander, 1978,
p. 74L The phenomenon of school closings and the resulting teacher
reassignments is wideSpread with pink slips going out each spring. Divo-
ky says that "RIF reduction in force notices have become a springtime
rite in many districts, causing enormous stress" (1979, p. 88). The
National Education Association Research Division took a nation-wide poll
and in discussing the effects of being pink slipped, concludes that
". . .we have no measure of the trauma the notices caused" (1981, p. 65%.

The problems involved in school closures are primari ly personnel
problems. Thomas believes that "reducing school staffs is not an eco-
nomic problem; it is a 'peOple problem'" (1977, p. 18). French also
places a strong emphasis on people In the reassignment process. He

believeS'that

shifting of manpower resources within the organization is as
Important a matter as the recruitment and selection of people
from the outside. ‘The same careful planning and procedures
should be utilized. Lack of attention to the effective admini-
stration of transfers . . . can create all kinds of internal
morale and productivity problems, and, in turn, can seriously
impair the ability of the organization to attain its objectives
(1974, p. 344).

51

Even though the most Important aspect of the school closure process
Involves personnel, this is the area which is most overlooked. In an
article about seniority and schools, Johnson mentions that

the process of reduction in force is not finished when layoff

decisions have been made, for the teachers who have lost their

jobs rarely hold the positions that have been cut. 'Though

often upstaged by the more dramatic Issue of layoffs, reassign-

ment decisions are critical (1982, p. 263).
The reason that the personnel issue is so crucial is that when schools
close, teachers have to change jobs. 'This change can produce excess
stress and anxiety. lkallingsworth notes some of the changes that teach-
ers go through when schools close and they are Involuntarily reassigned.

He notes that

no longer do teachers occupy a secure niche in one building,

grade level, or subject area. Times are changing; teachers must
change too.

These teachers have had to change surroundings, develop new
schedules, write new plans, and prepare to answer different
questions. Small wonder that reassigned teachers sometimes feel
inadequate (1981, p. 138).

Harlin says that "the teacher may have to move to a new environment or a
different grade level. These events and others trigger the STRESS pheno-
menon" (1978, pu 507). Scharffe, in his article on forced integration In
his district and Its impact on staff reassignments, confirmed that "some
teachers found it difficult to adjust" (1979, p. 364). Fleming conducted
research on the process of school closure and confirmed that "reassign-
ment of staff creates tension in the schools .. J'(1980,;L 7). in
addition stress is increased when teachers are involuntarily reassigned.
Foltz notes that "the problems of change are apt to be intensified when
the relocation is more an involuntary than a voluntary move" (1980, p.

14). Research conducted to determine what produces stress in teachers

confirms Foltz's contention. Cichon and Koff used a thirty-six item

52

questionnaire when they conducted their research on teacher stress. The
results showed that the number one stressor was part of a group of events
they called "management tension" because they were imposed upon teachers
in the form of action constraints. They note that "the best example of
an action constraint is reflected in the number one ranked item, involun-
tarily transferred" (1980, p. 99). In their review of research on teach-
er stress, Pettegrew and Wolf found that the "most troublesome among
teaching events were involuntary transfer . . ." (1982, p. 374). Because
layoffs and reassignments usually affect teachers with low seniority, the
tendency of administrators, union, and board members may be to feel that
the stress produced is a product of the age and relative Inexperience of
the teachers Involved. Still, for teachers with high seniority and who
have been In one job and/or one school over a long period of time the
heightened stress of involuntary reassignment can be exacerbated by their
longevity. Cuban, in his article about the effects of school consolida-
tion, talks about what happens to teachers with sufficient seniority to
be left after the reduction-in-force and who must be Involuntarily reas-
signed. He maintains that "the trauma of such moves for individuals who
have spent five to twenty-five years In the same building may be shatter-
Ing. Forced transfers jolt teachers" (1979, p. 391).

While much in the literature dealing with teacher reassignments Is
based on research or theory, few of these articles report on how the
teachers felt about being Involuntary transferred. The research reported
In this dissertation Is designed to expand the current body of literature
by showing how teachers feel about the involuntary reassignment process.
The few articles that exist provide a rare glimpse into the teachers'

concerns. Further, as Burke found in his research on job transfers,

53

"very little is known about the ways in which transfer opportunities are
received by the employee" (1974, p. 35). Many teachers seem to view
transfers as a negative event. Burke says that "a transfer might be seen
as destroying established routines, habits . . . and friendship patterns"
(1974, p. 35). ikallingsworth, in commenting about how teachers feel

about involuntary reassignment, says:

Emotions run high . . . These teachers often feel betrayed.
Their extra duties, personal commitments to programs, and feel-
ings for students and other staff members seem to have been
Ignored. Anger at the system Is natural . . ." (1981, p. 138).
Dunham interviewed staff members from a secondary school that was closing
at the end of the school year. He says:
Many of them made their anxieties quite plain: "I don't want
to teach subjects for which I am not trained)‘ "I am apprehen-
sive about pupils' behavior, uncaring attitudes and bad lan-
guage in another school)‘ "I would hate to be In a situation
where i could not c0peJ' "I will have to prove myself all over

again in the new school)‘ "I am worried about being plonked on
to another school" (1982, p. 16).

lelander was a teacher in a school which was closed. in commenting
about her subsequent involuntary reassignment, she says that "most of us,
whether we were willing to admit it or not, were apprehensive. .. . We
also wondered how reassignments would be made. . . . Those of us who had
lost our school shared great sadness" (1978, pp. 73-74). A few teachers
seem to view transfer as a positive event. Burke says that a transfer
"might be actively sought out and cherished once attained" (1974, p. 35).
Scharffe's school district was invmalved In forced teacher reassignment to
comply with a court order. His job was to draw up the actual plan for
involuntary transfers. in discussing the feelings of those so transfer-
red, he remarked that "not one teacher resigned; in fact, some confided
before the end of the year that their transfers were among the best

things that had ever happened to them" (1979, p. 364).

54

Teachers' attitudes and feelings concerning reassignment and their
responses to excess job stress and anxiety closely resemble the atti-
tudes, feelings, and responses of beginning teachers. This phenomenon
affects both inexperienced and experienced teachers alike. Dunham con-
ducted research concerning teacher stress in a school that was to close.
When discussing the reactions of the teachers to the closure, he comments
that "these reactions are even experienced by teachers with several years
of service" (1982, p. 16). Cuban, in his article on school consolidation,
makes the same argument. He says that "the trauma of such moves for
individuals who have spent five to twenty-five years in the same building
may be shattering" (1979, p. 391). When discussing the need to help
teachers c0pe with their stress, Dillon also recognizes that the phenome-
non strikes both inexperienced and experienced teachers. She maintains
that it is "vital that beginning and experienced teachers be given the
skil Is in coping with stress" (1978, p. 30). Uslander, a teacher who
personally went through reassignment, said about her first day in the new
school, "On the first day of school in September I felt almost as nervous
as I had been on my first day as a chi Id" (1978, p. 80). The research
done by Fuller provides a framework for categorizing new teachers' con-
cerns. She discusses both overt and covert concerns. She concludes that
during the first three weeks of school, teachers new to a building are
mainly concerned about "self, i.e. concern with self-protection and self
adequacy: with class control, subject matter adequacy, finding a place
in the power structure of the school and understanding expectations of
supervisors, principal and parents" (1969, p. 211). These general con-
cerns, In part, manifest themselves overtly. Ful Ier finds that "concern

with the parameters of the new school situation (includes school plant,

iaclli.‘

1'6” 9"

‘U
“0‘93 ‘3

ata~ at;

dvuvo

\vv

I
l R '
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fie:
al

Pal

55

facilities, rules, policies) and with discipline were .. . the most
frequently mentioned topics during early weeks" (1969, p. 211). She
notes that these concerns are really a part of the larger concern of how
adequate the teacher feels he/she is and says that
this larger concern involves abilities to understand subject
matter, to know the answers, to say "i don't know," to have the

freedom to fail on occasion, to anticipate problems, to mobilize

resources and to make changes when failures reoccur (1969, p.
220).

Research conducted by Coates and Thoresen identifies four overt
anxieties and concerns of new teachers. They are "(a) their ability to
maintain discipline in the classroom, (b) students' liking of them, (c)
their knowledge of the subject matter, (d) what to do in case they make
mistakes or run out of material. . . " (1976, p.164). Fuller also
finds covert manifestations of teachers' concerns, focused on the ques-
tion of, "Where do I stand?" She says that

They try to estimate how much support will be forthcoming from

the school principal and supervisors In a great variety of

situations; to build working relationships with school person-

nel; to determine the limits of their acceptance as profession-

al persons in halls, cafeterias, teachers' lounge and princi-
pal 's office (1969, p. 220).

Coates and Thoresen also Identify one covert teacher concern which cen-
ters around "how to relate personally to other faculty members, the
school system, and parents" (1976, p. 164).

A major reason why both inexperienced and experienced teachers have
these concerns and feel excess stress and anxiety is that schools are not
the same. In research conducted on teaching experience and school cli-
mate, Kalis finds that "although schools may look similar or function
similarly, every school is unique" (1980, p. 89). When discussing
schools as social systems, Edelfelt concludes that "schools are not the

same in personnel, administration, curriculum, public interest and

56

support, and In style and elan" (1979, p. 364). Because schools are not
the same, newly assigned teachers find the first few weeks particularly
stressful. Hogben et al., conducted research on changing teacher atti-
tudes and found that the first few weeks of the school year are "high-
pressure" for the new teacher (1979, p. 219). Comenting on this new
teaching situation, Hol l Ingsworth says that reassigned teachers "have had
to change surroundings, develop new schedules, write new lesson plans,
and prepare to answer different questions. Smal I wonder that reassigned
teachers sometimes feel inadequate" (1981, p. 138).

Another reason why both inexperienced and experienced teachers have
these concerns and feel excess stress and anxiety when reassigned is that
their needs are virtual ly ignored by school officials as they focus their
efforts on the welfare of the chi ldren and the comunity/parents involved
In school closure. Richards and Cohen conducted research on the effects
on elementary school children, from both closed schools and schools to
which the students were reassigned (1981, p. 23-25). Thomas, when speak-
Ing of his own experiences In closing schools, says that "the welfare of
children Is the most important concern of parents" (1980, p. 21). Mas-
lach notes that "most of the available research . . . has focused on the
child, rather than the staff" (1979, p. 253). Community and parental
concerns are also important for educators to consider when closing
schools. Fowler notes that "parents who have developed strong roots in a
certain school area are particularly possessive when 'their' school is
threatened" (1980, p. 2). Thomas says that "school administrators have
an obligation to present information, give comfort, and provide opportu-

nities to lessen parental anxiety and concern" (1980, p. 23).

57

in conclusion, the researcher agrees with Combs when he says "the
person of the teacher must be central in the process . . . (1978, p.
561). 01 I Ion notes that very little is currently being done to help
teachers, and that this help has to come from somewhere. She declares
that "little is currently done to prepare teachers to cope with that
stress. Somewhere it is vital that beginning and experienced teachers be
given the skills In coping with stress" (1978, p. 30). This raises the
question of who Is accountable for helping the reassigned teachers with
their problems and concerns.
Responsibi l ity for He lying Teachers Overcome Reassignment Stress.
The reason It is important to give some consideration to helping teachers
cope with the effects of reassignment changes is that "innovation often
inflicts trauma that must be expected, accepted, and dealt with. It
rarely comes about smoothly and effortlessly" (Helmrich, 1981, p. 23).
W1 lby says that "relocation is inevitably a highly disruptive exercise
. . ." (1981, P- 121% Foster and Liebrenz feel that much can be done at
little or no added expense to help ease the problems of relocation. They
say "al I that is real ly necessary 15 an admission of the trauma of
relocation and a wi l l ingness to marshal 1 existing resources to al Ieviate
that trauma" (1977, p. 72). W1 lby, in noting the disruptive nature of
re location, emphasizes that "the disruption should not be compounded by a
lack of forethought, or by changing more than is necessary" (1981, p.
121). WI lby also bel Ieves that the effort to help "should be a team
effort" (1981, p. 119). The question that must be answered here Is "Who
'5 the team?"
One member of the team, and perhaps the most important, is the dis-

trig-r superintendent Including staff. When business relocates personnel,

58

Wilby says that "most companies appoint a senior executiveito be the
project manager" and that "full authority should be given to hhfl'(1981,
p. 119). In education, this may be the superintendent as the senior
administrator in the district. Hollingsworth maintains that "as reas-
signment spreads, school districts must face the responsibilities it
entails. They need to recognize teachers' concern, reinforce their
skills and their confidence, and provide continuing support for indivi-
dual needs" (1981, p. 138). French says that the "lack of attention to
the effective administration of transfers .. . can create all kinds of
internal morale and productivity problems, and, in turn can seriously
Impair the ability of the organization to attain its objectives" (1974,
p. 344). Districts, and more specifically the superintendent, hold the
key to such vital aspects of helping teachers as the giving of discre-
tionary funds, delegating authority to act, and authorizing released time
for staff development (McLaughlin and Berman, 1977, pp. 193-194L
A second group of team members is the building principals. McLaugh-
lin and Berman found "that principals were the 'gatekeepers of change'J'
Unless they supported it, It seldom worked . . . " (1977, p. 192). White
agrees that "the building principal is the primary element to a success-
leI consolidation" (1980, p. 14). Scharffe found that in the reassign-
lment process in his district, principals were instrumental in making the
changes as smooth as possible (1979, p. 364). Youngs notes that success-
fill reduction of teacher anxiety requires two conditions: "it must have
not only the acceptance of the administrators and supervisors, but It
must also have their active support" (1978, p. 82). McLaughlin and
Berman found that a key indicator of the principal '5 support was their

active participation in programs to help the teachers (1977, p. 192).

59

Landsman feels that the role of the principal in helping staff members is
to "offer more positive reinforcement" and "foster more Open communica-
tion among staff members" (1978, p. 50). Meyers contends that helping
the teachers new to the staff is one of the "most critical, most chal-
lenging responsibilities facing the principal" (1981, p. 70).

A third group of team members is the local teachers' union.

Scharffe said that the process of teacher reassignment in his own
district was made as "smooth as possible" in part by the "association"

(1979, p. 364). Sparks concludes from his research that

education associations should provide leadership In offering

human relations training to their members, or in forming groups

with skilled facilitators where teachers come together to ex-

press their feelings, provide mutuai support, and assist one

another . .. (1979, p. 449).

A fourth and final group of team members is comprised of all certi-
fied and noncertified employees In the district. This group includes the
teachers as separate and distinct from their union. The ultimate success
of the programs to help reassigned teachers will be determined by this
group. McLaughlin and Berman note that successful programs are "typical-
ly user-identified; through ongoing planning, teachers can play an impor-
tant mole in identifying what their training should be" (1977, p. 192).
The type of help or training, and the concept behind it are also impor-
tant to a successful program.

‘A Prggram for Helping Teachers Overcome Reassrggment Stress. There
appear to be two concepts in determining how best to help reassigned
teachers with their emotional problems. One way is basically to Ignore

the stressors in the process of reassignments and then provide support to

teachers after the fact.

60

A second approach is to recognize, in advance, the stressors, and
provide a means for either eliminating them or reducing their effects
before they are encountered. LaRocco and Jones conducted research on
moderators of stress relationships on the job and conclude that

attempts to al ieviate such negative effects may be more meaningful

if they address stress directly by reducing the sources of conflict

. . . rather than attempting to address the issue indirectly via

support" (1978, p. 633).

One of the ways to reduce directly the effects of stressors is through an
on-going staff development program. In the context of this study, staff
development 15 used in its broadest to mean "a process used to provide
learning opportunities for all people working in schools or responsible
for them" “Dillon-Peterson, 1981, p. 4). McLaughlin and Berman conducted
a four-year Rand study and concluded that "staff development is increas-
Ingly recognized as a critical concern for school districts" (1977, p.
191). [Dillon notes that it is "vital that beginning and experienced
teachers be given the skills.in coping with stress" (1978, p. 30). Dis-
tricts sometimes shy away from staff development because, school boards
say It is too expensive. ‘Yet McLaughlin and Berman found that, in terms
of staff development projects they examined, "neither the amount of money
spent on a project, nor the particular project technology was consistent-
ly or significantly related to project success" (1977, p. 192). Some
districts also shy away from staff development because some vocal com-
munity members, parents, and even school board members feel it is a waste
of time. They feel the children are losing valuable educational in-
struction time. ‘They also feel that any staff development time should be
on the teachers' time, not the schools". Maslach and Pines address this

Issue from their research on staff burnout when they note that

61

contrary to the beliefs of some skeptics (who felt that such a

system would only provide the staff with another chance to

"chit-chat" rather than work), these support groups serve a

very valuable function for their members (1977, p. 111%

A staff development program is so important in helping al leviate the
effects of stressors on reassigned teachers that respondents in Lands-
mann's study said that the "lack of general inservice education or speci-
fic preparation for new programs . . . has caused undue stress (1978, p.
49). In that sense, the district's lack of a program becomes one of the
very stressors that district policies should seek to eliminate! Sparks
notes that If stress is widespread, then the issues involved should
become part of teacher inservice programs (1979, p. 448). When the dis-
trict, mentioned in Scharffe's article, reassigned teachers he notes,
that "we began establishing staff balance transfer seminars designed to
assist teachers In making the transition" (1979, p. 363).

The Rand study conducted by McLaughlin and Berman finds two local
factors are mainly responsible for the success of staff development
programs. First 15 the quality and quantity of institutional support for

the programs:

Did the district really want the project? Were they supporting
teachers' efforts? Were the principals behind It? One key
indication of principals' commitment turned out to be their
participation in staff training activities, not just attending
the first "orientation lectures," but also in their regular
attendance at workshops (1977, p. 192).
The second factor concerns Implementation strategies. Local choices
about how to put the staff development program Into practice were al-
lowed, making them "highly nelevant to ongoing classroom activities.
They were typically user-identified . .." (McLaughlin and Berman, 1977,
p. 192). The Rand study also produced six characteristics of a success-

ful staff development model. They are important to this study because

62

they provide possible guidelines for the study as well as heuristics to

be used by school districts.

1. Developmental districts give discretionary funds as well as
considerable authority to principals and teachers, and they do so
in both good and bad times.

2. The continuing "training" of principals was considered both
necessary and appropriate.

3. Several developmental districts have established teacher
centers that serve a variety of functions.

4. Districts that have an effective staff development program
do not Insist on a standardized district program.

5. Developmental districts relied on local resource people to
guide innovative efforts whenever possible.

6. Developmental districts use release time insteadiof
monetary incentives for staff training. The provision of release
time seems critical for at least two reasons. One, teaching
requires an enormous amount of physical and psychic energy. It is
unrealistic to expect teachers to undertake significant
professional growth activities entirely in the evenings or on
weekends. Second, provision of release time seems to provide a
"signal" to teachers that the district takes their professional
development seriously, and that they should take it seriously as
well. Clearly, there has to be some kind of combination of
personal time and release time, but if staff development programs
are to contribute to the vitality and quality of a district's
educational program, release time is an Issue that cannot be swept

under the rug (1977, pp. 193-194).
Scharffe also notes that in his district release time is used for their
successful staff development program to help reassigned teachers (1979,
p. 363).

To help reassigned teachers c0pe with their problems and lessen the
effects of the stressors involved, the staff development program should
be structured to allow for the teachers' needs to be met. Sparks pro-
vides some general guidelines from his research. "Inservice education
should provide opportunities for teachers to identify personal sources of
job dissatisfaction, and to assist them in creating individualized pro-
grams to . . . alleviate emotional distress" (1979, p. 448). Maslach and

Pines suggest that "formal or informal programs in which staff members

can get together to discuss problems, and to get advice and support, are

63

another way of helping them to c0pe successfully with job stress" (1977,
p. 111). Meyers lists six experiences that teachers have Identified as
helping them adjust to being new to a staff: (1) "achieving status with
peers and co-workers;" (2) "gaining the attention and concern of the
principal;" (3) "having ample opportunity to know and understand the
local situation with enlphasis on: general school policies; school faci-
lities; and school routines;" (4) having "opportunities to make unique
and personal contributions to the school;" (5) having "opportunities to
grow and progress personally and professional Iy;" and, (6) having "oppor-
tunities to associate socially with peers" (1981, p. 71-72).

One approach to designing staff~ development programs for stress
reduction, which includes experiences cited above by Meyers and others,
is to view school staff interpersonal relationships as similar to those

found in a biological family.

Ih_e_ B_q_l_e _o_f Professional Colleagues _a_§ igm_i_ly

It Is reasonable to assume that professional col leagues who work
together over a period of time form close emotional ties with one an-
other. These ties can correspond to those commonly identified as part of
what is traditionally thought of as exclusively pertaining only to a
biological family. However, the term "family" can encompass more than
just the biological nuclear and/or extended family concept.

The Concept 91 Emily. in most societies, the concept of family as
the center of social existence is common. Ackerman et al. believe that
the concept of family fi I Is a dual role: that of both the primary
biological group and also the social group in a culture." They state
that "the family is the primary biosocial unit in our culture." (1961,

p. 3). Some believe that the social dimension of the family is the

IOJESE'

OJ" SC‘

64

foundation of our society. As LaBarre states, "we build our culture on
our sociability" (1961, p. 10). The social aspect of the family concept
is important to this study, because an individual's social family is
often different from his/her biological family. Leichter describes this
when she notes that

in Our own society, separation, divorce, remarriage and adoption

all may mean that social and biological definitions of the

family do not coincide. Moreover, the unit that Is socially

defined as the family may or may not correspond to the unit that

is defined as the household . . . . Thus, one cannot assume that

"the family" has anything like a common definition (1975, p.
23).

Traditionally. the concept of the family has been that of a closed system
which operates and lives as an isolate. This concept for today's society
may not be as useful as it once was. More and more importance is being
placed on the effects of social contacts outside the traditional family.
For this reason, it may be advantageous to look at the concept of family
as an open system. Leichter comments on this and notes that "for many
purposes, therefore, it is more useful to conceive of the family as an
Open, than as a closed, system" (1961, p. 143). One purpose of viewing
the family as an Open system is to study the Interaction with social
groups outside the immediate family. Hobbs' ecological model for study-
ing this interaction (Figure 1) helps the reader understand the impor-
tance of non-biological family social contacts as a person matures from
childhood to an adult.

Hobbs feels that as a biological family member grows older, his
social contacts go increasingly out into the neighborhood and community
(1979, pp. 192-194). Because of this constant change in the focus of an

lndlvidual's social interaction, the concept of the family unit changes

3U

.. v.

or.

CO!
CO

Si:

pr:

65

FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD

(Teacher)
Gran d- \_/
Parent
COMMUNITY

 

  

Teacher
Friend

 
   
 

 

\. \
’1 TIME TIME I
Source: Hobbs, 1979, p. 193.

Figure 1. Social Ecological System

also. Of this multifaceted dimension to family membership, Getzels

explains that
one is no longer an integral part Of a single all-encompassing
community--of I22 community, but a member of communities--of
communities within communities. . . . One may be a member
simultaneously of local community . .., an administrative
community . . ., an instrumental community (e. 9., a particular

professional group), an ethnic community . . ., an ideological
community .. .(1979, pp.116-117).

Leichter also discusses this shift In social focus from home to Institu-
tions outside the home. She specifically notes that as adults, people
shift their social focus to their jobs. She comments that "for the very
young, the family is seen as the central area. . . . for adults, the
focus shifts to the occupation" (1975, p. 30).

Not only is it important to have an open view of the family unit as

Lt extends beyond the biological family, but it Is also important to

66

understand who is involved in the social system outside the biological
family.

Family Membership. When considering family membership within the
biological family, family boundaries are easily fixed and usually include
al I blood relatives and relatives by marriage. Once consideration is
given to the family social function outside the biological family. other
social systems, such as those of friends, organizations, and quasi-family
groups affect the individual. One such social system Is known as fictive
kinship. This system is seen by LaBarre as a type of family. He notes

that

when men form societies larger than the family, they customarily
borrow the pattern of the family to form purely ritual "blood-
brotherhood" . . . that make members tribal "brothers" of one
another, the larger fraternity being a pseudo-family moral group

(1961, p. 12).
Mead, in an article on grandparents as educators, notes the place in a
child's education for persons in the community to act as "surrogate
grandparents" (1975, p. 69). Fictive kin are general iy almost as close
as biological familyu Fictive kin are designated as mother, father,
brother, sister, and In some cases, special classifications of friends.
Sarker, in her study of family relationships, found that the fictive
kinship system is widely used in Bangladesh among both the Hindus and
Muslims. Cal led the dharma atmyo ("god relative"), this relationship

helps maintain community stability and bring security to each party

involved (Sarker, 1980, p. 60). Concerning the dharma atmjro relation-

 

ship, she states that

the dharma atmyo consult each other on the purchase and sale of
land animals and other necessary and valuable things. ‘They also
discuss with each other matters pertaining to marriage and even
their funeral ceremonies, and generally make decisions only
after mutual consultation. In times of need, a dharma atmyo

 

nel;
(195

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'TVE“ a.
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67

helps the other by giving labour, money, grain, and advice,.. .
(1980, p. 58).

In Mexico, Foster finds that the fictive kinship system known as
compadrazgo also provides a measure of security and stability. From his
study of vii Lage life, he concludes that

Tzintzuntzenos feel the need for an institution that has the
formality and continuity of kinship, but which permits the
freedom of choice of friendship. They find it In the compa-
drazgo.

The basic priniclple of the compadrazgo is ritual sponsor-
ship of a person or persons by another person or persons, with
consequent formal ties among a number of peOple, which last
during the life-times of the principals.. . .

The sponsoring persons the godparents, . . . are known and
addressed as the padrinos (padrlno = godfather, madrina =
godmother). The sponsored person, the godchl Id, . . . is
called ahi|ado ("godson") or ahi|ada ("goddaughter"L. U1 addi-
tion to these ties, the godparents gpg the parents of the
godchild also enter into a new formal relationship: they
become compadres, or co-parents (1979, p. 76).

 

Additional fictive kinship systems are found in Hungary and India.
Vinceze conducted kinship research among Hungarian peasants and found a
fictive kinship system there cal led komasag. He finds that viI lagers'
use of kinship names for other vll lagers becomes a source of security and
of knowing one's social standing within the larger society. He relates
that

the extension of social ties through the use of kinship-derived

address terms, and avoidance of standard titles goes beyond

village solidarity . .. . it identifies the speaker as a

member Of the peasant class. . . . Rights and obligations

follow traditional patterns (1978, p. IIIL
In India, Bhowmick finds fictive kinship ties are more in form than in
substance. Responsibilities of the kind Include mourning the death of
“the god relatives as if the person were a blood relative, and attending
festivals. However, the god relative also gives presents and can inherit

estates (1976, pp. 148-158). This relationship also produces security in

the social system. Bhowmick says that "through such cordial bonds of

68

friendship develop inter-caste relations, which contribute largely to-
wards the growth of social solidarity (1976, p. 158). As has been shown
here, the concept of family members, depending on the concept held Of the
family, can often Include nonfamily community members. Both the biologi-
cal and the social family systems provide some similar functions for Its'
members.

Family Support Functions. COOper identifies seven biological family
support functions that can apply to the social family as well. They are:
(1) a collector and disseminator of information about the world; (2) a
feedback guidance system; (3) a source Of ideology; (4) a guide and
mediator In problem-solving; (5) a source of practical service and con-
crete aid; (6) a haven for rest and recuperation; and (7) a reference and
control group (1981, p. 89). Bernard further identifies four family
support functions which can apply also to fictive kin. They are: (I)
protection; (2) socialization; (3) affection and emotional security; and
(4) regulation of relationships (1942, p. 26). A common thread that runs
throughout the fictive kinship system, as described above by Mead, Sar-
ker, Vinceze, Bhowmick, and Foster, and In the family support functions
described by Cooper and Bernard, is the family function of helping other
family members and the closeness of the relationships over a period of
time.

Professional Col lepgfis _a_s_ g Fictive Family. Cooper has identified

two types Of organizational support, material and social, as shown in

Figure 2.

69

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o; o._cx 5.; co* +_ .aaoLm oc+ >0 co_+mEco*c_ mc_cou_z >oco£ looqxo _m:+:sv
+_ oo co nofi oc+ Oo._mcmcos >.m:oo: >5 mooc30moc mc_>_Om "Loz+o comm co_+m~_cmmco
OO O+ cOmcoa a_m: lm+c0am +chaam. lso_a0ca m:_.OOd O+ mc_cm04 .oscocc_
+co_a_oom o >.Omcm4 m. cOmcoa
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+cosoL_+oc mLOm_>Loaam m+cOEOOsuc_
>_coo o>_w mcoo_*co Ocmc.o3 +coscoL_>cO
50.50cq momcac 5+.moz mco_coa:m .mo.m>ca uooo Am+m_.m_ooam
m>.Om O+ om.o .oco_+maaooo m+cm+.:mcoo o.aoom new mco_+
OcoosOm oc_m mco_omcsoo mco.omc:oo m.OOP no.2moc .mo.:cv
ooh omcmco co co- um+coaxo >n mco+ooo >Ocoz co_+m~_cmmco
cco cOmcoa oxmh oOu_>OLQ +L0aasm um+coaxo >2 oo.>u< "m:_o_>0cm .OELOm
_mco_>ocom _mco_+OEm o>_+_cmom
.m_OOm _o_co+m2

 

70

Cooper notes that formal organizational techniques fail to provide emo-
tional support to employees (1981, p. 97). When this happens, COOper
says, "one of the most Important sources of social support is through the
informal work group" (1981, p. 103). One way professional col leagues
function as fictive kin in the informal school work group is by helping
each other with job stress. Cooper identifies three types of job-related
stress comparable to stress experienced by involuntarily reassigned
teachers: (1) role ambiguity; (2) role conflict; and (3) role responsi-
bility (1981, pp. 23, 25). indie ambiguity exists for Involuntarily
reassigned teachers when they are not given adequate time to learn about
their new job, about the job expectations Of new col leagues and supervi-
sors, and about the curriculum and responsibilities of the new job. lkale
conflict exists for involuntarily reassigned teachers when they are
placed in grade levels and/or subjects for which they are not qualified
or for which they lack experience. Role responsibility is produced in
involuntarily reassigned teachers when they are responsible for educating
students whose abilities and needs are unfamiliar to them.

Professional colleagues can also function as fictive kin when part
or all of that family is broken up. Teachers In this study likened
involuntary reassignment to a divorce or death in the family. ‘Teachers
mourned the loss of close relationships developed with former staff just
as individuals in India mourned the death of their fictive kin. Magnus
and Dodd support how teachers feel about the staff as family. 'They note
that when a colleague is reassigned to a new job, the change creates
stress which some psychologists have likened to the death of a loved one
or a divorce (1981, p. 543). When talking about a split in close family

‘ties, Wynne likens it to a separation In marriage when he states that a

71

split in relationships is like an involuntary "estrangement, with associ-
ated negative feel ings" (1961, p. 96). Cooper, in talking about loss of
close family relationships on the job, also notes that this loss can

produce stress (1981, p. 27).

Conclusion

 

Even though much has been said about the stress and emotional pro-
blems teachers encounter when being reassigned, and about the need to
help teachers cope with their problems, little research has been done
concerning what really happens to reassigned teachers in the process of
changing. Cuban notes that much of the literature Is concerned with the
physical aspects of school closing (see p. 5).

Shakeshaft and Gardner agree on the proliferation of school closing
articles. They say that "hundreds of articles, books, manuals, and
dissertations offer political and technical lore on efficient methods of
closing schools. Much of the literature on school closure has been seat-
of-the-pants advice" (1982, p. 493). Cuban maintains that "the Impact
upon staff Of forced moves to different teaching situations . . . need
sensitive and careful investigation" (1979, p. 382). Lytle says that the

description of the mechanics of the reassignment process doesn't

begin to capture the frustration, anger, and anxiety teachers
suffered in making forced decisions that would affect the next

several years of their professional careers (1980,;x 702).

Potter aptly summarizes the current state of the art concerning research
on the effects of the reassignment process on teachers when she concludes

‘that "the actual process reassigned teachers go through In adjusting to

<:hange In assignment has not been documented" (1981, p. 11)!

72
Literature Focused gr Methodology

The genuine mark of empirical science is to respect the nature

of the empirical world-to fit its problems, its guiding con-

ceptions, Its procedures of inquiry, its techniques of study,

Its concepts and its theories to that world. It believes that

this determination of problems, concepts, research techniques,

and theoretical schemes should be done by the direct examina-
tion of the actual empirical social world rather than by work-
ing with a simulation of that world, or with a present model of

that world . . . (Blumer, 1969, p. 49).

One of the problems associated with documenting what teachers
go through In the reassignment process is that of finding a research
method most suited to the subjects and the desired outcomes of the
study. Part of this dilemma Is caused by the nature of the change
process that produces the stress and anxiety. Hal 1 and Loucks
found, in their research on teacher concerns, that "change is a
highly personal experience" (1978, p. 38). They also go on to
conclude not only that the change process is personal, "but that the
personal dimension is often of more critical importance to the
success or failure of the change effort than the technological
dimension" (1978, p. 38). Lortie concluded much the same in School
Teacher: 9A Sociological Stuyy. In talking about a new teacher's
first few months of the school year, he commented that they "can be
of something of an ordeal. . . . it Is important to Observe, how-
ever, that the ordeal is private--it is not an experienced shared by
a cadre of teachers" (1977, p. 73). Kyrlacou and Sutcliffe, in
their research on teacher stress, found that "conceptualization of
teacher stress places emphasis on the teacher's subjective experi-
ence of his affective state . . ." (1979, p. 89). One type of

research that is well suited to probing Into what happens in events

and processes, as wel l as Into how people are affected by these

73

events and processes, is called naturalistic or ethnographic re-

search.

Why Conduct Ethnographic Research?

Ethnographic research is important for at least two reasons:
it is practical because It emphasizes the human condition, and it
helps decision makers formulate policy.

Humanness. Hitchcock notes that "It seems Important to remem-
ber that fieldwork is indeed eminently a practical affair . . J'
(1979, p. 204). It is practical because It involves the everyday
lives of people. Cooley, as cited by Stott in Bogdan and Biklen,
says that "we are seeking, i presume, to get at the human meaning Of
our institutions' processes as they work out in the lives of men,
women, and children" (1982, p. 15). Wax characterizes fieldwork as
being

the most distinctly human methodology of the social sciences.

Specifically, that fieldwork brings the researcher into personal

and intimate relationship with the host people, it enables the

fieldworker to perceive the unexpected activity of general

social processes, and to understand the initially perplexing

conduct of the hosts by entering into their cultural and

linguistic worlds (1980, p. 8).
Malhauser, in discussing the ability of behavioral research to
discern the meaning and significance of human Interaction, says that
"ethnographers, however, have a far better chance than most others
to capture that . . ." (1975, p. 314). Wax looks at fieldwork
research as being "unique In its ability to enter into the world of
meaning of the group of community under study"(1980, p. 8). Hitch-
cock links the social Interaction of people and the use Of ethnogra-

phy when he concludes that "social structure Is a told phenomenon,

an interplay of communicationai events between people. The ethno-

74

graphic occasion Is itself no less subject to this than other as-
pects of social life" (1979, p. 210-211). Wax, in an eloquent way,
sums up the ethnographic emphasis on humanness when he concludes:

Fieldwork Is one of the most wonderful If taxing methods that
have emerged within the social sciences. More than any other
method, it attempts to understand and portray the Intimate daily
lives of ordinary people. By its very nature fieldwork is
designed to assist the scientist in discovering that which is
patterned, that which is general, and that which is an example
of the generically human (1980, p. 6).

Decisionmakipg. Finnan states that "many researchers . . .

 

question whether policy statements can emerge from research relying
on small samples and on methods new to evaluation and policy stud-
Ies" (1980, p. 201%. In discussing policy making using ethnographic
case studies, Finnan notes that "policymakers have been frustrated
because plans which seem logical In Washington so Often fail when
they are Implemented" (1980, p. 207-208). Mulhauser agrees with
Finnan and concludes that "social policymakers chronically lack
'good information' on which to act" (1975, p. 311). Finnan, in
discussing the context and process of projects Quotes Gideonse who
identifies a reason planners do not have the proper information to
make responsible decisions. Gideonse writes that "policy analysis
Is full of logical straightforward convincing suggestions and solu-
tions that are wrong because they bear so little relation, if any,
to the climate or milieu in which their implementation is proposed"
(1980, p. 207-208). The importance of ethnography In decision
making is emphasized by Finnan, who identifies three needs policy
makers have: (1) "the social and political context surrounding any
change effortf'IZ) "the process of program implementation;" and (3)

the understanding of "content and process to propose feasible policy"

75

(1980, p. 207-208). Finnan concludes that "the ethnographer is

the best person to assume this difficult task" because "ethnograp-
hers are able to look Inside what has been seen as a "black box" and
describe how objectives and goals are shaped . . ." (1980, p. 207-
208). Rist feels that one reason ethnographers have success is that
"quantitative research frequently emphasizels) a form of "hit and
run social science" whereby pre- and post-tests become the basis for
not only conclusions about treatment effects, but about policy
statements as wel I" (1981, p. 490). Porter-Gehrie sees the ethno-
grapher's success a little differently. "Ethnography is a method of
research by which an outsider attempts to learn the perspective and
information shared by insiders by becoming, In part, an insider"
(1980, p. 123). Rist sums up the present research situation when he
says that "qualitative approaches which stress familiarity and reci-
procity with the groups in question are increasingly likely to be a
major source of information for policy makers" (1981, p. 492).
Because ethnographic research concerns itself with human needs in
the social process and has the ability to help make decisions which
affect human needs, it recently has become a popular means of look-

ing at educational concerns.

Ethnography 91 Education

Schools are social organizations. John Dewey recognized this
when he said, "the general pattern of school organization . . .
constitutes the school a kind of Institution sharply marked off from
other social institutions" (Dewey, 1963, p. 18). He reemphasized
this point when, in talking about social control, he stated that

"the principle that development of experience comes about through

76

interaction means that education is essentially a social process"
(Dewey, 1963, p. 58). Waller, as quoted by Bogden and Biklen,
believes that "the school is a social world because human beings
live in it" (1982, p. LSL Assuming that Dewey and Waller are
correct, it would follow that, In studying education and educators,
one should use a research process specifically designed to study
people. One immediately turns to sociology and anthropology for a
possible methodological source. Foerster and Soldier come to a
similar conclusion:
The marriage of education and anthropology may not have been
made In heaven but it is certainly sound enough to produce many
blessed events, anyway. Although this union has not been of
long duration, many educators, Including the writers, hail the
event as one of the most promising occurrences which can Impact
the teaching/learning arena in America and resolve some of the
really critical Issues which we face (1981, p. 1L
One of the reasons that ethnographic research fits the study of
education is that it can closely examine educational trends and
issues, and show the course of changes in the system. ltlIl-Burnett
states that anthropologists have made an "ethnographic contribution
to the literature on desegregation, as well as the explosive Issues
of race and Intel Iigence. Ethnography has been involved in tracking
the course of educational interventions and attempts at educational
change" (1979, p. 246). Another reason that ethnographic research
is apprOpriate for educational issues is that it strives to learn
what is going on as seen through eyes of the peOpIe involved. As
Porter-Gehrie notes:
Because those who study schools are outsiders, researchers
claim that they can be more objective than an insider. . . .
What an outsider cannot learn and, therefore, remains outside
his analysis is the information that is exchanged while daily

events take place. Such information Is available only to
Insiders, yet it shapes the flow of events and can determine

77

the success or failure of attempts to improve schools. Ethno-
graphy Is a method of research by which an outsider attempts to
learn the perspective and Information shared by Insiders. . . "
(1980, p. 123). Ethnographic research methods are able to gain
the perspective of the insider first of all because its metho-
dology is flexible, varied, and Its outcomes are grounded in
observed data. Finnan states this in the form of what ethno-
graphy does not do when she declares that ethnography does not
impose a rigid research schedule on the object of study; it
does not seek proof for hypotheses which have little relation
to what is happening at the study site; and it does not produce
sterile tables of figures which often cannot point to why
outcomes look as they do or to the relationships between vari-
ables (1980, p. 202).

A second reason that ethnographic research Is able to gain the Insider's
perspective is that it studies people as human beings. IRlst captures
this idea in the foreword to a book by Bogdan and Biklen when he mentions

that

qualitative research brings back Into focus a concern of many
who toll in the vineyard of educational research. This mode of
research brings the study of human beings pg human beings to
center stage. It represents a fundamental rejection of the
ultimately Irrational pursuit to quantify all aspects of human
belief and experience. We as human beings are more than simply
the sum total of psychological measures, survey instrument
responses, and bits of data on a laboratory check list. That
our experiences, fears, anxieties, emotions, beliefs, re-
actions, hopes, behaviors, and irrationalities are not well
captured or explained by the rush to quantification is one
reason that qualitative research Is experiencing the renais-
sance It is (1982, p. x).

 

The appropriateness of ethnography for studying human endeavors lies

In the methods and techniques used to collect the data.

Ethnpgraphic Research Methods

"The name for doing ethnography" is "fieldwork" (Agar, 1980a, p. 2).
Classically, this fieldwork involved a situation for an extended period
of“time in which the researcher lived with those whom he was studying.
Wax feels that "the ideal of fieldwork has been to live with the host

People as intimately as possible" (1980, p. 1). Hi I l-Burnett says of

78

this, "the fundamental nature Of the anthropological approach to field
method involves Observation of human activities in time and space" (1979,
p. 242). Agar, in discussing the role of the ethnographer, says that
"after spending some time with a particular group, he will begin to learn
how to ask the right people the right questions in the right way" (1980b,
p. 35). Hitchcock agrees that the researcher must become closely tied to
the research site. He says that

the field worker or ethnographer is charged with making some

kind of sense out of the setting he chooses to investigate.

This, it is generally recognized, can only really be achieved to

a greater or lesser extent by becoming a part of that setting,

hence the characteristic stress laid on participant

observational techniques (1979, p. 204).

Fetterman gives a rationale for the participant observation techniques
when he says that "Ethnographers attempt to immerse themselves in an
environment to understand the situation or the system--allowing
impressions and patterns to emerge from participation with, and observa-
tion of participants" (1980, p. 33).

Role 9: the Ethnpgrapher. Fetterman says that an ethnographer
"working alone rather than In teams creates a less threatening atmosphere
more conducive to gathering data" (1980, p. 35). He continues:

in this regard, the anthropologist's role is more like that Of

a student interested in learning how pieces of a puzzle fit

together than a traditional evaluator who enters the picture

with explicit g priori assumptions about what the system is and

how it works (Fetterman, 1980, p. 32).

Agar agrees with Fetterman's view of the ethnographer's role. He says
"the ethnographer's purpose is to iearn--to acquire some knowledge that
he previously did not have" (1980a, p. 2). To accomplish this, the
researcher needs to become like a chi Id and a student. Agar says that
both child and student are learning roles; they are roles whose

«occupants will make mistakes, which Is perfectly acceptable as
long as they don't continue to make the same ones. They can be

79

expected to ask a lot of questions. They need to be taught--

both wil I look to established members Of a group for Instruc-
tion, guidance, and evaluation of their performance (1980a, p.
69).

As a learner, the ethnographer looks for overall patterns of behavior.
From these he tries to make sense out of what he observes. Agar con-
cludes that "if you are going to learn a complex pattern, this implies
direct, prolonged contact with group members" (1980a, p. 195). Porter-
Gehrie says that "the ethnographer looks for patterns among the events
that are observed" (1980, p. 124). She believes that these patterns
provide access to Inside information and says that "the ethnographer
assumes that the behavior of people in groups wi l l fol low several modes
that give one access to the insider's perspective" (1980, p. 123). Of
this insider's perspective, she comments:

First, information Is transmitted verbally when it is shared
among insiders. Being privy to conversations is essential to
ethnographic research. Second, the exchange of information
among insiders is triggered by events. One must be present to
gather information as It is released (1980, p. 123).

Of this presence, Fetterman says that although the ethnographer tries to

remain unobtrusive throughout the research,

this does not mean he or she does not take part In the groups'
activities; on the contrary, participation Is considered
fundamental to understanding the experience, the situation, or
the system. The ethnographer tries 29: to alter the existing
situation markedly by his or her presence [emphasis added]
(1980, p. 39).

Techniques 91 Fieldwork. Fieldwork is accomplished through a broad
Iresearch approach known as participant observation. Rist notes that

qualitative research does have an internal order and logic to
it. What is seen from the outside is not these attributes, but
rather the density Of employing observations, Interviews, docu-
ment analysis, historical research, and constant reframing of
the key areas of study. The description of social reality is
the description of a mosaic. Any method that would seek to do
this must itself reflect and be open to the world as it is, not
as we might wish it to be (Bogdan and Biklen, p. x).

80

[Diversity of methods is one of the key techniques In ethnography. Ahoia
and Lucas identify four of the more common techniques and emphasize their
interconnectedness. They note that
an ethnographic approach typically'encompasses a number of
Interrelated techniques. Each plays a fundamental role In the
context of the complete research design. Generally, these

Include participant observation, informal interviewing, formal
interviewing, and the col lection of personal documents (1981,

p. 77).
Another technique used in ethnographic research is a flexible strategy
that allows the researcher to shift his or her focus of study to fit
changes in the field situation. Battersby mentions this as a strength
when he writes that ethnographic research

is not built upon a structured and predetermined methodology,

but rather it represents a strategy for continually redesigning

research in light Of emergent concepts. ‘This kind of flexibi-

lity not only aids the creative generation of a conceptual

framework, but it also ensures that It is intimately linked to

data. For educational researchers, then, this anthropological

strategy provides one opportunity whereby they can become more

closely attuned to empirical data (1981, p. 97).
The importance of both direct observation of relevant events and the
duration of the field study cannot be overemphasized. [hwjng 1939 and
1940, Charles Wagley spent fifteen months in the field observing the
Tapirape'lndians of Brazil. The Importance of the duration of the Obser-
vation period comes from evidence he gathered which refuted evidence from
earlier and shorter observations made by a German anthropologist. Of
“this, Wagley records that "Baldus (1970:175ff) emphasized fishing among
'the Taplrape'because he was In residence at the time of the year when
fish were available. But throughout the year, the great preoccupation of
the Tapirape'was meat, which they got from hunting" (1977, p. 66). Wag-

ley stayed in residence long enough to see a complete cycle of events,

and t11us gain a more accurate and complete perspective on this aspect of

81

I

Tapirape life. Fetterman says that "the aim in employing these techni-
ques Is to gather data from the emic or "insider" perspective on "how the
system works, . . ." (1980, p. 32). Pike describes the emic importance
of understanding what is Observed as a segment of a whole. He discusses
the importance of focus on one segment and the whole and concludes that,
"behavior structure is built like 'wheeis within wheels,' very little can
be said about the details Of any complex behavior pattern without this
fact being Implicit In the description" (1967, p. 78). He illustrates
his point by showing how etical ly a church service may be complete in
itself. However, emical Iy

even the church service itself Is a segment of a larger series.

For the individual it is part of a series of activities of that

particular day of worship, and a weekly cycle of church activi-

ties. The "Bul Ietin," itself, indicates this clearly: the

bul ietin for the day first referred to in this chapter has

sections entitled "Today," "this Week," and "Coming" is . . . a

view beyond the Immediate cycle, which would ultimately lead to

a yearly one with regularly celebrated special days such as
Easter (1967, p. 78).

In applying specific techniques to the research in this study, the
researcher assumed there would be three primary sources of data as
'dentified in the literature. First, Fetterman says that "working with
in f<>t~mants is the hallmark Of ethnographic fieldwork" (1980, p. 34).

HI ' l ~Burnett quotes Kimbal l as saying about fieldwork that "the fundamen-
ta ' nature of the anthropological approach to field method involves the
°bser~ vation of human activities in time and space" (1979, p. 242).
SecOhd, Wiedner, as quoted by Hitchcock, notes that the ethnographer
bec':<>"hes a primary source of data. He says:

By directing attention to the ethnographer's work and his

encounters with his subjects or informants, the work of the

accomplished sense, facticity, familiarity, objectivity, typi-

cal ity, etc., of everyday activities may be observed first
hand. The ethnographer's experience as such, "as an Object in

82

a social world, then becomes a primary source of data" (1979,
p. 204).

Hitchcock Identifies a third source of data; the field notes themselves.

He promotes the idea

that the field notes themselves capture "the events as they
happen," "the experience as it unfolds," the essential fragmen-
tary bits and pieces qual ity of the activities in the ongoing
activities of the group. . . . These field notes then consti-

tute, _a_s_ thpy stand, the primary data: they will bear a close
resemblance to the character of the activities in question

(1979, p. 208).
Hi I l-Burnett agrees with Hitchcock when she affirms that "the primary

data records are kept in the form of field notes in a diary-I ike or

journal-i ike log that give ful I account of what has been observed and

heard" (1979, p. 244).

One final word concerning the methodology used: participant observ-

at ion takes note of the Intersubjective nature of the structures of
everyday life. it recognizes that each person shares, to some extent,
his/her intersubjective world with others. "Most importantly, I know

That there is an ongoing correspondence between my meanings and their
mean ings in this world, that we share a common sense about its real ity"
(lhde, 1977, p. 145). "The problem for investigation, then, becomes the
s"h‘mcture of reality of this natural attitude, of everyday life in its
Ir“feltsubjective constitution" (lhde, 1977, p. 146). The problem for the

researcher is how to uncover the intersubjective world of another person

or an event. The researcher fol lowed four heuristics of phenomenology,

to probe for what is "genuinely discoverable and potentially there, but

"0* often seen" (lhde, 1977, p. 26). The researcher (1) attended to

phe"1<>mena as they occurred (2) described the phenomena, rather than
exD ' ained them; (3) initial ly horizontal ized al I phenomena by making no

v
a I Lie judgment until al I the evidence (or enough evidence) was in; and

83

(4) sought out the intersubjective structures Of the phenomena (lhde,

1977, pp. 34-39). In accomm ishlng this the researcher kept In mind that

the discovery process and the questions raised by the research-
er need not be related to any received or prior theory. Such

theory is not necessary to inquiry In the field . . . The
researcher Is free to think of any or al I pertinent theories
and assumptions about his subject matter, and thereby frees
himself from substantive orthodoxy (Schatzman and Strauss,

1973, p. 12).

This concept of perspective al lowed the researcher to view the research

objects from several angles. Schatzman and Strauss conclude that

perspective refers to an angle Of observation. Like It or not,
man is condemned to viewing from one (or more) perspectives or
angles, as reality is Infinitely complex and no observer can see
it al I. . . . For the field researcher, the matter Of bias Is
accepted; his concern is directed at the fruitfulness of
observation from any given angle (Schatzman and Strauss, 1973,

p. 55).

The researcher tried to accomplish this task through fol lowing these
guidelines as he interviewed, observed, and researched applicable docu-

ments. The researcher tried to force himself to stand back far enough

from the phenomena, to be objective, yet close enough to it to learn its

inter-subjectivity. For, in the final analysis, it Is ". . . 'reallty'

from the perspective of the actor as respondent. . . ." that matters in

9'V 3 ng accounts (Schatzman and Strauss, 1973, p. 68).

m Des Lgp Concerns

Because of the controversy concerning the abi l ity of naturalistic
r“Search to meet the standards for val idlty and reliability expected In
(luau... itative research, the researcher feels it Is appropriate as part of

"n 3 literature review to address the issue here conceptual ly.

84

The value of scientific research is partially dependent on the
ability of individual researchers to demonstrate the credibility
of their findings. Regardless of the discipline or methods used
for data collection and analysis, all scientific ways of knowing
strive for authentic results. In all fields that engage in
scientific inquiry, reliability and validity of findings are
important. A common criticism directed at so called quantita-
tive investigation .. . Is that It falls to adhere to cannons
of reliability and validity (LeCompte and Goetz, 1982, p. 31).

Criticism Of qualitative research can be found in several sources, and
the criticism is leveled at various components Of the methodology in-
vol ved. One methodology component receiving criticism is that of obser-
ver bias. Overholt al leges that
problems of observer bias and selective attention are present In
ethnographic work, and they may be more severe than Is the case
with other methods of research. Ethnography incorporates no
very effective controls for such sources of error. As a result,
we have to take their word for what they conclude in their
reports (1980, p. 16).
Two additional problems appear to be inherent in the method. These are
that quantitative research standards for general izabi l ity and rel iabi I ity
rarely exist for ethnographic data, and that data col lection and report-
'"9 procedures are bound by ethical consideration Of informants' confi-
den-g- ial ity. Finnan mentions these potential problems when she states

That

one kind Is inherent in the method. Ethnography rarely
generates data that meet standards of generalizability and
reliability established for other research methods. The other
kind of problem is of a procedural nature. For example . . .
ethical problems of confidentiality arise . .. (1980, p. 202-
203).

LecOl'npte and Goetz state that "the results Of ethnographic research often
are regarded as unreliable and lacking in validity and reliability"
”932, p. 32). They further note that "a discussion of reliability and
V3 ' 3 dity problems in ethnographic research properly begins with specifi-

Ca1~ ' on of major differences between the two research traditions" (1980,

85

p. 32). They account for the criticisms leveled at ethnographic research

design by noting that rel iabi Ity and val ldity are approached differently

by experimental and ethnographic research design, and they argue that

both are credible and are not mutual ly exclusive. LeCompte and Goetz

identify three major areas of difference: (1) the formulation of re-

search problems; (2) the nature Of research goals; and (3) the appl Ica-

tion of research results (1982, p. 33). These can be seen In Figure 3 on

pages 86-87.
Val idlty.

t'ions generated, refined or tested match the causal conditions which
This can be

"Val ldity necessitates demonstration that the proposi-

obtain In human life" (LeCompte andGoetz, 1982, p. 43).

examined by looking at both internal and external val idlty as it relates

to ethnography.
"The threats that Campbel l and Stanley . . . describe as posing

di fflcu Ities for experimental research are equal ly appl lcable to ethno-

graphic research, although they present somewhat different problems and

may be resolved differently" (LeCompte and Goetz, 1982, p. 44). The

Threats discussed here are: history, maturation, observer effects, selec-

‘Hon, regression, mortality, and spurious conclusions.

lsaac and Michael note that "sometimes the subjects experience an

eVer‘ntuln or out of the experimental settlng--besides the exposure to X,

1""3"? may affect their dependent variable scores" (1981, p. 60). This is

"‘9 effect of contemporary history.

Ethnographers assume that history affects the nature of the data
collected and that phenomena rarely remain constant. The
ethnographic task is to establish which baseline data remain
stable over time and which data change .. . Such change may be
recurrent, progressive, cyclic, or aberrant; sources of change
and their operation also need to be specified . . . This is
facilitated by systematic replication and comparison of baseline

86

 

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88

data, analogous to the pretest data collected by experimenters
(LeCompte and Goetz, 1982, p. 45).

"Biological and physiological processes within the subjects may change
during the progress Of the experiment will affect their responses" (Isaac
and Michael, 1981, p. 60). ‘This effect is called maturation.

Ethnographers, however, view maturational stages as varying
according to cultural norms. Fieldworkers attempt to control
for the effects of maturation by identifying explicitly what
behaviors and norms are expected in different sociocultural
contexts. They are less concerned with what people actually are
capable of doing at some deveIOpmental stage than with how
groups specify appropriate behavior for various developmental
stages (LeCompte and Goetz, 1982, p. 45).

Isaac and Michael state that "changes in the testing instruments,
h11man raters, or interviewers can affect the obtained measurements"

(1 981, p. 60). This they call the effect of measuring instruments.

LeCompte and Goetz say that

the threat to validity posed by observer effects in ethnography
is parallel to the threats to experimental and survey studies
posed by testing and instrumentation effects. The reactivity of
instrumentation . . . is as problematic for ethnographers as it
is for other social researchers. Participant observation and
informant interviewing pose particular problems of their own
(LeCompte and Goetz, 1982, p. 46).

LeClcampte and Goetz consider nine observer effects that can threaten

'rr1‘esrnal validity. ‘They are presented here briefiy'in condensed outline

fC3r‘frI:

1. Direct Observer effects may occur when Informants become
dependent on the ethnographer for status enhancement or the
satisfaction of psychological needs (1982, p. 46).

2. Attempting to avoid problems of entanglement by assuming
a position of neutrality can lead the researcher into other
distortions. Detachment can destroy rapport and cause infor-
mants to Infer indifference or even hostility on the part of
the researcher. Consequent paranoic reactions may seriously
affect the quality of data (1982, p. 46).

3. Participants may behave abnormally . . . This may be a
consciously planned show in which subjects seek to reveal
themselves in the best possible light, or It may be an uncon-
scious distortion to provide what participants believe the

89

researcher wants to see. interactive situations, In which
participants respond spontaneously to the researcher's presence
and attention, may result in phenomena comparable to the halo
effect . .. (1982, p. 46).

4. Parallel to this problem in observation Is the credi-
bility of informant reports In Interviewing. Informants may
lie, omit relevant data, or misrepresent their claims (1982, p.
46).

5. Contrivance effects may distort data gathered: this
obtains In situations where the ethnographer plans and executes
some exceptional act in order to elicit responses from sub-
jects. Such strategies may violate the research ethics Of
participant consent (1982, p. 47).

6. Research exhaustion, or the saturation of a setting for
research purposes . . . occurs when the investigation ceases to
reveal further new constructs (1982, p. 47).

7. Related to this may be the classic problem of going
native: ethnographers participate to such a degree in groups
that they can no longer maintain sufficient distance from the
group role to observe and analyze objectively (1982, p. 47).

8. in cases where presentation of the perspective of parti-
cipants is important, ethnographers must demonstrate that the
categories are meaningful to the participants, reflect the way
participants experience reality, and actually are supported by
the data. Even where participant-derived constructs are less
important, researcher-designated constructs still should be
grounded in and congruent with actual data (1982, p. 47).

9. Researchers must guard against their own ethnocentrisms
and perceptual biases (1982, p. 47).

Isaac and Michael give the example of selection of subjects that
”id 7 cates differences In the post test of the experimental and control
groups may be due to "difference in the two groups rather than the effect
0* )(" (1981, p. 61% They define statistical regression as when "groups
are selected on the basis of their extreme scores" (1981, p. 61). The
effects of X can be mistaken for the mean score's movement toward the
"“353'1 of the pOpulation on the second test. LeCompte and Goetz address
1fl‘e35303 two issues together since they have in common problems of selecting
research subjects. They state:

In experimental research, control of selection and regression

effects attempts to ensure that measured differences between

treatment and control groups are caused by the treatment rather

than by differences inherent in the groups. Although ethno-

graphers rarely grapple with the problem of isolating treatment
Ieffects, they do cope with distortions in their data and

9O

conclusions created by the selection of participants to observe
and informants to interview (1982, p. 48).

Isaac and Michael say that "differential experimental mortality" is
experienced "if a particular type of subject drops out of one group after
the experiment is underway, this differential loss may affect the find-
ings of the investigation" (1982, p. 61). LeCompte and Goetz address the
issue:

The ways in which groups change over time as a result of losses

and gains In membership pose special difficulties for ethno-

graphers. Although experimenters may replace subjects who are

lost from their studies, ethnographers assume that the natura-

listic approach precludes the interchangeability of human in-

formants and participants . . . Growth and attrition are as-

sumed to be normal processes in most group settings, so the

ethnographic task becomes the identification of their effects
(1982, p. 49).

LeCompte and Goetz cite Cook and Campbell's "statistical conclusion
validity" to be comparable to the "spurious conclusion" threat in ethno-
graphic research. They cite Cook and Campbell as defining statistical
conclusion validity as "(a) the extent to which a treatment actual ly
caused a predicted effect and (b) the extent to which presumed phenomena
actually covary or are causally related" (1982, p. 49).

LeCompte and Goetz suggest that the ethnographic research design
controls for this problem because

the geneses of observed data are traced retrospectively. All

plausible causes are delineated by examination of col lected

data and through discussion with informants. Elimination of

rival explanations mandates control of factors threatening

internal validity. It also requires effective and efficient

retrieval systems for ethnographic data and the scrupulous use

of corroboratory and alternative sources of data. ‘These serve

to support the fieldworker's search for negative instances of

tentatively postulated relationships and disconfirming evidence

for emergent constructs (1982, pp. 49-50).

LeCompte and Goetz show that naturalistic research also has to

conteand with external validity problems.

9i

Threats to the external validity of ethnographic findings are
those effects that obstruct or reduce a study's comparability and
translatability. Four factors may affect the credibility of a
study for cross group comparisons: selection effects, setting
effects, history effects, and construct effects (1982, p. 51).

The factors are presented here briefly in outline form and are taken
LeCompte and Goetz:

1. Selection effects occur because "some constructs cannot
be compared across groups because the researcher mistakenly has
chosen groups for which the construct does not obtain" (1982,
p. 56).

2. Setting effects occur because "simply by studying a
group, culture, or setting, the investigator affects it in some
ways" (1982, p. 52).

3. History effects occur because "cross-group comparison of
the constructs may be invalid due to the unique historical
experiences of groups and cultures" (1982, p. 52).

4. Construct effects occur when "the comparability of eth-
nographic studies may be reduced or obstructed by idiosyncratic
use Of initial analytic constructs or by generation of con-
structs so peculiar to a particular group that they are useless
for cross-group examinations" 1982, p. 53).

from

Reliability. Isaac and Michael define reliability as "the consis-

tency between measures in a series" (1981, p. 122). LeCompte and Goetz

take this concept and apply it to naturalistic research:

Reliability refers to the extent to which studies can be
replicated. It requires that a researcher using the same
methods can obtain the same results as those of a prior study.
This poses a herculean problem for researchers concerned with
naturalistic behavior or unique phenomena. Establishing the
reliability of ethnographic design is complicated by the nature
of the data and the research process, by conventions In the
presentation of findings, and by traditional modes of training
researchersl1982,1L 35%

When discussing internal reliability, LeCompte and Goetz contend

that

because ethnographers rarely use the standardized protocols for
which some types of interrelater reliability are crucial, the
more pertinent concern is whether multiple observers agree with
each other and with the originator of general constructs on
‘their classifications or on a typology with which to begin
<3ategorization. Thus, the agreement ethnographers seek is more
appropriately designated interobserver reliability. Agreement

92

Is sought on the description or composition of events rather
than on the frequency of events (1982, p. 41%

Five strategies are commonly used by ethnographers to reduce threats to
Internal reliability: "Low-inference descriptors, multiple researchers,
participant researchers, peer examination, and mechanically recorded
data" (1982, p. 41). They are presented here briefly in outline form and
are taken from LeCompte and Goetz:

1. Low Inference descriptors, phrased in terms as concrete
and precise as possible, are mandated for all ethnographic
research. These include verbatim accounts of what people say
as well as narratives of behavior and activity. Those ethno-
graphies rich In primary data, which provide the reader with
inultiple examples from the field notes, generally are con-
sidered to be the most credible . . . (1982, p. 41).

2. The Optimum guard against threats to internal reliabili-
ty In ethnographic studies may be the presence of multiple re-
searchers. Ethnographies based on team Observation constitute
the minority.. .. (1982,[L 41-42).

3. Participant researchers are many times asked by re-
searchers to "confirm that what the observer has seen and
recorded is being viewed Identically and consistently by both
subjects and researcher" (1982, p. 42).

4. Peer examination can take any one or all of three forms.
First, ethnographers may integrate descriptions and conclusions
from other fieldworkers.ln their presentations. Second, find-
ings from studies conducted concurrently at multiple sites . ..
may be analyzed and integrated. Finally, the publication of
results constitutes an offering of material for peer review
(1982, p. 42).

5. Ethnographers use a variety of mechanical devices to
record and preserve data. Video and audio tape recorders,
cameras, are becoming standard equipment in the collection of
ethnographic data (1982, p. 43).

LeCompte and Goetz real istical ly approach the problem of external
reliability when they concede that

because of factors such as the uniqueness or complexity of pheno-
mena and the individualistic and personalistic nature of the
(ethnographic process, ethnographic research may approach rather
'than attain external reliability. Ethnographers enhance the
external rel Iabi l Ity of their data by recognizing and handling

f ive major problems: researcher status position, informant
clnoices, social situations and conditions, analytic constructs
artd premises, and methods of data collection and analysis (1982,
p- 37).

93

They are presented here briefly in outline form and are taken from

LeCompte and Goetz:

1. Researcher status position can be rephrased "to what
extent are researchers members of the studied groups and what
positions do they hold? Ethnographic conclusions are qualified
by the investigator's social role within the research site.
Because ethnographic data depends on the social relationship of
researcher with subjects, research reports must clearly identi-
fy the researcher's role and status within the group investi-
gated"(1982,1L 37-38).

2. "Closel y related to the role the researcher plays is the
problem of identifying the informants who provide data. Dif-
ferent informants represent different groups of constituents;
they provide researchers with access to some people, but pre-
clude access to others. Participants who gravitate toward
ethnographers and other field researchers may be atypical of
the group under investigation; similarly, those sought by eth-
nographers as informants and confidants also may be atypical"
(1982, p. 38). .

3. Social situations and conditions influence the content
of ethnographic data. "What Informants feel to be appropriate
to reveal in some contexts and circumstances may be inap-
propriate under other conditions. Delineation of the physical,
social, and interpersonal contexts within which data are
gathered enhances the replicability of ethnographic studies"
(1982, p. 38-39).

4. "Even if a researcher reconstructs the relationships and
duplicates the Informants and social contexts of a prior study,
replication may remain impossible If the constructs, defini-
tions, or units of analysis which informed the original re-
search are idiosyncratic or poorly delineated. Replication
requires explicit identification of the assumptions and meta-
theories that underlie choice of terminology and methods of
analysis (1982, p. 39).

5. "Ideally, ethnographers strive to present their methods
so clearly that other researchers can use the original report
as an operation manual by which to replicate the study. Repli-
cabllity is impossible without precise identification and
thorough description of the strategies used to collect data.
Although this admonition may appear elementary to experimental
researchers, knowledge of ethnographic technique is apprehended
Incompleteiy and shared unevenly across the disciplines now
using them"(1982, p.40).

Generalizabiiity. Tikunoff and Ward, when discussing validity and
general izabi I ity of ethnographic studies, comment that "for naturalistic
research, this means that other peOple in similar situations and similar

settings can verify the findings as being true for themselves" (1980, p.

94

277). LeCompte and Goetz affirm that ethnographers rarely have access to
design controls, sample size and the assumptions of equivalence that
quantitative researchers commonly rely on to legitimize their generaliza-
tions. "They note that as a consequence, they aim In application for
comparability and translatability of findings rather than for outright
transference to groups not investigated" (1982, p. 34). 'Tikunoff and
Ward note that this means if the study "describes what actually what is--
what occurred, what conditions existed, what interactions took placefi'it
is valid research (1980, p. 277). LeCompte and Goetz conclude of des-
cription, that "once the typicality of a phenomenon Is established, bases
for comparison may be assumed" (1982, p. 51). The typicality of a pheno-
menon can be established--and thereby the findings generalized--because
of four general data collection and analysis techniques used as cited by
LeCompte and Goetz:

1. The ethnographer's common practice of living among par-
ticipants and collecting data for long periods provides oppor-
tunities for continual analysis and comparison . .. (1982, p.
43).

2. Informant interviewing . . . necessarily Is phrased more
closely to the empirical categories of participants . . .
(1982, p. 43).

3. Participant observation . . . is conducted in natural
settings that reflect the reality of life experiences of parti-
cipants . .. (1982, p. 43).

4. Ethnographic analysis incorporates a process of re-
searcher self-monitoring, termed disciplined subjectivity,.
that exposes all phases of the research activity to continual
questioning and reevaluation (1982, p. 43).

Conclusion

Although there are questions raised concerning reliability, validi-
TY: and generalizability, these are only issues if one assumes quantita-
tivea research design Is the only scientifically valid research design.

The cresearcher assumes that both qualitative and quantitative research

95

designs are valid, depending on the desired research outcomes. Neither
design measures the same phenomena in the same way nor do they lend
themselves to reporting the findings in the same way. Neither is mutual-
ly exclusive of the other.

This researcher concludes, however, after a comparison of both
research designs, that qualitative ethnographic research is the research
form best suited for studying the effects of involuntary teacher trans-
fers because it attempts to understand human behavior in terms of how the
participants view their own human condition. Since schools are social
organizations and education is a distinctly human process, it would
appear logical to apply ethnographic research methods to problems and
issues in education. Ethnographic research is superior to purely quanta-
tive research In that the ethnographer, by virtue of his/her time in the
field, can view the human condition around him as If he were an Insider

or, at least, through the insider's eyes.

CHAPTER III

THE PROCEDURES

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the research population,

and the various methods used In data collection and analysis.

introduction

 

Closing schools is no easy task. Neither Is it something that
should frighten us. Closing schools implies consolidation, and in the
process, the trauma of reductions in force and/or involuntary relocation
of those teachers who remain. Stress, as an integral part of the teach-
ing profession, has been well documented by others. The process of
reduction In force and involuntary reassignment causes additional stress
which can have a negative effect on both the teachers' health and their
effectiveness in the classroom. Because schools will continue to be
closed as the enrol lment declines and the costs of education soar, school
district policies and personnel actions should play a crucial role in
ialleviating the trauma especially of those remaining teachers who are

hwvoluntarily reassigned.
Purpose 9: the Research

The purpose of this research is to describe and explain the effects
Of involuntary job reassignment on public school elementary teachers In

one rural school district.

96

97

The Problem

 

School year 1975-1976 saw the North Umpqua School District K-12
enrol Iment peak at 5,978. From then, until school year 1981-1982, the K-
12 enrol Iment steadily declined to 5,220. Projected enrol lment figures
through school year 1986-1987 Indicate a continual decline until the
enrol Iment plateaus at 4,051 students K-12.

School board membership had remained relatively stable over the
years, until about 1980 when several new members began to be elected.
During this period of membership change, board sentiment grew that per-
haps the board had not decreased the number of teachers over the years
commensurate with the declining enrol Iment (see p. 21). In addition to
the economically'unfavorable pupil-teacher ratio this caused, the dis-
trict had not been able to fund adequately all needed building repairs
over the same period of time. Consequently two elementary schools were
in need of major repair. Architectural studies showed that repair costs
would be excessively high in relation to: (1) the district's then cur-
rent and projected financial status; (2) the physical condition of two
buildings; and (3) the availability of ample unused classroom space in
more modern schools closer to the largest town in the district, North
UMpqua. The majority board Opinion is summed up by the same two board
members.

I had been on the board one or two months and l was looking

at the financial figures. It was obvious to me that we were in

trouble. My calculations said roughly $1,000,000 is what we

were going to be in the hole the following year (FN, Olson, 1-
19-83, card 5).

Basically, we had severe physical problems with two of those
schools that were closed--just almost insurmountable out at
Green Park. It's a six acre site and there are three septic
'tanks and three separate drain fields on that site. ‘The health
«department went ahead and let us use that, but it required
eavery two weeks the tanks had to be pumped. And they had well

98

problems. Then the building was one of the Schoolmaker designs
which, as I understand it, was the equivalent of a prefab or a
panellzed type of construction. It's got a life span of about
25 years and we'd gone by that by five or six years. We'd had
an architect look the buildings over from the standpoint of
what it would cost to do a good job of remodeling. The dol Iars
came out In excess of what, you could accept, or what we could
sell to the whole community (FN, Kennedy, 12-9-82, card 4).

The schools we closed served some useful purposes. When i
say useful purpose, i'm talking about the fact that it gets rid
of a lot of overhead or the costs, not only in that it reduced
the number of administrators, it reduced the number of teach-
ers. And at the same time we got rid of a couple of schools
who were going to be a maintenance nightmare. ‘They Iitenally
would have nickeled and dimed--wel I thousands Of doI Iars is a
better way of putting it,--would have been squandered in main-
tenance costs that would have been far better off being used to
teach kids (FN, Olsen, 1-19-83, card 5).

We had unused capacity at Rivervlew that was a five-six
year old building, a beautiful building. We had classroom
seats available for the kids that were going to be displaced
there within five miles at the most of busing (FN, Kennedy, 12-
9-82, card 4).

In the fall of 1981, the board determined it would have a deficit of
$1,000,000 for school year 1982-1983 unless stringent budget reductions
were imposed the beginning of the new fiscal year which began July first.
Between October 21 and December 15, 1981, Intense district and board
level activity occurred as a board directed group of principals, district
office administrators, and the board treasurer focused their attention on
the fiscal problem and possible solutions. On December 15, 1981, the
board voted essentially to approve a list of proposed budget reductions
effective school year 1982-1983 of $1,037,000 (Board of Education, Regu-
lar Meeting Minutes, December 15, 1981, p. 1096). hu:luded in the budget
reduction package were three line items of significance to this study.
One of them realized a net initial savings of $217,000 by closing three
K'5 elementary schools. Two of the three also were the same ones in need

of rnajor repairs. The third was closed so that the total elementary

ienrc>llment could be evenly distributed between the remaining five

99

schools. Two of the line items realized a net savings of $360,000 by
eliminating thirty-six teaching positions ("Budget information for i982-

1983 School Year," November 30, 1981).
The Population

The involuntary reassignment process began in March, 1982 when the
school district sent "pink sl ips" to 108 (38.7%) of the professional
staff, Sixty-six (61.11%) were recalled. The reductions in force, re-
call, and reassignments, are summarized in Table 7. 'The population for
this study consists of the K-5 elementary classroom teachers and special
education teachers who were involuntarily reassigned for school year
1982-1983.

Before the reduction in force, during school year 1981-82, the
district employed seventy-six K-S classroom teachers and twenty-seven
special education teachers. After the reduction in force, at the begin-
ning of school year 1982-83, the district employed sixty-nine K-S teach-
ers and twenty-eight special education teachers. ‘Thirty-seven of the
sixty-nine K-S teachers received different teaching assignments. Seven
of the twenty-eight special education teachers received different and/or
new special education assignments.

There were four reasons for involuntary reassignment. First was the
F’lacement of displaced teachers from the three closed elementary schools.
This accounted for seventeen classroom teachers. Second was the place-
ment of RlFed and recal led teachers. This accounted for twenty-one
<:Iasssroom and special education teachers. Third, three teachers who were

rurt zaffected in this way, involuntarily changed grade levels at their

100

Table 7. Teacher Reduction in Force and Recall

 

 

Teacher 1981-82 Profes- Profes- Profes- 1982-83 1982-83
Category Total sional sional sional New Total
Profes- Staff Staff Staff Hire Profes-
sional Res 1 gned/ Pi nk- Recal Ied s ional
Staff on Leave Slipped Staff
K-5 76 1 27 23 0 69
6-8 68 l 18 8 O 55
9-12 89 3 30 10 O 68
Special 27 0 20 21 O 28
Education
Special 13 1 8 3 i 10
Inst.
Title I 4 O 3 1 O 2
Reserve 1 O i 0 O 0
Tchr.
Nurse 1 O i O 0 0
Total 279 6 108 66 1 232

 

Source: North Umpqua School District Faculty List 1981, 1982; and
Seniority List, 1981-82.

their principal's request. These changes were necessitated by grade
level enrol lment real ignment within their respective schools. Fourth,
Mr.l\llen, the personnel director, made three management initiated in-
voluntary transfers involving two elementary teachers and one middle
school teacher who were neither RIFed nor displaced. Table 8 summarizes
‘i’he reasons for the different assignments for elementary and special

edLJcation teachers during the spring and summer of 1982.

101

Table 8. Reasons For Personnel Change, 1982-83 Staff

 

 

K-5 Special Ed.
Reassignment Due to Displacement 17 (3)(a) 0
Reassignment Due to RIF & Recall 23 (6) 5
Reassignment Due to Realignment 3 0
within School
Management Initiated Realignment i 2 (1)
within District
Total 44 7

 

Source: North Umpqua School District Faculty List 1981, 1982; and
Seniority List, 1981-82.

(a)Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of teachers
involved in this study.

Table 9 summarizes the degree of job change due to reassignment.

Table 9. Degree of Job Change Due to Reassignment

 

K-5 Special Ed.

 

Same School - Same Grade 7 0
Same School - Different Grade 7 1
Different School - Same Grade 8 5
Different School - Different Grade 22 (9)”) 1 (1)
Total Reassigned 44 7

 

SOLH‘Ce: North Umpqua School District Faculty List 1981, 1982;
and Seniority List, 1981-82.

(a)Numberes in parentheses indicate the number of
teachers involved in the study.

102
Sampling Procedures

Unlike the procedures in many other types of research, sampling
in participant observation studies is not designed and executed
in advance of data collection but is continually carried on
throughout the study.. . . As a consequence, participant
observers can seldom prescribe their samples in advance but

only describe and justify them after the fact .. . (McCall and
Simmons,i969, p. 64).

McCall and Simmons identify two general types of sampling procedures
which the researcher did use. First is the
Quota sample, in which . . . the researcher is aware of certain
formal categories of organization members and he determines
beforehand that he will interview and observe at least a few
persons from each of these categories .. .(1969,[L 64).
This approach was used in that the researcher determined six categories
of school system members and collected data from them all. They were:
(I) involuntarily reassigned teachers: (2) incumbent teachers: (3) prin-
cipals; (4) district staff personnel; (5) teachers' union officials; and
(6) school board members.
A second type of sampling procedure often employed in partici-
pant observation is the snowball sample, in which .. . choos-
ing one informant may generate information about other persons
which leads the observer to contact one of these others as a

second informant, who in turn directs him to a third informant,
etc” in an extensive chain of contacts (McCall and Simmons,

1969, p. 64).
Use of this type of sample is seen in the expansion of the research

project from two teachers in one elementary school to ten teachers in

three elementary schools.

Background

Beginning in August, 1983, the sixty-nine K-S elementary teachers
were housed in five schools: 19 in Spring Hill Elementary; 10 in Woodlawn
iElementary; 13 in Hillcrest Elementary: 12 in Meadow Elementary: and 15

H1 Rivervlew Elementary. I21verview Elementary School was the primary

 

103

site for the focus of this study. There are several reasons for this.
First, a board member from North Umpqua suggested that it would be an
excellent site because of the quality of the teachers and the principal.
Second, this school is an open concept school with no internal classroom
walls. In this regard, the school was an atypical physical setting for a
North Umpqua elementary school. The researcher was unfamiliar with this
type of school and felt it would provide a better setting in which to
make the familiar strange. It did not. Third, since the researcher
views the research project as a professional growth experience, conduct-
ing research in an open concept school provides a unique opportunity to
observe first hand, over time, the operation of such a school. Fourth,
and most important, the researcher was told that five teachers were going
toibe involuntarily reassigned toi?iverview as part of the overall reas-
signment process. This would provide the researcher with potentially
five new teachers in one building who were reassigned from four other
schools in the district. The researcher assumed this fact would help
make these teachers' experiences more representative of the others within

the population.

Ihg Selection Process
Since this study is not statistical In nature, but descriptive of a

process, no attempt was made to select a random sample of informants from
the population, nor were all the informants chosen at the same time.
Negotiating entry to a research site is a continuous process. In the
Case of this study, permission to enter the school system at one school
Sl‘te provided the means for the researcher to build credibility with
'nformants. This credibility led to the ability to negotiate entry to

C"'her school sites and personnel. When access to the district was nego-

104

tiated with Superintendent Dr. Meyers, the researcher requested that he
beiallowed to conduct the study at only one site, Rivervlew Elementary,
for reasons already stated above. The researcher asked to work in only
one of the five elementary schools because he felt there would not be
adequate time to observe more teachers in more schools with the thorough-
ness required in participant observation studies.

Tentative district access was negotiated with the Superintendent Dr.
Meyers, in March, 1982 (FN 3-17-82, card 1). Completion of the second
step of negotiating entry at the district level-~board of education
approval-did not come until mid-August (North Umpqua Public Schools
Regular Board Meeting, August 17, 1982, p. 1163). 'This time delay im-
posed a limitation on the study since the researcher could not begin to
conduct the research without board approval.

Specific site access was negotiated with the principal of Rivervlew
Elementary School, Mr. Austin, in April, 1982. (FN 4-23-82, card 3).
After he approved the research project, he talked to his staff and the
five new teachers to see if his staff would approve the research, and to
see if the new teachers were interested in participating in the research
project. Only after these discussions took place did he release to the
researcher the names and phone numbers of the newly reassigned teachers
and give his permission to contact them (FN, Austin, 6-8-82). This
process of school site negotiation lasted from April through early June,
1982.

The initial negotiation process with individual teachers began in

JLJne and continued through August 30, 1982. [hwjng this period all five
1’eachers were contacted by phone. Three declined to participate: Ms.

Underwood, Ms. Gilbert, and Ms. Brand. Ms. Underwood did not give a

105

reason for declining. She just said, "I have thought over my involvement
with the research project and I have decided that I do not want to
participate" (FN, 7-8-82). Ms. Gilbert said, "I am too busy with the
change in schools and teaching assignment, so I am not interested" (FN 7-
6-82). Ms. Brand also did not give a reason. She said, "I've done a lot
of thinking about it and I'd rather not" (FN 7-14-82). 'Two teachers, Ms.
Scott and Ms. Campbell, agreed to participate in the study. Ms. Scott
agreed to participate in June, and we met for lunch to become acquainted
and discuss the research design. Her major concern centered on the time
her participation would invm>lve (FN 6-27-82). Ms. Scott knew the other
four teachers, and her influence helped persuade Ms. Campbel I to partici-
pate also (FN 6-30-82). At first, Ms. Campbell said, "I will participate
if the other four teachers do" (FN 6-20-82). Later, she told me, "I will
do whatever Ms. Scott does" (FN 7-20-82).
School began on Monday, August 30, 1982 with a teacher work day.
That was the first personal contact the researcher had with any of the
Rivervlew staff and all of the newly reassigned teachers except Ms.
Scott. Two days later, two teachers asked the researcher if he was
interested in working at other schools also. Ms. Abbott saw the re-
searcher in the hall before school, came over, and talked to him.
Ms. Abbott: Are you limited to working in this building?
Researcher: No, but I've limited myself so I can concentrate
on one site and one group of teachers. Why?
Ms. Abbott: Well, I work at two schools and there are some
teachers that are much more unhappy than here. At
Woodlawn there is a young man who has been bounced
around for several years job-to-job, school-to-
school and is so disgruntled that he has his
resume out for jobs outside of education. [Then
she told him about two teachers at Meadow who were
really unhappy.] When I visited the school the

other day, I saw them and their chins were down
to here (she gestures with her hand to show

106
chins at about chest height) (FN 9-1-82, card
I).
A few minutes later, the researcher was talking to Ms» Campbell about
keeping our interactive diary. Suddenly, she said:
Ms. Campbell: Would you be interested in working with some
teachers at other schools?
Researcher: Yes, I would. I'm concerned about the time I
could be involved In each of several schools,
but working at several sites would add validity
to the study.
Ms. Campbell: Then you'd be agreeable to working at other
schools?
Researcher: Yes, that would really please me.
Ms. Campbell: I'll see what I can do (FN 9-10-82, card 1).
The next day, there was a district-wide administrators' meeting at the
district office to which the researcher was invited. Dr. Meyers Intro-
duced the researcher briefly and asked Mr. Austin if he could add any
comments. IMx Austin Spoke very favorably about researcher-teacher rap-
port and suggested other principals might want to have some of their
teachers involved in the research. Several principals expressed an
interest, so Mr. Austin volunteered to coordinate their requests (FN 9-2-
82, card 2). 'The next morning Ms. Campbell and the researcher were
talking:
Researcher: Have you had a chance to talk to any other
teachers about working with me?
Ms. Campbell: I talked to Mr. Austin. He is going to talk to
the other principals. If anyone can talk them
into it, he can. You know, now that you're
here, we can see what you do. When you
presented It in the spring, It was nebulous
because we didn't know what it would be like
(FN 9-3-82, card 1).
During the morning recess on September 9, 1982, the researcher headed for
the Rivervlew faculty lounge for coffee and eavesdropping. Mr. Austin

Was there and said, "Things should slow down next week. I'd like to take

YOLI around to the other schools and have you get acquainted. You could

107

select another site to work in that would fit what you are looking for"
(FN, Austin, 9-9-82). On September 13, the researcher again asked Mr.
Austin about going to the other schools. He said, "I think Meadow is
probably the best bet, so we'll start there. I will call and set it up"
(MN, 9-13-82). The next day Mr. Austin again told the researcher, "l'll
cal l the Meadow principal" (MN, 9-14-82). Mr. Austin did set up a meet-
ing with the principal, Mr. Bell, and the reassigned Meadow teachers for
8 awn on September 23, 1982. Mr. Austin said "the Meadow principal is
expecting you tomorrow at 8 amL He will introduce you to some of the
teachers" (MN, 9-22-82). Five reassigned teachers met for about one hour
with the researcher. The researcher was Introduced to everyone In the
faculty lounge, and then met with those reassigned teachers who wished to
hear more about the study. The fieldnotes record that "Two were in-
terested enough to take the researcher's name and phone number. One of
the two called the researcher the next evening to say she was interested
in the study" (MN 9-23-82). From this meeting two Meadow teachers, Ms.
Fox and Ms. Eddy, joined the study on October 14, 1982.

After Mr; Austin had made the Meadow school contact, the researcher
asked him If the researcher could make contact with other principals on
his own. Permission was secured and Mr. Taylor, principal at t” llcrest
Elementary School, was contacted. He set up a joint meeting between
himself, reassigned teachers, and the researcher on October 6, 1982.
Based on that meeting, one teacher, Ms. Baird, agreed to join the study.
Several weeks later Ms. Carpenter, a Hi I Icrest teacher, stopped the
r‘esearcher In the hall and Introduced herself. She said she had missed

The criginal meeting with the reassigned teachers, but was reassigned and

108

interested in the study. The researcher and she discussed the study and
she became the second Hillcrest teacher to become part of the study.

Meanwhile, at Meadow Elementary, the research had been in progress
for two weeks when Ms. Fox suggested that the researcher might want to
talk to Ms. Gates about her experiences in being pink slipped and in-
voluntarily reassigned (MN, 10-28-82). The fol lowing week, Ms. Fox again
suggested that he talk with Ms. Gates and said, "Ms. Gates is interested
in talking to you about her reassignment" (MN, 11-4-82). She went on to
explain:

I talked to Cheryl Gates last night and she said that she would

talk to you. She said she didn't know. She was never intro-

duced to you so she felt that she didn't qualify for your study

for some reason. And I said, "No, I think you do." and she

said, "My building wasn't closed so I thought I didn't quali-

ny' And I said, "No, because my building didn't close either

and I'm doing it)‘ So she said she wouldn't mind talking to

you. So I think you might at least go down and you'll get some

information. She had a real hard time and you might get some

really valuable information (MN, 11-4-82L
At lunch that day, the researcher determined who Cheryl Gates was by the
description Ms. Fox had given him. Also, someone cal led her Cheryl,
which reconfirmed her identity. She told a teacher she was going to the
armory. After a few minutes, the researcher fol lowed her and caught up
with her. He found her with her arms ful llof assorted teaching mate-
rials. The researcher introduced himself, told her about the research,
and asked for an hour Interview. She said, "yes," and she and the
researcher talked as they walked back over to the school. (ON, 11-4-82).
She became the researcher's third informant at Meadow, and the seventh
teacher to participate in the study.

At Rivervlew, the researcher was still interested in including Ms.

Underwood, Ms. Gilbert, and Ms. Brand in the study. Because they each

had originally declined to participate in the study, their Involvement

109

had to be renegotiated. Each was asked to participate in the study by
allowing themselves to be interviewed about their experience of being
involuntarily transferred. Each agreed to participate in that manner,
and so became the last three teachers to be part of the study. Figure 4
summarizes who the ten teachers are who participated in the study and
shows both their former school assignment and their school after involun-

tary reassignment. The (C) indicates which schools were closed.

 

 

School Grade School Grade

Assignment Assignment Assignment Assignment
Teacher 1981-1982 1981-1982 1982-1983 1982-1983
Ms. Baird Riverview 2 Hi I Icrest/

Woodlawn 1-5, Spl. Ed.

Ms. Brand Lakeview (C) K Riverview 1/2 Comb.
Ms. Campbell Green Park (C) K Riverview 2

Ms. Carpenter Forest Glen (C) 2 Hillcrest 1-5, Reading
Ms. Eddy Lakeview (C) 5 Meadow K

Ms. Fox Oak Park 6 Meadow 2

Ms. Gates Spring Hill 4 Meadow 3

Ms. Gilbert Woodlawn K Riverview 1

Ms. Scott Evergreen 6 Riverview 4

Ms. Underwood Evergreen 6 Riverview 4

 

Source: Fieldnotes

Figure 4. Teacher School Assignments

Others who participated in the study included: (a) five elementary
school principals: (b) two middle school principals: (c) five district
level administrators; (d) seven out of eight school board members from
the 1981-82 school year; (e) one psychologist who worked for the school
district part time: and (f) the teachers' union president for school year
1982-83. Two people refused to participate In the study. One was the
teachers' union president from school year 1981-82. Fieldnotes for

October 1982 indicate that:

Mr. King called and said he had gotten a message to call me but
had been too busy. I told him I was conducting research In the

110

North Umpqua district and would like to interview him about the

teachers' union's involvement in the teacher transfer process

last year. He said he would like to have me talk to someone

else because he was too busy. I told him that, since he had

been the president last year, I wanted to begin with him. He

again deferred, and suggested I talk to Ms. Lewis, the new

president (FN, 10-29-82).
The second person was Mr. Reed, one of the school board members. When
contacted in December, 1982, he explained that he was very busy and that
he would call the researcher back. That never happened (informal nota-
tion in interview notebookL The principals, district personnel, school
board members, union president, and psychologist were all contacted by

phone and/or in person by the researcher.

Methodology

This section discusses both the methods used for data collection and
the methods for data analysis. Figure 5 gives an overview of appropriate

research methods for the type of Information desired.

Methods 2: Data Col lection

The original research design envisioned the primary method for data
col lection to be participant observation. This method cal Is for the
researcher to be physically'present at the research site on a continuing
basis over an extended period of time. During this period of time, the
researcher interacts with his/her informants, observes the phenomena
occurring in the informants' world, records what is seen and heard and
tries to understand that world with the informants' understanding. The
lfiesearcher adOpted the participant observation that Gold describes as the
"participant-as-observer" and Schatzman and Strauss cal l the "observer-
as”participant" (Gold, 1958, p. 220 and Schatzman and Strauss, 1973, p.

5". Wolcott notes that this is a role "in which the observer is known

111

 

Information

 

 

 

 

 

Types Methods of Obtaining Information
Enumerations Participant Interviewing
and Samples Observation Informants

Frequency Prototype Usually Often, but

distributions and best inadequate not always,
form and Inadequate:

inefficient If adequate
it is
efficient

Incidents, Not adequate Prototype Adequate with

histories by itself: and best precautions,
Inefficient form and efficient

lnstitution- Adequate Adequate, Most effi-
alized norms but but ineffi- cient and

and statuses Inefficient cient, except hence best

for unver- form

 

 

 

ballzed norms

 

 

Source: Zelditch, Morris Jr., 1969, p. 17.

Figure 5. Methodology and Information Types

to all and is present in the system as a scientific observer, partici-

pating by his presence but at the same time usually allowed to do what

observers do rather than expected to perform as others perform" (1973, p.

8). Beginning with the initial entry negotiation meeting in March, 1982

udth Dr. Meyers, the researcher made it plain that he was a school

administrator, a graduate student, and a researcher.

This background

information was repeated many times as new contacts were made with the

various informants and others within the school system not directly

connected with the study.

Classroom Observations.

Data col lection from the classroom using

Participant observation techniques was accomplished while the researcher

l"6'5 physical Iy seated in the classroom. Although the physical location

“i‘fhe room changed periodically, the researcher usually sat at a teacher

112

work table. A typical classroom observation setting is shown in Figure
6. Eighty-two classroom observations were made between August 30 and
December 15, 1982. These observations were made in six different class-
rooms In four different elementary schools. Al I observations except one
involved involuntarily reassigned teachers. During classroom observation
time, the researcher was never restricted by the teacher in moving around
the room. Part of the observation time was spent in fulfil | Ing entry

negotiation reciprocity commitments to help teachers in the classroom.

 

Teacher Stations —) J__i 1' Teacher Stations flQ
I
i In Rem?“ I Sight Line
I I I
g ' I I Student U
ismden: Tables Tables

 

  

——--———.-——-.———

Sight Line Partial Sight Barriers
E’sg:bdleensrlfl Classroom

 

 

LQe Teacher Stations 7’

 

Source: PM, 10-25-82, card 2.

Figure 6. Classroom Observation Position

This actual ly helped the observations because it either al lowed the
researcher to move around the room helping students while keeping one ear
and an eye on the teacher's activities, or al lowed the researcher to sit

5* a table correcting papers or cutting out bul Ietin board materials

113

while keeping one eye and an ear on what the teacher was doing. Oc-
casionally, while students were doing seat work, the teacher would sit at
the same table as the researcher. 'That provided an excellent time to
talk about many things. [hwlng the classroom observations, the research-
er kept both his notebook and tape recorder nearby and spent much of the
time either writing or recording. The length of the classroom observa-
tions varied from about 40 minutes to 2 l/2 hours each.

Faculty Lounge Observations. Another place the researcher gathered

 

data was in faculty lounges. The researcher spent varying amounts of
time in the faculty lounges at three of the four schools where the study
was conducted. Very few actual fieldnotes were recorded during this time
because the researcher felt it inappropriate conduct. Most of the lounge
talk and activity was social in nature, and the researcher spent most of
the time socializing--always with one ear and one eye open to pick up
information important to the study. Fieldnotes were written with dis-
cretion so as not to alter the social setting. A favorite tool used
during faculty lounge time was eavesdropping on conversations and activi-
ties. ‘The researcher tried always to position himself so that he had the
Inaximum view of the lounge area. Figure 7 shows a typical lounge ar-
rangement at lunch.

Other Observations. A variety of other settings also provided
opportunities to observe the teachers' world. These included watching
and talking with teachers while they performed playground duty at re-
cesses, and visiting with them at faculty social functions. Very few
fieldnodes were gathered during these times because they were awkward to
record. An illustration of the awkwardness of collecting data in some

Social situations can be seen in the conversation the researcher had in

 

114

 

ICokes
‘—

Coffee
‘—.

 

 

Stove
§__

 

Sink
(—

 

 

 

 

 

T T
T T
.2
.0
D
.—
x
L.
o
3
R = Researcher
T = Teacher

 

Source: Fieldnotes,

10-11-82, card 3.

Figure 7. Faculty Lounge Observation Position

October 1982 with Ms. Scott and Ms. Campbell. The discussion centered

around the upcoming faculty Halloween party which was a hayride and

potluck with a big bonfire.

Researcher:

Ms. Scott:
Ms. Campbell:
Ms. Scott:

Researcher:

I promise that on Friday night I'm not going to
bring my tape recorder, or my notebook, or a
pencil.

They'll burn it If you do.

(laughs) They mightl

You think I'm kidding, don't you? I'm not. I'm
being perfectly serious. And, if they don't, I
mightl (Ms. Campbell laughs again.) I don't want
to have to think about school on that, and neither
does anyone else. If you're going to do that you
can leave. (Ms. Campbell laughs again.)

I had no intention of bringing anything like that
(MN, 10-19-82 Journal MeetingL

Data Yield From Observations. Originally, the research design was

'ho concentrate on participant observation of teachers as they interacted

“Th peers and students as the primary means of discovering and under-

standiuwg the stress of being Involuntarily reassigned. Table 10

Summer-3295 the three methods used during the field portion of the

 

115

Table 10. Research Methods Used

 

 

Observations Interviews Documents
1982-April O 2 0
August 4 0 0
September 30 15 8
October 20 16 16
November 18 29 35
December 10 28 1
1983 - January 0 5 1
February 0 O 0
March 0 I 0
July 0 i 0
Total 82 97 61

 

Source: Fieldnotes.

116

research. Note that September was the peak month for classroom observa-

tions. Observation was chosen as the primary research method because it

was assumed that the stress and trauma of being involuntarily reassigned

would be manifested primarily through observable behavior such as the ways

teachers talked to their students and peers. The classroom observations

yielded little information about stress compared to interviews, however.

Interviewing. Schatzman and Strauss note that In the course of

conducting field research the researcher "must listen, then, to symbol lc

sounds to supplement and correct his observations" (1973, p. 70). They

go on to note that

at the site, the researcher regards al I conversation between
himself and others as forms of Interviewing. Indeed, he would
prefer to have most of his "interviews" this way, if possible:
it is a natural way of getting Information and a comfortable
form of social engagement for him and for his hosts (1973, p.

71).

Gorden, when comparing ordinary conversation with interviewing, says

that

just as interviewing cannot be divorced from other methods of
gaining understanding of human behavior, neither can it be
separated from the basic ski I Is of ordinary conversation. Any
two-way conversation involves many of the same ski I Is and
Insights needed for successful interviewing. The main
difference is in the central flmose of interviewing as opposed

to other forms of conversation (1980, p. 19).
Mos-r of the interviews were conducted as formal interviews in that they
We""<E= prearranged with the informant as to the general topic, time, place,
and date. They fol lowed Gorden's design of the nonscheduled standardized

'n‘rer‘view. Gorden says that

the standardized interview is designed to col Iect precisely the
Same categories of information from a number of respondents; and
*he answers of al I respondents must be comparable and

C lasslflable. . . .

117

There are two sub-types of the standardized interview, the
scheduled and the nonscheduled. The scheduled Interview not
only specifies the questions in advance but also uses the
questions In the same order with each respondent. The non-
scheduled interview gives the interviewer some choice as to the
order of the questions, freedom to attempt alternative working
of the same question, and freedom to use neutral probes if the
first response to a question is not clear, complete, or relevant
(1980, pp. 45-46).

linterviews with all school informants took place at their work site
(lering working hours. District personnel preferred using their offices.
Teachers, In most cases, suggested that the interview be held in their
c: lassroom, if given opportunity to choose. Several teachers said they
<1 id not care where they were interviewed, so the researcher chose a
p>r‘Ivate room where the acoustics for tape recording were excellent.
[\ther December 7, 1982, however, the researcher conducted all interviews
either In classrooms or in open areas such as the library. The reason
‘f<>r* the change was that two of the Informants became upset seeing the
researcher go into a private room and shutting the door when conducting

’n‘ferviews.

Ms. Scott: Maybe we're paranoid! I don't like other people
sitting around talking about me. It bugs me when I
see you walk into that room and close the door and
yet we can sit here right out in the open. It bugs
the heck out of me! It does! I went marching right
over to Gwen and said, "Do you know what he's doing?"
She says, "I know. Let's find out what he's talking
about!’ Sorry, I don't like It.. .. And you are
talking specifically about me. It makes me feel that
way,and Idon't likeitu

Ms. Campbell: I guess we want to know if you are specifically
talking about us. What are you asking (MN, 12-7-82,

Journal Meeting, card 1)?
TEBE3<2hers were interviewed before classes began unwlng working hoursL
du" 1 ng recess, lunch, and after school.
Principals, with one exception, preferred to meet in their offices.

Th8 exception chose to meet in the library, the faculty lounge, or an

118

empty classroom. Al I principals scheduled interviews during working

hours.

Three out of seven school board members were interviewed during
working hours in their offices. One member chose to be Interviewed
during his working hours, but at the school board office. Another member
chose to be Interviewed at a restaurant in the late afternoon. Two
members chose to be interviewed at their homes in the early evening.

Al I planned interviews were tape recorded. Verbatim transcripts
were then made from the tapes. Approximately fifty-five hours of

i nterviews were tape recorded.

Most of the questions used were broad and open-ended rather than

n arrow and closed.

Broad questions have two general values: first, they must
be used to obtain certain types of information which would be
distorted by the effect of many specific questions; second, they
have certain conditions.

Interviews with any or all of the following objectives often
require the use of broad questions:....(b) discovering the
relative importance of various aspects of a topic, situation, or
event experienced by the respondent: .. . (d) discovering the
chronological order of the respondent's experiences In a given
situation; .. .

Broad questions not only help the interviewer to avoid giving
rather than receiving information, but also help to increase the
respondent's ability and willingness to give relevant
information in several ways (Gorden, 1980, pp. 292-293k

GOP den goes on to elaborate on the motivational effects of broad ques-

1. ' Ons on the respondent. He includes effects such as "reducing ggg
W . . . stimulating memory, . . . g_i_y_l_n_g the. respondent recognition,
' ~ . gviwng sympathetic understanding, . . . encouraging catharsis,

" ' - and need for meaning" (1980, pp. 293-294). The fol lowing are
exafl'lples of questions asked teachers, principals, district personnel, a

Teachers' union official, and school board members.

 

119

Teachers:

1.

Ui<>U<lN
C

What kinds of things did you do to prepare you to teach your
new grade level?

Did you have any fear of the unknown?

Who helped you with physical aspects of the move?

Who helped you with the emotional aspects of the move?

What opportunities did you have last spring to visit your new
school and become acquainted with people and programs?

Principals:

I.

In what ways did you help the newly reassigned teachers cope
with both the physical and emotional aspects of moving?

Can you tell me what has happened to teacher inservice in the
district?

What did the school district do to help Involuntarily
reassigned teachers with the physical move and with their
emotional concerns?

What was the physical condition of this building in August
prior to school Opening?

What types of things did the Transition Committee request be
done to help teachers with the physical move and help them
cope with emotional concerns?

District Personnel:

1.

What types of things did the Transition Committee recommend to
you to help teachers with the physical move and help them cope
with emotional concerns?

What happened to the district teacher inservice education
program?

What was the process used to pink slip and recall and reassign
teachers?

Were teachers given release time last spring to visit their new
schools and become acquainted with personnel and programs?

What did the district do to help teachers with the physical and
emotional aspects of being reassigned?

Teachers' Union:

1.

hUN

When the board asked to reopen the contract, why didn't the
association do so?

What were the union's goals in helping the reassigned teachers?
What happened to teacher inservice in the district?

Over the years, can you see changes in the board-union
relationships?

School Board Members:

1.

2.

What recommendations did the Transition Committee make to you
to help reassigned teachers with the physical and emotional
aspects of the move?

Who, in your mind, was in charge of the entire school closing
process including reassignment of teachers?

120

What has happened to teacher inservice In the district?

3.

4. What were the positive and negative aspects of the school
closing process?

5. Why did the board wish to reopen the teachers' contract.

(FN, Question notebook).

Document collection. McCall and Simmons believe that

one very important class of "informants" or "surrogate obser-
vers" are the various records and documents pertaining to the
organization, such as budgetary records, rule books, minutes of
meetings, personnel files, diaries, etc., which record certain
facts and events that the scientist was unable to observe

directly (1969, p. 4).
Bogdan and Biklen break this category of documents into both personal and

official documents. Included in personal documents are diaries, personal

letters, and autobiographies. Included in official documents are Inter-

nal documents, external comnunication, and student records and personnel

f1 les (1982, pp. 97-102). Wolcott, when discussing his methods for

gathering data to supplement his direct observations, notes that "col lec-
ting routine distributions of notices . . . collecting copies of school

records, reports, and correspondence . . . provided especially valuable

SOurces of information" (1973, p. 8). Documents collected by the re-

searcher included, but were not limited to, a welcome note from a princi-

98 I to staff members, a thank you note from a school board member to

Teachers that accompanied a beautiful basket of red apples, school board
m T nutes, private correspondence, newspaper clippings, Transition Commit-
1‘ee rough draft notes, personal documents, and a union contract. Docu-
ments were solicited by the researcher from specific individuals within
The school system. Although not a major source of new data, the docu-

ments contain useful information which substantiates data col lected

+hr‘ough observation and/or interviews.

121

Table 11 summarizes the methods used with the various informant

groups.

Analysis _o_f_‘l;_l'l__e_ Data

Qualitative analysts do not often enjoy the»operational advant-
ages of their quantitative cousins in being able to predict
their own analytic processes: consequently, they cannot refine
and order their raw data by operations built Initially into the
design of the research. Qualitative data are exceedingly com-
plex, and not readily convertible into standard measurable
units of objects seen and heard; they vary in level of abstrac-
tion, in frequency of occurrence, in relevance to central
questions in the research. Also, they vary in the source or
ground from which they are experienced. Of course, data also
differ according to substance, and, coupled with the ways data
are gathered and the forms in which they are apprehended, may
lend themselves to different sorts of operations. Little won-
der, then, that field researchers cannot predesign their analy-
tic operations with exactness: probably most do not even try
(Schatzman and Strauss, 1973, p. 108).

Analysis is "the working of thought processes" (Schatzman and Strauss,

1 973, p. 109). Analysis of the data is an ongoing process and is

divided into two major time periods. During the months in the field

col lecting the data, the information received daily from observations,

1 nterviews, and documents was continual ly weighted against each other in
an effort to discover significant classes of events in the reassignment
process. In addition, an attempt was made to link the classes together

by looking for overal I patterns of events and actions by those Invol ved

' n the reassignment process. Data from one informant or source were

1"“ 5 angulated with other informants or sources to insure accuracy of the
‘ “formation. Questions for both formal interviews and casual conversa-
* i 0n were revised, added to, and/or deleted as the study progressed. As

+he data were col lected, the researcher conducted a cursory analysis.

Table 11. Research Participants and Methods Used

122

 

 

 

 

Participants Number Obser vat ions Inter views Documents
of PeOpIe
Invol untari ly Re- 10 81 32 3
Assigned Teachers
l ncumbent Teachers 8 I II 2
Elementary 8. Middle
School Principals 7 O 22 45
District Personnel 8 0 IS 8
Psychologist 1 O 3 0
School Board Members
SY 1981-82 7 O 7 2
Teachers' Union
Officials 1 0 2 I
F’TA President 1 O 1 1
Janitor 1 O I 0
Head Cook 1 O I 0
State Department
of Education Officials 2 0 2 0
Total 47 82 97 61

‘

 

Source: Fieldnotes.

123

The results of the analysis were used to frame new interview questions,

to reword existing interview questions, or to redirect Interview ques-

tions and to view observed phenomenon in new ways. This use of Initial

cursory analysis in the field is supported by Bogdan and Biklen, who say

that

in our judgment, the beginning researcher should borrow strate-
gies from the analysis-In-the-field mode, but leave the more
formal analysis until most of the data Is in. Problems of
establishing rapport and getting on in the field are compli-
cated and too consuming for beginners to enable them to active-
ly pursue analysis .. . While we recommend holding back at-

tempts at ful l-fledged, ongoing analysis, some analysis must
take place during data col lection. Without it, the data col-
lection has no direction; thus the data you col Iect may not be

substantial enough to accomplish analysis later (1982, p. 146).

The researcher withdrew from the field to begin more indepth data

analysis in December, 1982. Tape recordings were transcribed and docu-

ments careful ly examined and sorted during the latter half of December

and al I of January, 1983. The dal ly fieldnotes based on observations

were also closely examined. After reading through the data the re-

searcher devised a coding system using setting/context codes and event

<=C>des. Codes were not preassigned but were developed in conjunction with

‘rhe ongoing data analysis process. The data were organized using an

I I"Iclecks file card system and category codes punched onto each file card.

Limitations g: 1.119 Study

The fol lowing limitations to the research are beyond the control of

1"We researcher:
1 r The length of time, nine months, that the researcher is al lowed to

conduct the study due to time constraints dictated by his employer.

2~ The process of initial entry negotiation to the district is control-

led by the superintendent.

124

The time delay from April to August, 1982 in the school board
approving the research project kept the researcher from conducting
research In April through August, 1982. This was a critical time
period in the process of teachers' involuntary reassignment and one
that would have been significant for the researcher to observe in
progress.

The voluntary nature of obtaining informants to participate In the
study restricted the numbers and variety of informants to those

willing to participate.
Research Questions

Initial research questions which guide the study are:
Is the process of Involuntary reassignment a traumatic experi-
ence for elementary teachers?
By whom, and in what ways, are involuntarily reassigned teachers
given help in coping with their stress?
In what ways do the emotional effects of involuntary reassign-

ment affect the classroom learning environment?

CHAPTER 4

CHRONOLOGICAL OVERVIEW OF THE CLOSING PROCESS

This chapter is divided into three major sections: the intro-

duction, a chronological overview of the closing process, and the

summary.

Introduction

In this chapter, a chronological overview of the school closing

process is provided to help the reader better understand the research

setting. The school closing process is divided by the researcher into

two time periods In which the focus of the closing process shifted. In

the first period of time, beginning in September, 1981, the focus was on
studying the need to close the schools and how best to accomplish the

1’ask. This culminated at the regular board meeting of the North Umpqua

E3<>ard of Education on December 15, 1981 (Board of Education minutes, 12-

1 5-81, p. 1097). In the second period of time, December 18 through

August 30, 1982, the focus of the closing process was on personnel and

materiel movement. Figure 8, on the next page, summarizes the major

activities in the school closing process and indicates the major peOpIe

I nvolved.
Chronological Overview

This section is intended to give the reader a background setting

for the research questions. The narrative, related largely by the

125

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127

participants provides framing and context necessary for a full under-
standing of the research questions.

Planning For School Closure: September 1981 Throufigg December 15, 1981
This section discusses the major events from September through
December 1981 which led to the board's decision to close three elementary
schools and layoff twenty-six classroom teachers as part of a $1,000,000

budget reduction program for fiscal year 1982-83.

The prospect of closing schools had been discussed formally and
informally'around the district for about one year before the actual
decision was finalized. Ms. Palmer, a board member, discussed the back-
ground of the closings with the researcher. She noted that

a lot of talk, a lot of ground work had been laid for a year

before this. There had been a lot of talk. We'd talked to

individual principals. There had been people talking to key

peOpIe in the community, leaders like the PTA leaders and that

kind of thing. So, that had gone on for probably it seemed

like forever, but approximately'a year. And board members

would talk to peOple. It was around because I would get phone

calls. I talked to many, many peOpIe (FN, Palmer, 1-6-83, card

16).

School board minutes from September, 1981, show that some time had lapsed
in the discussion process. The following comments from board members
Palmer and Olson were found in the'"Comments from the Audience" section:

Highlights included frustration expressed by members of the

audience with the board and administration for not making

decisions quicker when it involves the possible closing of

schools which affect their Iives--rumors circulating of pos-

sible teacher layoffs.. . . Palmer responded to the closing of

schools by stating that . . . in her opinion, a decision would

be made within the month regarding the school or schools to be

closed next year. . . . Olson stated that, in his Opinion, he

felt that Forest Glen and Green Park would be at the top of the

list for closing (Board meeting minutes, 9-15-81, p. 1075).

At the same board meeting, the director of instruction reminded the board

that the teachers' union contract stipulated that before the board could

lay off teachers, the union had to be notified. He further requested

128

that he or Superintendent Meyers be authorized to "represent the Board
with the Association to discuss if teachers are to be laid off, when, and
initiate the layoffs" (Board meeting minutes, 9-15-81, p. 1076). The
board appointed the director of instruction to be its representative to
the Association.

A review of the board minutes from September through December 1981,
shows continual progress toward the final closing decision.

OCTOBER 6, 1981. "Mr. Olson, a board member, presented a report on
the budget projection through 1982-83. . . . Areas to investigate as
possible cuts would be expenses Involved in . . . closing schools (Forest
Glen, Green Park, Lakeview): staff reduction of teachers and principals .

. .." Board meeting minutes, 10-6-81, p.1077).

OCTOBER 13, 1981. 'Thu Meyers requested the Board to approve the
special meeting on November 3, 1981, to be held in Forest Glen as re-
quested by the people in Forest Glen. . . . Motion carried" (Board
meeting minutes, 10-13-81, p. 1082).

OCTOBER 20, I981. "Superintendent Meyers explained that there had
been several meetings held with input coming from the Administrative
Council, representatives from the four associations, and many other
Individuals" on possible ways of reducing the budget (Board meeting
minutes, 10-20-81, p. 1083). One of the board members said of the meet-
lng with the associations (unions):

1 can wel I recal I the meeting about it. . . . We were at a

meeting where there was an administrator, I was there, the

president of the union was there, the president of each of the

unions was there: secretaries, non-Instructional personnel, and
the teachers. There was no one from the administration per se
representing from a union standpoint. Basically what we were

doing was, we were setting down with the various employee

representatives and saying we have some real problems. They're
real, we're not joshing you. I was trying to convince people

129

that this was for real. . . . That's what the meeting was.
After we got through, I thought, perhaps convincing people of
where we were at, then we were trying to figure ways out of the
mess. . . . The other union representatives were quite
reasonable. They were wil ling to talk about it. In fact, I was
quite pleased. When we got to the teachers . . . that's when
King [the teachers' union president] walked out (FN, Olson, 1-
19-83, cards 7 and 8).
Dr. Meyers also told the board that four administrative committees had
been appointed to study "Future school enrol lment . . . School building
closing . . . Secondary sixth period day [a committee to study changing
grades 6-12 to a five period day] . . . Financial long term planning."
He also indicated that the first report from these committees would be
"November 5, 1981 at the Administrative Council meeting" (Board meeting
minutes 10-20-81, p. 1083).
NOVEMBER 3, 1981. "The Board of Education heard the concerns of
Forest Glen residents over the possible closing of Forest Glen Elementary
School and suggestions for possible alternatives" (Board meeting minutes,
11-3-81, p. 1087). Ms. Davis, one of the school principals, said "the
Board met in Forest Glen a couple of times . . ." (FN, 10-6-82, card 9).
Ms. Palmer, a board member, commented on the November 3 meeting:
People would stand up and real Iy scream. They would cry. Women
would stand up and just really cry. You felt sorry for them.
. . . We went out there and people yel led at us, screamed at us,
and they cried. But, they were able to vent their emotions. We
sat there and listened . . . (FN, Palmer, 1-6-83, card 9).
At the same meeting, the Lakeview Elementary School extended an Invita-
1’ Ion to the board to meet at Lakeview for their December meeting (Board
meeting minutes, 11-3-81, p. 1087).
NOVEMBER 17, 1981. The board meeting was held at Green Park
E 3 ementary School.
Approximately twelve people gave very brief reports on various

areas of the Green Park School facility from the student acti-
vities and parent Involvement during the day, to adult/student

130

activities held in the school or on the grounds after hours.

Board members commented that the presentation was very orderly

and well [planned.... . (Board Meeting Minutes, 11-17-82, p.

1091 ).

Questions and answers followed in regard to the coming budget cuts.
When asked if the board had set a date to make the budget cuts, Mr.
Olson, a board member, responded that "the board would receive a report
on December 1, 1981, and at the December 15, 1981 [meeting], the decision
on the budget cuts would be made" (Board meeting minutes, 11-17-81, p.
1091).

DECEMBER 1, I981. The meeting was held at the Lakeview Elementary
School. Five presentations were given concerning budget reductions: (1)
Million Dollar Cuts: (2) Future School Enrol Iment: (3) School Building
Closings; (4) Sixth Period Day Committee; and (5) Financial Planning.

Dr. Meyers then suggested a seventeen line item budget reduction plan
that included closing three elementary schools and laying off thirty-six
teachers, K-12. The Lakeview PTA also presented an alternate building
closing plan (Board meeting minutes, 12-15-81, pp. 1092-1094L

DECEMBER 15, 1981. Dr. Meyers, the superintendent, presented the
list of suggested budget reductions. ‘The total reduction suggested was
$31,080,000. The Board passed the superintendent's recommendations with

<3r1|y two exceptions. Included In the budget cuts were the closing of
‘ttwree elementary schools (line item #7, and the reduction of 36 classroom
‘feachers, K-12 (line items #2 and #13) (Board meeting minutes, 12-15-81,
D- 1096.)
Once the board acted to reduce the budget by closing the three
£3<2tumals and laying off teachers, the other aspects of the steps taken to
'”‘<3<1uce the projected deficit became Dr. Meyers' responsibility. At

' east, four of the seven board members felt that way. Mr. Kennedy told

131

the researcher, "It's Dr. Meyers I'd look to If it didn't happen" (FN,
Kennedy, 12-9-82, card 9_). Mr. Jackson said, "Well, basically from my
perspective that was the superintendent's responsibi I Ity" (FN, Jackson,
12-9-82, card 7). Mr. Olson felt that "the day-by-day decision making,
the nitty-gritty things, well, of course, I was looking to the super-
intendent to coordinate all of this" (FN, Olson, 1-19-83, card 11). When
asked by the researcher who she thought was in charge of the school
closings, Ms. Nelson simply said, "the superintendent, of course. . . .
We were kept abreast of the developments that were happening, but not al I
of the little details that went into it" (FN, Nelson, 12-10-82, card 13).
Other Board members felt that the responsibility for the school closings
was more of a team effort. When asked by the researcher If any one
person was in charge of closing the schools, two board members emphati-
cal ly said, "No." Ms. Lane commented:
No. Absolutely not. . . . There was no one person. I think
that primarily the way to accomw ish things In the school
system over the last couple of years has been a real fragmented
way of doing things. It just seems real logical that we should
just keep being fragmented (FN, Lane, 12-2-82, and 10).
Ms. Palmer felt the same way. Her response to the same question asked
Ms. Lane, was "I don't think so, no." But at the same time, she felt
that the superintendent should have been in charge (FN, Palmer, 1-6-83,
Card 17). Mr. Martin, also a board member, held the superintendent
r‘esponsible for the closing, but felt that the work had been done pri-
l'"al"IIy by comnlttees. He said, "As I recall, we had a comittee for
'rh T s, a committee for that. There was a committee on the school closing
and a con'mittee on dollar impact" (FN, Martin, 12-16-82, card 7). Dr.

Meyers confirmed that he delegated his responsibility to others when he

+3 ' Red with the researcher. In responding to a question about who was in

132

charge of the school closing process he said, "Well, the superintendent,
but that was delegated. No, I won't say there was one person. It was
kind of a group venture . . ." (FN, Meyers, 12-1-82, card 7). There were
two explanations given of why the superintendent chose to delegate his
authority in overseeing the school closures. Mr. Martin, a board member,
told the researcher that Dr. Meyers "organized a number of committees,
and I think that's one of his strong points. He was able to orchestrate
diverse groups in ways, and I never thought he could pull it off" “fin
Martin, 12-16-82, card 7). Another board member offered a different
explanation. He told the researcher that
[ha Meyers wanted to close these schools less than the board did
when you really get right down to It. He told me more than once
that he just did not have any stomach whatsoever for presiding over
the dismantling type of operation (FN, Kennedy, 12-9-82, card 15).
Dr. Meyers delegated school closing responsibility in three areas:
(1) Mr. Allen, the personnel director, was responsible for working with
the union In all matters relating to the layoff and recall of teachers:
(2) Mr. Fisher and Ms. Davis were given the responsibility of heading the
Administrative Committee for Building Closing also known as the Transi-
'tion Committee: and (3) Mr. Ward was given the responsibility for the
{>hysical movement of supplies and equipment from the three closed schools

‘into the remaining five schools. Each of these three areas of responsi-

t>ility is explored in some detail in the following sections.

_11m31ementlng‘1hg Closure Decision: December 1§Lylg§l Through Aggggl 39L
m;

Once the board made the decision to reduce the budget, energies of
t><>'th the board and the district were focused on the problems of

I"flplementing that decision. 'This included (1) a last formal attempt by

133

the board to save teachers' jobs: (2) the teacher personnel movement
process conducted by Mr. Al len, the personnel director: (3) the reassign-
ment of students and school supplies and equipment from the closing
schools to the gaining schools by the Transition Committee: and (4) the
actual materiel movement from the closing schools into the new schools

by the maintenance employees, the custodians, and Mr; Baker, their
supervisor.

‘A Last Attempt 19 Save Jobs. 'The board's major role In the effort
was centered in a second attempt to save teachers' jobs by attempting to
reOpen the union-board contract. This attempt was led by Dr. Meyers.
Board minutes show that

Superintendent Meyers stated that because of the financial

uncertainty of the future and with the adoption of the budget

reduction items, re-opening the negotiated contract with the

Hood County Education Association would be desirable for

discussions on salary, school operation time, teacher aides, and

other corrmitments. Moved by Olson, supported by Martin, that

the Secretary of the Board forward a letter to the Hood County

Education Association (HCEA) with the request to re-Open

negotiations which would be of mutual benefit to both parties.

. . . Motion carried (Board meeting minutes, 12-15-81, p. 1097).

As one principal said, "The board wanted to open the contract and renego-
‘tiate the salary increases as a way of saving jobs" (FN, Austin, 10-13-
82, card 2). When talking to the researcher about the twenty-eight per
cent salary increase the teachers were getting over three years, a board
member commented that "a decrease in the increase would have helped save
a lot of positions . . ." (FN, Jackson, 12-9-82, card 10). Another board
lTieember stated to the researcher that Mr. Olson, also a board member,
"r‘eal ly felt that if we did not have to give the raise . . . if we could
l"enegotlate that part . . . we could save some teachers" (FN, Palmer, 1-

6‘83, card 6). Olson, commenting to the researcher on his opinion, said

‘rhat "frankly the major reason we have problems today Is because of this

134

contract. It's just ungodly amounts of increases at a time when the
bucks aren't available. So my argument was: have a concession here"
(FN, Olson, 1-19-83, card 7). On December 18, 1981, the board secretary
wrote a letter to Mse LaPorte, the State Education Association UNISERV
director, asking for a meeting with the HCEA (Board letter December 18,
1981). In January, 1982, the board secretary wrote a second letter to
Ms. LaPorte specifying the contract sections the board wished to reopen,
again requesting that she arrange a time to meet (Board letter January
12, 1982). Ms. LaPorte wrote back to the board, after meeting with the
HCEA, with the final union position on contract reOpening. She stated
that "this is to inform you that the HCEA considered the board's request
to reopen negotiations and rejected same on January 25, 1982" (State
Education Association letter January 25, I982L After the letter was
read Into the board minutes, Ms. Nelson, a board member, is quoted as
expressing "disappointment that the Hood County Education Association
would not allow the Board of Education the opportunity to discuss with
them the current financial crisis of the school district" (Board meeting
minutes, 2-2-82, p. 1107). Some North Umpqua elementary teachers were
unhappy with HCEA's position also» One board member told the researcher
"there were a lot of people who said they were willing to try to renego-
tiate a few things just to keep things going" (FN Nelson, 12-10-82, card
9L. One principal gave the researcher this account of rank-and-file
teacher reaction in his school to HCEA's rejection of opening the con-
tract:

Earlier in the year the peOple who were our representatives

from the North Umpqua Education Association [NUEA] were so mad

and upset with what the NUEA leadership had been doing that we

didn't really have an association representative in the build-
ing. They just decided to forget It. They didn't want

Sh!

ih.

135

anything to do with those people. They were concerned about
not opening the contract. The elementary people at Spring Hill
wanted to Open the contract and see what they could do to save
some jobs (FN, Fisher, 9-23-82, card 3).

One board member, when commenting on HCEA's refusal to reopen the con-
tract, said that "NUEA did not wish to open the contract because, I'm
sure, they thought they'd end up doing all the giving" (FN, Kennedy, 12-
9-82, card 3). Superintendent Meyers felt that "It was obvious If we
opened the contract, we would do something about that wage increase.
Teachers didn't want to give on that, so therefore they didn't give on
Opening" (FN, Meyers, 12-1-82, card 9). In fact, as one board member
stated it, "They really wouldn't talk to us much about LH'(FN, Palmer,
1-6-83, card 6). 'Two union officials, however, agreed to discuss the
union's position with the researcher.

Ms. Campbell: We just didn't want to open the contract. We no
more settled that contract In May and by Septem-
ber they wanted to Open it. We hadn't even
started into the thing or had it ratified two
months, and they wanted to open it already and
we said we don't want to Open it.

Researcher: Did they give you a reason for opening it?

Ms. Campbell: Sure. 'They said they were in financial problems
and they needed the money. They wanted It back.

I said that (FN 10-13-82, card 4).
Ads“ Lewis, the second union Official, gave another reason for not reopen-
irwg the contract. She said that it was

basically because the board was not specific enough about what

they wanted to Open . . . In other words, it [the letter from

the board] didn't say, we would open the salary area and propose

lowering it one percent or whatever. They didn't do that. They

just kind Of wanted to open the whole thing (FN, Lewis, 2-21-83,

card 7).

Nevertheless, the January 12, 1982 letter from the board to Ms. LaPorte

sh<>ws that the board did specifical ly request to open certain sections of

The contract. The letter reads in part:

136

The paragraphs Of the contract that we would like to discuss with
you are as fol lows:

1.4 - School Calendar

2.10 - Instructional Aides
3.5 - Teaching Hours

5.3 - Salary Schedule

5.4 - Extra Duty for 1981-84

There may be other paragraphs that would need to be discussed as
they relate to the paragraphs mentioned (Board letter January 12,
I982).

The board had a plan or strategy In mind for ways In which both the

teachers and the community could share the burden of saving teachers'

jobs.

Mr. Olson told the researcher:

I wanted them to cut back to preferably four or five percent.
And, in return for that, I wanted to tie this to the successful
passage of a mil lage, one or two mil Is. In other words, I
wanted to go to the people and say If you'll pass two mills,
then the teachers will take a four or five percent cut and we
will close only the minimum number of schools, and lay Off the
minimum number of peOple. That way we' I l have more jobs, the
kids will have a better PTR, and the teachers will still be
getting some raise much more in line with today's economic
situation (FN, Olson, 1-19-83, card 7).

Based on the union's refusal to reopen the contract the board and

district administration had little choice but to proceed with the teacher

layoff process. Mr. Martin, a board member, bluntly explained:

1982.

Well, we got the notice. I remember seeing a letter from their
bargaining person. As I recall, they just felt there wasn't
any reason to do it. . . . And at that point, we had to get on
and do what we thought was best within, of course, the con-
straints now. You know, we wanted to kind Of broaden, widen
out the constraint box. But, we weren't able to do it, so we
went from there (FN, Martin, 12-16-82, card 4).

Personnel Movement: The Layoff Process, February Through AprilI

The background for the layoff process began in February, 1982.

The focus of this effort was that the teachers' contract would be

followed so that teachers with lowest seniority would be laid Off first.

During the entire process there was a close working relationship between

137

the district personnel director and the NUEA Officials. The role the
relationship played was spelled out by the contract:

The association recognizes the exclusive right of the board to
determine If a reduction In personnel Is necessary due to a
decrease in student, educational revisions, or budgetary or
financial considerations (Professional Agreement, North Umpqua
Board Of Education and Hood County Education Association, 1981-
1984, p. 19, section 2.6-A).

The layoff procedure was also spelled out in the contract. In part, it
provided that
I. Probationary teachers shall be laid Off first . . .

2. If further reduction of staff Is necessary, then tenured
teachers in the specific positions being reduced or eliminated
shall be laid Off on the basis of seniority . . . i.e. those with
the least seniority are to be laid Off first (Professional Agree-
ment, North Umpqua Board of Education and Hood County Education
Association, 1981-1984, p. 20, section 2.6-J-1-2).

Once the seniority list was established by Mr..Allen, the personnel
director, the union's primary concern was monitoring the layoff process.
As one union Official told the researcher:
I think the primary concern that we have to monitor is the
seniority process and that people are put within areas where
they are certified and qualified. Again, that's contractual and
that's all we can do really with things that are contractual
(FN, Lewis, 2-21-83, card 9).
The district personnel director, Mr;.Allen, described his relationship
with union representatives:
You explain that all to the union, why you're doing what you're
doing. We met periodically with the union. That started back
in February. General ly, I tried to meet with them at least once
a month at the beginning of each month to let them know what the
progress was. The union, of course, was concerned with the high
seniority peOple having the best chance at whatever is available
(FN, Al len, 9-13-82, cards 1, 2).
The actual layoff notices were sent in March, 1982. This fulfil led
the teachers' contract which stipulated that "written notification will

be given to teachers at least thirty (30) calendar days prior to the

138

effective date of lay off" (Professional Agreement, North Umpqua School
District and Hood County Education Association, 1981-1983, p. 21, section
2.6-J-4). It also al lowed time to recal l many teachers prior to the end
of school (see p. 25).

The layoff notices were mailed to each teacher via registered mail.

Two teachers commented on the process. "I knew it was coming. April
first, don't you love it, April first. I got pink slipped on the first"
(FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card 8). Ms. Fox told the researcher that "I
laughed al I the way to the post office to get my certified letter . . . .
It cost them two dollars to send me the dumb letter when I'm at school
everyday" (FN, Fox, 10-21-82, card 11).

Although the district only needed to open up sixty-six teaching
positions through reduction-In-force (RIF) procedures, the personnel
director chose to RIF 108 teachers including eight or nine already on
leave status. This overkill opened up many extra positions which allowed
displaced teachers a wider selection of schools from which to choose.
Mr..Allen told the researcher about his reasons for the excess layoffs:

When we sent out layoff notices, we knew we had to cover about
66 positions for sure. But because of the bumping situation, I
went beyond that and we ended up laying Off close to ninety some
teachers“ We already had eight to nine on lay Off so that's why
the list was one hundred and some. . . . As a result of laying
off more than we needed, we had some teachers that weren't able
to come back to their buildings. Someone else had taken their

p lace. . . . We laid off more teachers than what we needed to
and when you do that, you say to yourself where do you draw the
line? How many teachers do you need to lay Off in order to
cover everything? By closing three buildings and having all
those kids dispersed Into five buildings instead of eight, they
were in the process of changing boundary lines but I couldn't
wait for that process to end. SO we decided to lay Off more

than we needed and then call back (FN,IAllen, 9-13-83, card 2
and 11-22-82, card 6).

The union watched this process and knew that some of the teachers caught

up in the excess layoffs were unhappy about being laid Off unnecessarily,

139

they felt. However, the union sanctioned Mr. Allen's procedure. A union

official explained it this way:

We did have some dissatisfaction with some peOpIe who were laid
off because they did lay Off more than they needed to. Those
peOple knew they were going to get a job, but in that process
the displaced people had taken the job that they had. SO then
they ended up having to move to another school. . . . We don't
really get upset about it because the long term aim was that

high seniored peOple would have jobs (FN, Lewis, 9-23-82, card
2).

Personnel Movement: The Recall Process, May Through June 10, I982.

 

The recall process was also dictated, in form, by the teachers' contract.
In part, it states that "recall shall be»in inverse order of layoff
provided the teacher is certified TO‘flll a vacant position. The board
shall give written notice of recall by registered or certified mail at
the teacher's last known address" (Professional Agreement North Umpqua
Board of Education and Hood County Education Association, 1981-1984, p.
21, section K-l). A union official discussed the union's concerns about
the recall process and teachers' Involuntary job reassignments:

The long term aim was that the high seniored people would have

jobs. The contract . . . guarantees you a job, but not a

certain job. In other words, you'll be teaching someplace,

somewhere, but It may not be in your same room, subject, or your

same building (FN, Lewis, 9-23-82, card 2).

The recall process consisted of three phases. First, there were
some Involuntary staff changes within the district which involved
teachers who were not laid Off or displaced due to school closings.
Second, displaced teachers were given their choice of building
assignments. Third, teachers on layoff were recalled to fill the
remaining vacancies. ‘This sequence is confirmed in a letter Mr..AIlen
wrote to the board in the fall of 1982. He stated, In part:

Last spring, our district began the process of laying off

approximately one hundred ten teachers. After schedule
adjustments and the placement of those teachers who came from

140

buildings to be closed In 1982-83, we began the process of

recal I for the 1982-83 school year (Mr. Al Ien's letter, October

7, 1982 to the Board of EducationL

One of the teachers caught in the Involuntary transfer Of certified
teaching staff, but who was not laid Off or displaced, was Ms. Baird.
She was moved from a regular elementary classroom to an elementary
special education position In another school. As one principal said
about her move, "She went from a regular classroom to a special ed
situation. She was transferred from one building to another, so she kind
of got a double whammy" (FN, Taylor, 11-3-82, card 4). As with the
excess layoff policy, some people questioned the need for the changes.
Several theories were proposed to explain the action. One teacher
thought it was a committee decision (FN, Hicks, 11-8-82, card 2). A
principal thought the move was necessitated by a tenure commission ruling
(FN, Austin, 10-25-82, card 3). Ms. Baird was not really sure why she
was being moved. She said:

SO many things went through my mind. Mr. Austin told me years

ago he didn't want me at Rivervlew. Is he trying to get me

gone? I have tried to do a good job, but maybe the school

district wants me to quit. Maybe teaching is not for me. Maybe

this is all a plot to have me gone (FN, Journal Notes, Baird,

10-20-82).
The real reason for the move appears to be Mr.lAllen's desire to Insure
that as many laid-Off senior teachers as possible would be recalled to
jobs. He gave the researcher this account of why he moved Ms. Baird and

two other teachers:

We looked at the layoff list peOple and we tried to find out
what jobs were going to be available and if those jobs were
available, who on the lay off list would be subject to recall.
And, In the area of special education we found that we had
about fifteen or sixteen special ed teachers on lay off be-
cause they had the low seniority. And yet, there were going
to be some jobs available in special education. SO, the
decision was, or well, the options were not to move anybody,
keep the special ed jobs open and recall the lower seniority

141

special ed teachers (which would keep the high seniority
elementary teachers on lay Off--the regular classroom teach-
er). SO we decided, me primarily I guess, to involuntarily
transfer peOple into those special ed jobs from the existing
staff. SO, Ms. Baird, she's a regular classroom teacher. She
had special ed certification. We involuntarily'transferred
her to special ed. That opened up a regular elementary class-
room job. SO, we then ended up calling back a regular class-
room teacher (FN, Allen, 11-22-82, card 2L

Mr.l\llen's account of why he involuntarily moved certified staff is
confirmed in a letter written to the board. In part, the letter says:

Before the recall occurred, management initiated a few in-

voluntary transfers. This process took place in order to be

able to recall high seniority teachers. As far as we are

concerned, this avoided the accusation of management crea-

tively scheduling assignments in order to keep high seniority,

high salaried teachers on lay off (Mr. Al len's letter, October

7, 1982 to the Board of Education).
Ms. Baird was not the only teacher invol ved in this type of move. A
union official Indicated:

We had a lot who were high seniored people that were moved to

situations where they really didn't want to be. . . . But, by

moving that regular ed person around, then we could facilitate

recalling people with the high seniority (FN, Lewis, 9-23-82,

card it

After the involuntary movement of certified staff into new schools
and positions, the district chose to give the teachers who were displaced
out of the closed schools their choice of job placement prior to the
actual recall of teachers on layoff. One of the principals, In discuss-
ing a teacher laid Off from his school, said that while she was laid off,
it was the opportunity of those people who were displaced from closed
buildings, to choose a new school (FN, Fisher, 9-23-82, card 2). Mr.
Allen, the personnel director, also discussed with the researcher the
general process he fol lowed:

The union, Of course, was concerned with high seniority people

having the best chance at whatever is available. So consequen-

t I y, we took care of the displaced teachers first. . . . Once
the people were laid off and those positions were established,

142

then those teachers who were coming out of buildings that were
closing--Green Park, Forest Glen, Lakeview--they were brought
in high seniority first. They were brought in and either
indicated to me in writing or told me verbally where they would
like to be transferred. . . . We were pretty much able to p I ace
all of them.. . . The displaced teachers didn't have bumping
privileges. 'They only had to go where there were spots avail-
able (FN, Allen, 9-13-82, cards 1-2-3, and 11-22-82, card 3).

Three Of the displaced teachers who were part of the study commented on

the placement process to the researcher:

We had to list where we wanted to go, three choices of where we
wanted to go and grades. . . . After we got Into making choices,
we got assigned to a building first. .. . They immediately gave
me my second choice. . . . We were first assigned to a building.
Then it was a longer process figuring out where we were going to
be (FN, Carpenter, 11-3-82, cards 2-3).

I was assigned to Riverview Elementary School at the time when
it was at last determined that my present school, Green Park,
was to be closed by action Of the school board. . . . (Mr.
.Allen) began with the most senior staff member and let them
choose what building they would like to go, but not grade level
assignment. That was left to the discretion Of the principal.
When it was my turn to indicate a preference for schools, only
Spring Hill was full. Every other elementary was Open
(parentheses added) (FN, 9-7-82, Journal, Campbell, cards 1-2).

They decided to close our school last year because they felt
that it was not a good facility. . . . So at that point, because
I have enough seniority, l was given the choice Of which school
I'd like to go to. I just randomly selected. 'You needed to put
down all Of them because there was no way you could be sure Of
going to one particular school. My first choice was Spring Hill
. . . but teachers with greater seniority got in there. So,
then I ended up going to Meadow, having put Meadow as the next
choice .. .(FN, Eddy, 10-21-82, card I).

When commenting on the union's feelings about the reassignment placement
process for displaced teachers, one union official told the researcher:

Management, I think, made a very good effort and they didn't
have to do that. We've given them credit al I along for that.
They didn't have to say to those displaced people, you've got a
choice. 'They could have put their names in a hat, done just
about anything they wanted to as far as the contract was
concerned, as long as they had a job (FN, Lewis, 9-23-82, card
2).

Subsequent to the assigning of displaced teachers, Mr..Allen began

recalling laid-off teachers to fill the remaining vacancies. ‘The same

143

general process was used to recall laid-Off teachers as was used to
reassign displaced teachers. The recall list, by seniority, was
published before May 1, 1982 and most of the teachers were recalled by
the middle of May. When discussing the recall process with the
researcher, Mr. Al Ien comented that

the recall list had to be out before May first, because the
union, of course, wanted to know the recall list updated all
seniority up through the year, even though the year wasn't
complete. . . . We completed the recall by May 15 . . . (FN,
Allen, IO-18-83, card 8L

The layoff and recall process, then, took about two months--from
March until mid-May--because of the individual care given to the teachers
reassigned and the personnel director's concern that teachers be properly
reassigned. One principal commented to the researcher about the process
as It affected his school. He said that

we didn't know who was going to be coming here. That was put
off through a complicated process for quite awhile. We knew
who was going out of the building quickly because the lay off
lists went out and the seniority lists were pretty firm and you
could almost definitely tell who was going to be totally and
permanently laid Off. That was no problem. The problem was
that the process they went through to determine where the
displaced teachers were going gave them a whole lot Of say In
where it is they were going to be placed. They did that on the
basis of seniority. Consequently, It took time to know what
positions were left for the next peOple to be choosing. SO, it
was a rather lengthy process to get everybody placed. That is
what really slowed it down. Once we knew who was coming, it
was very, very late in the year . . . (FN, Bal 1, 9-27-82, card
1).

MrulAllen also explained how he worked with individual teachers to ac-
tually reassign them. He said:

The way we handled that, Ed, was if you were a teacher subject
to recall to a job, you're next. We would ask you to come In
and we would say to you here's the list of Openings that we
have. We had the teachers pretty much--It was kind Of volun-
tarily; Our contract speaks of voluntary assignments. We
would say to you, which one would you voluntarily like to have?

144

Now toward the end, when you get right down to three teachers

are left and only three jobs, they didn't have much choice (FN,

AI Ien, 11-22-82, card 3).
Three teachers were wi I ling to share their experiences of being recal led
with the researcher. Ms. Scott was discussing with the researcher the
choices of buildings from which she had to choose when she was recal led
and explained:

I didn't get my choice until the point when l was recalled.

They came back and told me I was recal led. Congratulations!

Whoopeel And these buildings are available. Then I told him

what I wanted. Like a day or two later, I got my official

letter in the mail (FN, Scott, 10-19-82, card 8-9).
Ms. Fox provided more complete detail about her recal I which occurred in
late May. Her choices were limited by the number of Openings (unfi I led
jobs) still available.

You know, I knew I was going to be recalled. I didn't pick it

up for a long time because I knew what it was. I laughed all

the way to the post office to get my certified letter. . . .

When Mr. AI Ien came around to my room, he had a list of the

schools that had Openings. Meadow had one opening which I

signed up for, and Woodlawn had openings. SO, I was limited In

my choices because of the openings which were avai Iable. When

Mr. Al Ien came along with his assignment sheet for us to fill in

what we wanted to do, he would not tel 1 us what positions were

available, just the schools (FN, Fox, 10-21-82, cards 2, 5, 11

and 11-4-82, card 2).
Ms. Underwood's reassignment provides the best insight into how the
process worked because It demonstrates that although a formal reassign-
ment process was fol lowed, there was a human element of concern for
others and even humor in the reassignment process. Ms. Underwood was
reassigned from Evergreen Middle School to an elementary school because
the only position Openings available at her time of recall were elemen-
tary (FN, AI len, 9-13-82, card 7). Mr. Al Ien personal Iy came over to her

school in May and, as Ms. Underwood stated, "informed me, 'yes, you are

definitely being moved to an elementary building. You need to select one

145

of the elementary bui ldings'" (FN, Underwood, 11-16-82, card 8). A close
friend, Ms. Scott, related the experience of Ms. Underwood's visit to the
school she final ly selected:

Ms. Underwood and I came at the point when she had been called
back . . . and she had to make her decision. She had the choice
of Hi I Icrest, Woodlawn, or out here. And she wasn't familiar or
even at all sure where Riverview was. So I said, "Hey Beth,
I'll take you out one day)‘ So I called Mr; Austin and said,
"Mr. Austin, do you care if Beth and I come out one night just
to kind of look around?" Of course, he was just delighted
because he hoped Beth would choose out here. At the time we
came, he almost ignored me.... . He just basically kind of told
us how the day was run out here, and what she'd be doing and
trying very hard to encourage her to come. What was funny was,
when we asked him to come, she hadn't made her decision. Well,
that day she had already told Mr. AI Ien she was going to go to
Riverview, and he's going on and on and trying so hard to pump
the school up and then she said, "Wei I, I told Mr. Al Ien today
that this is where l was coming." And he just went like, ahhh.
You could just see it kind of settle over him (FN, Journal
Meeting, 10-13-82, cards 2-3).

After teachers were recalled and had chosen a particular building,
the principals worked Individually with each teacher to assign grade
level placement. Although the formal process appeared uniformly rigid,
the human dynamics of each situation made them somewhat unique.

Personnel Movement: The Teachigyg Assignment Processy May Through

 

June 104 1982. At Riverview Elementary, the principal knew the reassign-
ed teachers. Although he discussed their assignments with them, he had
some definite feelings about where he wanted to place them. He related
to the researcher that

I had that pretty wel I set before they came. I knew what
positions I had open and this school district is not that big.
I knew most of the peOpIe anyway. So, It wasn't too difficult
to place peOple. And, we talked about it [placement] when they
came out and visited. Everybody was pretty wel l in agreement
(FN Austin, 9-17-82, card 2).

146

The three cases documented here show the diverse ways teacher grade level
assignments were made at Riverview. Ms. Gilbert was al lowed to choose
her grade level. She told the researcher:

l was cal led back in June. I found out about grade level right
away, the day they cal led me back. There was a first, a first/
second, and a fourth. And I said I'd like the first. The
administration said fine, we'll let Mr. Austin know. I called
Mr. Austin and he said, "I'd love to put you in first, so
fine." I knew it all in the same day (FN, Gilbert, 11-11-82,
card 2).

At the other extreme was the grade level reassignments of Ms. Scott and
Ms. Campbel I. Ms. Campbel I chose Riverview for her reassignment in
April. She found out afterwards she was assigned to the fourth grade.
Ms. Scott chose Riverview in May, and then found out she was assigned to
second grade. Both teachers wanted to trade grade levels (FN, Journal
Meeting, 9-10-82, cards 2-4 and Ms. Campbell's Journal, entry 9-7-82,
card 2). Mr. Austin did switch grade level assignments for Ms. Scott and
Ms. Campbell a week before school started in August 1982. Ms. Scott and
Ms. Campbel I discussed what happened with the researcher as they
responded to a question about how they received their grade assignments
and if they had any choice in them.

Ms. Campbell: I very much wanted a first or second grade
classroom . . . but I found out it would be
fourth grade. My best friend, Ms. Scott, also
got Riverview and she got second grade. We both
wanted badly to trade grade levels but were
afraid of rocking the boat and we didn't want to
ask for special favors. . . . I had never taught
fourth and Ms. Scott had never taught second.

. . . The summer wore on and Ms. Scott and I
decided to ask for a switch. So, I wrote a
letter requesting that. Then Ms. Scott decided
not to turn the letter in. . . . I was assigned
to second and Ms. Scott to fourth. . . . (FN,
Journal Meeting, Ms. Campbell, 9-7-82, card 2).

Ms. Scott: Nope. I came out here in June. Mr. Austin asked
me to come out and he told me that he had me in
second grade. I said to Mr. Austin, you know

147

that's about the only grade in elementary K-6
that I have no experience in. . . . Ed, we were
scheming all sumer long and finally I decided
that he'd put Ms. Canpbell in fourth and l was
left with second. Well, it was a chance I might
be going to Spring Hill. And there was that
math workshop that the second grade teachers had
to go to. SO then I was talking to Mr. Austin
the Saturday before the workshop to find out
what he wanted me to do. He said, "I don't know
what to tell you." And I said, "wel I, you could
always put me in fourth grade at Riverview and
then if I go, there won't be a problem. He
said, "I hadn't thought of thatfl Then we
didn't even have to approach him with our letter
(FN, Journal Meeting, 9-10-82, cards 3-5L

SO, as Ms. Campbel I summed up the experience, "Al I 's wel I that ends wel I
. ." (FN, Ms. Campbel l '5 Journal, entry 9-7-82, card 2).
At Meadow Elementary, Mr. Bal I, the principal, used another approach
to assign grade levels. He met with all newly reassigned teachers at one
of the other elementary schools. Of this he said:

I, first of all, went to meet with all new staff at another
school. . . . There was also a teacher who was coming from Oak
Park school and one that was coming from Spring Hill School.

. . . I really went over to meet with them to talk about assign-
ments, where they might be, and try to put them at ease (FN,
Ball, 9b27-82, card 1L

Ms. Fox was one of the reassigned teachers who attended the meeting with
Mr. Ball. She gave the researcher this account of how Mr. Ball worked
with the reassigned teachers to place them:

He came and met with us over there after school one night.

. . . He told of the class numbers, you know, there would be two
first grades whatever, and he asked us what our preferences
were. ‘Then he went around individually'and said, "If you had
your choice, what would you want?" Then he said, "These are my
teachers, and what they want. Obviously, we are real heavy on
lower el. Openings and upper eI. people. I've got some prob-
lems, but, if I can't work It out, we wil I work out something
between another school that is agreeable to you. . . . Now I'm
going to go back and talk to my staff and tell them what you
guys want. Then I'm going to have to set down and be the bad
guy and make some assignments. Then he came probably a week
later over to Lakeview again and met with each teacher and told
them what their assignment was going to be--Indivldually with

148

them. And, at that time, I had a second/third split (FN, Fox,
10-21-82, card 4).

Ms. Eddy chose Meadow Elementary when her school was closed. While Ms.
Fox's account of grade assignment gives an example Of how one principal
worked with reassigned teachers to place them, Ms. Eddy's account pro-
vides an insight into one teacher's decision-making process in asking for

her grade level assignment. She told the researcher:

I ended up going to Meadow, having put Meadow down as the next
choice. . . . Then Mr. Ball asked us what grade level we'd like
to teach. They had a four/five opening and I thought about it
until two parents came down the hall one day and said,‘%hu
we're so glad you're going to Meadow; You can get them to do
the programs you've been doing here. . . . I decided I didn't
want to get into that. I had taught second grade when l was
first hired in the district. . . . SO then I thought about a
second/third grade because there was going to be an Opening
there, which is the one Ms. Fox is in now, and wasn't really
thri I led with that. SO, I thought about it all one weekend and
kindergarten just kept coming up. SO I cal led Mr. Bal I Sunday
night and said, "How would you like a kindergarten teacher?"
He was thrilled and overjoyed! He had to sit down! [She
laughs as she says this.] He says, "wait til I get a chair)‘
The next day he was going to have to tell somebody they g3g_to
teach kindergarten, because there was no one who had volun-
teered. It just seemed like the thing to do, like fun. SO, I
cal led Mr. Ball and told him I'd do It. He talked about my
reasons for it because I think he wanted to be sure I wasn't
just doing it for some altruistic kind of thing where everybody
else doesn't want it, so I'll take it--the martyr kind of
thing. I really wanted to do it. And so that's how I ended up
here in kindergarten (FN, Eddy, 10-21-82, cards 1-2).

At the same time that Mr.IAllen was handling the personnel movement,
other administrators in the district focused on attendance boundary
changes, materiel movement, and consideration of activities that would
make the change as smooth as possible for teachers, parents, and stu-
dents. This became the general task and purpose of the Transition Com-
mlttee.

The Transition Committee. Three days after the board approved the

budget reduction (see p. 130), Dr. Meyers established the Administrative

149

Committee for Building Closing. This comittee was more popularly cal led
the Transition Committee by teachers, principals, district personnel, and
board members. Dr. Meyers appointed the two principals as Chairpersons,
provided the purpose of the committee, and specified potential committee
members. However, the Committee was not given authority to insure its
decisions were carried out. Documentary evidence is provided by a letter
to al 1 elementary principals from Dr. Meyers.

After the holiday season, we will need to make many important

decisions to enable us to Open next fall with five rather than

eight elementary schools. ‘To assist in this end, I am appoint-

ing Ms. Davis and Mr. Fisher to serve as co-chairpersons for

this administrative committee. The purpose of this committee

is to direct the activities Of all persons necessary to re-

assign students, re-assign school employees, and divide in-

structional materials. Elementary principals, all other school

employees, PTA representatives, students, parents, are poten-

tial comittee members to be appointed by Ms. Davis or Ms.

Fisher (FN, Letter from Dr. Meyers to all elementary princi-

pals, December 18, I981L
The Transition Committee was formed from the district-wide Administrative
Council. The Administrative Council Is comprised of all district admini-
strators and met monthly with the superintendent. It is Informal and
advisory to the superintendent. He is under no obligation to accept its
recommendations. The principals emphasized its advisory nature. "The Ad
Council is really run by the superintendent. It Is not an Independent
organization and, as to what, happens at the Ad Council or what as a
result of the Ad Council, is a real questionable kind of thing" (FN,
Ball, 9b27-82, card 6). lhz Vincent, principal at Woodlawn, provided the
researcher with a more detailed Idea of how the Administrative Council
really'functioned:

It meets on about a monthly basis. There's supposed to be a

printed agenda--sometimes is, sometimes isn't-that we should

get before the meeting. In some cases we don't get that until

we get to the meeting. That makes it sometimes kind Of bad
because you don't have time to prepare. ‘The purpose of it is

150

tO be kind of a forum to kind Of get things together and get
things out In the open as a whole administrative staff: the
concerns of the district, the concerns of the superintendent,
and there are also concerns of principals that they might be
having problems to let the powers that be at the central Office
know that we are having some difficulties with a particular
item. I think that's what It's supposed to be. A lot Of the
things that come out of it are more informational, I think (FN,
Vincent, 10-5-82, card 16).

From this informal group, then, the Transition Committee emerged.
[kn Meyers told the researcher how the Transition Committee came into
existence.

In one brainstorming session, we were trying to decide the

different types of committees we needed with the budget cut

back. I guess it came of that. That there ought to be kind of

a committee that worked with all the problems of closing an

elementary school and dividing pupils, personnel, teachers, etc.

It was kind of a group venture . . . (FN, Meyers, 12-1-82, card

7).
Mr. Vincent gave the researcher additional rationale for the Committee's
importance and formation. He said:

Last year, with all the budget cuts and closing buildings, where

that started with was really a push by the principals to take a

look at where we were going with budget cutting and closing

buildings. Let's not just let it happen. As a result, we had

some committees and assignments that came through and we were

able to work through those things (FN, Vincent, 10-5-82, card

16).

The Transition Committee served three main purposes: (I) it provided

a forum for discussion of common school closing problems: (2) it provided
a forum to coordinate the activities of gaining and losing schools; and
(3) it provided an opportunity for the principals to request to the
superintendent and board those actions it deemed important to a smooth
transition from eight elementary schools to five elementary schools.

Some of the discussion of common problems centered around the

gathering of Information. Ms. Davis told the researcher "we reached

Out and discussed with teachers and with parents and then brought

151

their Opinions and concerns into the group so that they were not
totallyvignored" (FN, Davis, 10-6-82, card I). The Committee also
invited a group of administrators from a neighboring community to
share their experiences of closing an elementary school with the
group. A letter thanking them gives a general overview of the topics

discussed. It says, in part:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your
colleagues for meeting with our "Transition Committee" and
sharing your experiences of building closing, student and par-
ent orientation and dispersal of equipment and materials. We
all can benefit from what you did well and avoid the things
which were unsuccessful (FN, Letter dated March 3, 1982 from
Mr. Fisher to one of the guests).

Several district administrators, a board member and various documents
give the reader a more complete picture Of the Transition Committee's
discussions. These discussions are categorized into four general
areas: logistics, teachers, parents, and students.

Logistics discussions centered on redistricting school attendance
boundaries, the placement of programs in various buildings, the schedule
for moving furniture and supplies from the closed schools to their new
location, inventorying furniture and supplies, and determining a tagging
system to identify the materials moved. Comments from comittee members
confirm these discussions and provide an inside view on specific topics:

TAGGING SYSTEM

We had one meeting with all the administrators that would be

affected and I raised some questions. At that meeting we came

up with the labeling method. I said that I wanted a layout of

the classroom and who was going to be assigned to what, where

they were coming from and where they were going to (FN, Baker,

1-12-83, card 8).

MOVING SCHEDULE

We arrived at the scheduling of moving the equipment through

some meetings that I had with a committee that was formed on

closing and moving which was mainly comprised Of principals (FN,
Baker, 12-1-82, card 7).

152

We had a couple of different phone conversations with Ms. Davis
about different aspects of this moving situation and where the
books were to be stored--excess books and things like that (FN,
Baker, 1-12-83, card 8).

PROGRAM PLACEMENT
We worked out the size of the buildings, the room assignments,
everything. We talked about where the developmental

kindergartens would be and how many sections you would havee(FN,
Taylor, 11-3-82, card 18).

INVENTORIES
We took inventories. Told the receiving buildings what we had

available, and then they were allowed to say what they wanted
(FN, Davis, 10-6-82, card 1).

ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES
The fiallowing information is one Of three attendance boundary
proposals discussed by the Transition Committee.
Option I-A. Green Park to Riverview and Spring HI I I.
All students north of will attend Riverview.
Those south of will attend Spring Hill.

 

B. Lakeview to Meadow and Spring Hill.
All students living west of will attend
Meadow. Those east of will attend Spring Hill.

C. Forest Glen to Hillcrest (FN, Transition Committee,
Worksheet 1, January 20, 1982, p. 1).

One of the board members confirmed the Transition Committee's invm>lvement
when discussing the Committee with the researcher. "Our principals were
intimately involved in drawing up all these plans for closing and
rerouting kids" (FN, Kennedy, 12-9-82, card 5).

Helping displaced, recal led/reassigned, and laid-Off teachers was
also discussed. These discussions centered on the (1) teachers'
concerns in general; (2) use of a reassigned teacher buddy system: (3)
desirability Of allowing displaced teachers to take their furniture with
them to the new school; (4) need for an end-Of-the-year district-wide
party; and (5) the desirability of release time at the end of the school

year to pack and prepare for the move, and to visit the teachers' new

153

schools. Comments from five Committee members concerning these
discussions provide further information on the discussions.

1. GENERAL TEACHER CONCERNS. "We reached out and discussed with
teachers . . and then brought their Opinions and concerns into the group
so that they were not totally ignored" (FN, Davis, 10-6-82, card I).

2. BUDDY SYSTEM. "The on I y thing that we discussed . . . was the
idea that the new kid [new teacher] on the street is assigned a teacher,
another teacher as a buddy" (FN, Hall, 12-2-82, card 1).

3. KEEPING TEACHERS' FURNITURE. "The Transition Committee had
insisted that if these peOple are going to go, and go Into a new
environment, they at least Ought to be allowed to take with them the
things that they feel comfortable with" (FN, Davis, 10-6-82, card 17).

4. YEAR END PARTY. "Things we discussed were . . . we talked about
a staff party at the end of the year" (FN, Taylor, 11-3-82, card 17).

5. RELEASE TIME. "One of the things we really recommended was the
release time at the end of the year where peOple could get together . . 3'
(FN, Vincent, 10-5-82, card 6). Mr. Fisher also commented on the need for
release time:

We were trying to work allowing teachers either half days or

full days situation just to visit the buildings where they were

going to be going. We thought that that would more or less ease

the pain, relieve some anxieties . . J'(FN, Fisher, 10-19-82,

card 7).

When assessing the Transition Committee's discussions about teacher
welfare, it is interesting to note that one member felt that more had
been done for the permanently laid-Off teachers than for those who were

recal led and involuntarily reassigned. He told the researcher that "we

discussed more helping those who were not going to be reassigned,

10
(IOC

and

101

154

alternative education plans and some other things" (FN, Hall, 12-2-82,
card 1).

Helping parents received some discussion. 'These discussions
included talking about parental concerns, school activities for parents,
and methods of keeping parents informed of the closing process. Two
Committee members touched on these when they discussed the Transition
Committee with the researcher. Ms. Davis said that "we reached out and
discussed . . . with parents and then brought their Opinions and concerns
into the group . . ." (FN, Davis, 10-6-82, card I). Mr. Taylor said,
"Things that we discussed were night time open houses . . . and sending
notes for our newsletters that would go home on Friday" (FN, Taylor, 11-
3-82, card 17).

Most of the Committee's discussion centered around what to do to help
children adjust to changing schools. As one board member so aptly stated
to the researcher about the Transition Committee, "The primary purpose
for which that committee was formed was to make the transition for the
kids as comfortable as possible. The committee deserves high grades for
that" (FN, Olson, 1-19-83, card 10). Mr. Taylor provided the researcher
a summary of Committee discussions about helping the children. He said,

Things that were discussed were... . pen pals, assembly, field-

day with athletic events, room mothers and treats, buddy system

with kids so that when they got to the new building they could

look up somebody .. J'(FN, Taylor, 11-3-82,lcard 17).

The Transition Committee also provided an Opportunity for principals
to coordinate activities invm>lved in the closing process. Interviews and
documents indicate that coordination activities centered around logistics
and curriculum. ‘The coordination of logistics included taking inventory,
dissemination of equipment and supply listings from the closing schools

to the gaining schools, and providing central storage in the armory for

155

excess items. lhu Baker, who was actually responsible for the moving of
materiel, told the researcher that although he was not a member of the
Transition Committee, he did participate in one meeting where much of his
part of the moving process was coordinated. He related that:

I wasn't a member of the Transition Team. I was just kind Of
one of the pawns in the movement of things. We had one meeting
with all the administrators that would be affected and I raised
some questions. lAt that meeting we came up with the labeling
method . . . I said that I wanted a layout Of the classrooms and
who was going to be assigned to what, where they were coming
from and where they were going to. Ms. Davis and Mr. Fisher
agreed to take care of that and they did . . . We had a couple
of different aspects of this moving situation and where the
books were to be stored - excess books and things like that (FN,
Baker, 1-12-83, card 8).

A letter from Ms. Davis and Mr. Fisher to al 1 elementary principals
confirms that they did follow up on Mr. Baker's request.

Mr. Baker has requested that we provide him with the fiallowing
information as soon as it is available.

1) Building location for displaced teachers from Green Park,
Lakeview, and Forest Glen.

2) Room locations for all teachers within the buildings that
will Open in the fall.

We have already supplied him with the information requested in

item 1. Please send him classroom locations or designate an

area to place each teacher's supplies as soon as this informa-

tion is available. Hopefully, this will ensure a smooth move

(Letter from Mr. Fisher and Mse Davis, 5-12-82, subject: Mov-

ing Teachers' Supplies and EquipmentL
When the Transition Committee realigned the elementary school attendance
boundaries, all the Forest Glen students went to Hillcrest: half of the
Green Park students went to Riverview and half to Spring Hill; and two-
thirds of the Lakeview students went to Meadow and one-third went to
Spring Hill (Transition Committee Worksheet 1, January 20, 1982, p. 1L
The school equipment and supplies were divided up to go with the

students. Anything not wanted by the gaining school was available to

156

anyone in the district who wanted it. Ms. Davis told the researcher

about coordinating this effort:

We told the receiving buildings what we had available, and then
they were allowed to say what they wanted. In dealing with
Forest Glen, all of the Forest Glen students went directly to
Hillcrest E. S. The first choice of anything that was in the
Forest Glen building wasltillcrest's, because they got all the
kids. My half of this building, the kids went two ways: two-
thirds that way [she points towards Meadow] and one-third to
Spring Hill. Roughly two-thirds of this building [supplies,
equipment] went to Spring Hill. Anything that was left over
then was put into a pool which any school In the district could
pul I from (FN, Davis, 10-6-82, card 1).

Special education programs also had to be relocated. One principal
told the researcher a little about this coordination effort. "We worked
out the size of the buildings, the room structures, everything. We
talked about where the developmental kindergartens would be, how many
sections would you have" (FN, Taylor, 11-3-82, card 18). Ms. Davis
expanded on the need for curriculum coordination:

When you take a couple of schools like Hillcrest and Forest

Glen that are kind of autonomous little beings by themselves

and you pool them together and we use this particular set of

books and they use this particular set, you've got to have some

coordination when you pool them together . . . So that ended up

by getting taken care of, but when we first looked at it, it

was quite a problem (FN, Davis, 10-6-82, card 17).

Mr.‘Taylor discussed the Transition Committee's coordination efforts with
the researcher. When describing the group sitting down and mutually'
helping each other with their concerns, his feelings about the process
were positive. In describing the meetings, he said that the Committee
members would take turns airing their concerns such as

What problems do you have at Meadow? And Mr. Ball would talk

about it. At Hillcrest, what's the trouble? When you've got

five, six, or seven principals and central office people sitting

around helping you, it was great! It was great (FN, Taylor, 11-
3-82, card 18)!

157

Since the Transition Committee was at once a subcommittee Of the
Administrative Council, but yet the most important group in terms of
overall responsibility for the closure process, the Committee had two
routes through which it could channel its recommendations. 'The two
channels were: (1) directly to the board in the form Of periodic
progress reports: and (2) through the Administrative Council and the
superintendent to the board. A review of board minutes reveals.that
between January and June, 1982, the Transition Committee officially
reported to the board twice, on February 16 and February 23. The report
given to the board on February 16 is listed as a discussion item. The
report was given by Ms. Davis and Mr. Fisher, the co-chairpersons. They
provided recommendations for realigning the elementary attendance bound-
aries. The report also included projected elementary school ennollment
for 1982-83 and the relocation of special education programs and the
superintendent's Office (Transition Committee report to the North Umpqua
Board of Education, February 16, 1982, subject: Recommendations on the
Establishment of Elementary School Boundaries, and Board Meeting Minutes,
2-16-82, p. 1112). The board minutes also note that "Davis and Fisher
also reported that several orientation sessions would be held during the
day and evening for parents and students" (Board minutes, 2-16-82, p.
1112). The Transition Committee's work on making the students' transi-
tion to their new schools easy, as well as teacher and materiel concerns,
is documented in an addendum to the February 16 board minutes when the
board noted that "the Transition Committee needs this decision [on at-
tendance boundaries] to be made before it can proceed on student, facul-
ty, and equipment placement as wel I as curriculum decisions" (Board

meeting minutes addendum, 2-16-82, action item VI. 3). On February 23,

158

Ms. Davis and Mr. Fisher gave essentially the same report they had given
the week before. The board approved their recommendations. "Moved by
George, supported by Palmer, that the board accept the recommendation of
the Transition Committee to establish boundaries for Green Park, Lake-
view, and Forest Glen. . . . Motion carried " (Board meeting minutes, 2-
23-82, p. 1115). This is the only recommendation made by the Transition
Committee during its existence which received board approval. It was
also the only recommendation from the Committee to reach the full board
in a public session (Review of board minutes January - June, 1982).

The Transition Committee was a part of the Administrative Council
(FN, Meyers, 12-1-82, card 7). In that capacity, then, It reported back
to the Administrative Council and the superintendent what actions it
recommended for approval. Mr. Fisher told the researcher "we met at the
Administrative Council as Transition peOple trying to explain to the
total administrative staff what was taking place" (FN, Fisher, 10-19-82,
card'7L Many of the recommended actions could be approved by the
principals themselves or by the superintendent. The one request that was
repeatedly given by the Transition Committee members as the example of
what they asked the superintendent and board members to approve was to
furnish release time at the end of the Year so that teachers could pack
and also visit their new schools. One of the Committee co-chairpersons,
Ms. Davis, confirmed this when she told the researcher "the elementary
principals went to the superintendent and through him to the board and
said, 'we believe we need time off for teachers to get these rooms
closed."'(FN, Davis, 10-6-82, card 40. Mr. Vincent, a principal,
confirmed what Ms. Davis told the researcher and explained also what he

remembered as being requested:

159

We made some recommendations to the board, well really to Dr.
Meyers, about how some of the transitions could take place. One
of the things we really recommended was the release time at the
end of the year. . . . Not just for one or two, but for everyone
who was being displaced. . . . What we were looking for at the
end Of the year was not particularly having the whole day per
se', but what we were looking at was possibly dismissing the
kids a half a day early. Instead of that last day for kids
going a full day, dismissing the kids at noon on the last day Of
school, so you would have that extra half day to meet with the
new staffs and still have time for the teachers to get back In
their old buildings and take care of the necessary things that
they had to take care of (FN, Vincent, 10-5-82, card 6).

Mr. Taylor, principal at Meadow, also confirmed the chain of command used

to make the request, and then elaborated some of the reasons for request-

ing release time:

One of the issues that came up was that we would like some days
in the Spring to get together with peOple: like mini in-
services; discuss curriculum: discuss rooms: discuss concerns:
discuss philosophy; have some sharing experiences. That went
from the Transition Committee to the superintendent and to the
board (FN, Taylor, 11-3-82, card 14).

Ms. Edwards' comments about release time indicates that getting the

request up to the board through channels was a bit of a struggle. She

noted that

We approached the board many times last year asking for things
that we thought, as administrators, would make the move smoother
for the staff. We fought and fought and fought about give us a
Iggy for these people to pack, to go through their stuff they've
accumulated for fifteen or twenty years in this one classroom,
to meet with the new staffs, a whole list of things. . . . It's
In our Administrative Council minutes from last year where Dr.
Meyers agreed two times that I know of to go to the board and
say we need at least a half a day, we need some extra time for
these staff members (FN, Edwards, 9-21-82, card 5).

The documentation of these requests as mentioned by Ms. Edwards appears
to be nonexistent. The researcher repeatedly asked Transition Committee
and Administrative Council members if they existed. People seemed to

think so, but could never find theirs. Finally, Ms. Davis confirmed the

160

researcher's opinion that none existed as they talked together one after-

noon. She said:

For several years I was railroaded Into keeping minutes for the
Ad Council. .. .I just didn't do it last year. I had two

buildings and I had enough to do and nobody said do it,
so I didn't do it. . . . We are informal (FN, Davis, 10-6-82,
card 4).

The request for release time, although made repeatedly by the Tran-
sition Committee to the board through the superintendent, was never acted
upon by the board. A review of all board minutes from January through
June, 1982, revealed that the board, at least publicly, did not discuss
the request. Mr. Austin told the researcher that

we were just told point blank, "NO," by the superintendent,

which he said, in turn, was through the board. I heard it

through the grapevine that he never went to the board. So I

suspect that it may have been he may have thought that the

board would have said, "No" (FN, Austin, 11-23-82, card 6).

Ms. Edwards, principal at Green Park, told the researcher that, according
to Dr. Meyers, it was the board president who would not put the request
on the agenda. Concerning the request for release time, she said:

We got absolutely no time. . . . It never came out in a board

discussion. It went to the board twice. . . . Dr. Meyers said

he got to the president of the board and it got stopped right

there. He wouldn't put it on the agenda (FN, Edwards, 9-21-82,

cards 5-6).

When Dr. Meyers discussed the reason why no release time had been
approved, he seemed to confirm the idea that he was the primary person
behind the request being denied. As we sat in his Office one afternoon,
he leaned back in his chair and told the researcher:

Well, I'm sure I was a strong influence in that. I had indi-

cated to all the principals that the first thing we had to do,

as far as l was concerned, was to give the children of that

school year 180 days of school and that closing schools and

moving just could not interfere with that (FN, Meyers, 12-1-82,
card 2).

ti
ch

in

De.-

an:

STU

161

There were a number of recommendations made by the Transition
Committee which occurred as a result of building-level principals working
together. These were designed to help students and their parents adjust
to the change in schoolse In directing these activities, the principals
were on their own and performed their responsibilities with little or no
direction from Dr. Meyers. As Mr. Fisher, the principal at Spring Hill,
told the researcher, the principals merely fol lowed the "pattern that had
been set around here, and that's the autonomy situation, and individual
sending and receiving principals were doing what they thought was best"
(FN, Fisher, 10-19—82, card I). The principals appeared to function much
as the Jews did as recorded in the Old Testament where the writer, in
speaking of the political leadership in Israel, commented that "in those
days Israel had no king, so everyone did whatever he wanted to--whatever
seemed right in his own eyes" (The Living Bible, Judges 17:6. Mr. Tay-
lor, principal at Meadow, confirmed the autonomous atmosphere in which
the principals worked:

In terms of what was accepted and what wasn't accepted, just

about everything was accepted. We came up with all kinds Of

plans that we, for the most part, administered ourselves. We

were kind of autonomous (FN, Taylor, 11-3-82, card 17).

Parents' concerns about their children changing schools constituted
the greatest problem faced by the principals. Ms. Davis, a Committee co-
chairperson, commented that "the most pressing problem is dealing with
the feelings of the parents and their concerns" (FN, Davis, 10-6-82, card
17). Dr. Meyers told the researcher, "We went to great length to assure
parents that their children got along fine.. . . We actually got buses
and took the children to the other schools" (FN, Meyers, 12-1-82, card

4). One of the board members also discussed the focus on parents and

students and noted that that was a legitimate concern. She said that

162

"there was a real focus on the kids and the families being involved--
legitimately. I think that took the energy from everybody on down" (FN,
Lane, 12-2-82, card 8). 'The principals handled these concerns in basi-
cally two ways. First, they spent time trying to familiarize parents
with the new schools through daytime and nighttime Open houses, and also
by doing a lot of talking and listening. This was accomplished in a
variety of ways and depended upon the principal's time to devote to the
task. At Meadow Elementary, which was a receiving school for two-thirds
of the Lakeview students, the principal held two events. He told the
researcher, "we had a visitation and an open house for parents to come
and visit our school so that they could be acclimated" (FN, Ba! 1, 9-27-
82, card it Because Spring Hill was a receiving school from two of the
closing schools, Mr; Fisher, the principal, held three daytime visita-
tions by both students and parents. In addition, he held one evening
Open house. Mr. Fisher described what was done at the evening open

house:

We invited any Green Park or Lakeview parents to come over to
again visit the building and take a look at the physical plant
and how the place is laid out, and ask any questions they might
have. As I recall, attendance was minimal (FN, Fisher, 10-19-
82, card 6).

Another receiving school was Riverview Elementary. Mr; Austin, the

principal, told the researcher of his success in encouraging parents to

visit the school. He told the researcher that

parents were invited to our carnival to see how that kind of
thing was run. They also were encouraged to stop by anytime
that they had any free time. 'They didn't need to tell us they
were coming--just drop in, visit us, and see. I think when we
got done, we had the vast majority of parents who had decided
their children were going to come here. In fact, I would guess
we had some that ended up with their children not coming here
that did visit anyway. But, I think we probably got, as Ivory
soap says, "99.44% pure." 1 think it worked out quite well.
(FN, Austin, 10-25-82, card 11).

163

As principal of a receiving school, Mr. Austin was also involved in
hosting a parent/student visit during school hours. He commented:

We had a schedule as to what grade levels would be coming. It
was published in their (Green Park) newsletter. Parents were
aware of it and parents were invited and encouraged to come-one
or both to come with their children to see the school in
Operation (FN, Austin, 10-25-82, card 11).

The Green Park children were split between Spring Hill and Riverview.
The Green Park principal, Ms. Edwards, told the researcher about parent
involvement in visiting the two new schools:

We invited parents to go with us when we took the kids out to
visit their new schools. I don't know, we probably had a dozen
parents each trip, so I bet we took fifty parents on school
buses to visit the new school. They received it real well. For
many of them it was the first time they had ever been in the new
school (FN, Edwards, 12-1-82, card I).

Principals also talked and listened a great deal to parents' concerns and
complaints. Mr; Ball, principal at Meadow, gave the researcher an ex-
ample of parental concerns with which he dealt. He said there were

a lot of demands and insistence on my child having this teacher
because they knew the teacher coming from the other school kind
of thing. It really took a bit of work at times when you
couldn't do that--wasn't in the best interests of the child.

It took a little bit of working around the parents. And, a
number of the parents were very used to getting their way (FN,
Bal l, 10-28-82).

Mr. Taylor, principal at Hillcrest, spent a lot of time talking to
parents from Forest Glen. 'The move was especially traumatic for them.
He described one typical meeting held at the Forest Glen Elementary
School with parents and representatives of the school district:

We had a number of panel discussions where I would go out there
with other administrators and talk about the need for it [clos-
ing the school], why its done, and try and answer their con-
cerns. I would sit on that as their prospective principal.
They would air some concerns with me. "Wel I, because you're
closing Forest Glen, you're going to have thirty-five kids in
each class, right?" And I would say, "no, that's not right)’
"What are you going to do for our kids when they've got to be
bussed twelve miles in the winter time?" And I would say, "I

164

hope that they get here. I just pray that they get here. I

don't have a good answer for that. That Is a concern)‘ "What

about my kid who has to ride the bus for one hour and fifteen

minutes?" I said, "I don't have an answer for that, either)’

That really was the major thrust in trying to ease the fears of

parents. They were, Of course, invited to PTA meetings last

year (FN, Taylor, 10-6-82, card 13).

The second method used by the principals to deal with parental fears
about their children changing schools was through programs designed to
help al lay the children's apprehensions about the move. The concern for
the children's welfare was uppermost in the thoughts of board members.
Ms. Lane, when discussing the board's attitude towards the children's
welfare before and after the decision to close the schools, noted that
the involvement with kids "took the energy from everybody on down." She
went on to note that beginning with planning in the fall of 1981, "the
focus at that point that remained the focus throughout the process was on
the youngsters that were actually being juggled" (FN, Lane, 12-2-82,
cards 8, 12). Another board member also spoke about his conviction about
the welfare of the children. He told the researcher, "The board has the
responsibility to remember that education of children is our primary
interest; .. . what is most important is educating these children" (FN,
Olson, 1-19-83, card 14). In addition, another board member, Mr. Olson,
felt along with other board members, that

the primary purpose for which that committee [the Transition

Committee] was formed was to make the transition for the kids as

comfortable as possible. lAs far as getting the kids acquainted

with the new kids, I thought they did a good job as far as I can

tell (FN, Olson, I-19-83, card 10).

The Transition Committee members tried to allay students' apprehen-
sion In three primary ways. First, they promoted a student-to-student

pen pal program between the students Of the same grade levels in the

gaining and losing schools. This culminated In actual visits, in which

165

the students from the closing schools were taken to their new school to
meet their pen pals and have an assembly. The principals involved fol-
lowed much the same pattern Of events. Mr. Taylor, whose school, Hill-
crest, absorbed the entire Forest Glen student body, discussed the Impor-
tance he placed on helping the new students adjust to the move and the
activities he used to help them. He told the researcher that after the

board's decision to close the schools,

it took us 1211 into April and May before we ever found out
who was coming here. And when we did, our immediate priority
was the student body that was coming this way and to try and
ease their fears. . . . For the student body, we held mixed
assemblies so that we would have those kids [Forest Glen] visit
our kids. We had pen pals (FN, Taylor, 10-6-82, card I).

We had a series of visits between pen pals, between our kids.
We had little parties. We had room mothers so that the kids
met. I think it happened two times last spring. One day was an
assembly, and then the other day was an assembly and a punch and
cookies time afterwards where they got to meet their pen pal . . . .
(FN, Taylor, 11-3-82, card 2).

The student visits between Green Park and Spring Hill followed the same
pattern. Ms. Edwards, principal at Green Park, also commented on both
the pen pals and visitation program in which her students were involved.

She told the researcher,

We had letters going back and forth, pen pals, and the kids were
very excited about that-~very excited. 'That happened before the
kids visited. So consequently when they came to visit, they
already had a name here. 'They already knew the name of somebody
and that person was their guide when they came to visit the
school. . . . We had the Spring Hi I 1 kids take the Green Park
kids around . . . (FN, Edwards, 12-1-82, card 1).

The pen pal and student visitation programs were the most visible and
irnualved parts of the principal's efforts to help the children. Superin-
tendent Meyers very proudly told the researcher, "We have, you know,
visitation days in the school and we have the buddy system all set up ..
. and all that sort of thing--actually got busses and took the children

to the other schools" (FN, Meyers, 12-1-82, card 4). But, the principals

166

also took other, less observable and ostentatious actions to help their
new students. IA second way the Transition Committee tried to allay
students' apprehension about their new schools was the manner in which
they scheduled students into the classrooms. Principals at al 1 three of
the gaining schools paid special attention to the needs and welfare of
combining the student bodies of two schools into one student body. This
was accomplished without the benefit of release time for the two staffs
of the gaining and losing schools to discuss individual student's needs.
Mr. Austin told how he accomplished the scheduling process at Riverview:

I have the first and second grade teachers get together and we
sit down and go over the first students and try to match what
would be the best possible combinations in classrooms and we do
that all the way on up through so we did the same thing only we
were doing it with what little information we could gather from
Green Park, and I'm not knocking Ms. Edwards on that. I mean,
there's only so much that she can tell you. 'That would have
been another thing that would have been nice, if we could have
met. With half day staff development, we could have sat down
with the other teachers, talked to them about the kids, and
gotten al 1 taken care of right, first hand. . . . If we had to
do it over again knowing the kids now, we would have put Green
Park kids in a different combination than what we have now. But
we were made aware of some possible combinations, of some
students that should not be together, and those that were, let's

say on the hyperactive side . . . (FN, Austin, 10-25-82, card
7).

Mr. Taylor, principal at Hillcrest, provided more details into his con-
cerns about student placement and classroom assignment. He told the

researcher:

One of my biggest concerns was integrating the kids, making sure
we stopped this Woodlawn-Forest Glen. ‘That we all become
Woodlawn. That was my biggest concern. And I took great pains
to try and alleviate that by the structure I set up in the
building. I made sure that when we built the class lists that
the division of the students was good: academically, by sex,
emotional concerns like putting them in with a friend but also
making sure that a friend is not there. That kind of thing. I
took a lot of time to do that (FN, Taylor, 10-6-82, card 2 and
18).

167

When Ms. Edwards scheduled the Green Park and Spring Hill students, she
also conscientiously tried to keep the wellbeing of the Green Park
students uppermost. She said:

When we put the kids in the rooms, we tried to make sure that

there was a friend from their old school in the room with them.

Not a personal friend, but somebody. If it was a girl, we put

another girl from Lakeview because we had fewer numbers of kids.

We had to make sure we had two In each room. 'Thelold principal

and I and the teachers who handle special kids spent a lot Of

time . . . (FN, Edwards, 12-1-82, cards 12-13).
Mr. Taylor even attempted to help the children by the way he made staff
teaching assignments. He assigned a HI I Icrest teacher to teach the same
grade as a Forest Glen teacher so that they could work together with the
children (FN, Taylor, 10-6-82, card 16). ‘There was one last way in which
principals tried to help students allay their fears about their new
school. The principals capitalized on the common practice of covering
each other's school if one principal was out of town. 'The principals, by
contract, can take up to five days vacation during the time students are
in school (North Umpqua Board of Education/North Umpqua Administrator's
Educational Association Col lective Bargaining Agreement, July 1, 1980,
Article 8, section 5-H). Both Ms. Edwards, principal at Green Park, and
Ms. Davis, principal at both Lakeview and Forest Glen, took advantage Of
this provision for an extended spring vacation. Ms. Edwards took her
absence as an opportunity to have Mr; Austin, the principal at Riverview,
substitute for her since about half of her students would be transferring
to his school when Green Park closed. 'The researcher discussed the
reason for Mr. Austin's selection to cover the school and also how he
used the time to help the children get to know him and two aspects of the

Riverview program. Ms. Edwards told about the vacation school coverage:

Researcher: Did you take a week's vacation last spring before

Edwards:
Researcher:

Edwards:

Researcher:
Edwards:

Researcher:
Edwards:
Researcher:

Edwards:

Researcher:

Edwards:

168

spring vacation?

Yes.

Was one Of the other principals brought in to cover
your school?

Yes, yes.

Which principal?

The two that were getting kids out of my school. Mr.
Austin came. Mr. Fisher came. He was here at Spring
Hill. Between the two of them, they covered the building.
Was that by design?

Yes.

In terms of the fact that they were gaining your
students?

Yes, yes. Mr. Fisher, who was here, and l, by being so
close, always covered for each other when either of us
had to be out of town. But I asked Mr. Austin to come,
especially, so the kids could get to know him and
become familiar with hinu He even did things with our
kids. He runs this Token Time thing. He came in and
introduced that to our klds--not just the kids going to
Riverview, but the whole bunch-and ran a Token Time
thing on Friday. He also came in and worked with the
kids--l'm talking about the kids that were going to his
bullding--on safety patrol rules and things.

Did you initiate this idea of having them come cover
your building?

Yes (FN, Edwards, 12-1-82, card 29).

Mr. Austin confirmed what Ms. Edwards told the researcher as we discussed

the spring school closing process.

Researcher:

Austin:

Last spring, were you involved at al I over at Green
Park as a substitute principal while Ms. Edwards was on
vacation?

Yes, I covered for her, I think, one day or a couple

of days when she was gone..... We don't spend a lot
of time over there, although it gave me an opportunity
to see some of those kids who were coming here. I used
one day where I showed the kids what we did In Token
Time like I do in the gym. I just scheduled times for
them in the gym--took them in for a half hour. . . . I
talked to the kids--talked to the fifth graders about
safety patrol. . . . And, I think that's one of the
reasons why Ms. Edwards asked me to cover the building.
It gave me an opportunity to get over and meet the kids
(FN, Austin, 11-23-82, card 3).

The same arrangement to cover her vacation was made by Ms. Davis. Since

Mr. Taylor's school, Hillcrest, was receiving all of her Forest Glen

169

students, he was asked to cover Forest Glen while she also took an
extended spring vacation. ln commenting about this to the researcher,
Mr. Taylor said:

Ms. Davis, the principal at Forest Glen, went on vacation and

was gone for five days. SO, I went out there for five days and

worked out there. Basical ly, I didn't do anything other than be

very visible and walk around and meet kids (FN, Taylor, 11-3-82,

card 17%

The Transition Committee, then, was the primary coordinating and
decision-making group in overseeing the closure of the three schools and
the transfer of materiel and students. Its focus was on meeting the
concerns of parents. This was accomplished through meeting in various
ways with parents, and by directly addressing the students' needs in a
variety of ways as has been shown here. This work of the Transition
Committee really ended with the close of the school year in June, 1982.
At the same time as it was concluding its responsibilities with respect
to the transfer of students, however, the process of materiel movement,
which it coordinated, was gaining momentum.

Materiel Movement and Custodial Cutbacks: pl_u__rlp L. 1982 Thrcggp
Aggggl 39L 1282. Line item nine of the budget reductions approved by the
board on December 15, 1981, mandated a $100,000 (net) cut in custodial
services and stipulated that the savings be made specifically by "reduced
labor through layoff and/or reduced hours" (Board minutes, 12-15-81, p.
1096). To accomplish the reduction mandated by the board, the district
took several personnel reductions beginning July I, 1982, which is the
beginning of the district's fiscal year. First, the six custodians with
the lowest seniority were laid off. Second, the next eight custodians

with the lowest seniority had their work year reduced to thirty-nine

weeks. 'This allowed them to work for one week prior to the opening of

170

the school year In August, and the thirty-eight weeks of the actual
school year. In these first two personnel actions, both of the Meadow
custodians and one of the Hillcrest custodians were laid off. Third, the
eighteen remaining custodians were left on a fifty-two week work year.
During the summer months, these remaining eighteen were divided up into
work crews. 'The high school received a permanent work crew, while the
remaining custodians moved from school to school in two week blocks. A
memo from Mr; Ward in May 1982 indicates that

a resident crew will be assigned to the high school and the rest
will be assigned to either a secondary or elementary work crew
for the summer.. . . and the elementary crew will cover
Woodlawn,ltillcrest, Meadow,IRlverview, and Spring Hill (any
different plan for a particular building should be discussed
with Mr. Baker) (North Umpqua Public Schools, "Plan for
Custodial Staff Reductions for 1982-83, May 1982;'cards 192%

Mr; Ward, the district administrator responsible for overseeing the
custodial and maintenance department, was aware of the impact this reduc-
tion in personnel would have on the district's ability to properly move
the materiel from the closed schools into the gaining schools. He told

the researcher:

I certainly looked at the impact. I recognized early on that
we were going to be forced to cut back transportation and
maintenance. You can't cut into the academics without cutting
equally or more so into the non-academic support services.
After all, what are we here for? We're here only to support
the instructional program. We were making deep cuts in the
Instructional program so we ppg to Obviously make severe cuts
in the support program. But I recognized quickly that the
timing was terrible. We were going to be doing It at the time
of our busiest summer because of the closings and moves. Lt
was a tough summer. ng summer. The work probably doubled
over the summer and the staff was cut by 30 percent. . . . We
laid a lot of custodians off for the summer at the time when we
were the busiest. We were caught up between the necessity of
balancing the budget and getting the job done (FN, Ward, 12-8-
82, card 8).

The board assumed the materiel movement would be accomplished by the

maintenance staff (FN, Jackson, 12-9-82, card 11). However, most of the

171

board members seemed unaware of the impact the $100,000 reduction in
personnel would have on the moving process. Board members comments to
the researcher, when asked about the impact of the cuts, generally showed
a lack of understanding of what really'happened or a lack of knowledge
about the subject. Mr. Martin said, "I don't think we laid off any quote
full time janitors. . . . I think its a case where we Just didn't hire
the part time peOpIe" (FN, Martin, 12-16-82, card 10). Ms. Palmer said,
"I don't remember any discussion about that at all" when discussing the
custodial budget reduction impact (FN, Palmer, 1-6-83, card 19). Ms.
Lane, when discussing the impact of the personnel cuts on moving, said

what I do recall was that, in a June or July board meeting,

there was a request for how the time line was being matched.

Were we getting things where we wanted them. Mr. Ward ex-

pressed some frustration over that kind of situation (FN, Lane,

12-2-82, card 12).
This discussion could not be verified from the board minutes for
June/July 1982. Some board members were aware of the general problems
the personnel cut would create. hMu Olson told the researcher:

They took quite a serious manpower cut. We knew they were at a

minimum staff. We certainly couldn't have gone any further. We

went a little too tough on them as far as I am concerned. rt

seemed like the only thing at the time (FN, Olson, l-i9-83, card

13).
Mr. Kennedy, when discussing the decision to reduce custodial staff said,
"It was Just felt that a ten percent cut in personnel or whatever the
percent turned out to be, was what we had to achieve to do what we had to
do" (FN, Kennedy, 12-9-82, card 12).

The actual moving plan involved using the maintenance employees to
move the material from school to school, and then using the custodial

crews in each school to relocate the furniture within each school to its

correct new location. Each custodial crew was to remain in each

172

elementary school for two weeks during which time both the relocation of
the furniture and the normal cleaning would be done "Wk Davis, 10-6-82,
card IL The plan failed to operate as envisioned because of four rea-
sons: (1) the size of the work crew and time spent on the Job; (2) low
work crew morale; (3) the lack of work crew supervision: and (4) the lack
of coordinating work crew building schedules with materiel delivery
times. First, although the elementary cleaning crew was supposed to
consist of eight members, far fewer were actually'used. ‘Two principals
explained to the researcher how the plan worked in their schools. Mr.
Taylor, principal at Hillcrest, said:
Supposedly, there were going to be eight peOple in Hillcrest
working for two weeks to get this building ready-windows, doing
the floor, and putting all that stuff in the classrooms, doing
carpets, those kinds of things. I came over here a number of
times. There were only two peOple. I never saw more than two

maintenance peOple in this building (FN, Taylor, 10-6-82, card
5).

Ms. Davis, principal at Lakeview and Forest Glen, had a smaller work crew
in her school. She told the researcher:

The cleaning crew was scheduled in for two weeks. On Monday

of the first week, they were pulled out of here because there

was only one man in the high school. They didn't come back all

week. ‘The following Monday, I came on the job. I had a

cleaning crew which consisted on Monday and Tuesday of three

men, Wednesday and Thursday of two men, Friday of one man for

half a day; And that was my cleaning crew for the entire summer

to clean this building. We were badly hurt by that (FN, Davis,

10-6-82, cards 1-2).
The reason for the change in crew size was explained to the researcher by
Mr. Baker, who was directly responsible for supervising the maintenance
and custodial crews. He explained that some employees had "as many as
five weeks vacation time coming. PeOple took their vacation. IAt times,
I had, out of eighteen peOple who might have been working, as few as

eight. Half of the peOple al I of the time were on vacation" (FN, Baker,

173

12-1-82, card 9L. A second reason why the plan failed was the low morale
of the crews. Ina Ball shared his experience at Meadow with the re-
searcher:

As they [the custodians] came into this school, they sat there.

They couldn't do anything. But nobody went out to the person in

charge and said we really don't have anything to do. th'us some

place where we can do something. (FN, Ball,, 10-28-82, card 20).
There appear to be two reasons for the lack of morale. First, the
buildings in which the custodians were working were not the ones to which
they were normally assigned. Therefore they did not know the building
and what was to be done (FN, Ball, 10-28-82, card 21% Second, a combi-
nation of factors--layoffs, lack of salary increases, and crew size--
contributed to the failure (FN, Baker, 1-12-83, card 6). A third reason
for the plan's failure was the lack of work crew supervision by Mr.
Baker. IAs Mr. Ball stated about the supervision, "There was a person in
charge, but there was nobody in charge" (FN, Bal l, 10-28-82, card 21).
This lack of supervision was directly related to the size of the main-
tenance crew used to haul the school furniture between schools. Because
it was so small, Mr. Baker felt he had to physically help the crew do the
moving. He told the researcher:

l was in charge of the move. . . . Because I had to be actively

Involved in moving the furniture physically, I wasn't able to

keep tabs on how these crews were doing as well as I would have

I iked. . . . I did get out, but I would like to have gotten out

a couple of times a week. It was more like a couple of times a

month (FN, Baker, 12-1-82, card 7).
He explained to the researcher that what supervision he was able to do
was "pretty much happenstance, if I happened to come in the building when
we were hauling something in" (FN, Baker, l-12-83, card 7). The fourth

reason why the materiel movement plan failed to accomplish its goals was

that it was, according to Nun Baker, impossible to schedule the cleaning

174

crews and the movement of materiel to coincide at the same school. Mr.
Baker explained to the researcher that "it was almost impossible to set
up the roving summer cleaning crews so that they could situate the furni-
ture mainly because of timing" (FN, Baker, 1-12-83, card 4). He gave two
specific examples. In one case, Superintendent Meyers stipulated that
his office be moved from Meadow to Lakeview in the middle of all the work
of moving the materiel out of the closed schools. He said:

Dr. Meyers said that he wanted us to move the central office out

to Lakeview the week after the 4th of July. I don't know why.

Because of that one move, that created Just a mountain of work

that I don't think anybody that had the decision making

responsibility realized, as much as I tried to point it out (FN,

Baker, 1-12-83, card 9).

A second example of poor timing involved Hi I Icrest Elementary. When
telling the researcher about scheduling the summer cleaning crews there,
hm: Baker said "that school was done first, long before we even thought
about moving furniture over there” (FN, Baker, 1-12-83, card 4).

Two problems occurred because the materiel movement plan did not
work as well as anticipated. First, the buildings were not cleaned in
their usual manner. Second, the furniture and materiel from the closed
schools was hauled to Hi I Icrest, Meadow, and Spring Hi I l and stacked
floor to ceiling in the respective multipurpose rooms. Four of the
elementary schools received most of the students and material from the
closed schools. 0f the four, Riverview was the least disrupted because
less furniture was sent there than to the other schools. Mr. Austin, the
Riverview principal, told the researcher that

some furniture was moved out here for the new teachers. Not

nearly as much as at Meadow or Hillcrest. We ran into problems

in moving the furniture and setting it up due to custodial

cutbacks and vacations. Some peOple had four to five weeks
vacation time coming (FN, Austin, 10-13-82, card 5).

175

Mr. Taylor, principal at Hillcrest, told the researcher about the nega-
tive effect on the teachers especially, when they came to work in August
and could not work because of the pile of materiel in the school multi-
purpose room. The new teachers from Forest Glen all came to Hillcrest
ready to work on August 16, 1982. According to Mr. Taylor, who had

himself been on vacation:

It was my first day back to work. A lot of them came in the
building ready to work in their classrooms really energetic.
And, our gym was packed with all their stuff. We couldn't even
find it, let alone let them work in their rooms. They left
pIssed off. I don't blame them. We had provided the main-
tenance department with all of the maps. IAll of the teachers
spent hours tagging their stuff. My piano should go into my
room. Where did it end up? In the gym! So, the custodian,
myself, and the teachers ended up moving the entire gym into
individual classrooms. It took us seven days! Seven days,
eight hours a day (FN, Taylor, 11-3-82, card 9).

A similar problem existed at Meadow, where the principal, Mr. Ball, had
also been on vacation. He shared with the researcher the story of what
happened when he returned to work on August 16, 1982. He said:

This fall was an absolute disaster. ‘The central office used to
be located in this building. They vacated this building and
went to one of the other elementary schools. We had to absorb
approximately one hundred additional children in this school
from one of the other elementary schools, and a number of
additional teachers. Consequently, as a result of this plus as
a replacement for some of the other teachers that we had laid
off, our staff was about half new in the school. And, we
increased in population from a school of 250 to about 350. All
the materials and furniture and equipment, all kinds of stuff
from the other school, two-thirds of it was dumped in our
gymnasium. . . . I began my work year two weeks before the
opening of school. Nothing was done. The building was in total
shambles.l.. . So, all the teachers that came over here, they
had some materials al I stacked up in the gym and in no order
whatsoever. . . . The stuff was packed into the gym almost to
the cell ing, Just thrown. This place was a mess, physical ly a
mess. We didn't have our own custodian because he got fired in
the process, too. There was Just nobody who had ownership of
where all the materials were supposed to go and they were Just
thrown. . . . l cal led them [teachers] up and I said "for your
own sanity you might want to come on over and get to work
because this place is a mess. . . . Some of the other schools
lent me their custodians to help out to physically move

176

furniture, equipment, and what not. . . . I can't real Iy
describe the chaos that was here at the time. . . . The teachers
bless them, they came on in to see what was around and almost

out of defensiveness said, "Oh my god, I've got to get going)‘

, , , (FN, Bal l, 9-27-82, cards 4 and 4, and 10-28-82, card 18).

Mr. Vincent, principal at Woodlawn, is one of the principals who lent his
custodian to Mr. Ball. He told the researcher that "We pulled her
because Meadow was in such a problem. She went over to Meadow and helped
over there for about three or four days, maybe a little longer" ”Wu
Vincent, 11-3-82, card 1% Spring Hill Elementary also had problems
caused by the dumping of materiel in that school over the summer.
However, it was in less of a state of disarray because the head custodian
had chosen not to become part of the roving work crew, and had remained
at the school. Ms. Edwards' account of what she faced when she began
work on August 16, 1982 shows the same problem of materiel being dumped
into the school and left by the maintenance staff. In addition, the
problem of incorrect tagging as a source of confusion is also shown. She
told the researcher:

We walked in the first day and we couldn't walk in the
storeroom, couldn't walk In the supply room because It was a
crew of maintenance peOple who moved the stuff. They moved it
into the room and they Just left it. We couldn't even walk into
the rooms even to start attacking it, putting it away, or
organizing. This was the middle of August, at which time I
called my secretary and said, "You've got to come back a week
early" and got authorization for that. The custodians didn't
know what to do with it. We're talking about textbooks and
supplies, papers and pencils, and ditto fluid and machines--all
the stuff that came from all the other buildings. It was Just
tagged "Spring Hill" and hoped it got here, and we didn't get it
all. We're missing a lot of stuff. Anyway, there was a mess
with that. But, this building was in the best shape of any of
the elementary buildings that were affected by the move (FN,
Edwards, 12-1-82, card 4).

These, then, were some of the results of the failure of the materiel
movement plan to live up to expectations. This is the working situation

that greeted the teachers as they came into their new schools. The

177

situation that greeted them was also observed by one person not directly
connected with any of the elementary schools. 'The president of the
teachers' union told the researcher that she was personally in all the
elementary schools a week before classes began. The general account of
what she saw agrees with what the principals said. Ms. Lewis recalled

that

a week before school, some of the buildings were Just a shambles
because theylmaved everything from Lakeview to Meadow, all the
stuff from Green Park to Spring Hill. I was in all those
buildings the week before school and all of them had stuff
piled--hallways, gyms, and rooms were 391 ready. I think to
teachers, that to them was a scary situation. I talked to a
couple of them at Hillcrest and one woman had been there for
several days. The principal had finally ended up, himself,
hauling a lot of the stuff she needed from the gym to her room,
because of the cutback on Janitorial services. If you'd walked
through the buildings that week before school, you'd think they
didn't plan to have school that year! It looked bad, I thought
(FN, Lewis, 9-23-82, cards 5-6).

Background Summary

The implementation of the board's budget reduction mandate involved
the efforts of the board, district administrators, and principals as each
group sought ways to implement the mandate within their budgetary and
philosOphical constraints. Although the board was generally aware of the
overal I activities involved in the reduction-in-force process, movement
of students and materiel, board members generally looked to the superin-
tendent as the person to be in charge of the day-to-day implementation
activities. The superintendent, in turn, delegated this responsibility
to a Transition Committee whose only authority to act on its recommenda-
tions lay in the abilities of the principals to provide student and
parent orientation programs that cost the district little or no money,

and did not disrupt the 180 days of student instructional time. Little,

178

if any thought by the board or district administrators was given to the
emotional welfare of the teachers who were involuntarily reassigned.
What efforts were made by the district and the Transition Committee were
directed towards the permanently laid off teachers.

It Is against this background, then, that the teachers involved in
the study were laid off, recalled, and reassigned to new positions and
schools, or were administratively reassigned to new positions and
schools. And, it is against this background that the participants in the
study responded to the stress of involuntary reassignment, both to the
actual process and events as they occurred and to the study conducted by

the researcher which included these events as background to the research

focus.

CHAPTER 5

PRESENTATION OF THE FINDINGS

In this chapter, the three research questions are each listed and
followed by the data that describes what happened and how teachers and
administrators viewed the process or events within the process. ‘The
reader should be aware that not all teachers in the study reacted to
processes or events in the same way or to the same degree. Further, not
all teachers were involved in the same events or to the same degree.

Therefore, the ways in which teachers responded to stressors were varied.

Research Question 922

IS THE PROCESS OF INVOLUNTARY REASSIGNMENT A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE
FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS?
Introduction

The process of involuntary reassignment is an emotional experience
for elementary teachers. Part of the reason for this may lie in the
teachers' perception of the school as more than Just a place to work and
of teaching as more than Just a Job. To most of the teachers, personal
relationships formed over time in the school work environment became like
a surrogate family. As with the values the reader could reasonably
expect to be important In a biological family, so the teachers, as mem-
bers of the surrogate family, value attitudes of mutual helpfulness,

genuine caring for others, and the freedom to bare their personal and

179

180

professional disappointments and triumphs to their peers. Several teach-
ers who were involuntarily transferred from four elementary schools,
including the three that were closed, were willing to share with the
researcher their feelings about their former col leagues as being like a
family. Ms. Carpenter emphasized the staff's closeness and spirit of

cooperation when she told the researcher:

I think they were pretty close, because there were only six of
us. But, the four of us who were down at the elementary end of
the building were real close, I would say. We frequently went
out to lunch together and did things together. Not In the
evening kind of thing, although sometimes in the summer we
would get together--go to a play or something. So, we got used
to having to work together, get our schedules in, take turns,
and help each other out in problems. I think we were very
close (FN, Carpenter, 11-17-82, card 1).

Ms. Baird had spent ten years at Riverview when she was involuntarily
reassigned. Her view of the staff as a family reflects the closeness of
knowing about each other Intimately. She told the researcher:

We all knew everyone and their families, their obsessions,
their quirks, their teaching styles, their strengths and weak-
nesses. was very outdoorsey, loved to hunt, fish, mow
lawns, work in the garden, chOp wood, etc. He always talked
about his wife, she was so nasty to him, hal We all knew the
TRUTH. He was so much fun at school, but when his wife was
around, he was so dull--had to keep his voice down, couldn‘t
tell racy stories, no dumb behavior. It was kind of fun.
loved to cook, wanted the cupboards clean and would do it
himself if his wife was busy and she usually'was. She spent a
lot of time on school work and he was always complaining about

It. When , and were getting married, we knew
the step-by-step wedding plans, the hassles they were going
through, the changes In plans, etc. When '5 husband was

quite severely injured, we were all so sincerely concerned. He
had several accidents. We began teasing her about his being
accident proneu We all hung together during the severe ill-
nesses, pregnancies, and miscarriages. We all bugged

about his eating pickles because of his high blood pressure.
We were all so grateful to when he took the whole student
body alone for 30-45 minutes and played his guitar and sang
with them so we could have a break and get something done.
When any of our teachers were pink slipped, we all worried
together as a whole for about six years. It lends to becoming
a family (FN, Baird's Journal, 12-8-82, card 1).

181

The staff at Lakeview was especially close knit as viewed by the teachers
there. Two of the former teachers there talked to the researcher about
their feelings of the staff as their family. Ms. Brand emphasized the

emotional support given each other when she said:

We got along well. We were very supportive of each other, and
helpful to each other. Our school had a reputation for the staff
getting along real well, cooperating real well with each other.
And it was on more than just a work basis. We felt that we were
really close friends, too, on a personal level, not just a
professional level. The biggest way we helped each other was
emotionally. When someone was really depressed or discouraged,
Just trying to help each other that way: talking with them (FN,
Brand, 11-8-82, card 8).

Ms. Eddy, who was also part of the Lakeview family with Msw Brand, picked
up on the same theme of being close friends and the resulting emotional
support by the staff and gave an example of how this emotional support
helped when two members were publicly and verbally attacked by parents:

The staff was very, very close» We knew everything I think
there was to know that you would let anyone know about each
other. Our families were very important to each other. We
talked about things. If things were going badly at home, you
could talk to the other peOple. If you were upset about some-
thing that was happening in the classroom, we all tried to help
each other. We gave each other an amazing amount of support.

I never really realized how special a thing we had until now.
We talked about It about a month ago. A number of us that are
here and I talked to a couple of teachers who have gone other
places and that it is a hard thing for us to adjust to, that we
had grown so close that we didn't realize how much we would
miss that closeness . . . We went through a big thing with the
sex ed program we had. The parents at one PTO meeting attacked
the other fifth grade teacher and I verbally’right in front of
the entire PTO. They brought It out as a big thing. Both of
us were really upset. We went into the teachers' lounge and
they came right in there. They were hugging and trying to make
us feel good about what had happened. And they, in fact, had a
little get together afterwards at somebody's house that was an
impromptu thing because they wanted to get everybody straight-
ened around and feeling better about what was happening. In a
lot of ways, I think that when things happen In education . . .
that sometimes the family doesn't understand . . . When they
tell their spouses about what happens, they Just don't really
understand where we're coming from. So, we did that for each
other. We gave each other help (FN, Eddy, 10-21-82, card 3,
and 11-11-82, card 12).

182

A teacher's trust in, and reliance upon the staff as her family can best
be seen in the way in which Ms. Gates felt about the Spring Hill staff
when she was involuntarily reassigned. When asked by the researcher If
she viewed her former staff as a family, she remarked:

I'd say that, especially because I don't have a family close
by. Whether or not they like that, I use them for that. We
celebrate each other's birthdays. The other fourth grade
teacher there helped me so much. I would go to her room all
the time and she would help me. I would say, "I don't know how
to set up my day so that the kids are getting the most out of
it." "Well, this is what I do," she would say. Or, I'd be
desperate because I couldn't think of an art project. She'd
help me there. It was almost like a mothering thing. We share
each other's personal triumphs. We'd sit in the lounge and
explain how so and so Just had a baby and my son just got his
first tooth. You sit around and celebrate each others happy
things and sad things, too . . . it may not be that way so much
for somebody who is happily married or happily having a family
they're living in. But for me not having that, I use them for
my family whether they know It or not (FN, gates, II-23-82,
card 12).

Not all teachers who were involuntarily reassigned felt close family
ties to their former school. One, when speaking about her former elemen-

tary school, noted that

they were just not the kind of people that c00perated with other
peOple. One of the girls got married. We've stil I never seen
her husband. Now does that give you any idea? . . . Nobody knew
they got married until somebody saw it in the paper and called
up and said, "Did you know?" Her best friend at school didn't
know. She dated him for a long time but nobody knew until they
were getting ready to get married that she'd been dating this
man. And her best friend at school wasn't invited and was
crushed. Now, how much planning can you do with that kind of
person (FN, Journal Meeting 12-7-82, card I2)?

The district has two middle schools. ‘Three teachers who were involuntarily
reassigned from those two schools to elementary positions talked to the
researcher about their concept of their former school as a family. It is
Interesting to note that all three of these teachers did not feel as close

a fictive kin-like relationship with their middle school colleagues as

183

the elementary teachers felt towards their colleagues. Ms. Fox commented
that

last year's staff wasn't like a family at all. There were only
two people on the staff that l was real ly very close to. I
came from a staff of forty and it was really'cliquey and peOple
didn't cooperate. They didn't help each other out. They Just
kind of "to each his own." That's what It basically was.
Don't get me In trouble and I won't get you In trouble. 'That
kind of attitude (FN, Fox, 12-2-82, card 1).

Ms. Underwood viewed the general lack of day-to-day helping each other
and the close comradeship that comes from socializing on the Job as
contributing to her perception that the staff was not like a family:

I was close to that staff. But it wasn't a family type thing.
The people there did not help you. They wanted to socialize
with you at a different time than school time. ‘They would talk
over problems, If you were having problems with a student. But
as far as helping you along and aiding you along with materials
you could pass out to the students--curriculum type stuff--that
was pretty much up to the Individual teachers. Within the
sixth grade level we did try to help each other out. One
teacher would run off reading dittos and one teacher would run
off social studies and then we'd trade back and forth (FN,
Underwood, 11-16-82, card 15).

Ms. Scott was one of Ms. Underwood's col leagues at the middle school.
She, as wel l as Ms. Underwood, noted that while the entire staff might
not be considered like a family, individual grade level teachers were
because they helped one another and socialized together on a routine
basis. She told the researcher:
The sixth grade staff at Evergreen, more than the whole staff
at Evergreen, and more than the Green Park staff, but not like
this staff was like a family. 'That was because we spent an
hour every day on break together. [All the Evergreen sixth
grade had the same hour off. It was just closer in that we
spent five hours a week sitting in the lounge grading papers,
talking, laughing, kidding around, cooking up something (FN,
Scott, Journal Meeting, 12-7-82, card 12%
Prelayoff Teacher Stress

Teachers began feeling stress connected with the closing and lay-

off process long before the reduction-in-force notices were mailed out In

184

March, 1982, and the process actually began.
Fear 9: Uncertainty. Just anticipating what might happen produced

anxiety and stress. One principal told the researcher what he witnessed

in his school:

The process started last fall. We started looking into budget
cuts .. . Morale started to drop a little bit In October and
we knew we were in a big financial bind. When you cut over one
«HI lion from the budget, you know It's going to affect person-
nel. PeOple were really nervous about PL. You could just feel
that tension in the air, "why me," this type of thing. People
were just more solemn, I guess. It was more of a feeling than
it was an action. You go to the lounge and people were, I
guess, prone to bitch about little things that they normally'
wouldn't bitch about. Just that, "Gee, I'm feeling down)‘

And, I think this was true as well of the peOple who weren't
losing their jobs as the people who were going to be laid off
because they felt a part of it. They didn't know what was
going to happen. I was certainly a part of it because I didn't
know how al I this was going to come out in the wash. Uncer-
tainties: who was going to be called back: who wasn't going to
get called back; how far the cuts were going to go (FN, Vin-
cent, 10-5-82, card 2).

By January 1982, teachers realized that buildings were really'going to
close. While the board was seeking to save Jobs (see page 133), and Mr.
lAlIen and the teachers' union were preparing for the upcoming layoffs
(see page 136), some teachers were already looking at thelclosing schools
as sources of extra supplies which, like over matured fruit, were ripe
for picking.

Premature Forays Into Closiqg Schools 19 Claim Teaching Materiel.
Teachers from schools remaining open created stress for the Incumbent
teachers whose schools were closing. They did so by calling them at work
and telling them what they wanted to have, and by physically entering an
incumbent teacher's classroom, inventorying what was desired, and leaving
a list of desired items. Ms. Davis was the principal at whose school

this Incident occurred. She said:

185

We had a couple of instances where we had what you could de-
scribe as raiding parties come in to this building to look over
the materials. Teachers came from the other schools to look
over the materials to see what they wanted. I think it was a
Friday morning and I came in. There had been a phone call . . .
beyond the fact that the person had come In and looked. I

came Into the most ugset group of women you ever laid eyes on
before in your whole life! .. . We learned to laugh about it,
but they also learned to lock their doors, too (FN, Davis, 11-
16-82, card 5).

Three teachers, who witnessed the effects of the forays, shared their

experience with the researcher. A Lakeview teacher told the

researcher what happened to her and to a colleague In her school.

They [the raiders] came, In fact, right after they (the board)
announced that the school was being closed. ‘Then the next
thing that happened was that peOple started coming and looking
around our rooms to decide what they wanted. I was told that
one teacher who was at another school and needed some things
for fifth grade was going to come and gut my room. If I had
all my boxes packed, she was going to come in during the summer
and take all thy boxes apart and find what she wanted. One of
the kindergarten teachers came over and went through the entire
room and left our kindergarten teacher a note saying, "these
are the things I would like sent to my school)‘ This was in
January .. . We all went slightly bananas and then we talked
to the principal. . . And we did give some things away. But
we wanted to be able to decide that, not have someone leave us
a list on the desk of what I want you to send me. It made me
feel angry, angry. We al I were real ly angry. We felt like
they were moving us out. ‘That they weren't treating us like
human beings. We were just these people moving out. There-

fore, everything we owned was up for grabs (FN, Eddy,
11-11-82, cards I-ZL

Ms. Brand, the kindergarten teacher described by Ms. Eddy in the
preceding account, substantiated what Ms. Eddy said:

I had one teacher call me from Spring Hill who told me their
PTO said they could have anything they wanted out of our rooms.
She had come over after school and had gone through my room.
When I mentioned that to the other teachers, the lid went off.
They were just incensed that anyone would come and go through
their room and look at their things. The one thing that she
said she wanted was mine that I paid for. I bought it myself.
It was mine! It was a scale that I brought with me. It was
the only thing she said she thought she'd like to have. It
just caught us so off guard. We were so upset that we were
being closed and all split up anyway. That just really upset
everyone that someone would come and go through your drawers

186

and your closets and say, "I want this and I want thatl" The
word that came to mind, one of the teachers said, "vultures"
(FN, Brand, 11-30-82, card 7).

This same phenomena also occurred at Green Park. Ms. Campbell, formerly
a teacher there, told the researcher that, "Yeah, we did have peOple
coming in from Riverview and Spring Hill to look at what there was and
see what the different peOple wanted" (FN, Journal Meeting, 11-23-82,
card IIL

Another source of raider stress caused by raiders occurred at
Lakeview because the central office was considering relocating to that
building. Ms. Eddy told the researcher that "their main office staff
started coming over and going through the rooms and discussing right
outside our doors, 'I think I like this room because.‘ We felt like we
were being moved out starting in December" (FN, Eddy, 11-11-82, cards 1-
2).

Not every closed school experienced the stress of raiding parties.
Both Lakeview and Green Park, where the raiders struck, were centrally
located and easily accessible» Forest Glen, on the other hand, was in a
rural area and Isolated from the rest of the schools and teachers. This
isolation fostered a misconception among some teachers of the school as
"a small, rural school where you know the kids out there and the teachers
out there because they've got cow shit on their shoes. What a thing!
For years that had been the assumption . . . That's not true at al I" (FN,
Taylor, 10-6-82, card 4% But that Image saved the school from being
raided. The principal there, In talking about raiding parties, told the
researcher, "it didn't happen at Forest Glen because I figure people
didn't think we had anything anybody wanted out there. That wasn't true,
but they weren't going to drive eight miles to find out, either" (FN,

Davis, 11-16-82, card 5).

187

The teachers and administrators who came to Lakeview and Green Park
to look over teaching materials and room layout did not consider
themselves "raidersl' The district office moved from Meadow Elementary
into the space occupied by classrooms In Lakeview Elementary. District
administrators were simply looking over the new facility to see where
specific offices would be located and the extent of the remodeling that
had to be done. Mr. Baker, who was in charge of physically'moving the
materiel from the schools which were closing, was also in charge of
remodeling Lakeview classrooms to accommodate the district offices. He
told the researcher that his maintenance crew "had to build partitions In
a couple of rooms and a lot of electrical modifications in order to make
the rooms suitable for offices rather than classrooms" (FN, Baker, I-
12-83, card 9L Teachers who came to the two schools to claim materials
did so because they evidently had been told that It was an apprOpriate
action to take. Ms. Brand, the Lakeview kindergarten teacher, had her
room "raided" by a Spring Hill teacher. She was told by the Spring Hill
teacher that she had been given permission to do so. Ms. Brand said that
"I had one teacher call me from Spring Hill who told me their PTO said
they could have anything they wanted out of our rooms" (FN, Brand,
11+30-82, card 7).

In addition to stress already present during the prelayoff period,

stressful situations were created by the layoff process itself.

Lay Off Process Stress

There were two aspects of the layoff process that created stress
for the teachers.

Seniority. Contract language stipulates that layoffs must be based

on a seniority list (see p. [37). The intent of using this policy is to

188

insure that there is an orderly, well established procedure for conduct-
Ing a reduction-in-force. The importance of using this list was empha-
sized to the researcher by a union official. She said:

I think the overriding Issue to us was that the high seniored

people remained employed. How management had to accomplish

that was their problem. If it meant moving someone, fine. If

it meant transferring someone to a building they didn't like,

that real Ly wasn't the issue. It was: are you certified and are

you qualified, and are you the high seniored person (FN, Lewis,

9-23-82, card 3).

Both Ms. Lewis and erlAllen confirmed that the list was, in fact, used.
Ms. Lewis told the researcher, "They did lay off by seniority" (FN,
Lewis, 9-23-82, card 3).

For most teachers, the use of the seniority list during the layoff
process was a comfort. Each principal had a posted copy which teachers
could view to see where they were in relation to those teachers already
laid off. As one seniored teacher told the researcher:

I think that seniority has to count for something. And, I'm

definitely more in favor of seniority. Of course, I'm getting

to be on that end. It's fair. If you've worked for twenty-

five years, then It becomes a subjective kind of thing--evalua-

tions and supervisors and who is going to go and then it is a

real hassle--who is going and who is staying. ‘This way it's

pretty cut and dried. You don't get personalities Into it at

all. The other way you've got personalities into it (FN,

Journal IWeeting, Campbell, 10-13-82, card 9).

Ms. Campbell told the researcher that because she could see the
seniority list, "I knew that I wasn't going to be laid off all along" HUI
Journal Meeting, 10-19-82, card 9). In addition, she kept her friend,
Ms. Scott, informed of her position on the list so that even though she
was pink slipped, Ms. Scott could say "I really wasn't worried because
she kept telling me I was going to be hired back" OWL Journal Meeting,
10-19-82, card 9). Ms. Carpenter also found that using the seniority

list helped her reduce potential stress due to losing her job. She told

189

the researcher, "I was keeping track of how many people were above me.
But, I knew I was up there and I knew I would not be laid off, so that
was relaxing" (FN, Carpenter, Il-3-82, card 2).

Seniority, did not protect all teachers in the study from experienc-
ing stress. In two cases, teachers were Involuntarily reassigned because
Mr.lAllen chose to lay off teachers in excess of the required reduction-
in-force (see page 138). In both cases, the teachers were involuntarily
reassigned so that teachers with higher seniority could take their Jobs.
This created unnecessary teacher reassignment and unnecessary stress for
the individual teachers Involved. One of the two teachers shared with
the researcher her reaction to being laid off when Mr. Allen came to talk
to her:

I was just so bitterly upset because the quality that you are

doing had nothing to do with where you were moved. I started

the conversation. I slammed the door, I threw my fist down on

Mr. Hall's desk, and I started yelling. Mr. Hal I had never

even seen this in seven and one-half years, and he sat there

stunned. I just threw a nice temper tantrum for them, letting

them know how serious I was . . . Then I got to another stage

in it that I was crying . . . It ended up that I Just more or

less left the room. It started out where I was upset, and then

I cried, then we talked about It, and then I ended up crying

and leaving (FN, Underwood, 11-30-82, card 10).

Mr. Allen remembered his meeting with Ms. Underwood. He related to the

researcher that

I went over to Evergreen and Mr. Hal l cal led her down. I think
she knew it was coming. I had kind of tried to prep her
before. I tried to explain why this might happen--a transfer.

She came In and sat down and Mr. Hall said a few words. I,
then of course, told her the reason I was here because it looks
very much like you might be transferred to an elementary posi-
tion . . . She unwound. She knew It was coming. She got, as I
recall, quite emotional and upset! Well, she got emotional and
her voice raised a little bit. I didn't consider it a verbal
attack on me as It was the system (FN, Al len, 11-22-82, card
5).

190

The stress on Ms. Gates resulting from the access layoffs was the great-
est of anyone involved In the study. Her principal provided the re-

searcher with some background for her reaction. He recal led that she was

about the last elementary person to be laid off, knowing she was
going to be recal led. But, because she was laid off, people with
more seniority were able to displace her . . . She became so dis-
traught, it affected attendance and also passed on down to the kids.
Not only did she verbally make some comments that were taken home,
but also her actions, you know, body language (FN, Fisher, 10-19-82,
card 3).

Ms. Gates told the researcher of the emotional impact her Involuntary
layoff caused. She said:

I knew it was coming . . . I knew It was unfair and I knew that
it was coming. And, I knew that I had already told them it was
unfair. ‘They had told me that you're going to be pink-slipped
but don't worry. It's just so we can move you. We're going to
hire you back, but we just want you out long enough to give
away your job . . . That's where my resentment came in because
they pink slipped me just to open the position for another
teacher who wanted it with more seniority . . . They pink-
slipped me In April . .. April first, don't you love it!
April first. I got pink slipped on the first . . . I almost
couldn't finish it from that point on. I was a wreck (FN,
Gates, 11-23-82, cards 2, 8).

Interpersonal Relationships Between Col league . A second aspect of
the lay off process which produced stress for some teachers was the
Impact of interpersonal relationships between friends. For the most
part, the knowledge that someone on the staff was losing his or her Job
helped the entire staff to provide emotional help and support to that
teacher as a part of the school family (see page 180). M5. Gates obser-
ved this in her school:

What happens when this pink-slipping stuff starts, Is that the

staff draws together and they feel very bad about the ones

they're losing. Some of the teachers that they didn't even

like that well, become their best friends because they are

going to be gone. You know, it's human nature. Yes, I saw
that (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card 2).

 

I‘r

191

Even when other members of the school family tried to help and console
those teachers laid off, the intent was not always the outcome and the

effort was not always successful. Ms. Gates related an incident to the

researcher which illustrates her point:

PeOple say all the wrong things because they care and are
trying to help, but everything they say hurts more than If they
wouldn't have said It. That's the way I looked at it. In
fact, after taking a certain amount of it, I called up a girl
friend that had been laid off the year before and hired back
and said, "I want to apologize to you for everything I said
because I know now that everything I said to you was wrong
because now that I'm In your shoes, I know how It feelsJ' They
tried. You have to sit down and say "this person is trying to
make me feel better, but it's making me feel worse!’ One woman
came to me and said, "I'm just glad It didn't happen to me
because you're young and you can start over)‘ I Just about
died when she said that. I mean, I felt like saying, "I wish
it would have happened to you instead of me because you have a
husband and another income . . ." I had to bite it back and
say, "Well, she's trying. She thinks that's a nice thing to

say because she hasn't been where I am right now (FN, Gates,
11-23-82, card 4).

But, in three other specific cases, teachers had stress-producing experi-
ences with their colleagues which did not stem from an attempt to be
helpful. Ms. Gates told the researcher about one colleague who she said
spent the year overtly needling her about the move and about how much she

wanted Ms. Gate's room:

There was a teacher In the building already who had been tell-
ing me al I year that she wanted my room. She had been threat-
ening me all year. This added to my frustration. She'd been
threatening me all year, "I'm going to get this room. You
don't have as much seniority as I do, and I'm going to get this
room)‘ As soon as I got pink-slipped, she was my best friend.
She even asked me If I'd like to go out to breakfast with her
one day. It added to my frustration that the room and the
school assignment was rightfully mine .... What they did to me
was wrong and she was coming in gloating and she's no friend of
mine (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card 10):

Mr. Fisher told the researcher that in his school he saw some teachers

trying to help other teachers who were leaving, while in other instances

192

teachers did not help each other at all. He related this story about two
kindergarten teachers as an illustration of his comments:

There was some real bitterness between people who were friends
that created personal problems to a point where we still have a
grievance pending right now . . . I had a half time teacher
with a lot of seniority and didn't get laid off, but she was a
kindergarten teacher. Her counterpart was also half-time and
with very low seniority, she was laid off and accepted it--no
problem. ‘This half-time kindergarten teacher with a lot of
seniority had, for the past two or three years, submitted
letters saying that she would like to be considered for full-
time employment. At this point in time, she had again put in a
letter saying, "I would like to secure this position." And,
myself as outgoing principal and Ms. Edwards coming in as the
new principal collaborated .... Her own friends in the build-
Ing that she had been working with for years said that they
were going to grieve It; and they did grieve it . . . (FN,
Fisher, 9-23-82, card 2; 10-19-82, cards 3.4),

While both these cases of stress between oolleagues were limited to the
school setting, Ms. Baird experienced stress due to her move involving a
school related social activity--bowling. The teachers in the district,
for some years, had a weekly after-school bowling league that at one time
totaled eighteen teams. Ms. Baird had been a member of the league for
about four and one-half years. She found that layoffs at school af-
fected her social l ife on the bowling league as she felt col leagues
viewed her teaching position as up for grabs. She told the researcher of
the stress involved in col league relationships between January and April

1982 and said:

For a few years bowling was a biggie and I really enjoyed it

. .. Last year, January to April, was rough because some of the
peOple on the league were being laid off. They all wanted to
keep their jobs and they looked at me as an empty classroom

that needed a teacher. So, all I had to do was leave River-
view, go into Special Ed, and they'd have a Job. Not very
realistic, but factual. I spent many a Wednesday night after
bowling so nerved up, I went to bed by 7 o'clock. I was

feeling everyone wanted me gone (FN, Baird, Journal, 10-27-82,
card 6).

193

Stress produced during the layoff process was followed by addi-
tional stress-producing events as the recall process took place.
Recall Process Stress

Within the recall process, teachers experienced stress when request-
ing which school to move to, when requesting their grade level assign-

ment, when receiving their teaching assignment, and when visiting the new

school in June, 1982.

Stgggg lg Reguesting 3 New School. When Mr.lAllen began placing the
displaced teachers from the three closed schools (see p. 139), one of the
first stress-producing activities for the teachers was requesting which
school to be assigned. ‘The teachers' anxiety manifested itself in dif-
ferent concerns. To some teachers, knowing the principal they would work
for was of prime importance. As Ms. Davis told the researcher:

Placement became the first problem, because the teachers in
those three buildings, for the most part, had a great deal of
seniority. There was, first off, a lot of agonizing about
where shall I go. I had a group of teachers who wanted to wait
to find out where I was going because they wanted to go with me

rather than go to a specific place (FN, Davis, 10-6-82, card
5).

One of the teachers from a closed school confirmed that the principal

was, in fact, a key ingredient in the decision of some teachers to

request a specific school. She said:

There was some question as to whether one principal that was
here would be gone this year. There were some teachers who
definitely did not want to work with this particular principal
in North Umpqua. And there was some iffyness. We had no Idea
of where we were going or with whom for sure. There were a few
anxieties of a couple people who were concerned that they would

end up with a certain principal (FN, Carpenter, 11-3-82, card
18).

Other teachers felt stress because they were only given a choice of

school by Mr.lAllen: teaching assignments were given by the principal

194

after the teacher had been assigned to his building. Ms. Fox was a
middle school teacher who was transferred to an elementary school. She
shared her frustration about not being given grade level openings at the
schools at the same time as the school selection request was made. 'R:
her, it would have made a difference In her choice because she was more
interested in the teaching assignment than the specific building. She
said:

When Mr.lAllen came along with his assignments sheet for us to

fill in what we wanted to do, he would not tell us what posi-

tions were available, just the schools. Had he said to me,

"Meadow is open but it has only lower el" I probably would not

have taken Meadow. If he would have said to me, ”Rivervlew is

open with upper el positions," I probably would have been

persuaded to go to Riverview because of having worked with

older kids. That was one thing he would not tell me because I

asked him. I said, "Can you tell me grade levels?" 'ka"

"Can you tell me If It's upper level or lower level?" "No“'

. . . I guess that was one thing that l was really upset about

was the fact that he could have told me that there was going to

be lower level position chances or given me some indication.

That would probably have made me feel a little bit better about

my decision Instead of coming in and saying, "Well, this is

what I have for you (FN, Fox, 10-21-82, cards 5-6).

There also appears to be a difference In the stress caused by In-
voluntary transfers when the school is closed and when a teacher Is
reassigned from one ongoing school to another. This happened to several
teachers. One of those teachers told the researcher about the differ- '
ence. She commented that "I guess I Just know that I real ly hurt . . . I
got shoved out without my school closing. My school is going on. It's
more like a divorce than a death because it's going on its own way and I
can't be a part of It any more" (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card 30). Three
other teachers formerly from Green Park and Evergreen also discussed with
the researcher the difference between leaving a building that was closing

and leaving an ongoing school. Ms. Underwood and Ms. Scott were a teach-

ing team at Evergreen.

195

Ms. Underwood: l was having a real tough time leaving middle
school and sixth grade and shed a lot of tears.
Ms. Scott: The last day, we'd go, "Oops!" Ms. Underwood Is

going to lose It. Ms. Scott, you take over)‘

Ms. Underwood: By the last day, I didn't even have to say
anything. All she had to do was look at me and
she knew. That was it! We can't even talk about
it today without getting upset about it. I can't.
EMS. Underwood begins to cry during the
conversation, her eyes are watery and red. She
looks very sad.]

Ms. Campbell: And I knew we had to go and there's no point In, I
mean It was going to be done. The building was
going to be closed.

Ms. Scott: Ms. Underwood still had a position. ‘There's still
that sixth grade position over there. It's not
like that was closed down. But when Green Park
closed, Ms. Campbell didn't have a choice at that
time. Ms. Underwood still has her choice, and she
prefers to be over there.

Ms. Campbell: There's no point in crying or being upset. It was a
fact of life and you might as well accept It, because
there was nothing that could be done about it at that
point. The whole school was closing. You might as
well accept It the best you can. 'There's no point in
crying about it and carrying on because it's done.
[Both Ms. Underwood and Ms. Scott are crying at this
point] (FN, Journal Meeting, 9-17-82, cards 4-5)-

When teachers became involved with specific job assignments at each
school, more stress was evidenced than In choosing the specific school.
§I£g§§ lg 122 N2! Teaching Assignment. Stress in the new teaching
assignment manifested itself at different points In the process and for
different reasons. For one teacher, the stress came mostly in deciding
which was more important--the school or the teaching assignment--and how
to communicate it to the impersonal "they" who would make the decision.

Of her concerns, she told the researcher:

We had to list where we wanted to go: three choices of where we
wanted to go and grades. There was a little uncertainty. When
I say we, I guess I'm speaking of several of the early el
teachers that when we talked together we came to the same
conclusion. I wanted to go to Spring Hill first, because I
live close to Spring Hill. But at the same time, I had first

196

grade for quite a few years and I enjoyed second grade the most
and wanted to stay In that area. So my big concern was: do I
just put down one grade, or will that keep me from getting In
the building? Maybe I want to get into the building so bad
that I wouldn't mind taking another grade. 50 that was kind of
hard trying to figure out what someone else that was going to
look at my paper was going to say: if they'd Interpret that as
I really'wanted in the building or if I would only take this
grade In the building . . . So, that caused a little bit of
tension trying to figure out which position (FN, Carpenter, 11-
3-82, card 2).

Stress for a second teacher occurred while she was in the process of
deciding what grade level to request. The stress occurred, not from
school or process stimuli, but from parents who wanted her to promote in
the new school the same programs she had deveIOped over the years in the
former school. She felt she could not live up to that expectation be-
cause she would be new in the building. Because she did not want to
alienate her new school family and also the parents by not living up to
their expectations, she ended up teaching a grade level where these
conflicts would be least likely to occur. She told the researcher:

They had 4/5 opening and I thought about it until two parents

came down the hall one day and said,‘%»u we're so glad you're

going to Meadow. You can get them to do the programs you've

been doing here. We had a three-day camping program and our

sex ed program was a week long instead of one day, and they

were all for It. ‘They figured I'd Just come in and change

things, at which point I decided I didn't want to get into

that. I didn't want to battle them because they wanted that

and I didn't want to have to come Into a new school and new

situation and say, "Well, we're going to do things this way"

(FN, Eddy, 10-21-82, card 1).

Stress was also produced in teachers who were assigned to grade
levels or positions for which they had no experience. This was especial-
ly true where a middle school teacher was assigned to an elementary

school position. This type of change was experienced by two teachers in

the study. Both had been sixth grade teachers. Ms. Underwood was

invol

resea

Ms.l
Shel

Tary

 

She

EVO'

 

 

 

Tai‘y
r10 fOr

into a

197

Involuntarily reassigned to a fourth grade position. When telling the

researcher about the stress this change made, she commented that

the move was all more emotional for me. It was very traumatic.
This was probably one of the worst things that had ever hap-
pened to me, that I've had to adjust to. I felt very comfort-
able In sixth grade. l'd taught there for seven and one-half
years and I considered myself one of the best sixth grade
teachers that had ever been In that building (FN, Underwood,
11-16-82, card 7).

Ms. Fox also had taught sixth grade, and ended up teaching second grade.
She had never taught elementary school nor was she familiar with elemen-
tary curriculum. This latter aspect was especially stress producing.
She told the researcher about how she felt and how her assignment

evolved. She said:

I had a second/third split. I felt that he had done me an
injustice because I had never been in elementary before. I
never had taught either of the grades before. I wasn't even
familiar with the specialties that elementary had, let alone
learning two grade levels as opposed to one .... So I went all
that summer thinking that I had a second/third split. I came
in the fall and I still had the second/third split and we
started school. I had eight third graders. Two of them never
showed up at school, so that left me with six. I don't know if
this instigated it, but one of the parents from my third grad-
ers came In and said, "I don't think It's fair that she has
that few third graders, I don't object to the split, but If she
has a split, it needs to be more even split, so that she will
spend equal amounts of time with both)‘ I was finding myself
letting the third graders do second grade stuff because I only
had six of them. As it turned out, two of my third graders
were question marks whether to pass on or not from last year.
So, what they did was to leave those two in here as second
graders and move my four third graders out. That happened the
first week of school which was just a big burden off my shoul-
dersl I felt a lot more comfortable with the situation then
(FN, Fox, 10-21-82, cards 4-5).

The change In grade level assignments was also stressful for elemen-
tary teachers reassigned to other elementary positions for which they had
no formal experience. This occurred when two teachers were transferred

Into an elementary school. One teacher, Ms. Scott, who had taught most

198

elementary grade levels except second, was assigned second grade. She

told the researcher:

I came out here in June. Mr. Austin asked me to come out and
he told me that he had me In second grade. I said, "Mr.
Austin, do you know that's about the only grade in elementary
K-6 that I have no experience In?" And then I panicked all
summer long (FN, Journal Meeting, 9-10-82, card 3L

Her friend, Ms. Campbell, had been teaching kindergarten at her former
school. After she was assigned to her new school, she found out she
would be teaching fourth grade. ‘This happened to be the elementary grade
where she also lacked experience. Both teachers told the researcher how
badly they desired to switch assignments with each other. ‘They both felt
more comfortable if they had each other's jobs. 'The story given the
researcher by Ms. Campbell is an example of how emotional an issue teach-
lng assignments can be. She told the researcher about the situation and
its resolution:

I knew very early that I would be able to go to Riverview, but

when I found out It would be fourth grade, absolute panic set

in. My best friend, Ms. Scott, also got Riverview and she got

second grade. We both wanted badly to trade grade levels but

were afraid of rocking the boat and we didn't want to ask for

special favors. I had never taught fourth and Ms. Scott had

never taught second. The summer wore on and Ms. Scott and I

decided to ask for a switch so I wrote a letter requesting

that. Then Ms. Scott decided not to turn the letter in and

again panicl Things went on and due to a number of circumstan-

ces l was assigned to second, Ms. Scott to fourth at Riverview.

So, all's well that ends well, but it was certainly traumatic

as we lived through it (FN, Journal, Campbell, 9—7-82, card 2).
The trauma of the grade level moves was discussed by the researcher with
Ms. Underwood, Ms. Scott, and Ms. Campbell at a September lunchtime
meeting in the school library. During that meeting both Ms. Underwood

and Ms. Scott cried as they discussed their feelings about the move and

grade change. 'The Incidents recorded below took place within a few

199

minutes of the meeting's finish, and are taken from fieldnotes written
Immediately after the incidents.

12:59 - After the meeting was over, Ms. Campbell, who had
shown no emotion during the session came up to me and said, "It

helps to talk about It," and she smiled. I said, "Does it?"
She said, "Yes." I said, "Good" and smiled as she went on to
class.

1:08 - When I came into Ms. Scott's class to observe the p. m.
session, I asked, "Do you have anything I can do to help you
this afternoon?" "You can correct some math. But I have to
tell you one thing! I'm not going to come to your Friday
meetings anymore if we are going to talk about things that I
get emotional about. I know it's good for your study, but
right now I'm really uptight and that's not good for my job

. . . Ms. Underwood Is feeling the same way right now" (FN,

Journal Meeting, 9-17-82L
These two Incidents underscore the residual naturezof the stress involved
when teachers are involuntarily reassigned to positions for which they
lack experience.

Ms.l3aird was Involuntarily reassigned from an elementary classroom
to special education. Although both certified and qualified on paper for
the position, she had been a classroom teacher for ten years. In addi-
tion her special education training and experience was far enough removed
in time from the present concepts of the resource room teacher, that she
felt that she lacked the training necessary to do a good Job. She
explained her professional anxiety about the job change when she told the
researcher:

I was afraid to change--fear of the unknown and afraid to

stay and be the brunt of grievances. I had a special ed back-

ground--mentally'Impaired. I did not even have a definition

for learning disabled. I did not feel qualified to teach

something I couldn't identify or define. Also, I would be

dealing with emotionally'impaired. Help! I didn't even know

what to do (FN, Journal, Baird, 10-27-82, cards 6-7)l
Ms.l3aird also shared with the researcher some of the stress this reas-

signment caused, even though with her col leagues she tried to keep a

facade of not caring about the move. She related that

200

I just wanted everyone to think that even if this transfer
wasn't my idea, It would have been if only I had thought of it
. . . In those three months, I smiled a lot . . . No way was
anyone going to think I was upset. My boyfriend gave me a
license plate that I had been wanting, "DILLIGAS" (Does it Look
Like I Give A Shit"L On the surface, I think it all went very
well. Apparently, things weren't as good as I thought. I
gained fifty pounds from April I to September 1. My blood
pressure, which has always been L9!) has shot out of sight. My
ulcer, which hasn't bothered me in five years, has come back In
full force (FN, Journal, Baird, 10-20-82, card 3, and 10-27-82,
card 9).

Two of her former colleagues from whom she solicited help about the
special education curriculum verified her concerns and stress as they
told the researcher:

She was very comfortable In having taught the second grade for
a long time and that resource job--teachers are overloaded and
overwhelmed and that kind of thing. I don't think she felt
competent to do It. She didn't feel like she'd had the train-
ing in learning disabilities and she didn't feel she really'
knew that much (FN, Abbott, 11-8-82, card 1).

She had original ly started out in special ed. But, at that
time when she was in special ed there was only some self-
contained classrooms that was for educatable mentally Impaired.
They didn't have the resource room at all. They weren't deal-
ing too much, if at all, with learning disabled. It was just
self contained or nothing. Then, she'd been out for ten years
of special ed (FN, Hicks, 11-8-82, card 2).

After school and position assignments were accomplished, the next
stress-producing event In the recall process was the opportunity that
some teachers were given to visit their new school briefly the last day
of the school year.

Stress lg Visiting the New School. When planning for the end of the

 

 

school year, the Transition Committee had requested of Dr.IWeyers that
the teachers be al lowed to have release time for two reasons: (1) to
visit their new school and become familiar with the physical plant,
Operating procedures, and the curriculunu and (2) to pack up the material

and supplies In the closing schools (see page 158) (FN, Austin, 9-17-82,

201

card 3). This request was denied by Dr. Meyers. Dr. Meyers told the

researcher that

under law, we need to have 180 days of school and also
900 hours of instruction ..,. It's my personal philoSOphy, and
I feel pretty strongly about this, that the law guarantees
children 180 full days of school . .. I had indicated to all
the principals that the first thing we had to do, as far as l
was concerned, was to give the children of that school year 180
days of school and that closing schools and moving Just could
not interfere with that (FN, Meyers, 12-1-82, cards 2, 8).

Visits did take place, however, encouraged by the principals and which
were creatively designed by both principals and teachers not to interfere
with student instructional time. Although these visits fulfi I led the
ritual of providing the opportunity for teacher release time, in
substance the effort was largely fruitless. lhn Allen told the

researcher:

We had to be a little careful that we didn't push teacher
visits too much because there were teachers already on board in
those buildings that were losing their job. In a way it was
kind of low key. We waited towards the end of the school year
to do that staff-staff thing (FN, Allen 9-13-82, card 5L

One of the reasons the visits produced less than desirable results was
the general feeling mentioned by Mr.IAlIen that teachers and administra-
tors were sensitive to the feelings of those staff members who were being
laid off and to the close family ties theiriualleagues who were remaining
in their jobs felt for those who were not. In commenting on this phenom-
enon, Mr. Ball told the researcher that

At first, nobody was making anybody feel welcome. They were
al I feeling hurt, because we had people in the building that
were being forced out . . . When we found out these people were
definitely leaving, well, obviously there's hurt for the peOple
you care about. There's not that much concern for strangers
even though they happen to be part of the same teaching fac-
ulty. It's far enough removed from the social setting that
there's not a lot of sympathy for those peOple yet. ‘The main

sympathy Is with what are your own (FN, Ball, 10-28-82, card
2).

202

One of the middle school teachers, Ms. Fox, watched how this sensitivity
affected the ability of the Lakeview staff to meet with their new collea-
gues at Meadow. She said:

Mr. Ball wanted us to come over here and meet his staff but the

Lakeview Elementary peOple didn't want to because they felt

like they were "pushyfl They didn't want to feel "pushy" for

the laid off teachers, because he had quite a few that were

laid off. The teachers didn't want the teachers here to feel,

"Well God, they're pushing me out." So they didn't want to
meet over here. (FN, Fox, 10-21-82, card 4).

One of the Lakeview teachers confirmed how they felt and why. According
to Ms. Eddy, there had been some verbal remarks made by a person at
Spring Hill at the time when the Transition Committee was redistricting
the school attendance boundaries. One of the options the Committee
considered was to move the entire student body to Spring Hill, Instead of
sending two-thirds of the students to Meadow and one-third of the stu-
dents to Spring Hill as was the final plan. Since the Forest Glen staff
was moved in total with their students, it was assumed that the same
policy would apply if the Lakeview students were moved to Spring Hill In
total (FN, Transition Committee Worksheet 1, January 20, 1982, Option 2).
When discussing the Lakeview staff's feeling that they were not wanted
because they were taking jobs from the school family, it is evident that
the teachers took what they had been told and generalized it toward other

staffs. She said:

We had had that feeling expressed to us. One of the teachers
from Spring Hill told one of our staff that they really didn't
want us to come there because we were taking Jobs from their
staff. And, we all kind of felt that way, anyway, even though
it was not our fault. We had more seniority than the other
people, but it didn't help. We knew that these were other
peOple who were going to be put out of work because we were
going hm. We had a couple of really rough days over that one.
All of us felt really low and feeling badly about what we must
appear to be. No one at Meadow ever said anything like that.
They never made us feel that way. I guess we just felt that
way because we knew we were going into a staff that had been

203

together for awhile and that there were peOple on their staff
that won't work again In this system because of what was hap-
penlng (FN, Eddy, 11-11-82, card 1).
One of the Spring Hill teachers confirmed the feelings about reassigned
teachers taking other's Jobs and that her empathy for these feelings
caused her reluctance to visit her new school and the teacher she was
replacing. She explained to the researcher that
I couldn't very well come over here and see what things were
like because how would the teachers feel that are being kicked
out? How does the person feel that I'm taking their room and
they're laid off? I didn't want to come in and say to the
teachers who felt so bad about that, that their whole attitude
was, "Well, you're not going to get anything from me." There
was the feeling that somebody was taking over what was right-
fully yours. I didn't want to step on his toes because I knew

how I felt about the teacher that was taking my place (FN,
Gates, 11-23-82, cards 2, 10).

A second reason why there was stress when teachers visited their new
schools was the general lack of district-approved release time in which
students would be sent home. ‘This would have allowed teachers from the
sending and receiving schools to work together in staff development
sessions to prepare for the adoption of the new members Into the family.
Several teachers told the researcher of their frustration centering on
the lack of time to visit their new schools. When asked if she was given
release time, Ms. Carpenter said "I would say, no. I know I didn't take
the time. It was Included in when we brought the students over. I don't
think we were given that opportunity" (FN, Carpenter, 11-17-82, card 13).
She went on to explain what that time was like and the help it was when
she took her class to Hillcrest:

My only real contact with the Hillcrest teachers was to come
the day we came and brought our students for the pen pals.
Very little contact. I was in the room with my class.

'5 room happened to be the room that my room matched up
with and I talked to her for a few minutes. In fact, my class
was divided into three rooms because I had a first/second
Split. So, they had to be matched with different classrooms.

204

So, I didn't get to talk to the other teachers. And the teach-

er In whose room I was In, I just spoke very briefly with her.

Then again, it was a matter of working through the children so

we weren't really’visitlng. And, that was It (FN, Carpenter,

11-3-82, cards 4-5L
Ms. Underwood was formerly a middle school teacher and had never taught
in an elementary school. She told the researcher that her stress came In
part from the fact that

the school system, I feel, did not provide me with the time I

needed. They needed to give me some time, if nothing else to

observe what an elementary teacher does, having not been in an

elementary building (FN, Underwood, 11-16-82, card 20).
Another former middle school teacher also had similar frustration In that
she was granted virtually no release time. The twenty minutes that were
granted were at her request and taken at a time when It was difficult to
talk very long to the teachers In the new building. This was because It
was in conjunction with the student visitation program between Lakeview
and Meadow. Ms. Fox lamented:

I got one day where I got twenty minutes to come over. That

was all my own doing. The kids from the elementary were coming

over. They wanted the teachers over here. Mr. Ball didn't

invite me and my principal didn't say I could go. The Lakeview

teachers said, "We're going. Why don't you see if you can go?"

So I asked the assistant principal and she excused me and

covered my class for twenty minutes. But as far as other time,

I asked. lkn you couldn't get it even to go observe a second

grade room right at Lakeview (FN, Fox 12-2-82, card 8).

Compounding the frustration and stress Ms. Fox experienced by her
lack of release time is that her middle school was In the same building
with Lakeview Elementary. For her to visit a second grade class would
have been a matter of walking down the middle school corridor, past the
principal's office, and into the Lakeview wing of the building. Ms.
Brand also did not receive release time to visithiverview. She was a

half-time morning kindergarten teacher, so she did have the opportunity

to visit the school on her own time while it was in session. However,

205

this proved unsatisfactory and stress-producing because although
she could go to Riverview, classes were In session and the lower elemen-
tary teachers were not given release time to visit with her. She told
the researcher that the only time she had to talk to the Riverview
teachers was

. . . Just while their kids were out for recess. They didn't

have any time off to talk about anything. I talked to Ms.

James on the phone a couple of times In the evening about some

questions I had (FN, Brand, 11-8-92, card 4).
Ms. Campbell had two opportunities to visit Riverview during school
hours. Neither opportunity was helpful In acquainting her with her new
<x>lleagues or the programs there. ‘The first opportunity came as part of

the pen pal student program. She told the researcher:

Ms. Campbell: I came out with the kindergarten that were going to
be first graders.

Researcher: Was that a time for you to talk to teachers?
Ms. Campbell: No.
Researcher: Or, did you have to take care of kids?

Ms. Campbell: Uh huh (FN, Campbell, 9-17-82, card 1)!
Her second opportunity occurred when Ms. Campbell attended a play at
Riverview. She and the researcher discussed the event.
Ms. Campbell: I came out one afternoon because I took a half a
personal day because my daughter was In the first

grade and they were doing a play. But other than
that,l didn't.

Researcher: Did you use the time professionally to see the
teachers?
Ms. Campbell: No (FN, Journal Meeting, 12-7-82, card 6).

Five teachers reported to the researcher that they had positive
meetings with colleagues In their new school. While the actual contacts
between new and incumbent staff members were cordial, however, the lack
of release time where there would be no students, and where teachers

could become acquainted through a staff development program remained a

background stress against which the visits took place. As Ms. Gilbert

206

explained to the researcher, she had the time to visit Riverview, had a

positive experience in doing so, but could real ly only observe classes,

with

that

a minimal opportunity to talk with future col leagues. She noted

I came out in June. With the Titlell program, we don't have
children the last two weeks because we do a lot of federal
write-up paperwork. So I had a lot of time and I got my work
done early. 50, I came out here and observed twice on school
time. I didn't get too much chance to talk to teachers. I
just observed what they did. I talked to them on their break

and lunch hour, but not that much (FN, Gilbert, 11-11-82, card
3).

Ms. Underwood spent less than an hour at Riverview in June, 1982. Since

she was unfamiliar with the school's location, her friend, Ms. Scott,

took

her there. Ms. Scott told the researcher:

Ms. Underwood had the choice of Hillcrest, Woodlawn or out
here. She wasn't familiar, or even at all sure where Riverview
was. So, I said, "Hey , I'll take you out one day)’
So I cal led Mr. Austin and said, "Mr. Austin, do you mind if
Ms. Underwood and I come out one night Just to kind of look
around. At the time we came, he almost Ignored me. He just
basically kind of told us how the day was run out here, what
she'd be doing, and trying very hard to encourage her to come

. . . (FN, Journal Meeting, Scott, 10-13-82, card 2).

Ms. Underwood shared with the researcher how she viewed the meeting, and

as she noted twice, It was brief. She said:

I took it upon myself to come out. 'They told me I had the
choice of going to either Woodlawn or Rivervlew. I told them I
knew nothing about the elementary buildings other than they
were both feeder schools for Evergreen and that I had had some
contact with the fifth grade teachers. But as far as the
school itself, I knew nothing about either of them. So, I
asked permission to leave when the students leave in the after-
noon and go visit each of the schools. The students left at
2:20. So, one day Ms. Scott and I came out here. We left at
2:30 and came out here so we could visit the school while It
was In session. But that was our own doing. They did not make
these arrangements for us. I just asked If I could come out.
So I came out to Rivervlew the very next day after they told me
I had a good chance of being called back, that I would be
within the next bunch. I talked to Mr. Austin. I talked with
a few of the teachers. Mr. Austin and I didn't even go Into
his office. We just stood out in the hallway. So, it was only

207

like a five-minute conversation or a little more. He seemed
very excited to have me coming out. He said he was very glad I
had expressed a desire to come out here and at least look the
situation over. He tried to explain that there was a fourth
grade position open and the chances were that I would be placed
there, but he couldn't guarantee it. He also mentioned that
there was a second grade opening at the school. I went
straight over to the fourth grade and looked that area over
first. We talked to for just maybe two or three
minutes. She told us to feel free to move around and look
things over. I don't remember that we discussed anything in
depth at all. It was just more or less a very brief type of
thing (FN, Underwood, 11-16-82, card 3).

Three of the teachers seemed to have very positive meetings with future
<x>lleagues, and although the lack of time provided a stressful back-
ground, the results of the person-to-person contact were viewed by the
teachers as quite favorable. 0n the last day of classes when the Meadow
staff hosted their new col leagues, Ms. Fox was one of those new teachers
who attended. Ftrmlher perspective, the time was well spent and she was
received very graciously by the teacher being laid off. She remembered
that

There was a faculty meeting over here and I did come because

, the teacher that I replaced said when I was done In

there talking, that he wanted to talk to me. He came In and

gave me a lot of good stuff and showed me materials that he had

and how he ran the day and that kind of stuff. He was the one

that I was replacing, which Is more than I might have done. He

was just really helpful (FN, Fox, 12-2-82, card 13).
Ms. Baird's time schedule was even more of a potentially negative factor
in visiting her new col leagues. Her new job spl It her between Woodlawn
and HI I Icrest. Although not officially given release time, she did
manage on one day, to take advantage of her daily schedule. It permitted
her one hour to visit two schools and two teachers. She told the re-
searcher about the positive experience she had at Woodlawn even though

the lack of release time produced background tension for the meeting.

She noted that

208

I had one hour, not one hour per day or one hour per week, or
one hoUF—per month, Just one hour. My Riverview kids had recess
and music one afternoon. The music teacher picked them up from
recess, took them to music and kept them ten minutes overtime,
and then sent them home at the end of the day. I left Riverview
at 2:30, arrived at Woodlawn at 2:45, flew in and introduced
myself to Ms. Davidson, She sald,'tfi, don't worry, I'll help)‘
. . . She'd take care of everything, nothing to worry about (FN,
Journal, Baird, 10-27-82 and 11-17-82, card 3).

Ms. Davidson displayed her sensitivity to Ms. Baird's needs and her

desire to help as she told the researcher about that spring meeting. iShe

said:

I explained how I've run my program the last couple of years,
procedures that most of the resource teachers follow. 'That has
really'helped me because when I started I had the same type of
situation. I worked up at Riverview with a group of teachers
half-day, then I had my own room half-day. So that really
helped me to become orientated into what the procedures were In
North Umpqua for resource teachers. So, basically'l tried to
help Ms. Baird with the same thing (FN, Davidson, 11-3-82, card
I).

When Lakeview students who were going to attend Meadow came for their pen
pal visit, one of the activities was an assembly with the principal at
which time he explained the discipline program and answered students'
questions. ‘This provided the Lakeview teachers a short time without
children in which to meet the teachers they were replacing. Ms. Baird's
experience at this meeting shows the bittersweet aspect of the very
sensitive situation. Although she had difficulty in talking with the
teacher being laid off, she was able to resolve a potentially stressful
situation with her new teacher's aide. She told the researcher:

We all had time to talk to whoever's room we were going to have.

We probably had a half an hour. Part of the time the kids were

gone, so we talked in here [her classroom]. . . I had to talk

to the teacher about what they had because I had been given

extra money that was left over in our budget out there. And I

wanted to know some of the things I should have to get, what she
could foresee that we might need. And, it was really hard

209

talking to her because she was being laid off. It was like I
was taking her Job.. .. Then she came down to the lounge and

[the Meadow teacher's aide] took over until we were
done. Then we came back down. I had to talk to . [the
Meadow teacher's aide]. I'd asked Mr. Ball if I could bring an
aide with me who was a friend of mine who I had worked with at
Lakeview. Mr. Bal I told _.._._.__.._ [the Meadow teacher's aide] and
she was upset. She thought I didn't want her. We had a long
talk about that and ironed that out over the time we had. We
got along really good and I'm glad for that (FN, Eddy, 11-11-82,
card I and 11-18-82, card 6).

 

Not all attempts by teachers to meet and get to know each other and
programs were positive. One teacher, who was herself being
involuntarily transferred to another school and had a teacher taking her
Job, was so sensitive to the feelings of laid-off teachers because of her
own anger, that she would not have used the release time had it been
provided. She told the researcher:

I wouldn't have taken release time because the people at Spring

Hill felt like--the comments I heard were, "If she comes over
here, I'll kick her face in)‘ I wean, nobody would really do
it, but the anger. I felt the same way. If the person who is

taking my room comes anywhere near me, I'll probably throw up on
her shoes. That's Just how I felt about it (FN, Gates, 11-23—
82, card 3).

Ms. Baird had one hour one day to visit both Woodlawn and Hillcrest (see

p. 207k After her very cordial meeting at Woodlawn, she rushed over
to Hillcrest to meet with the teacher she was replacing there. ‘The

meeting Was anything but cordial according to Ms. Baird,lnm>reported In her

research Journal:

I ran quickly over to Hillcrest. I got to Hillcrest at about
3:10 . . . The Hillcrest teacher was Ieaving--LAYED DEE Isicl.
She took one look at me and ran screaming and crying away from
me and saying that l was stealing her job away from her! SHIT.
This wasn't my idea! . . . After screaming at me that l was
stealing her job, she invited me to look around--Ha! Ha!
[sarcasm] l was reallyrcomfortable, Ha! Ha! [sarcasm] This
lovely hour of my life STUNK! Her reaction made me feel all the
worse. Good grief, I was getting it from all sides: those who
wanted me to take the position and her (FN, Journal, Baird, 10-
27-82, card 7 and II-17-82, card 3).

210

Even one attempt to meet together that was planned by the Incumbent
teachers In the new building created negative feelings on the part of two
of the new teachers who attended It. These two Incumbent teachers plan-
ned the meeting to try to help orientate the new teachers. The meeting
was planned for Friday, June 11, 1982-the day after the last official
teacher work day. Again, although the intent of the planners was from a
genuine concern and sensitivity towards their new colleagues, the meeting
was mostly stress producing and even Ironic. One of the two, Ms. James,
told the researcher about the planning and their intent to help:

We talked a little bit when the teachers that were coming to
this building first knew they were coming. As soon as they
could, they made arrangements to come out and visit during the
school day. ‘They got to see our rooms a little bit and get an
idea of how we worked. B91, they didn't get a chance to real ly
come at a time when were free to really sit down and talk with
them. So, what we did, was we made arrangements between the
group of teachers that were coming In for the lower el side to
get together between first and second grade teachers and talk
just after school was out. We got together for a morning and
spent the morning talking. They asked questions and we came
back with what we've done and then what we would maybe like to
change and do differently this year. We met right out here and
we looked at materials and they took home some things for the
summer to look at and get familiar with. We kind of tried to
steer away from taking too many things to work on. They Just
took things they were going to need right at first (FN, James,
9-28-82,card IL

Ms. Crane, the other teacher who planned the meeting, explained to the
researcher in more detail what was accomplished at the meeting:

We asked the teachers If they'd like to come and meet with us.
Ms. Gilbert came and Ms. Brand. (Ms. Scott also attended).
They were here in June after school. We met. I told Ms.
Gilbert she could have my room in the corner .. . I thought
probably a new teacher would like that, not to be right out
here and have everybody see you. It does make a difference
when you've been in a contained room to come out here and teach
this way. They took some books home: our reading series: our
math. .. and our social studies and science: But that's

no big deal. So they went ahead and I said, "You know, It
really'would be better to meet In the fall because to tell you
what this Is now, until you use it. And they found that out.
This summer they looked through the books and there were so

211

many questions that came up that Ms. Gilbert finally said,

"Hey, I closed the book and said 'thIs Is not for me now'"

(FN, Crane, 12-7-82, cards I and 5).
From Ms. James' and Ms. Crane's perspective, the meeting they held was a
success. Ms. Scott felt that it was held at a bad time, however. She

told the researcher:

We Just met at ten o'clock In the morning Friday. We came out
and somebody brought doughnuts. We sat and drank coffee and

kind of talked about second grade. I wasn't in to talking
about second grade because I Just-~as far as l was concerned it
was a wrong day. I was pissed off,to be honest with you! It

was the day after school was out and I thought It was abso-
lutely asinine to be here. We accomplished nothing because we
really couldn't arrange the room because the furniture was
going to all be moved anyway. We were trying to make some
decisions which were at a wrong time. I thought when I went It
was silly'to go, and when I left, I agreed with myself; Noth-
ing was accomplished as far as where the rooms were going to be
or what we were going to do as far as who was going to teach
what. Ms. James did say would I take social studies and she'd
have the science. I said, "fine." And, I did take home some
books, but basically that was all that was discussed. It was a
waste of time (FN, Journal Meeting, Scott, 10-13-82, card 2).

Ms. Brand's stress reaction to the meeting was the most acute. She had
been assigned to the school as a first/second split teacher. Ms. James
and Ms. Crane, aware that Ms. Brand had never taught first or second
grade,tried to ease her stress by taking much of the subject matter
teaching load for the first and second grade students so that Ms. Brand
would have fewer preparations for the two grade levels. Nevertheless,
their actions increased Ms. Brand's stress to the point where she had a
nightmare about the events of the meeting. Ms. Brand told the research-
er:
I don't know what I expected. I think my expectations were too
high of what we could get accomplished. They Just more or less
showed us what materials were and the different books. I felt
really overwhelmed when I went home. I talked with Ms. Scott
later and she felt the same way, too. At that time they were
talking about the split and they were saying, "We'll take the

kids for social studies, we'll take them for science, and we'll
take them for thisJ' And I was thinking, "What am I going to

212

do?" I saw where I could do art. I felt more or less like I
was a third party. With the split, 1 was running back and
forth between Ms. Crane and Ms. Gilbert, and Ms. James and Ms.
Scott trying to get keyed Into both levels. I even had a dream
about it. I dreamed that all the kids were gone and l was
wandering around asking people if I could help them. No, no,
nobody needed any help. Somebody Important came to the build-
Ing and I saw him In my dream, but I don't know who he was.
The district had hired somebody to come In and do a study of
ways they could save money. He said, "What's her Job?" And
they said, "Oh, she teaches." And he said, "Wei l, where are
her kids?" "Well, her kids are here and there!‘ "Well, what
is she doing?" "Well, she Just kind of helps out." And his
comment was, "Well, that's a pretty expensive aideJ' And I
woke up and said, "Oh, no! What have I gotten into." I had
that feeling after that meeting . . . I just felt that I was
here and was taking up space, and not really having much re-
Sponsibllity (FN, Brand, II-16-82/II-30-82, card 8).

Both Ms. James and Ms. Crane were formerly both first grade teach-
ers. The Irony of the situation is seen when Ms. Crane told the re-
searcher that Ms. James originally Intended to take the first/second
grade split that became Ms. Brand's assignment. She decided to take the
straight second grade so she and Ms. Crane, who remained In first grade
could provide maximum assistance to Ms. Brand. This help, however well
meaning, created stress for Ms. Brand In the form In which It was offered.
Of their intent, Ms. Crane said:

Ms. James was first going to take the split because she had

done that before. We decided that to have continuity, that she

would take the second and I could stay in first. That way, we

could both be of help, where If both the second grade teachers
would be new, then they would have a lot of questions and would

be running to us or struggling and we just thought to avoid

some kind of problem we would do It this way (FN, Crane, 12-7-

82, card 1).

Ms. Baird also had a meeting with her new col league. Although on the
surface the meeting went well, the results were stress producing for her.

Again, the one short meeting was not adequate to real ly help Ms. Baird.

The lack of release time for her to talk with her new partner partially

213

caused the tension because she was not sure at that point what questions
to ask. In recounting the meeting to the researcher, she said,

On the very last day of school at 2 p. m. we met at HI I Icrest
with the Hillcrest principal and the director of Special Ed
both In attendance. We talked about whether the dividers were
to stay In the room or go. No real choice. We really had no
say. The meeting lasted twenty minutes. said, "Don't
worry about a thing, you'll have it. See you In September, bye.
. . ." She knew what she was doing and told me to Just ask
questions anytime. Great, except when you don't even know what
to ask . . . Al I my excited feelings and hope were GONE. Now I
really'felt scared. I had the whole summer ahead of me and no
way to prepare for fall physically or mentally. Just wait!
And, I'm not a good waiter (FN, Journal, Baird, 10-27-82 card 7
and 11-7-82, card 4).

Ms. Eddy also had a stressful experience when she attended a faculty
meeting at Meadow on the last teacher work day. Again, this meeting had
been planned by the Meadow staff for the benefit of the Incoming teach-
ers. Inn Ball explained to the researcher his perception of the reason

for the meeting:

Once the inevitability of the whole thing sets in, we began
talking about the necessity to make a team out of what we were
going to have. We had to make things Jell. So, at a staff
meeting, we talked about feelings--hurt feelings, you know,
what/how we might ease the tensions, help them adjust, how/what
things could be done, possibly, kind of In a brainstorming
setting what we might do. I asked them if they would feel
comfortable about having them comelover to visit our school for
a staff meeting when we could get together prior to the end of
school, and In a nice, tactful way be able to allow those who
were being displaced not to have to attend that session because
it would have made everybody very uncomfortable. ‘They agreed
that it would be a good thing so they could talk about the
little lncidentals that are very specific for the classrooms
that would be impossible for any one person to cover all these
things. What are the little differences between schools and
purchasing materials and getting something done, whatever It is
that teachers have. So we finally did bring them In and met
with them. You'd sense the tenseness at first: we In our camp,
but then an opportunity to talku We ended the formal meeting
very quickly, so that we could then get them with their coun-
terparts and have a lot of these questions that they had an-
swered very directly. I think that helped break the ice and
apprehension (FN, Ball, 10-28-82, card 2).

214

This planning worked for Ms. Fox and others. For Ms. Eddy, however, the
morning turned Into a very stressful situation because well meaning
people, making what they thought were kind statements, nevertheless
caused hurt feelings! Ms. Eddy recounted the incident and how she felt

about what she said:

It was on the last day of school and we came over that morning.
We were Just here for a few minutes in the lounge. We
Introduced ourselves and they al I Introduced themselves. The
teachers who were being laid off didn't come. I think that was
probably the best thing for them and for us. Then we had a
chance to go look at the rooms and talk to other people and
figure out what we would need. I talked to her for a few
minutes about the kinds of things I might want to get, kind of
looked over the room, looked in the cupboards to get an idea of
how much space I had, and where l was as far as cleaning. I
went back to Lakeview and l was fuming. She and I just have a
real different philosophy on the whole thing. I jump in and
worm my way out later If it doesn't work. I got a lot of,

" [the kindergarten teacher's aide] can run your room for
you. You don't have to worry about knowing how to teach
kindergartem," which upset me. I feel like I'm always the one
in charge. The staff even did that, and I don't think that they
meant it to turn out the way it did--for me to be upset. They
Introduced me and Mr. Ball said, "She really wants to teach
kindergarten" and everybody laughed. And I said, "No, reallyll
doJ' Then they said, "Oh well, don't worry about it. [the
kindergarten teacher's aide] will do it)’ Then I got the same
thing when I got down here, "Don't worry about it)‘ can
plan for you. can actually'teach the class" which Is
probably true. But it was just the idea of not wanting to go
into a situation like that, either. I wanted to do my thing. I
felt like I had had my parade rained on when I got back . . .
So, then I avoided any other times of meeting like that because
It Just didn't work out. It didn't help either one of us (FN,
Eddy, 11-18-82, card 5).

These, then, were the stressful experiences teachers involved in
this study had as they visited their new schools and col leagues In
the spring of 1982. The timing of these visits and their duration
seem to have contributed in some measure to the stress experienced
by all concerned. With these stressful experiences, the Involun-
tarIly reassigned teachers ended their school year and began summer

vacation. For most teachers, this vacation provided a respite from

215

the stress they encountered in the Involuntary reassignment process.
In August, however, when the newly reassigned teachers reported for
work, the results of the custodial cutbacks and the way delivery of
material from the closed schools Into the new school was accom-
plished caused stressful experiences. 'These stress experiences
occurred first when teachers entered the Meadow, Spring Hill, and
Hillcrest schools and tried to find their belongings, and second when
they tried to set up their rooms for the year.
Stgggg‘Ig Moving into the New School

Three of the five elementary schools received material from the
closed schools. IRiverview, an open classroom school, received the
least because that school needed all portable furniture and already
had some excess that was used for the new teachers. As a result,
the teachers at Riverview did not experience the stress due to the
dumping of their material into the school that was experienced by
the new teachers at Meadow, Hillcrest, and Spring Hill (see pages
174-177). When Ms. Carpenter came to work, even the hal ls were so
jammed that she could not move her own materials and furniture from
the gym to her room. She stated, "When I did come In, the building
was In chaos. I didn't feel I could be moving boxes and things with
so much In the hal lways" (FN, Carpenter, 11-17-82, card 14). Both
the Hillcrest and Meadow halls and gyms were In similar condition
(see pages 175-177). Ms. Fox came In and tried to work the two
weeks before school began. When she entered Meadow, both the gym
and halls were stacked with materials. She told the researcher that

the gym was piled so high you couldn't even hardly walk through
there--l Iteral Iy high. There was just barely a path. I mean

216

it was unbelievable about the stuff In the gym. The hal ls were
all cluttered. It was like a narrow path down the hallway.

. . . I think Mr. Ball did as much as he could have done to get
everything done. Mr. Bal I did as much as he could have done to
get everything done. Mr. Ball came in and worked on weekends,
and everybody Just worked. The board or somebody laid off all
the Janitors (FN, Fox, 10-28-82, card 8).

Ms. Eddy also came to work at Meadow about the tenth of August. She was
overwhelmed by the mess in the gym and the work involved to find her
things and move them Into her new room. She described what she saw and
how she felt to the researcher:

The mess they had In this gym, I would have dared them to find

my boxes and unpack them . . . I couldn't figure out how we
were ever going to get the mess cleaned up and find what we had

to find. I really felt overwhelmed with the amount of work I
had to do between the time I came and when school was going to
start. I really wondered If I was going to be able to do it.

During that same week that custodians sat in the lounge the
whole time and kind of watched us go by. That didn't make it
any easier to bear . . . The gym had things Just thrown in
there. It looked like they had opened the truck and Just went
whoosh with it--pushed it all out and let it fall where it
might. My table back there was missing two legs; boxes marked
fragile were at the bottom of the pile. ‘They were all Just In
there any way. You pul led one box out and fifteen would fal I
(FN, Eddy, 10-28-82, card 9 and 11-11-82, cards 2 8. 7).

Once the teachers waded through the piles of material in the gym, they
had to contend with the condition of their new classrooms. When Ms.
Baird began working In their new room in Hillcrest, she not only had her
materials from Riverview to unpack and organize, but also all of the
Hillcrest materials which had been delivered for her students. ‘This
provided the stressful situation she encountered when she came back to
work. She recounted her feelings and what she did to the researcher:

Mid-August I came to school. Oh, my God! They had moved all
of the Hillcrest stuff Into the room and dumped PL. And, I

 

mean dumped! I brought my things from home and there was also
all of '5 things from Forest Glen. It was a dis-
aster! I took pictures. I didn't touch '5 stuff. It
was all neatly boxed. My things were as organized as possible.
I started on the Hillcrest things. I threw away until the

custodian quit speaking to me. I threw away everything that

217

was pre-I950 first. That took a week. I found checks in the
files that had been written and never cashed. I found a teach-
er's three month bank statement and cancelled checks. I sorted
about five hundred ditto books out of the mess for to go
through. I spent two weeks alone, every day ten to twelve
hours a day. My beautiful four months of not smoking went down
the drain in that two weeks. One day, l was frustrated, we
went out to lunch and had pizza--TABOO on our diets, but who
cared! Then, after tw0*weeks, I called at home and
begged her to come in. She came, very unenthusiastlcal ly and
threw more things away. In a half day, threw away six
full barrels of trash. Then she went home and I had to go also
because there was nothing more I could do--| didn't know where
to begin. I really think that two weeks was THE MOST FRUSTRAT-
ING time of my life. I'was overwhelmed with the physical mess
. .. (FN, Baird, 11-17-82, card 1).

Teachers at Meadow experienced the same general stress as did Ms. Baird.
Ms. Eddy told the researcher about her new room as she commented that

In here, they'd had a run of teachers who had been called the

day before school started and toch "You're going to be teach-

Ing kindergarten next year" and they hadn't had a chance to

clean. ‘The whole set of cupboards that I had back there was

Just a disorganized mess. You couldn't find anything. I had

brought a lot of art supplies with me . . . and I had to find a

way to put them away so I had to take everything out, clean It

out, throw It out, move It and that kind of thing. That took

the better part of a week and a half Just to get everything of

mine out of the gym and down here, then to go to work and try

to clean out the place and put it all away (FN, Eddy, 10-28-82,

card 9 and 11-11-82, cards 2 & 7).
In addition to the frustration and stress of being new, and having to dig
their belongings out of the pile In the gym, some teachers experienced
walking into classrooms that were not equipped with the proper furniture,
and other furnishings. When Ms. Gates came to work two days before
school began, the condition of her room was so overwhelming that she
enlisted her parents and boyfriend to help. Together they worked over
the weekend before school opened so that children could use It. She
recounted the trauma of that first day on the job to the researcher. She

recounted how the principal had taken her to the room and

there was a pile in there of furniture that was moved and one
of the cabinets was all ripped apart and destroyed In a big

218

stack. There were no desks, no chairs, and about half the
furniture wasn't there. There were ten student desks but no
chairs whatsoever . . . I just sat In this room for about three

hours. It was my first day back. I drove down by myself from
up north and came In this room and I sat In this room for three
hours and never moved anything. I just sat in a trance and

looked at it and said, "How am I going to make this Into a
classroom--nothlng--no place for the kids to hang up their
coats--nothing. It was amazing....l went home that night

and called my parents and said, "Can you come and help me
because I can't do It--l Just can'tJ' I was too depressed and
too astonished by the fact that they couldn't even bother to put
students' desks in the room I was supposed to use (FN, Gates,
11-23-82, cards 5-6).

Ms. Fox's room had been the board meeting room when the main office
occupied her side of the building the year before. When the main office
was moved to Lakeview, the old board room was not renovated into facili-
ties for a classroom. ‘To compound the problem, she was originally as-
signed a regular classroom but was moved into the former board room when
an additional section of kindergarten had to be unexpectedly added to the
school. She recalled for the researcher what the room was like:

I came over on Friday, which would have been two weeks before
school started. Originally I was going to be In the room next
door and that still had the main office partitions in It and
the carpet and everything that hadn't been torn out . . . The
only thing they had done was taken the air conditioner out of
the wal l and taken the phones out . . . I stopped in and one of
the teachers said, "Oh, your room has been changed." So I had
to move my stuff from that room to this room. They didn't have
a toilet or a sink or any of that kind of stuff In here, In
this room. So that all had to get built In. The toilet did
not work. When I got here at eight o'clock the day school
started, the toilet started to work. They flushed it and
called It "the magic flush!" I still don't have hot water.
We're two months into the year, and I don't have hot water yet
(FN, Fox, 10-28-82, card 8)!

After the initial shock of the piles In the gym and the rooms In
disarray, new teachers experienced other stressful situations and feel-
ings as they began working with new and largely unknown colleagues,

students, parents, and physical facilities. These stressful situations

219

and feelings were due to the reassigned teachers' unfamiliarity with the
new school, cx>lleagues, children and parents, and physical facilities.
212% in. 8.21219 ".02.!

Stress In being new, which was identified by the Involuntarily reas-
signed teachers in this study, can be categorized into five general areas
of concern in order of their stress-producing affects: (1) school rou-
tines: (2) curriculum; (3) staffs; (4) students; and (5) parents. None
of the stress-producing events, in and of themselves are unique or
complicated. In fact they are rather routine and mundane. Yet they
became the very stressors that produced anxiety in the new teachers and
which could have been avoided by the use of release time for ongoing,
teacher-centered staff development.

_S_t_r_e_s_s_ _I__l1 Not BeLng Familiar With School Routines. Nine out of the
ten teachers who were a part of this study emphasized that their lack of
knowledge about the school routines caused them stress. 'The stress of
not knowing the routine is most acute the first week of school. Ms. Fox
experienced stress the first day when she waited to begin her first class
until the bell rang only to find out later the school did not have bells.
As she told the researcher:

The first day of school, I didn't know there weren't any bells

in this school. So, nine o'clock came and I waited for the

bell and there was no bell. I thought maybe they wait five

minutes because It's the first day. So I waited until five

after and then I wandered down the hall and everyone else had

started (FN, Fox, 10-28-82, card 2).

Routines for ascertaining the number of children who want to eat hot
lunch have to be relearned because every school Is somewhat different.

Ms. Brand found that

just understanding how the lunch count is done, where the lunch tic-
kets are kept, all those little things that go into organizing a

220
classroom that people take for granted that you know how to do. (FN,
Brand, 11-30-82, card 3).

Sometimes merely not knowing where the staff bathrooms are can create
stress. Ms. Scott told the researcher, "You know, you don't even know
where the bathroom is. And, when you're nervous, you have to go to the
bathroom more. And, that Is awful. I didn't know how to get lunch" (FN,
Journal Meeting, Scott, 9-17-82, card 9). Ms. Campbell also found the
lack of knowledge about procedures stress-producing. Of this, she said:

It Is incredible how much you don't know-where things are,

what procedures are. There are so many questions that are

dumb, but you feel you have to ask in case procedure Is differ-

ent (FN, Journal, Campbell, 9-7-82, card 4).
An example of her frustration at not knowing about procedures was seen by
the researcher as he sat in the faculty lounge on the first day of
school. Classes had just begun for the afternoon, when Ms. Campbell
found the researcher, and asked for help in setting up student folders
and stuffing them to be sent home that afternoon. The following is taken
from the researcher's field notes describing the Incident;

1:05 - Ms. Campbell came hurriedly Into the lounge and said,

"Ed, when you have a minute can you come see me?" her voice

and facial expression made me feel I should go then. I did.

When I got to her class, she said, "I've just discovered I have

to send this Information home today. Can you make some folders

like this one for each student? Each folder needs to have two

of these white cardsJ' I made twenty-one while she read to her
czlass. . .

3:00 - Ms. Campbell found me. In her hand were some white juice
order envelopes. [She said,] "I just found out we have to send
these home.

Did we get any today?" [I said,] "No, we didn't." Taking them

I said, "I' II put them In for you" (FN, 8-31-82, Ms. Campbell).
Ms. Gates also experienced stress over not knowing the routines. She
felt that this lack of knowledge did have an effect on the classroom in

how she was able to respond to students' questions. She told the re-

searcher that being new

221

felt exactly like being a first-year teacher. It felt so much
like being a first-year teacher I couldn't believe It. Not
knowing the rules of the school: not knowing the physical
make-up of the building, just physical things; basic things:
even things like probably I grade similar, but I had gone from
upper el to early el here; even how to do a fire drill; how to
do a Halloween parade: how to clean the board; trying to deal
with having a bathroom in my room for the first time; Just to
handle all these things. The room will be so much smoother
next year because I'll start right at the beginning and say
"this is how it will be" instead of saying, "I don't know, I'll
have to check" (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card 18).

Both Ms. Underwood and Ms. Fox found that the lack of knowledge about
school routine was the most stress-producing factor for them. Coming
from a middle school background, they were totally unfamiliar with even
the most basic elementary routines. Neither had teaching experience
below the sixth grade. Ms. Underwood noted that teaching experience
helped give her confidence, but the newness still produced anxiety. She
said:
To me it was almost like being a first-year teacher In that I
had the confidence of being a teacher. I brought that with me
from Evergreen. Everything else out here was like being a
first year teacher. I did not know how an elementary building
was run, how it was supervised. I didn't know what to do for
recess duty. I'd never had that. lVever had to worry about
lunchroom type things (FN, Underwood, 11-16-82, card 18).
Ms. Fox experienced the same type of anxiety as Ms. Underwood and noted that
she was also concerned about looking dumb to her col leagues. She noted that

her frustration came in part

because everybody else came from elementary so they knew how an
elementary day ran. I had no idea how an elementary day ran.
Now like the breaks and stuff, I had to ask questions about
them. They are so simple. I'm sure they thought "What a dummy
she is)'but I didn't know about them (FN, Fox, 12-2-82, card
11).

Several teachers transferred from schools with self-contained classrooms.to
a school without Interior classroom walls. One of the school routines they

found distressing was the arranging of their classrooms using moveable room

222

dividers. Ms. Underwood was so frustratedlover her initial experience with
this routine, that she almost did not go back to work. lAlthough this school
was atypical in the district, her experience is included because It points
up a problem that, although unique to this school In this district, may

still have application in other relocations. She related to the researcher

that

we worked quite a bit just on setting up the rooms. That
turned out to be kind of a bad situation for me. In fact, I
didn't know If I was going to be coming back to this school or
not. I set my room up according to how everyone had said. I'd
worked maybe two days on It. I walked back in after lunch on
the third day and Mr. Austin told me he'd made an administra-
tive decision that my room was going to be moved down in this
direction . . . So I said, "Fine!" I packed up my things that
I had to take home that day and left them! I said, "I may be

back before school starts and I may notl I put in enough time
and effort In setting up this room. I feel it's been a com-
plete waste of two and one-half days-goodbyel" So, I left

(FN, Underwood, 11-16-82, card 5).
One of the teachers found no problems at all in learning the new school
routines. In fact, she greatly appreciated the routine used for

announcements over the intercom. She said:

One thing I really appreciate is that the intercom is used very

infrequently: at 9:00 In the morning and at 3:25 unless there

is an emergency. And, I love It! At Woodlawn we were Inter-

rupted any time all day long--In the middle of a story, any-

thing. And I didn't like that (FN, Gilbert, 11-11-82, card 17%

Stress lg Being Unfamiliar With the New CUFFICUILML Eight out of ten

teachers in the study indicated, in their conversations, that they
experienced anxiety from not being familiar with the curriculum they were
expected to use. For five of the eight teachers, anxiety was produced by
their feelings of not knowing the proper material and the proper curricular
expectations for the students at the new grade level to which they were

assigned. Ms. Brand told the researcher about her anxiety concerning her

lack of knowledge about the curriculum content and student needs, and the

223

seriousness of this void In her understanding because of her responsibility
as a teacher. She said that she was

not familiar with first grade. I taught second grade but that
was nine years ago, so everything--all the textbooks-are dif-
ferent. I'm Just going along and I'll read a week's worth of
stories at a time in all those different reading books so at
least I know the stories before the week begins». The same
way with teaching first grade which I've never taught before.
Like for each story, they'll have three or four pages of les-

sons to present. I don't know which lessons are crucial. If I
presented all of them It would take me two weeks to get through
one story and I know that's not possible . . . . I feel a lot

of uncertainty in that aspect of not really'being sure what
skills are essential and which ones are not so Important, which
ones I can skip . . . . I feel like you read through some of
that stuff and you Just feel like you're kind of lost. You're
just kind of floating in space and you're just grasping at
straws and It's not a very comfortable feeling when you think
these kids are depending on you to get these skills and if you
don't get it to them, the responsibility is yours to do that.
You're going to have to figure It out . . . . I'm not comfort-
able. I don't like It. I get shook If I don't feel like I
know what I'm doing. I fall apart (FN, Brand, 11-8-82, cards
18-19).

Ms. Gates was not familiar with third grade curriculum or with the
academic level of students' understanding. She shared one experience she
had with determining the proper math curriculum for her students:

I was so terrified. I didn't know what these kids could do,
what they couldn't do. My mother, a kindergarten teacher, came
In and she said, "Here are some dittos you can give them the
first day so they have something to do)‘ The first day they
came I didn't even know what they could do. I could Just as
well have given them dittos with adding where they had to carry,
because I didn't know whether they could carry or not. She
said, "No, don't give them these. They don't know how to carry.
Don't give them these because Its adding two numbers. I had to
have that kind of help (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card 28).

Ms. Fox's problem of not being familiar with the curriculum and student

abilities at her new grade level was compounded by the lack of textbooks.

224

This, while unique to her In this situation, illustrates what can and
does happen when teachers move. Sometimes, the ordering of materials
gets lost In the process. When she told the researcher about this In her
new assignment at Meadow, she contrasted It with her experience as a
first-year teacher at another school. She explained that

as far as the material that I had to cover, I felt less at ease
here than I did there because I had time to go through and
learn the material. Here I Just didn't know what I was doing.
There weren't any books ordered for me or anything. Even now,
l have no Idea of what I'm supposed to be doing. They don't
have language arts books in second grade. One teacher has one.
I've just been using my reading stuff as language arts for
their boardwork and seat work. Areas that I see they are weak
In, I have them do for their seat work. But, I don't know
whether they should know that or not. I still feel like I'm
lost. There is a curriculum guide of some kind, like there are
three different reading series we can use. Of the second grade
teachers, two of us are using one book, and the other one is
using a different book (FN, Fox, 12-2-82, card 5).

IML Baird also was unfamiliar with her new curriculum and student needs.
However, this was caused by the fact that (1) she had not taught special
education in ten years, and (2) she lacked the academic training in her
formal education. She shared her anxiety with the researcher:
I had special ed background-mentally Impaired. I did not even
have a definition for learning disabled. I did not feel quali-
fied to teach something I couldn't identify or define. I also
would be dealing with the emotionally Impaired. I had not gag
class on emotionally'lmpalred. Help! I didn't even know what
to do (FN, Baird, Journal, 0-27-82, card 7).
The district did not have the single-adOptlon policy In ordering text-
books district-wide. Some of the anxieties displayed by Ms. Fox were
due to this. Ms. Carpenter also saw the lack of uniformity In textbook
materials as a stress-producing phenomenon. She recounted her frustra-
tion to the researcher as she told him about the problems she and others

encountered. When Forest Glen students went to HI I Icrest, the Forest

Glen teachers tried to place their students for the following year in the

225

reading series used by Hi I Icrest. Since, however, the schools each used
a different reading series with different reading levels, the effort was

fraught with anxiety. As she lamented:

There was a question about which books would be used. Mr.
Taylor came out and had a brief meeting with us once and
explained what the spelling series was. He said what the new
math series would be for the early grades, and the reading.
They'd started the new Houghton Miffl In reading series. For our
fourth and fifth grade teachers, that meant that every subject
was completely a new book. So, how are we to divide these
children? I'm supposed to give Mr. Taylor a list of reading
groups and I'm not even sure what books are available. ‘The
newest series Is new because nobody has had it before. But we
also have available two other editions of Houghton Mifflin.
Different editions have a different difficulty level. So, that
was kind of hard. We had used the Medlay Series out at Forest
Glen, and Hillcrest had pretty much used the Rainbow Series.
Someone would say, "The kids should all be in SunburstsJ' And,
nobody knew Sunbursts. What level is It? Which book is it? It
did cause a bit of confusion (FN, Carpenter, 11-3-82, card 7).

Ms. Eddy made a transition from fifth grade to kindergarten. As with the
other teachers in this study, she felt her new Job was much like being a
first-year teacher again. Unlike the others, however, she had no prob-
lems with the curriculum. In fact, she not only enjoyed the challenge of
the new materials and grade level, but actively researched the curriculum
and grade level. She gave the researcher an example of what she had done
to prepare for her kindergarten students:

I feel like a first-year teacher In a lot of ways being In
kindergarten and coming from the fifth grade. . . . I'm en-
joying digging In and having to search and find what I want to
do and how I want to do it. . . . I went to al I the kindergar-
ten teachers I knew and ask what they did. They've loaned me
their things that they traced for art. They loaned me their
plan books to go through and look for things that I might be
interested in doing. I borrowed materials from peOple, books
that I could read on the subject. In fact, I have a red
notebook there that'slall filled with all the things that I
found out. I spent a lot of time getting units and things
ready this summer (FN, Eddy, 10-28-82, cards 7, 11).

226

Stress in Not Feeling Accepted gxytgg Staff. Six out of ten teach-

 

ers felt that not knowing their new col leagues professional ly produced
anxiety. As Ms. Scott so aptly said, "You don't want to look like an
ass" (FN, 9-3-82, card 3). Ms. Carpenter agreed with Ms. Scott's state-
ment and explained the anxiety she felt in trying to promote acceptance
by pleasing the staff and principal:

I had concerns over my position because I had never had a
reading position before. I've been In the classroom for around
fifteen years, so this is the first time I've had this type of
position. There has been a fair amount of anxiety over that.

. .. I felt like I struggled a little bit. I wanted to be sure
I was doing a very good Job. I wanted to do what all the
teachers and Mr. Taylor and everyone expected of me. And yet,
I really wasn't too sure what I was supposed to be doing. So I
felt like maybe I did a little bit of flopping around and
swimming on that one (FN, Carpenter, 11-17-82, cards 7,9).

Three of the six teachers stressed their need for being told or shown
that they were accepted by their new staff. Ms. Eddy recalled:

I was feeling kind of lost,lall alone. There was nobody there.
I was Just feeling really lonely.l.. . l was concerned about
how they felt about us. After being told that one school in
the district didn't want us because we were taking Jobs from
their teachers, that made It a little difficult. It wasn't
from here, but It still concerned me. . . . We're all human
beings and need to be told whether we are accepted or accept-
able. Going to the teachers' lounge is stressful In some ways.
We're still trying so hard. It's not comfortable yet. You
walk In and you think, "Well, I should sit here and I need to
engage so and so in a conversation. Keep It light, be a
listener--trying to get to know peOple (FN, Eddy, 12-8-82,
cards 1, 5, 8).

Ms. Underwood was concerned about acceptance by her new col leagues. From
the beginning she did not try to hide her feelings that she would rather
still be at her former school. But she also tried to make the best of
the situation forced upon her. She wanted to be accepted. In the midst
of her Inner struggle between showing her desire to be at her former
school and at the same time wanting the acceptance of her new colleagues,

she was told by one of her new colleagues that the principal would prefer

227

having the teacher that she was replacing rather than her. This, to say
the least, was a traumatic experience for her. She told the researcher

what happened and how she felt:

I heard comments that was such a good teacher. He was a
male teacher that was needed. ‘Teachers felt that the kids
needed some contact with male teachers in the upper grades. He
was well liked by parents, students, faculty, everyone. It was
Just kind of one of the situations that you felt that they
would Just as soon he were here instead of Ms. Underwood.

There was a question as to whether an opening was going to come
up at Evergreen and, if that were the case, I had spoken to
this teacher and said, "Well, maybe there's a chance that I

would be put back In Evergreen, and would be put back
here in fourth grade. And, the comment was, "Well, there's no
question about it, Mr.lAustin would prefer having here

anytime that he could get him)‘ That was, I think, the worst
comment that was ever said to me. That was to my face. I
actually'don't think Mr. Austin would have said that. That
Just doesn't sound like him. But It was a comment that was
stabbing. I felt terrible (FN, Underwood, 11-30-82, card 4)!
Ms. Brand also felt the need to be told she fit in with her new staff,
and described to the researcher her anxiety between her desire to be
accepted and her frustration at not knowing If she was accepted or not.
She told the researcher of her apprehension In
wondering how I was going to be accepted or my Ideas were going
to be accepted. I was concerned about how well I would fit in.
That was the basic thing--just wanting to be accepted and
wanting to fit in, but not really knowing (FN, Brand, 11-30-82,
card 9).
One teacher, Ms. Eddy, was the only person Involved in the study who had
a full-time aide. While most people would assume this would be a very
positive experience for a teacher coming Into a new position, in this
case, the thought of the aide as a person who already knew what the
kindergarten program should be, produced anxiety resulting in nightmares.
The focus of the anxiety lay in Ms. Eddy's desire to be accepted by the

aide and In her fear that the aide knew more about kindergarten than she

did. As she confided to the researcher:

228

I never had worked with her before. In fact, I had nightmares
about it because I'd been told that she was so efficient and
she could run the kindergarten and all this kind of thing. I
had terrible nightmares about her for some months before school
started that she would come In and find I had changed every-
thing around and be all upset. Instead, she Is very much the
opposite (FN, Eddy 10-28-82, card 6).

One teacher, Ms. Fox, did not feel she had any anxiety about her rela-
tionship with her new col leagues. As she told the researcher:
I Just felt comfortable the whole time coming over here between
Mr. Bal l and the people over here. . . . This Is the best staff
I've ever worked with by any means. ‘They are just super co-

Operative. 'They are nice.....(FN, Fox, 12-9-82, cards 1-2).

Stress 13 Not Knowing the Students. Four of the ten teachers In the

 

study Indicated that they experienced anxiety or stress because they did
not know how they would relate to students at the new school and/or grade
level. Ms. Brand and Ms. Campbell both transferred to the school which
their daughters attend. Ms. Brand's anxiety came as a result of people
warning her about having to talk to her neighbors as a teacher and the
awkward situations that could entail. She explained to the researcher
that

because we live out here and my son has started kindergarten

out here, a lot of peOple have said, "Oh, you don't want to

teach In the same school where your child goes to school, or

even live, because, you might have your neighbor's child. You

could end up with some very awkward situations, If you were

having a discipline situation with your neighbor's child and

have to talk to your neighbor as a teacher." A lot of people

said, "Oh, you're crazy. You don't want to do that!" That was

my biggest worry (FN, Brand, 11-8-82, card 17).
Ms. Fox had never taught below sixth grade. lAfter she was transferred to
second grade, the district gave her no release time to visit second grade
classes and see what second graders were like. She had two major
concerns: (I) academically, how much can second graders do; and (2) how

do I handle the physical closeness common to second graders. She told

the researcher about these concerns:

229

My biggest concern was that I Just didn't know what a second
grader can do and I had to do a lot of visiting of classrooms
and looking over materials to see exactly how much I could
expect of them. The biggest thing everyone kept saying is that
you won't have any time to yourself because they Just cling to
you all the time. I said, "No, that's not true. ‘They won't do
thahfl But, they do. I didn't know how I would be able to
handle the physical aspect of the kids. You know, physically'
like when was talking to me today he put his arms around
me and kind of sat on my lap. Coming from the sixth grade, you
don't do those kinds of things. I didn't know how I'd be able
to gear myself down to that. The biggest fear I had was that
going into such a low grade having never been there before, and
knowing what to expect (FN, Fox, 10-28-82, card 11).

The teachers' unfamiliarity with students In the new school also caused
problems in constructing class lists. When teachers would try to sep-
arate discipline problems within their own students, that was no problem.
Since the students of the other school were an unknown quantity, though,
and since no release time was given for teachers of the gaining and
closing schools to meet and work together, some of the results were less
than desirable. The teachers' concern about not knowing how many stu-
dents were going to be mismatched caused stress. Ms. Carpenter shared
what the problem was I Ike as she and her Forest Glen col leagues tried to
merge their students blindly with the Hillcrest students:

One of the problems we ran Into was trying to group kids into

rooms. We knew who our personalities were at the end of the

year. Teachers always list children In reading groups. We'd

say these two children should not be in the same room. But we

kind of laughed because we didn't know. We knew what we were

splitting apart, but we didn't know how both splits would work

out. We said we could be making something much worse from the

two buildings than what we had separately. ‘That was kind of

hard (FN, Carpenter, 11-3-82, card 7).
Ms. Eddy spent considerable time talking to kindergarten teachers about
what the children were like, researched kindergarten curriculum, and even
tried out some of her ideas on her own children who were then about

kindergarten age. lAll of this did not prepare her adequately to make her

feel confident that she knew what kindergarten children were like. Even

230

her excitement In switching from fifth grade to kindergarten was not
enough to override her fears of the children as unknown quantities and
her inadequacy In handling them. She told the researcher:

I was excited about teaching kindergarten until It got almost

time to do It, and then I got really scared that I didn't have

the right idea of what kindergarteners were like, that I would

be a terrible failure, and that everything would go wrong. I

had nightmares for about a week before school started about all

the things that could go wrong, did go wrong, and that kind of

thing (FN, Eddy, 10-28-82, card 8).

Three of the ten teachers did not have what they considered to be
stress related to not being familiar with the age group of their new
children. Ms. Scott said that "teaching wasn't concerning me at all as
far as the kids and me. I knew we would make it alrighfi'(FN, Journal
Meeting, Scott, 10-13-82, card 5). Ms. Underwood, although she felt
strongly that she related well to sixth graders and understood their
needs and concerns, found that her new fourth graders fit her personality
better. She exclaimed, "I think the situation out here with the fourth
graders, they're really more like what I am. They're 'lovey.' They just
love you to death. That's different than sixth grade" (FN, Underwood,
11-16-82, card 12). Ms. Gates looked forward to working with her third
graders. She looked upon them as If they were hers and lamented that,
because she was new also, she could not be as much help to them as she
might otherwise be. She told the researcher very emphatically:

I am a possessive person. ‘These kids belong to me. I told them

they were mine for the year. Some of them had trouble learning
the r0pes. ‘That was one thing that almost was an advantage for

me. I said to them, "Look, at least you knew each other last
year. I don't know anybody. If you think that this Is hard,
think about me. I don't know any of your parents or anybody

else in this whole building)‘ It took awhile for them to ease
Into it. ‘That may have been an advantage of mine because I
think I had a lot more understanding of their plight. I was in
the same boat (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card 23, 31).

231

§I£2§§.lfl Not Knowing the Parents. Three out of ten teachers felt
stress when facing the prospect of meeting with the parents from the new
school. This stress was caused because the parents were unknown quanti-
ties and teachers did not know what to expect. ‘The two major fall events
which bring parents and teachers together are the annual open house and
parent conferences at the end of the first grading period. Teachers
identified each of these as stressful events. Ms. Gates was especially
nervous at open house because she didn't know many parents and because
they asked her questions which she couldn't answer due to her unfamili-

arity with the grade level. She told the researcher that when the pa-

rents

came in for open house, I was terrified. There were too many.
They didn't bring their kids so I didn't know who they went
with. They didn't stay with their husbands and wives. They
wandered around and I didn't know whose was whose. . . . Parents
came into open house and said, "How do you grade?" I said,
"It's the second week of school or the first month!" I didn't
even bother to look at the report card yet. ‘That was too far
down the road. I Just stood there. I don't know how I grade
(FN, Gates, 11-23-82, cards 18, 23).

Ms. Eddy was worried about parent conferences because of the differences
both in grading fifth graders versus kindergarteners, and In giving
parents who were strangers accounts about their children they might not
wish to hear. Soon after the fall parent conferences at Meadow, Ms. Eddy
recounted her concerns. She frankly admitted:

I was scared to death, having been in a new building where the
parents didn't know me. At Lakeview, the parents knew who I
was. ‘They would come and they had had other children or they
had talked to people who had. So, they kind of understood what
I was doing. lAlso, a lot of time kindergarten parents are real
touchy about the fact that this Is my first year teaching
kindergarten and I was afraid that was going to be a problem.
Most of them knew that. Having so many of them was another one
and that I had to tell some parents some things they didn't want
to hear. I hadn't done that before. Plus, conferences in fifth
grade I always had their grades and had averaged them out. You
don't do that In kindergarten. ‘There's a little shakey ground

232

there In places because I knew that I didn't have the materials
to show that I'd had In the past. To be able to say, "See, look
at all the blank spot§'(FN, Eddy, 11-18-82, card 9L

Ms. Brand had al I new parents at Riverview. The parents, as unknown
entities, made her parent conferences quite stressful. This was con-
trasted by her to her years at Lakeview where she knew the parents and
the parents knew her. To Ms. Brand, this two-way familiarity removed the
stress of parent contact. She told the researcher:

One thing that's very fresh In my mind because we just had
parent conferences is that l was much more nervous than I have
been in years. All the parents were new. Before, being at the
same school for so long, parents, If I hadn't had their child,
knew somebody. I'd had their neighbor's child or something. So
they knew something about me. It wasn't a threatening situa-
tion. . . . So, I did feel strange this time not knowing the
parents; not having any inkling what they were like, what their
expectations were of me. . . . That's something that I felt
like a new teacher all over again, building a reputation with
the parents (FN, Brand, 11-16-82/11-30-82, card 1).

Ms. Underwood looked forward to parent conferences and felt that they
would be easier than those In middle school because her experience had
been that parents of middle school children were very concerned if their
children were performing below grade level. When she told the researcher
how she felt about parental contact In relation to the conferences, she
said:

Wei l, I felt very comfortable. Parent conferences to me have
always been easy. . . . I didn't think there would be that big a
difference. If anything, I thought they'd be easier because
having a parent-teacher conference at the sixth grade level, the
parents seem to be so much more concerned that their kid is
behind. . . . where here I think the parents more or less
understand that the kids are progressing at their own rate.

. . . l was not dreading those. It wasn't that big of a deal (FN,
Underwood, 11-30-82, card 1).

233

Research Question 119

BY WHOM, AND IN WHAT WAYS, ARE INVOLUNTARILY ASSIGNED TEACHERS GIVEN
HELP IN COPING WITH THEIR STRESS?

Introduction

The teachers involved in this study Identified six potential sources
of help In coping with their stress. They are: (I) the teachers' union:
(2) the district school administrators; (3) the building principals; (4)
other teachers within the district: (5) friends and relatives; and (6)
teachers' personal methods of c0ping with their stress. Described below
are the ways that each of these potential sources of help actually

impacted on the teachers.

The Teachers' Union: North Umpqua Education Association
The teachers' union was intimately involved In the layoff and recall
process. Its Interest focused on guarding the teachers' contractual
rights In the areas of seniority, certification, and qualification. One
union official told the researcher that
the primary concern that we have to monitor is the seniority
process and also that peeple are put within areas where they are
certified and qualified. ‘That's contractual and that's all we
can do really with things that are contractual (FN, Lewis, 2-21-
83, card 9).
A second union official confirmed what Ms. Lewis told the researcher and,
in addition, told the researcher that the union did nothing directly to
help any teacher with his/her individual problems. She reported that
the association did sit in at the cuts, at the time they were
making the cuts and they did have some say on seniority rights,
qualification, certification, and placement of teachers. That

was about the extent of it. They did nothing as an association
to directly help anybody (FN, Thomas, 9-9-82, card I).

234

Several teachers discussed their feelings about the absence of help from
the North Umpqua Education Association (NUEA). Ms. Brand showed her
bitterness about NUEA's lack of support as she said, "NUEA? Do they know
I've moved? I'm not even sure NUEA knows I'm a member of the staff, and
if so, where. Honestly, I have 1351 bitter feelings about NUEA" OWL
Journal, Baird, 10-27-82, card 5 and 12-15-82, card 5). Two of the
teachers did not wish even to discuss their feelings about NUEA help and
were quite cryptic in their comments. Ms. Gilbert would only say, "Nope"
(FN, Gilbert, 11-11-82, card 19). Ms. Brand did not feel she received
help. She said, "No. No, I think we were pretty much on our own" (FN,
Brand, 11-16-82, card 11). Ms. Scott and Ms. Campbell discussed the lack
of help NUEA provided Ms. Scott. Ms. Campbell who also held an official
position with NUEA simply reconfirmed what Ms. Lewis and Ms.‘Thomas told

the researcher:

Researcher: Nobody said anything about the association's
involvement, whether they provided any kind of
help on an Individual basis or not.

Ms. Scott: They couldn't, could they?
Ms. Campbell: No, not on an Individual basis.
Researcher: Any effort to do anything about personal

feelings or personal concerns in terms of an
organization?

Ms. Scott: I don't know if they were looking at personal
feelings. . . . The union didn't do a damn thing
‘19: Egg . . .

Ms. Campbell: See, Mr. Al Ien made the decision that he was
going to lay off so many peOple. The only
function that the union had In it was to be sure
that he called back In the right order or not.
We wanted to be sure that he went and hollowed
and called back the proper peOple so that they
had jobs (FN, Journal Meetings, 9-10-82, cards 3-
4, and 9-17-82, cards 5-6).

 

Ms. Underwood not only felt that NUEA did nothing to help her, but also

believed that It was because of NUEA that she was Involuntarily

235

reassigned. When the researcher asked her If NUEA helped her and If so

to what extent, she replied:
I am not a real union person. And, I figure NUEA cost me my
Job. That's Just the way I feel. If we weren't In a union
situation I don't think they'd be moving and shifting people
around like they did. Because, I feel the union and the school
board came up with that agreement that the moves would be made
strictly by seniority. The peOple down at the bottom would be
moved out. I think If It were not for the union, they would
have come up with something on the quality of teachers. So,
NUEA as far as I'm concerned, didn't help me at all (FN,
Underwood, 11-16-82, card 22).

A second potential source of help for the Involuntarily reassigned

teachers was the district school officials.

District School Administrators

District school administrators were primarily Interested in (1)
fiollowing the teachers' contract when laying off and recalling teachers;
and (2) insuring that the physical aspects of closing the schools were
carried out smoothly. District administrators did not prepare any type
of program to help Involuntarily reassigned teachers cepe with their
emotional stress. ‘The personnel director, Mr.lAllen, felt that "most of
the effort went, I guess, toward the laid-off teacher" (FN, Al len, 9-13-
82, card 6). Superintendent Meyers told the researcher that he was in
favor of helping the involuntarily reassigned teachers c0pe with their
stress, but that "Interestingly enough, there was very, very little
Interest" on the teachers' part because of what he felt to be "their
close ties with their building principals and them having the opportunity
to know where they were going to go or have some pick. ‘They felt kind of
secure" (FN, Meyers, 12-1-82, card I). When discussing why the district
administration did not help the Involuntarily reassigned teachers c0pe

with their stress, Mr. Ward, one of the district administrators,

236

explained to the researcher that the district did well In the physical

aspects of the move, that Dr. Meyers was Interested in helping the teach-
ers, but that Dr.IWeyers did not push the board for the release time
necessary to provide the help needed. Mr. Ward said:

Nothing happened. I think that was too bad. As I view what we
did, mechanicallyll feel we did quite well. The mechanics of
redesignating the buildings, redefining the boundaries, rerout-
ing the bus routes, reassigning the teachers within the con-
straints of the contract . . . with the Transition Committee,
they did a good job of preparing. Within three weeks we had
everybody moved physically last June and July. So, mechanical-
ly, we probably did a decent Job, maybe better than decent. In
the area of really assisting the peOple involved, I'm not so
sure we did. We didn't provide any time for Inservicing, for
the opportunity for teachers to relieve themselves of their
stress. The board and the former superintendent were not
able-~maybe not willing or able, I don't know which, maybe some
of both--to provide release time. And, it was requested. . . .
l was at the meetings when principals brought forward the
requests to have a day or a half a day. And It was refused at
the board and central staff level. Dr. Meyers, very seldom If
ever, do I recall him opposing the board when there was a cause
for teachers. He believed that the teachers needed time, but
he was unable or unwilling to battle the board on the issue.

. I really think we could have done something for those folks
had we been willing and able (FN, Ward, 12-8-82, cards 6-7).

Teachers confirmed that the district did not help them deal with
their stress. When asked by the researcher about district support, Ms.
Gilbert said, "District help? lkfl (FN, Gilbert, 11-11-82, card 19)!
Other teachers were more vocal with their feelings. Ms. Baird said, "The
district didn't give one [1% _D_A_M_N_. My alternative was layoff"(FN,
Journal, Baird, 10-27-82, card 5). Ms. Scott and Ms. Underwood showed
their frustration about the lack of district help one noon hour as they

talked with the researcher:

Researcher: Did the district make any effort to help deal
with peOples' feelings and anxieties?
Ms. Scott: Noll Right?

Ms Underwood: (hits the table hard with her fist) Nothing
personally, no (FN, Journal Meeting, 9-17-82,
card 4)!

237

Mrs. Brand, who was In Lakeview Elementary when it closed, shared with
the researcher her frustration at the lack of help provided to her by the
district during the period of packing up school supplies at the year's

end. She lamented:

I don't think there was much help. I was frustrated and I think
a lot of teachers were frustrated. Those of us that were moving
and had to pack everything, asked If we couldn't have some extra
time and we were told, "NoJ' The principal asked for us. But
from higher up they said, "No." And yet, we had to have
everything ready to go-packed and labeled--on the last day of
school. It made me feel very negative. It was Just one big
hassle. I felt resentful and I think other teachers I know at
Lakeview felt the same way. They want us to do all this, ygt we
are supposed to keep teaching our kids. In some of the older
classes, the teachers had their kids help them. But us at lower
el, you can't really say "do this page" while you 90 pack. rt
Just doesn't work. So If It was going to get done, the only way

was for us to do It after school hours (FN, Brand, 11-8-82, card
6).

As has been shown, neither the teachers' union or the school dis-
trict administration provided leadership In helping Individual teachers
cope with their stress in being involuntarily reassigned. One group of

peOple who did provide support to these teachers was the building princi-

pals.

BuilcflngPrinanals

Support given by the principals to the involuntarily reassigned
teachers can be classified as physical help and emotional help.

Principals' Physical Help lfl.Ifl§.§EElflS' ‘The principals' physical
help Is most evident In June when the teachers were packing personal and
school material and in the fall as the new teachers reported for work In
August. In June, principals' help focused on providing an atmosphere at
the closing schools which was conducive to giving teachers the time they
needed to pack without utilizing release time. Ms. Brand, who taught at

Lakeview when it closed, told of how her principal, Ms. Davis, tried to

238

provide packing time by providing movies for students. This took minimum
supervision and allowed a large percentage of the staff to be packing
while the rest supervised the students. Ms. Brand told the researcher
that

Ms. Davis tried. It wasn't that she didn't try. We did have
movies the last day of school In the afternoon. It didn't help
me, because I worked Just In the morning. But for the rest of
the school. In fact, I think It was the last two afternoons
they had movies the whole time so that the teachers could be In
their rooms (FN, Brand, 11-8-82, card 6).

Ms. Davis was also the principal at Forest Glen when It closed. She
provided movies there also. Ms. Carpenter, one of her teachers there,
told how much Ms. Davis wanted to help and how the movies did help
teachers. She remembered that

Ms. Davis, our principal, was Just very supportive. If the
kids had a math assignment and we could pack a box of books
beforehand, fine. She didn't want us to ignore teaching chil-
dren, but we could go ahead and do some packing or some organ-
izing at the same time classes were on. If the kids were doing
an art project where we had to give them a lesson but they
could draw or paint the picture to go with It, that was O.K.

. . . I think she really tried to make sure we had time that we
could do some of our work, like the last couple of days at the
last of the school year where we ordered special movies. Seems
to me we had three days and we had six teachers. So, we split
two teachers on duty with all the kids In the gym for movies
plus we had aides and special teachers like music. We had four
people off who had the free time In the afternoon to pack and
clean up in their room. That was very nice of Ms. Davis. She
OKed the idea and made sure we had the time and we could do it.
She didn't have much extra time to come in herself and help
take over hithe classroom. I think If she'd been full-time at
Forest Glen and she thought It would help us to come in and
take a room while we went to do something, I feel she would
have done It. She didn't have the time (FN, Carpenter, 11-3-
82, card 17).

Two principals tried to help the new teachers coming into their buildings
become acquainted with the curriculum. Ms. Underwood was a middlelschool
teacher who had no elementary experience. Her new principal helped her

by getting the textbooks and bringing them to her since she had no

239

release time to spend at Riverview. She explained that "before school
was out, Mr. Austin brought me all the textbooks. He brought them to
Evergreen and left them there, and told me I could have all summer to
look at those texts" (FN, Underwood, 11-16-82, card 4). All Forest Glen
students transferred to Hillcrest as a result of the closures. Since
each school had its own curriculum and textbooks, Mr. Taylor felt It

was important to acquaint his new teachers from Forest Glen with the
textbooks and series used at Hi I Icrest. Ms. Carpenter remembered that

we didn't know exactly what books were being used at Hillcrest.
There was a question about which books would be used. Mr.
Taylor came out and had a brief meeting with us once and ex-
plained what the spelling series was, he said what the new math
series would be (for the early grades it was a new program),
and for reading, which series it was. They'd started the new
Houghton Mifflin reading series. For our fourth and fifth
grade teachers, that meant that every subject was a completely
new book (FN, Carpenter, 11-3-82, card 7).

One principal reportedly provided no help whatsoever, and, according to
Ms. Fox, acted as If he did not care if she needed help. By contrast,
she also told the researcher how helpful one of the elementary principals
was. She related to the researcher that

my principal did not do anything . . . . The elementary princi-
pal was very supportive--Just real nice-helped me move my
stuff and told me what to do with certain things . . . . She
told me how the moving process was going to be. My principal
told me It was my responsibility to get my stuff over here, and
she [Ms. Davis] came down and said, "No. That's not right.
Move It to this room, and we will get it moved over there for
youJ' She told me how to code It to get It over here to the
right place. My principal told me I could not bring my desk, I
could not bring any of my own filing cabinets, I could not
bring an of the materials I had bought with middle school
money. Ms. Davis] said, "I can't tell you that you can now,
but he's [Ms. Fox's principal] not going to miss them if you
take them" (FN, Fox, 10-21-82, card 7).

Principals Pnysical Help _i_nt_li_e Fall. Principals also provided
physical help to their new teachers in the fall when they arrived at

work. Their help was concentrated in physical movement of material and

240

finding teaching materials and textbooks. One union official shared with
the researcher how her principal had helped the new teachers and then
went on to tell what she knew about the other schools. She explained
that

as far as the other buildings, the principals were available to

al I the new teachers and have helped with emptying boxes,

unpacking or packing whatever the case may be--anything they

can do to faci l Itate this move. They've been extremely help-

ful, especial ly at the elementary schools (FN, Thomas, 9-9-82,

card 2).
Several teachers confirmed what Ms. Thomas told the researcher. At
Hi I Icrest, Ms. Carpenter felt that "Mr. Taylor seems to be pretty
supportive as far as getting materials" (FN, Carpenter, 11-3-82, card
14). According to two new Riverview teachers, Mr. Austin helped them
move room furniture. Ms. Scott related that "we had to move my desk. It
was over there and Mr. Austin moved It for us" (FN, Journal Meeting,
Scott, 10-13-82, card 4). Ms. Brand even had more help in setting up her
room. She noted appreciatively that

Mr. Austin helped us move all the furniture around. In fact,

we moved it around several times until we got it the way we

wanted it. He was right there pushing and shoving right with us

getting It around, which was nice (FN, Brand, 11-8-82, card 6).
At Meadow Elementary Mr. Bal l, the principal, helped teachers find teach-
Ing materials and move furniture. He helped Ms. Fox find her room and
some teaching materials. She remembered that "when I came over to the
building, he showed me my room. It wasn't my room, but he thought it
was. He gave me some reading material to look over the summer for this
level of kids" (FN, Fox, 12-9-82, card I). Mr. Ball helped Ms. Gates
find her room, and then also provided assistance In finding teaching

materials and In moving furniture. She told the researchers how "Mr.

Bal I helped some, but he had the whole school to put together. He helped

241

me find some things and he helped me haul some things aroumw'(FN, Gates,
11-23-82, card 6). When Ms. Fox came to school the Sunday before classes
started and began to work In her room, she found Mr. Ball hard at work
helping teachers move furniture so that an additional classroom could be
made. She recal led that "there was Just so much Junk and I came over one
Sunday afternoon. It was the Sunday before Labor Day and Mr. Bal l was
here moving stuff out of the basement because they needed to make It into
classrooms" (FN, Fox, 10-21-82, card 9).

Although teachers valued the physical help given them by principals,
their assistance in helping teachers cope with their emotional distress
was more valuable.

Both In the spring and in the fall, emotional help was given to
involuntarily reassigned teachers by both their former principals and
their new principals. This help took the form of personal and group
moral support and sympathy.

Principals' Emotional Help _Ln Ing _S_g_r_Igg. In the spring, Evergreen
Middle School lost several teachers. Two were recal led to elementary
positions. Both of these teachers were complimentary In their remarks
about their former principal's help. Ms. Scott remembered how he assured
them that he knew they were good teachers. She reported to the
researcher that "Mr. Hall met with all of us people who would be leaving
Evergreen and he told us that he was sorry to see us go and that he felt
he was losing some good people" (FN, Journal Meeting, Scott, 10-13-82,
card 7). Ms. Underwood had worked for Mr. Hall her entire teaching
career. In fact, he was the one who Interviewed and hired her. She had
an especially hard time accepting the change to elementary school and In

losing the close professional rapport that she had developed with him

242

over the years. When she and the researcher discussed how Mr. Hal I had
helped her emotionally she recalled that he emphasized his desire to keep
her on his staff:

Ms. Underwood: I think Mr. Hall did everything he could.

Researcher: What did he do?

Ms. Underwood: Just talk to me and try to be open about the
situation. I would be moving and he hoped that
I would not. It was more personal. I was
having a real tough time leaving middle school
and sixth grade and shed a lot of tears (FN,
Journal meeting, 9-17-82, card 4).

Ms. Carpenter's principal was In charge of closing two of the three
schools. As such, she did not have great amounts of extra time to spend
with the teachers. Yet she was able to provide an atmosphere of support
and confidence which aided teachers emotionally. Forest Glen was one of
the two schools Ms. Davis closed. One of her teachers, Ms. Carpenter,
remembered vividly the support she personally felt from Ms. Davis!

Ms. Davis, our principal, was just very supportive. I think she
tried very hard to make it go smooth for us, to make sure no one
was unhappy with what was happening and to be positive in her
statements about what was going on. . . . She Just tried to stay
positive and make positive comments to us and try to keep
everybody's morale up. Her personality, at least to me, came
across as trying to be helpful. I feel that if anyone would
have come across a problem that she would have done anything she
could in her position to try and help. . . I think on the other
hand the teachers tried to do a good job because of her support
that they felt that they had (FN, Carpenter, 11-3-82, card 17
and 11-17-82, card 7).

Ms. Fox worked at Oak Park Middle School. Although not her principal,
Ms. Davis provided her the emotional encouragement that her own principal
failed to provide. Ms. Fox blatantly told the researcher:

My principal did not do anything. Ms. Davis was very helpful

. . .she just did a super job. When she found out that I had to
move, she went out of her way to be helpful and be nice-just
superi. . . Basically just moral support "You can do it." She
talked to me about the second grade position after Mr. Bell had
talked to me, and she really'built my confidence a little bit.

243

I didn't feel she had to do that, you know. She wasn't my

principal and didn't know me from a hole In the ground two weeks

ago (FN, Fox, 10-21-82, card 7).
The principals who were receiving the Involuntarily'reassigned teachers
also provided emotional help to them. Some teachers felt that they had
been wronged by the layoff-recal 1 process. Ms. Fox felt that her new
principal at Meadow had treated her unfairly In assigning her to a sec-
ond/third grade. As she related her feelings to the researcher, however,
she also explained that his support helped her. She said:

I felt that he had done me an Injustice because I'd never been

in elementary before. I had never taught either of the grades

before. I told him that and his comment to me was that he had

heard a lot of good things about me and that he knew that I

could do it--which made me feel good (FN, Fox, 10-21-82, card

4)!
One principal, Mr. Austin, provided emotional help to new teachers In two
ways: direct and indirect. Direct emotional support consisted of per-
sonal contact with the new teacher. Ms. Underwood told the researcher
about Mr. Austin's trips to her school to visit with her and support her
emotional ly. She recounted that

Mr. Austin wanted to help me very much, but he didn't really

know Ms. Underwood. He wanted to help! He was very supportive

In that he came over two or three times and made sure that I

wanted to come over there. Just to stop in and find out you are

ready to come over. He had some excuse to come In the building

every time, but I could tell he was there Just to see how I was

doing. Not knowing me, he was pretty good (FN, Underwood, 11-

16-82, card 22).
In addition, Mr.lAustin supported his new teachers indirectly In a very
important way. He was able to convey to his Incumbent staff, through
words and his expectations of their professional performance, a general
spirit of willingness to help new teachers. Of this, Ms. Crane told the

researcher that "Mr. Austin told us he was expecting us to do our job and

make the transition as easy as possible for them" (FN, Crane, 12-7-82,

244

card 7). Ms. James emphasized the nonverbal aspect of how she knew what
he wanted the staff to do as she talked with the researcher:

Researcher: Did Mr.lAustin give you teachers that were
getting new team members any kind of guidelines as
how to help the new teachers get used to the
building?

Ms. James: iWL We've worked together for so long that he
kind of said--and It was not really in so many
words--but the understanding was that we help in
any way we could. . .to help them out as much as we
can if they have any questions or concerns to be
sure to help them out with all those and give them
an idea of what we've done before if It worked well
and we I Iked it (FN, James, 9-28-82, card 2).

Principals' Emotional Help ining Pal I. Principals also provided
emotional help In the fall as the new teachers came to work and began the
new school year. Mr. Austin showed his support, in part, by periodically'
going to the teachers to see how they were adjusting rather than waiting
for them to come to him frustrated. Ms. Underwood told the researcher
that time spent with Mr. Austin was beneficial. She explained:

Mr. Austin met with me last Wednesday. He's meeting with al I

the new teachers. He's going over different things with us--any

questions that we have concerning the school, how we feel about

Riverview now, do we feel that we've adjusted, and that type of

thing. So I spent thirty minutes with him talking. It was real

good (FN, Underwood, 11-30-82, card 5)!

Although Ms. Gilbert felt that she personallyrdid not have any real
trauma in adjusting to Riverview and Mr. Austin, just the fact that he
would take the time and show’a personal Interest In her wellbeing made
her feel good. She told the researcher about this:

Mr. Austin was happy and welcomed me. He checked. He came

around that first week and checked with me, "Is everything all

right?" And after the first month, "How are you doing?" And

sat down with me for maybe ten to fifteen minutes, "Is there

anything that's troubling you or bothering you or are things

going all right? Are you getting the help you need or what you

need?" And I was. The fact that he came by to check made me
feel good, very good (FN, Gilbert, 11-11-82, card 19).

245

Mr.lAustIn continually, emphasized his availability to teachers and

his Interest In them by wandering from class to class visiting with the
teachers, the students, or just walking In and out. This provided the
teachers with access to him many times daily. Ms. Thomas provided the
researcher with an example of how this "walk through" policy worked and
of Mr. Austin's sincere desire to help teachers. She related an Incident
that she had witnessed between Ms. Underwood and Mr. Austin to the re-

searcher:

Just yesterday, Ms. Underwood wanted to talk to Mr. Austin about
the token program [the Riverview student discipline system based
on a token economy of positive rewards] so she said, "I need to
see you sometime" and he was right there. Well, she couldn't
talk to him right then because she had a room full of kids, so
she said, "I'll talk to you later)’ Solhe came back and said,

" I can't wait, what is this about?" So, there is a great deal
of fol low up (FN, Thomas, 9-9-82, card 2).

Ms. Fox was new to Meadow Elementary and to Mr. Bal 1, her principal. She
felt he helped her by his physical presence In her room and by his
willingness to answer her questions-~even when they were over the phone.

As she related to the researcher:

Mr. Ball Just made his presence known and made me feel like I
could ask any questions that I wanted to ask him and he would be
helpful if he could to me. . . . If I had a question or
something, he was always wil ling to listen. He would always
take my phone calls. I notice now a lot of times he'll put
peOple on hold and just leave them there for a long time. He' l I
say, "Tel l them I' I I be there" and I' l I say, "You know you have
a phone call In the office." "Oh, yes, but they can wait." But
he always used to take my phone calls immediately, so I guess I
should take that as a compliment that I had something to say
instead of putting me on hold for fifteen minutes like he does a
lot of peOple. That made me feel good (FN, Fox, 12-9-82, card
1)!

Ms. Gates felt that she needed a lot of help when she came to Meadow.
Mr. Ball provided much of the emotional help she needed because he was
available for help and she felt he was someone she could turn to with

confidence. She explained to the researcher that

246

Mr. Ball is very supportive if I need anything. If I'm
concerned about explaining something to a parent, I know I can
go to him. I have to be able to because I don't know these

parents. I need that guidance. . . . He's somebody that I think

a lot of, I really do. I'm Just amazed by him. He's a real

administrator. He's the kind of man that fix ggg was. I see him

as a real professional (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, cards 21, 29)!
Ms. Baird was in the unique position, as a result of being involuntarily
reassigned into two part-time special education positions, of working in
two different schools plus having a supervisor in the district office.
So, in reality she had three supervisors. One of the ways both of the
principals supported her emotional ly was by making favorable comments to
her district office supervisor. She told the researcher that "both have
told my big boss, the special ed director, that they were pleased with my
work. They were happy to have me. I feel good about them both (FN,
Journal, Baird, 10-27-82, card 4). Ms. Baird went on to share two speci-
fic ways Mr.‘Taylor, her principal at Hillcrest, has provided emotional
support. The first way was by supporting her needs In relation to her
special education curriculun. She told the researcher:

He lg super. He has been very kind, understanding, and

supportive of me and our program. He has gone "all out" to keep

our aide time, so he realizes how much work we are trying to do,

and our unique problems In the Resource Room (FN, Journal,

Baird, 12-8-82, card 9).
A second way Mr. Taylor supported not only Ms. Baird, but his entire
staff as seen by her, was by being available to help In time of need and
by communicating his trust of them to his staff. Ms. Baird told the
researcher:

I feel we are one big happy family. ‘Yes, there are some

concerns--losing our aide time, budget cuts, Interruptions in

our program, steam-but we sit down together and BITCH or

discuss. I don't feel there Is backstabbing going on. When we

have concerns or questions we share them, and Mr. Taylor is one

big reason things run so smoothly. We feel he Is behind us,

trusting us, and there when we need him (FN, Journal Baird, 10-
27-82, card 11).

247

Ms. Carpenter, also new to the Hillcrest staff, gave an example of how
she saw Mr. Taylor trying to build that trust and the emotional support
Ms. Baird felt she experienced. To her, the "payday donut time" helped
her see her friends and promoted the family trusting relationship among
the staff members. She related to the researcher that

on Fridays, on paydays, I believe Mr. Taylor buys the donuts.
Somebody said that he does this. But on paydays, we have a
staff meeting and usually he brings In donuts. So, I assume
that since he brings them In, he's purchasing them for everybody
which Is quite an expense, but yet it Is nice. It's kind of a
little social gathering where everyone does get together and if
it's a staff meeting, of course we're there having a meeting.
But on the days that it is not and he didn't have anything for
us, well he went ahead, brought the donuts, and we'd sit around
and talk and just relax and enjoy each other's company. ‘That
has helped to bring peOple together because otherwise where you
have so much work to do--like I think of , the fact that I
don't see her very often stands In my mind because she is at the
other end of the building and she has a different kind of a work
schedule--l wouldn't see her at all. I think that has been very

nice of Mr. Taylor to help encourage It (FN, Carpenter, 11-17-
82, card 6).

Teachers

Although principals were able to provide some physical support to
their teachers in the spring and in the fall, most of the actual physical
help teachers had in moving came from other teachers within their
buildings. This help consisted of: (1) aiding In packing materials; (2)
giving each other extra and unwanted materials; (3) helping each other
specifically with curriculum concerns and needs.

Teachers' Physical Help 12.122 Sgglgg. In the spring, teachers who
were involuntarily reassigned from schools that were not closing did not
face the extensive springtime packing problem faced by those who were
displaced from a school which was closing. Ms. Eddy helped close out
Lakeview where she taught. She viewed the move as the entire staff

helping each other in addition to performing their own individual work.

248

She recalled that

to make the physical move, the staff helped. We just all worked

together with each other to try to help everybody to get packed

up and out of there. It seemed like a huge problem when you

started out with al 1 those bodies and things. You had to figure

out who was taking what and where you were sending them (FN,

Eddy, 11-11-82, card 8).

She went on to give a specific example of how she helped one of the other
teachers after she finished her own work. "One of my friends had sixty-
two boxes to label and I want In and helped her do that because I had
already taken care of most of my things" (FN, Eddy, 10-28-82, card 1).
Ms. Fox, who was not in a school which closed, also was given help In
moving her belongings from the middle school wing where they could be
transported to Meadow at district expense. She told the researcher:

I had one really good friend at the middle school who was very

helpful, and another teacher. She taught gym class, but she

helped me physically move quite a few things that I had to have
moved. That was the only help that I got from that end (FN,

Fox, 10-28-82, card 1).

A second way teachers helped each other in the spring was by
sharing what they no longer needed or what they had In excess. Excess
materials included (1) furniture Items such as bookshelves, tables,
desks, and chairs: and (2) teaching materials such as textbooks, library
books, workbooks, and miscellaneous wall charts, posters, and pictures.
When she packed up and cleaned out her room at Forest Glen, Ms. Campbell
found she had excess furniture which she gladly shared with the rest of
the staff. She remembered that

It was easy for me to go around the school and say, "Come In

here and look. Is there anything In here that you want? Here's

an extra bookcase." Some of the other teachers came in and got

bookcases and things out of my room and put their tag on It to

come here to their room (FN, Carpenter, 11-3-82, card 12).

Ms. Fox, who taught at Oak Park Middle School, was reassigned to a

second/third grade spl It class at Meadow. Because she had never taught

249

elementary before, as her friends at Lakeview found excess materials,
they boxed them up for her to use the fol lowing year. Ms. Eddy, one of
the Lakeview teachers, recounted for the researcher some of these efforts

by the staff to help Ms. Fox:

We knew Ms. Fox was coming, but she was on a different schedule
and she was In the middle school rather than the elementary. We
did things for her like packing up certain things. If we found
people didn't want certain things and they were still In good
shape and looked like something she'd want, we packed it in a
box for her. The second and third grade teachers gave her some
of the things that they'd used (FN, Eddy, 11-18-82, card 11).

A third way teachers helped teachers physically In the spring was by
providing specific help to others in curriculum. When Ms. Fox visited
Meadow Elementary in the spring, she received help in locating reading
materials. She told the researcher how this happened by accident. She
stated that

in the spring, when I came over first to look at the school, I

ran into a couple of teachers In the hall. They were Just real

friendly and showed me where materials were and showed me the

basement and where I could come up with reading stuff and were

Just super friendly (FN, Fox, 12-2-82, card 10).
Ms. Baird, who was involuntarily reassigned after ten years In the
classroom to special education, was helped by the special education
teachers. She told the researcher:

The special ed teachers have loaned me books, papers to read,

told me about materials and even given me some. They are there

when and if I need them and they let me know it. No one has

been nosey and butted Into anything, however (FN, Journal,

Baird, 10-27-82, cards 4-5).
Mrs. Baird went on to describe a specific Instance of help. "I talked to
IML Hicks, the Riverview resource teacher, last spring and she offered
all kinds of help. She gave me addresses so I could write for catalogues

on materials" (FN, Journal, Baird, 12-15-82, card 2). Ms. Hicks

confirmed helping Ms. Baird and told the researcher how she specifically

250

helped her. She explained that Ms. Baird

wanted to know what kind of materials I used. So, I brought her
over here and we went through all my catalogues together. I
tried to tell her what I thought was really good and why, and
what was not worth bothering with. Then I gave her a lot of
catalogues that I had .. .I showed her my programs .. .I
showed her how to set things up, as far as what types of

programs I used. I showed her how to organize a little bit as
far as having assignment sheets for all the kids, and writing
assignments for them daily. I tried to show her some

similarities between the regular classroom and this classroom
(FN, Hicks, 11-8-82, card 1).

Ms. Scott and Ms. Campbel I discussed Ms. Campbel l's experience at Green
Park when it closed. She told how other teachers helped by giving her
their unwanted materials.

Ms. Scott: At the time we thought I was going to second and
you were going to fourth, there were peOple
saying, "Here, maybe you could use this next
year" as they cleaned all this Junk out that was
back there.

Ms. Campbell: brought me down all of the third grade
Scott Foresman reading books because I had been
the one that had made up all the questions
originally to go with those, and she knew I
liked that one unit in there. So, she brought
me all that box of stuff (FN, Journal Meeting,
11-23-82, card 11).

Teachers' Physical HeIp 13 the Fall. There is widespread evidence
that in the fall incumbent teachers provided their new colleagues with
much physical help in beginning the new year. Most of that help was
concentrated in orienting new teachers with unfamiliar curriculum. That
this was a process that took time was alluded to by Ms. Baird when she
told the researcher:

We are all learning and we are all helping each other learn.

Even those who have been here a long time are getting to know us

and our strengths. When I ask for help or materials, several

people offer whichever (FN, Journal, Baird, 10-27-82, card 11).

Ms. Brand was involuntarily reassigned Into a first/second grade split

class not having taught either grade before. One of her Incumbent

251

cx>lleagues in the building helped her by suggesting what the curriculum
should include and what topics were most Important at the grade level to
be covered. She reported to the researcher that

Ms. Crane gave me some suggestions on vocabulary games and
things to do with a couple of my first graders that need
vocabulary drilling. That makes me feel good because It makes
my job a lot easier. Ms. Crane even went through one of the
books she's used before and for each unit picked out the things
that were the most Important to cover, because there are so many
things for each unit you can't possibly do them all. And, I'm
not seasoned enough to know myself which things I should be
covering and which I shouldn't or aren't as Important to cover.
80, she did that for me which was helpful (FN, Brand, 11-30-82,
card 5).

Ms. Carpenter was new to her job as a reading teacher and to Hillcrest
Elementary. Her major frustration with the reassignment centered on
curriculum. She shared with the researcher how another reading teacher
was able to help her after school began In the fall. She remembered that

one day I was really getting frustrated with a couple of these
fourth and fifth grade groups. I didn't feel I was getting
through to them. I knew that over at Meadow had a
conference Friday afternoon. It was Friday afternoon and I
could speak to her probably then. She had shown me some
materials at the beginning of the year. I remembered I liked
them but I couldn't remember over a month's time how she used
them. She invited me the fol lowing week. She said she was
going to start a group in these particular books and had me come
over that morning. I think that really helped me to be able to
actual ly see someone using them, too. I was able to see
children playing a particular game, too, that we have--that's a
fun game for them--but to see kids actually using It. lt'
brought up questions and things that I might have come across on
my own, but to see It happen when someone else is there, I could
question her and say, "Now In this incidence, what do you do?"
So that really helped (FN, Carpenter, 12-8-82, card 7).

 

At Riverview Elementary, the teachers followed an individualized reading
program at all grade levels. The Incumbent teachers modified a com-

mercial series to fit their students' needs. Because this was unique to
Riverview, both Ms. Scott and Ms. Underwood, formerly at Evergreen Middle

School, found it difficult to adjust to the new method. One of the

252

incumbent teachers, Ms. Thomas, showed them how the Riverview approach to
reading worked. Ms. Scott told the researcher that "we went over and Ms.
Thomas met us and took us over and explained to us just how It worked--
how the kids get their assignment sheets and she went through that with
us" (FN, Journal Meeting, Scott, 10-13-82, card 4) Ms. Thomas and another
teacher were also able to provide help to Ms. Underwood when she wanted
to teach a specific language arts unit. Ms. Underwood told the re-
searcher how she got the help. She said that

helped, and also Ms.‘Thomas In setting up a language
arts unit. Ms. Thomas teaches language arts In fifth grade and
both of these ladies came to me and said that If there was any
area I felt like I needed more references for, that they could
dig up some dittos or whatever or maybe direct me where I could
go to find the different materials. I know that was
teaching a dictionary unit. I went to and tried to
figure out where I get the dictionaries and where I get the
dittos. It ended up that I had to go to Ms. Thomas to get the
dittos and the dictionaries. Ms. Thomas had the dictionaries
from the library in her room to be passed around. So It was
Just kind of a mutual "I'll use them first, you use them next"
and that type of thing. This made me feel good, real good. I
mean, it's like well, yes, we can get in there and help her out
(FN, Underwood, 11-30-82, card 7).

 

At Meadow Elementary, Ms. Fox also found the incumbent teachers more than
willing to help her with curriculum concerns. She felt everyone she
asked had been helpful. In addition to those she asked, others came
forward and offered materials. Of this she said:

they've given me materials for this grade level. The teachers

would come down and say, "You know, I'm not using this anymore,

do you want to use this? If you can use this, use It." That

type of thing. gave me a lot of materials to get started

with. The teachers who taught upper el sent me down little

stuff that I could put on the wall because what I had was geared

to so much higher kids. gave me a lot of material for

this grade level (FN, Fox, IO-21-82, card 8 and 10-28-82, card It

In addition to the help with curriculum received by the new teachers
from their Incumbent col leagues, these same col leagues provided a minimal

amount of help in physically moving furniture and unpacking boxes. When

253

Ms. Eddy went to work at Meadow In August, she and a friend worked
together moving supplies stacked In the gym to their rooms. Ms. Eddy

told the researcher that

when I came in on August 10, it was with , who I had
taught with at Lakeview and who worked on cleaning out the place
and trying to get our things moved down. We were here In the
building for almost two weeks--the two of us and the custodians
(FN, Eddy, 11-11-82, card 8).

At Hi I Icrest, Ms. Baird also received some help from a col league In
getting her room ready. After working on her own for two weeks, Ms.
Baird told the researcher that "I called at home and begged her
to come in. She came . . . and threw more things away" (FN, Journal,
Baird, 11-17-82, card 1). Physical help by col leagues in moving
furniture was a major factor In the helping process at Riverview
Elementary. This is because the school has no Interior classroom walls.
All the walls are portable sight barriers. Help in this case was
atypical in relation to the rest of the district. For Ms. Campbell, this
first experience with the open classroom was devastating. She vividly
remembered her first day at work as she recalled her feelings of
insecurity as she explained to the researcher:

I didn't know where to put anything. Everything was movable
and it was too much. I stood In the middle of the room and
looked. By six o'clock I was ready to cry. I was boxed in by
movable cupboards and it wasn't attractive and l was out in the
middle and didn't even have a wall I could cling to. It was all
overwhelmingly strange! I talked to Ms. James and begged for a
portion of the wall with a nice normal chalkboard hanging on It.
Ms. James was understanding and I got a portion of a wall that
didn't move. Finally, one static thing! .. . I worked all day
at getting ready for kids, unpacking some boxes and getting some
materials ready. Ms. James was a big, big help with what to do.
She helped get materials around, helped with starting second
grade. She let me have part of her blackboard and wall which I
needed badly for my security (FN, Journal, Campbell, 9-7-82,
cards 3-4).

254

Ms. Underwood and Ms. Hawser initially worked on Ms. Underwood's room at
Riverview until Mr. Austin rearranged it (see p. 222). When she finally
returned to school, she and Ms. Scott, who had the room next to hers,

worked together to get their rooms more to their liking. Ms. Underwood

said of this effort:

Once we came back, the way things were set up, it turned out
that I didn't have very many bulletin boards. So, we had to do
some switching around of these compartments so that I'd have a
tullletln board. Then Ms. Thomas came in and she wanted an extra
blackboard, so we ended up swapping furniture so that I could
have another bulletin board (her side of the blackboard) and
she'd have a blackboard. I worked It out then with other people
(FN, Underwood, II-16-82, card 5).

Ms. Scott also told about their time together working in their rooms
before school. She recalled that

when I came out my room was already arranged. You know, they
Just did it and somebody had just put In the furniture. Ms.
Underwood and I came the same day. We arranged things where we
would prefer to have them. They Just kind of outlined the room.
You know, like her cupboard was someplace and I moved It
someplace else. I Just made It kind of like I thought I might
want it (FN, Journal Meeting, Scott, 10-13-82, card 4L

Teachers' Emotional Helplg_thgy§g£lgg. ‘The emotional help teachers
provided each other in the spring consisted mainly of encouraging others
that they would succeed in their new situation. Just the fact that
Involuntarily assigned teachers had someone who was going through the
same agony and who would be a listener to their concerns was a comfort.
The need was for time to talk to each other and to adjust to the new job
and working conditions. Ms. Eddy, a Lakeview teacher, explained to the
researcher how Important this encouragement was when she told the
researcher that it was a comfort

Just being there for each other saying, "Well, you know we're

going to be alright, we're.all going together. ‘The four of us

will be here, trying to keep each other's spirits up. We had a

party the last day of school and went out to the lake with one
of the staff members. We just all had time together to talk

255

about moving and try to ease ourselves Into the Idea that we
were no longer a group. Just knowing they were going through it
with me helped, and when I would be feeling low about things,
they would help to boost my spirits, and then I would do the
same thing for somebody else when they were going through these.
Somehow we managed not to all go through It at the same time.
We would feel low on certain days when the other wouldn't be, so

we kind of helped each other stay up as much as possible (FN,
Eddy, 10-28-82, card 1).

Ms. Fox, an Oak Park Middle School teacher who was reassigned to an
elementary school position, found help from Lakeview teachers and also

from the teacher whose job she was taking at Meadow. She explained to

the researcher that

once we found out I was coming here, and they were coming here,
then It Just happened that I had a conference hour that lapped
over into twenty minutes of their lunch. So then I would go
Into their lunch room and they were real open to me, you know,
"Just come on in)‘ taught second grade last year and
she said, "come into my room anytime and observe. So, I got to
know them really quite well. All of them were really helpful.
Even the kindergarten teacher who got laid off was Just really
super helpful. The guy whose place I took, who had a
second/third last year was extremely helpful . .. he showed me
how he ran the second/third split .. . I really felt I was
helped by a lot of peOple once I knew where I was going to be
and who I was going to be with (FN, Fox, 10-21-82, card 8).

For Ms. Baird, who changed schools and went from a second grade classroom
to special education, the news of her Impending reassignment was quite
traumatic. A col league and friend from Hil Icrest, where she was to be
reassigned, provided some of the needed emotional support to get Ms.
Baird through this first crisis. Ms. Baird recalled that

in late March, I got a letter that said the personnel director
of the schools wanted to see me about my next year's Job

 

assignment. Please make an appointment immediately. I calmly
walked to the phone, cal led, made my appointment for the next
day, called my best friend, , and asked her to drop
everything and meet me for coffee. I left school, drove to the
restaurant, walked in, sat down, and came apart--and I mean
apart! Well, fortunately my friend, , took over and

helped me to realize that all this could work In my favor.

spent a couple of hours helping me regain my
perspective. My whole life was changing. Perhaps this was good
timing. lAfter all, I could come to Hillcrest and we hadn't

256

worked together for ten years. There was a good side. I came
around. I began to realize she was right (FN, Journal, Baird,
10-20-82, card 2).

Between March and the end of school In June, other teachers from

Riverview, where she taught, helped her emotionally. Ms. Hicks recal led

that

part of the help I gave her was verbal support that she would
make It OK that everybody felt the way she felt. I know she had
been out of It awhile, but her feelings about "I don't know what
I'm going to do, I don't know where to begin, I don't know how
I'm going to handle this" are real feelings we all share .. . I
found I was doing a lot of that but how much she heard, I don't
know. You're so concerned about what's going to happen, that
you don't hear all this other stuff. To you, you're not going
to make it, no matter what anybody says. They don't know
because you know you're not going to make it. And that comes
from fear--fear and apprehension (FN, Hicks, 11-8-82, cards
1,3).

Another Riverview teacher, Ms. Abbott, also provided Ms. Baird with
emotional support. Ms. Abbott emphasized the casual way In which she
felt her help was given. She recalled that it was

In an Informal way, Just to help her feel better about it, to

convince her that she really'had the skills to do what she is

going to do . . . We never did sit down and have a formal

meeting. It was Just Informal, a little bit here and a little

bit there kind of thing (FN, Abbott, 11-8-82, card 1).
Although Ms. Baird's new assignment was mostly at Hillcrest, she was also
assigned part time to Woodlawn Elementary to help in Its resource room.
Ms. Davidson, the full-time Woodlawn resource room teacher, also had an
opportunity to help Ms. Baird with some of the emotional uncertainties of
her new assignment. Ms. Davidson reported to the researcher that

we talked Just once or twice last spring . . . In talking, I

explained how I've run my program the last couple of years, and

procedures that most of the resource teachers fol low. That had

real ly helped me because when I started, I had the same type of

situation .. . So, basically I tried to help Ms. Baird with the
same thing (FN, Davidson, 11-3-82, card I).

257

Teachers' Emotional Helj _I_n t_h_e Fal l. Most of the involuntarily
reassigned teachers received emotional help from their new col leagues and
sincerely appreciated the help offered. As with the emotional help In
the Spring, this help was mainly in the form of encouragement and In the
promise and wIl lingness of col leagues to be available. Help was provided
by new col leagues as wel I as former acquaintances with whom the newly
reassigned teachers were now working.

For Ms. Fox, this emotional help from new col leagues began as soon
as she went to school in August to prepare her new room. This early help
aided her in feeling accepted as a new family member. She recalled that

I kind of walked In and l was here. 'They would come in that

first week before school started, and see my room and say, "Oh,

you're making progress. Can I help you do this?" They could

have just walked right on by and not even bothered to stop, so I

guess I really felt accepted right away from the beginning. A

lot of them here had come over and said, "Oh, we've heard a lot

of good things about you. We're glad you're here)‘ I never

didn't feel accepted. I never didn't feel a part of it [sic]

(FN, Fox, 10-28-82, card 7).

When Ms. Gilbert took the position at Riverview, she had never taught

first grade and was mildly apprehensive about it. Ms. Crane, another

lower elementary teacher there, provided most of the emotional support
she needed. To Ms. Gilbert, this help was comforting. As she talked

with the researcher, Ms.(3ilbert mentioned that

most help came from Ms. Crane. She gave me an awful lot of

direction In the beginning as to what usually was done before In

first grade. I pretty much went on my own after she told me

what I needed to evaluate, what I needed to look for and how to

begin reading groups. She's been a big help . . . I guess I

felt comfortable In knowing that Ms. Crane was going to be a big

help. She offered her help all the time. "If you ever have a

problem, I'm always here." So, that was comforting (FN,

Gilbert, 11-11-82, cards 4, 11).

Ms. Brand was reassigned to Riverview as a first/second grade split

teacher. She had never taught either grade before. Emotional help from

258

her new col leagues came not mainly by explanations of curriculum or
school rules, but by their presence and her knowledge that some of them
were going through the trauma of adjusting to the change as she was. She
explained to the researcher that

everybody has been real supportive--both Ms. Crane and Ms.
James. Anytime that I need anything they're more than wIl ling
to show me something, give me Ideas. ‘They've been very
supportive . . . Not once has anybody seemed short tempered or
given me a quick type response, which I think Is outstanding.
They Just always seem to find time to very patiently explain
things, which is really helpful to me which makes me feel a lot
better . . . Other teachers who were going through the same
thing helped me most. Not necessarily from my building, but
the other new teachers here. They may have come from different
buildings, but people that were going through the same thing
could understand really what your feelings are. l was glad
there were some other people out here, that I wasn't the only
one. That felt good (FN, Brand, 11-8-82, cards 10, 18 and 11-
30-82, card 8)!

Ms. Fox was new to Meadow Elementary and new to the second grade.
Emotional help given her by her new col leagues took on the form of verbal
support combined with tangible help in a family emergency. Ms. Fox
vividly discussed the event and her positive feelings toward her new

colleagues:

My dad was real sick. ‘Two weeks ago Wednesday he started
bleeding Internally and was unconscious for several days and
they were very cooperative. I got a phone call Wednesday night
to come down Immediately, so we went. I had lesson plans for
Thursday but that's all. They didn't expect him to live and so
I cal led Thursday and said, "I don't have any plans. Could you
ask If she'll do plans for me?" She did my Friday plans
and then they took care of my whole next week's plans for the
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Thanksgiving .. . They
were just real, real helpful in that situation and very
concerned. PeOple called me to see how he was doing long
distance to [name of town]. I really felt like a lot of people
cared. I felt good because that way I felt like they had
accepted me as part of their staff because they didn't have to
do anything for me, really (FN, Fox, 12-2-82, card 12).

To the Involuntarily transferred teacher, having a friend or former

col league to use for emotional support is Important. When Ms. Gates was

259

assigned to Meadow, she had no teacher she knew personally and with whom
she felt comfortable In sharing her burdens and concerns. She stated
emphatically'to the researcher that

I didn't know anybody on this staff . . . I would just have
loved to have somebody--anybody. I Just would have taken
anybody to help me feel welcome--show me where different things
are--be there for support so that anytime at all that I had
question, I'd know I could go to that one teacher. As it Is,
sometimes I just went In the lounge (they were all sitting
there) and said, "Help! Anybodyi" lAnd, somebody would help me
(FN, Gates, 11-23-82, cards 4, 29).

When Forest Glen closed, all the teachers and students transferred to
ltillcrest. Ms. Carpenter, one of the former Forest Glen teachers, found
that her other former col leagues stIl I provided emotional support for
each other and she shared how she tried to help them:

There was a pretty good amount of adjustment in our being just
emotionally supportive. You know, asking each other how the day
went. We knew of certain students we were looking out for, and
making sure that we spent some time with each other. We have
had time where we can sit down as little groups, not always the
same group, but like in the lounge and share things that
happened, ask how things are going, and see If there is some way
we can help each other. Like In my case, If something was
happening that they were a little unhappy about, I Just tried to
boost them up a little bit in a normal friendship way (FN,
Carpenter, 11-17-82, card 4).

Ms. Baird was also new to Hillcrest Elementary, but she had a longtime
friend already on the staff. Her constant availability and insights Into
working conditions unknown to Ms. Baird because she was new, provided
emotional support for her. Ms. Baird shared an example of how this help
was given and appreciated. She noted that

Is always there when I need a friend, always
encouraging, always supportive, always ready with a Joke or a
laugh. She'll drop anything to talk, or have coffee, or
whatever. She confirms feelings I have or helps me see things
more clearly by giving me background knowledge. For instance, I
have had some problems with one of the teachers. I have four of
her students In the Resource Room and I'm feeling a total lack
of cooperation. confirmed that the teacher Is a
"hard nose" who Egg had these same troubles In the past and

 

260

doesn't give an inch. In other words, it's not me! It sure

helps (FN, Journal, Baird, 10-27-82, card 4).
The teachers at Lakeview Elementary had been together as a school family
for many years. When Lakeview closed, they were split among three other
elementary schools. Several of them, including Ms. Eddy, went to Meadow.
These teachers felt the need to continue the emotional support they had
been accustomed to giving and receiving over the years at Lakeview.
Therefore, all of the former Lakeview teachers who were dispersed
throughout the district decided to meet periodically to support and enjoy
one another. Ms. Eddy attended these social get-togethers and shared
with the researcher how much this meant to her:

We all went out to dinner. We invited everybody we had taught

with at Lakeview at one time or another. There were eight of us

there and It was real Iy nice. We al I talked about that

everybody was going through the same things. ‘They talked about

feeling alone--feeling like there Just wasn't anybody there who

really cared about them and yet, now they knew that we all still

care about one another, about what was happening, and It was

good that we all had a chance to talk. We talked about our

families and all the things we used to talk about. We spent

about--well, we got there at five and left at five to eight. rt

was really a good time together, and we decided that we were

going to do it again around Christmas time (FN, Eddy, 10-28-82,

cards 2-3).
The most poignant Illustration of the Importance of having a friend in
the new school was found at Riverview. Although all of the new teachers
knew of each other, three of the five Involuntarily reassigned teachers
had worked together In the recent past and were close friends. They
shared the Importance of this friendship with the researcher. Ms.
Underwood was transferred from Evergreen Middle School and had never
taught elementary children before. She acknowledged her fear that there
would be no one at Riverside she knew well enough to feel comfortable in

seeking help and her joy when she found Ms. Scott was going to also be at

Riverside. Ms. Underwood explained:

261

I knew that If I came out here I had to have someone help me or
I'd never make it, because those people wouldn't have made It
coming Into Evergreen If I hadn't really set down and helped
them. I Just knew that I knew nothing about fourth grade. I
knew nothing about how an elementary building was managed. I
knew I needed someone to help me. Ms. Campbel I was wil ling.

She knew she was going to be in fourth grade. I knew Ms.
Campbell, but not very well. I didn't know who I was going to
depend on to pull me through and teach me all the ropes of
fourth grade. I knew that Ms. Scott would give me all the help
she could. But, being on the other side of the building, I Just
figured she'd have a hard time figuring out second grade and
could not help me as much as I needed. Ms. Campbel I had cal led
me a number of times saying, "What are we going to do In fourth
grade?" I could see that she didn't feel comfortable. So, I
didn't know who I was going to relate to. When I found out that
Ms. Scott was going to be out here In fourth grade, I knew I
could make it! I knew that she would help me out all that She
could since I had helped her all I could In sixth grade. It
made me feel just fantastic when I found out (FN, Underwood, 11-
16-82, card 6).

Ms. Underwood, Ms. Scott, and Ms. Campbell discussed with the researcher
one day, their deep feelings of need to have someone emotionally close to
them when they were new to the school and how good they felt about the
support they had been to each other:

Researcher: So, how does it make you feel when you can have
somebody come out like '5 mother or
you know someone on the staff or parents?

Ms. Underwood: Well, It makes It easier.

Ms. Scott: Sure, because Ms. Underwood's very aware that's
something she doesn't have.

Ms. Underwood: Righti B21, this Situation would be
compounded, MS. Scott, ten times for me If you
weren't next door to me. You know that.

 

Ms. Scott: If I wasn't.

Ms. Underwood: If you were not next door to me, then my goodness!
It would be terrible for me. A terrible
situation. I would really consider leaving.

MS. Campbell: This really makes an Interesting support group,
the three of us.

Ms. Scott: Because when I was leaving I was not considering
going to Spring Hill. [said to Ms. Campbell]

I wasn't worried about you. I mean I knew

ou'd be pissed, but I knew you'd understand.
[said to Ms. Underwood] Because I didn't know
what I was going to say because I knew that you
needed me because I knew how much I needed you
at Evergreen.
Ms. Underwood: Right.

262

Ms. Scott: So, therefore I knew what you would be feeling.

Ms. Underwood: Well, I'll tell ya, I knew at that time that If
Ms. Scott wasn't going to be there, I figured
they'd keep Ms. Campbell. At least I knew her.
And, I felt comfortable with the fact that she
was going to be over there, even though she
didn't want to be there. I was just glad that
she was going to be there.

Ms. Scott: It's a body, Isn't It?
Ms. Campbell: Right!
Ms. Scott: You guys are my support group. Did you know

that? It's not that you're going to be able to
answer any of my questions. It's just that
you're there. It's really been something. You
know, I can just go over and say I'm lost and
you'll understand. It's not that you know
where everything is for me or know the answer
to any of the questions. I'm Just not alone
(FN, Journal Meeting, 9-17-82, cards 8-9).

In addition to the help given Involuntarily reassigned teachers by
their col leagues, there were Individuals other than professional

educators who also provided assistance.

Family and Friends

 

The help provided by other than professional educators to involun-
tarlly reassigned teachers also fails Into the two general categories of
physical help and emotional help.

Family and Friends' Physical Help. Physical help provided teachers

 

by family and friends which was reported by them, occurred primarily In
the fall. In three cases, involuntarily reassigned teachers told of
having outside help in packing their materials In the spring. Ms. Scott
and Ms. Campbell mentioned this help to the researcher:

Ms. Campbell: I had some parents come In and pack boxes.

Ms. Scott: And , and your aide. , who had
my room, did some packing for me. She did more
than her share of packing.

MS. Campbell: Everyone was so befuddled about moving that nobody
had time to support anybody else (FN, Journal
Meeting, 10-19-82, card 4).

263

M5. Brand was displaced from Lakeview Elementary when It was closed. She
also had received help from her aide after hours. Ms. Brand recalled the
Spring packing and told the researcher
we had to sort everything and pack everything. It all had to be
done on our own time. We weren't given any extra time to do it.
So, I spent weekends and (I taught mornings) spent several
afternoons. I just spent the whole day there and packed all

afternoon. My aide stayed with me, the two of us (FN, Brand,
11-8-82, card 2).

When Ms. Eddy came to work at Meadow, she found her materials, which had
been moved over there from Lakeview, were part of the floor-to-ceiling
stack In the gym. Her grade school-age chl ldren came with her and
provided much of the actual muscle to move her belongings from the gym to
her room. In addition, they were able to help a colleague of hers, also
from Lakeview. Ms. Eddy proudly related to the researcher how
the kids came with me. When I was coming out here they decided
they wanted to come the first day. We packed a lunch and came.
was here. They just started helping to move. They loved
doing it. They felt so needed. We kept tel ling them how
wonderful they were because they real Ly were. So they came out
and helped for a couple of days. When came In,
, my son, came back and helped her move (FN, Eddy, 11-
11-82, card 9).
The most graphic example of help from family and friends occurred when
Ms. Gates returned to North Umpqua from her summer vacation and first
went to work at her new school, Meadow. She was assigned a former
resource room which was partial ly ful I of scrap furniture. Emotional Iy
unable to handle the situation by herself, she enlisted the aid of her
parents and boyfriend. Only with their help was she able to have the
room ready to open school. She fervidly recalled the event in August as
she told the researcher:
I went home that night and cal led my parents and said, "Can you
come and help me because I can't do lt--l just can't. I was too

depressed and too astonished by the fact that they couldn't even
bother to put students' desks in the room I was supposed to use.

264

I just couldn't believe It .. . My mom and--my father Is a
retired school superintendent and my mother teaches kindergarten
came down out of their summer vacation and hauled furniture with
me, and painted. We painted that cabinet. My father scoured
and waxed all that furniture. It was filthy! We hauled It over
ourselves from the armory on little rol l Ing carts. He replaced
chair gliders and he scrubbed, and we put up bulletin boards and
tried to pack things away and fix furniture. My boyfriend came
In and did some things. He nailed the cabinet back together
that was all ripped apart and put the knobs on that. We worked
the whole weekend steady--mornlng til night. We would take a
break, go out and get something at the A & W, and come right
back. It's together, but I didn't feel any sense of pride at
the end of it. I have castoff furniture that's awful. I had to
do it all myself, and I don't feel any sense of accomplishment

(FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card 6).

Family and Friends' Emotional Help. Emotional help came from both
friends and family. Although contrary to the researcher's expectations,
friends provided more support than did actual family members. MS. Baird
had friends and parents who had volunteered In her class at Rivervlew.
She happily recounted how they would "call and ask her how things are
going and then listen to the answer to their questions" (FN, Journal,
Baird, 10-27-82, card 5). Ms. Baird also had a boyfriend who provided
her with much needed support throughout her ordeal of Involuntary
reassignment and beginning her new Job at Hillcrest. However, for her,
he was most helpful, emotionally In the summer when she felt In limbo
between her old and new job. She explained to the researcher that

my boyfriend has been super! I don't even know how he can stand

me sometimes, but he's always there with a shoulder to lean on

. .. "I'll be here. You can do rt. .." During the springtime,

when I was in limbo, and now this fall as I'm living the change,

he Is always there with a big hug, a kiss, a smile, a bouquet of
flowers, a shoulder to lean on, and lots of time to hear me out.

I feel special, but more importantly-~NORMAL (FN, Journal,

Baird, 10-20-82, card 4; 10-27-82, card 4).

Ms. Gates had a close girlfriend who had previously been fired from her

job. Ms. Gates felt her girlfriend was the only person who could really

help her emotionally because, when she was laid off from Spring Hill

265

Elementary, Ms. Gates felt as If she had been fired even though she knew
she would be recal led. Ms. Gates told the researcher how Important her

friend was In giving her the kind of support she needed because she had

gone through the same feelings earlier:

I sat with her while she mourned that. ‘That's like dying or
something. I don't know how to explain It. When I had this
happen to me, we did sit down and share feelings. She brought
up her feelings of when she was fired. We talked. She's the
only one I reallyrknew. The only peOple, I think, who can
really understand how it feels Is somebody else who went through
It at the same time, who went through the same thing and reacts
the way you do. Some peOple said, "Oh, so what, and went out
and got pregnant. Somebody like that can't help me or can't
talk with me. I need somebody who can sit down and say, "Yes,
It's awful. I know It's awful. I've been through It and I know
how awful It IsJ' I don't need somebody to say, "Well, that's
OK. You'l I manage. It's not a big deal." I just don't need to
hear that (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card 15).

Of the eight married teachers in this study, Ms. Underwood was the
only teacher In the study who told the researcher her husband played a
significant part in helping with the emotional problems she faced. She
told the researcher that

I always can sit down and talk with him. . . . I relied on my

husband quite a bIh. At night I would voice my opinions and

give him the coverage of how things went during the day. . . .

My husband Just kept saying, "Don't worry about It. Don't worry

about it." But I did bring It home a lot and talk about It a

lot. He probably got tired of hearing about It after a while.

. -- That's kind of what pulled me through--being able to voice

It someplace other than here (FN, Underwood, 11-16-82, card 8,

11-30-82, card 3 and 11-16-82/11-30-82, card 6).

The reason for the teachers attributing to their family little emotional
help may lie In the idea al luded to by Ms. Scott and Ms. Campbel I as they
talked with the researcher. Because family members are not actively
involved in the teacher's professional lives as much as others are, they

have less understanding of the emotional anguish generally felt by the

teachers involuntarily transferred. They commented:

266

Ms. Scott: Listening. There wasn't much he could do about
any of It except listen.

Ms. Campbell: That's about It. ‘They don't have much control
over It. Other than being there, there's not
much any of them can do (FN, Journal Meeting, 11-
23-82, card 10 ).

Research Question Three

IN WHAT WAYS DO THE EMOTIONAL EFFECTS OF INVOLUNTARY REASSIGNMENT

AFFECT THE CLASSROOM LEARNING ENVIRONMENT?

Introduction

When the researcher entered this study two of his assumptions were:
(1) the emotional effects of involuntary reassignment will be evident at
the new school, and observable, In part, as both verbal and nonverbal
cues during teacher student interaction; and (2) the emotional effects of
being involuntarily reassigned will Impact negatively'on the classroom
learning environment. The data from this study suggest that two highly
stressful periods occurred during the whole process of closing the
schools and Involuntarily reassigning teachers. The first period was
from January 1982 through the end of the school year In June. The second
began In mid-August, as teachers reported back to work, and continued
through September 1982. Of the two, the January through June period

appears to have been the most stressful.

Behavioral Slggg g: §IE§§§.lfl the Classroom: Spring

The researcher, In the process of conducting ninety-six Interviews
with board members, administrators, and teachers, attempted to uncover
examples of the adverse effects in classrooms of Involuntary reassignment
on teachers. Of the ten teachers Interviewed, two reported that their

feelings adversely affected the classroom environment. In the first

267

instance, the effect was relativelyrmild. It consisted of crying or
losing her composure during class. Ms. Underwood alluded to the fact
that this happened to her repeatedly. This situation was revealed In a
conversation between Ms. Underwood, Ms. Scott, and the researcher. Ms.
Scott and Ms. Underwood team-taught the sixth grade together at their
former school. Ms. Underwood had a difficult time adjusting to the
thought of leaving the middle school and going to an elementary position.
When Ms. Underwood would lose her composure, Ms. Scott would fill In for

her. They told the researcher:

Ms. Underwood: 1 was having a real tough time leaving middle
school and sixth grade and shed a lot of tears.
Ms. Scott: The last day, we'd go, "Oops! Ms. Underwood Is

going to lose it. Ms. Scott, you take over!’
Ms. Underwood: By the last day, Ms. Scott, I didn't even have
to say anything. All she had to do was look at
me and she knew (FN, Journal Meeting, 9-17-82,
card 4).
At Spring Hill Elementary, Ms. Gates had a problem finishing the school
year after being pink-slipped In April. Her extreme bitterness was
displayed through behavior in the classroom which not only came to her
principal's attention through her absenteeism, but also through parents
whose children brought home some of her statements. Ms. Gates told the
researcher about her bitterness as she related:
I was having trouble finishing the year.. . . They pink-slipped
me In April and they hired me back In May. I almost couldn't
finish It from that point on. I was a wreck. There was a lot
of bitterness there. You just have no Idea (FN, Gates, 11-23-
82, cards 2-3).
Mr. Fisher, Ms. Gates' principal at Spring Hill, confirmed the fact that
Ms. Gates was upset about her Involuntary reassignment and told about her
attendance and comments in class when he recalled that
she became so distraught, It affected [her] attendance and also

passed on down to the kids. Not only did she verbally make some
comments that were taken home, but also her actions, body

268

language, showed this type of thing and situation (FN, Fisher,

10-19-82, card 3).
Behavorial _S_I_g_n§ 91 _S_‘_t_l_~_e_s§ _I_n the Classroom: Fall

Between August 31 and December 15, 1982, the researcher conducted
eighty-two classroom observations involving six teachers In four
elementary schools. The primary purpose In conducting these observations
was to observe the expected adverse effects In the classroom from teach-
ers' stress over being Involuntarily reassigned. Within the limits of
the researcher's observation ski I Is he saw no evidence that the Involun-
tary transfers had any adverse effect on the teachers' demeanor In the
classroom. In his professional Judgment, as an educator for twenty
years, what the researcher saw were normal classrooms In which Involun-
tarily transferred teachers were doing a competent job of teaching.

Teachers' Professional Attitude. IA key element In the researcher's
Inability to perceive the assumed adverse effects of Involuntary trans-
fers In the classroom may be the professionalism displayed by the teach-
ers invr>lved in the study. In other words, perhaps the researcher did
not miss seeing the adverse effects; they were simply not there. ‘The
teachers' professional concerns centered on providing the best education-
al environment possible for their children. In September, when Ms.
Underwood, Ms. Scott, Ms. Campbell, and the researcher were discussing
the emotional aspects of leaving their former schools, both Ms. Underwood
and Ms. Scott broke down and cried. The meeting was held during the noon
hour and shortly after class had begun the researcher was talking to MS.
Scott about helping her in class that afternoon. In the middle of the
conversation, Ms. Scott told the researcher that, because of her emotion-

al state fiollowing the meeting, she would not attend again If the topic

269

remained the same, for the sake of her students. She emphatically de-
clared:

l have to tell you one thing. I'm not going to come to your

Friday meetings anymore If we are going to talk about things

that I get emotional about. I know It's good for your study,

but right now I'm really uptight and that's not good for my Job.

I have the kids to think about. Ms. Underwood is feeling the

same way right now (FN, Journal Meeting, 9-17-82).
The Involuntarl ly reassigned teachers themselves also did not feel, In
their professional judgment, that the move affected their classroom
performance. Of this, Ms. Campbell noted that "I don't see the transfer
affecting my classroom performance or my adjustment to second grade. At
this point I don't see the transfer affecting me In the classroom" OWL
Journal, Campbell, 9-28-82). Ms. Underwood felt, as a professional
educator, she could notlallow her personal feelings about her reassign-
ment to Interfere with her children's education. She forcefully told the

researcher:

I do not want those kids to be affected just because Ms.

Underwood Isn't satisfied with where she has been placed. I

don't want them to have to suffer just because I may not be

where I want to be. I don't think It's fair to the kids. I

think a lot of teachers, If they're good teachers, are going to

live that same philosophy. They're not going to let those kids

be hurt because of the way they've been placed (FN, Underwood,

11-16-82, card 8).

Teachers' Professional Skills. A second key element in the re-
searchers' Inability to perceive the assumed adverse effects of Involun-
tary transfers In the classroom may be the professional skills teachers
bring with them from former teaching experience. The researcher assumed
that involuntarily reassigned teachers would (1) exhibit unfamiliarity
with the curriculunu (2) teach too high or too low for students' abili-

ties; (3) evidence behavior that showed a lack of understanding about

school policy: and (4) demonstrate a lack of being prepared to teach

270

through not having adequate, organized daily lessons. Only one teacher
exhibited what could be considered unfamiliarity with the curriculum
while teaching. Ms. Underwood commonly used the teacher's guide when
teaching a math or spelling lesson (FN, 9-9-82, 9-13-82, 9-27-82L In
this connection, she would either hold the guide In her hand as she
walked around the room teaching the lesson, or she would lay It Open on
top of the file cabinet next to the chalk board as she wrote examples on
the board. As part of the reciprocity agreement with the teachers for
the researcher taking their time in the study, the researcher agreed to
help the teachers In the classroom. l=ive of the teachers took advantage
of the offer. Ms. Fox, Msu Campbell, and Ms. Scott, as part of the
agreement, had the researcher correct math, English, and spelling papers.
In addition to this, the researcher was asked to help students with their
individual questions about reading, math, and spelling. From the infor-
mation obtained through correcting papers and talking with students, it
is the researcher's opinion that the tasks and concepts presented to the
children were appropriate to their maturity level. Ms. Eddy and Ms.
Baird had the reseacher help teach their classes. Again, based on the
work the children were asked to do, and the time in which they had to
accomplish It, the researcher feels that the work was apprOpriate for the
students. For the most part, the teachers exhibited no behaviors
observed by the researcher that could classify them as not knowing the
school policies. During September, however, Ms. Campbel I almost always
forgot to take attendance and find out how many students wanted to eat
lunch. When the safety patrol member would come to class to get the
information, he/she would normal ly have to wait. The policy was that

right after classes began at nine o'clock and one o'clock each day, the

271

teacher was to take attendance and record It on a preprinted form. Lunch
count was taken In the morning only. During one observation In October,
the researcher noted that Msu Campbell had completed the attendance-lunch
count task prior to the safety patrol member's arrival. Fieldnotes show
"9:03 The calendar drill Is Interrupted by the pledge oflalleglance. 'The
safety comes in to get the hot lunch count and AnM. attendance. The slip
is ready. Ms. Campbell says to the safety 'I beat you for once'" ”UL
10-13-82). Teachers in this study always appeared to the researcher to
have well organized lessons. The amount of work seemed appropriate to
the time al lotted. Teachers normal ly gave students an overview of what
was expected for the particular period of the day. 'Thls overview was
given orally in the cases of Ms. Eddy In kindergarten and Ms. Campbell In
second grade. Ms. Campbel I typical ly began her morning class with a
sharing time and then went into a period of student seat work while she
conducted reading groups (FN, Campbell, 9-17-82 and IO-I9-82). Ms. Scott
and Ms. Underwood designed their morning classes so their schedules
matched. From nine to ten-thirty students worked on reading and spell-
ing. Recess was from ten-thirty to ten-fifty. After recess, from ten-
fifty until lunch at twelve o'clock students worked on math, or If
finished, could work on spelling, assigned reading, or pleasure reading.
During the two morning periods, both teachers worked with students separ-
ately in reading groups and as Individuals. After lunch, from one
o'clock until three-thirty, Ms. Scott and Ms. Underwood each taught
social studies and English, respectively, to three different groups of
students (FN, daily observations and Daily Program Schedules for Ms.

Scott and Ms. UnderwoodL

272

The present study confirms what other research has shown: that
involuntarily transferred teachers are under stress. The question then
becomes: If the effects of the stress are not evident In the classroom,
why not? That this Is a valid question Is shown by Ms. Scott's answer to
the researcher's question about Involuntary teachers displaying their
emotion in the classroom:

Researcher: The frustration that you have, I would expect to

come out somehow-foot stomping or whatever. But I
haven't seen that kind of thing occur.

Ms. Scott: You wouldn't see It here (FN, Journal Meeting, lO-25-

82, card 8).
If their emotions do not show In the classroom, how do teachers c0pe with
their stress? Data from this research suggest that there may be three
reasons why reassigned teachers' stress is not evident In the classroom:
(1) teachers have developed coping mechanisms which allow the results of
the stress to be channeled outside the classroom; (2) most Involuntarl ly
reassigned teachers find they enjoy their new assignment once they begin

work; and (3) involuntarily'reassigned teachers ultimately'view the

overall change In jobs as a positive experience.

Teachers' Coping Mechanisms

 

Gmelch (see p. 48) identifies four responses to stress: (I) fight;
(2) fleeing; (3) freezing; and (4) learning. Assuming that these stress
responses can be considered coping responses, then the teachers' c0ping
mechanisms from this study can be categorized as shown In Table 12.
Examples of each of these categories provide the reader with an Idea of
the specific types of behavior teachers had In each of the four cate-
gories.

‘Elghl. One teacher in this study chose to fight her layoff and

Involuntary assignment by filing a grievance through the teachers' union

273

grievance procedure. While the grievance was being processed, Mr. Al len,
the district personnel director, filled her job and continued recalling
teachers from layoff Into specific jobs. 'The grievance was won, but she
chose to take the involuntary reassignment because of the disruption to
other teachers If she was given her former job back. Ms. Gates told the
researcher about the events as she said:

I grieved it and they got away with It. I mean, I won the

grievance but I lost because they said, "Well If we are going

to give you this, then we'll have to reassign all these teach-

ers." And see, they did that real quick. I couldn't very well

say "Reassign all those teachers so that I can have my spot

back," so I had to say "OK." I won the grievance but. . . .

(FN, Gates, Il-23-82, card 2).

Fleeing. Seven fleeing behaviors were mentioned by the teachers In
this study. They ranged from simple avoidance of new col leagues, through
medical problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure, and ulcers due
to Internalizing the stress, to nightmares about new colleagues and
working conditions, to running away, and finally the desire to quit
teaching. As shown by Table 12, fleeing behaviors occurred mainly In the
spring when the stress appears to have been the most Intense. When Ms.
Underwood went to work In August at Riverview Elementary, she was a
stranger to most of the staff. In fact, she had only two close friends.
One of the behaviors she used to cope with the situation was to stay In
her room area or sit In the lounge with her close friends rather than at
the table with more unfamiliar col leagues. She admitted to the
researcher:

I personally tried to keep to myself pretty much except for
people that I felt very comfortable with such as Ms. Scott, and
perhaps Ms. Campbell. I guess I talked to those people quite a
bit. The rest of the peOple, I just tried to say, "Hello" and
tried to put forth some effort to let them know I was here and

that I was going to make It through the year (FN, Underwood,
card lI-30-82L

274

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 12. Teachers' Coping Mechanisms
:esponsg)
eriod Behavioral Response Mode

Teacher Spring Fall Fight Fleeing Freezing Learning
Ms. Scott - X X
Ms. Campbell 0 X 0 X
Ms. Underwood 0 X X 0 X
Ms. Gilbert - X X
Ms. Brand 0 X 0 X
Ms. Baird O X 0 X
Ms. Carpenter O X 0 X
Ms. Gates 0 X 0 0 O X
Ms. Fox O X 0 X
Ms. Eddy O X 0 X X

Total 8 IO I 7 2 12
Source: Fieldnotes; Gmelch, 1982, pp. lO-Il.

(a)

0'5 are used to denote responses that occurred in the spring:
X's are used to denote responses that occurred in the fall.

 

 

A

 

275

Two teachers had nightmares. These occurred both In the spring and
fall for one teacher, and in the spring for a second teacher, Ms. Brand.
Her nightmare occurred in connection with her teaching assignment. Be-
cause she was assigned a first/second grade split class for which she had
no experience, the Incumbent first and second grade teachers at Riverview
wanted to help her out by taking her students in with theirs for math,
science, English, and social studies on a routine basis. This suggested
loss of her expected teaching role In these subjects caused her to have
nightmares about her worth as a teacher. She related to the researcher
that

I dreamed that all the kids were gone and I was wandering around

asking peOpIe if I could help them. No, no, nobody needed help.

Somebody important came to the building and I saw him In my

dream, but I didn't know who he was, but he was very important.

The district had hired somebody to come In and do a study of

ways they could save money. He said, "what Is her job?" And

they said, "Oh, she teaches)‘ And he said, "Well, where are her

kids?" "Wei I, her kids are here and there." "Well, what's she

doing?" "Wei I, she just kind of helps out." And his comment

was, "Well, that's a pretty expensive alde)‘ And I woke up and

said, "Oh, no! What have I gotten Into (FN, Brand II-16-82/II-

30-82, card 8).

Ms. Gates, of al I the teachers in the study, seems to have had the
most traumatic experience in being Involuntarily reassigned. As can be
seen in Table 12, she is the only teacher to exhibit behaviors in three
of the four behavior modes. These three are also the most severe. Her
fleeing response was to physically'run away from North Umpqua. She
received her RIF notice on April I, and spring vacation was April 5-9.
She took a cruise to the Caribbean. She explained to the researcher,

I'm a runner awayer. What the cruise did for me was it got me

away from school things. It got me totally out of the

environment but also got out of the peer group. ‘That was the

best thing. I went there. I made a lot of friends. PeOple are

still writing to me. . . . What It did was It got me out of

myself, out of feeling bad about it plus there wasn't anyone
around who really wanted to know what happened to me and I

276

didn't want to talk about it. So I got totally out of the
atmosphere, totally changed my mind and renewed myself or
reassured myself that I could function In a world without having
to be a teacher. I didn't have to be a teacher to make friends
and be liked. I could do other things. Boy! Did I need that
(FN, Gates, II-23-82, cards 7-9).

After school was out In June, Ms. Gates again ran away from the North
Umpqua area. This time, she fled to her parents' home where she stayed
until the Labor Day weekend, which was the last weekend before school

began. Again, she told the researcher:

I ran away. I was so afraid of the job, I ran away from It. I
blocked it out of my mind. I didn't think about it for a whole
summer, I was so terrified..... In fact, it got so that when I
left for the summer I didn't want to see anybody In this whole
town. I didn't even want to see my own house. I just left. I
went up to my parents' house and just hid. I tried to come back
twice and I didn't even want to stay In my own house, That's
how I felt about this whole area. I don't know how peOple did
it that don't have a way to run away. I'm single. Maybe that
was the wrong thing to do, but that's what I did. I came to
and started feeling sick just when I saw landmarks. I
didn't want any part of it (FN, Gates, Il-23-82, cards 3, 28).

The ultimate behavior in withdrawing from an uncomfortable work
situation is to resign. Ms. Fox did not resign over her stress at being
involuntarily reassigned. Still, the experience brought her to the
point in her professional teaching career where she began to give that
option considerable thought. She explained to the researcher:

I have almost a computer degree. I'm two classes from It. I

probably will just finish it and just get out of the field.

There's a job market out there, and if they're just going to

toss me around year after year, I don't want to stay. I really

like it a lot, you know I really enjoy it. But, It's not worth

it to me to have to pack up and move and do so much work (FN,

Fox, IO-28-82, card 13).

Freezing. Freezing behavior, a performance paralysis resulting from
preoccupation with the stressor, occurred to some degree with two

teachers in the study. It is important to note that both occurrences

were In the spring, when the stress factor appears to be the highest.

277

Both Ms. Underwood (see p. 274) and Ms. Gates experienced this
behavior. Ms. Gates' reaction to being laid off was so severe that she
almost felt she could not continue teaching after receiving her layoff
notice April I. As she related to the researcher:

I was having trouble finishing the year.. . . They pink-slipped

me in April and they hired me back In May. I almost couldn't

finish It from that point on. I would just sit at my desk and

start crying. I'd keep looking around and say, "I'm not going

to be here next year. This room Is not mine next year" I was a

wreck. There was a lot of bitterness there. You have no Idea

(FN, Gates, II-23-82, cards 2-3, 31.)

Learning. .All of the teachers in this study exhibited learning
behavior in their attempts to cope with their stress, but In only two
cases was this behavior exhibited under the extreme stress In the spring.
During that period, the more negative, Irrational responses were the
dominant mode of behavior. On the other hand, the learning response
mode, which dominated the fall period, allowed the teachers to control
the outcomes of their stressful situation and make It a learning experi-
ence. Teachers' responses Included (I) an almost stoic acceptance of the
situation coupled with a desire to make the best of it: (2) an active
learning mode in which new teachers sought out help from their new col-
leagues; (3) modifying the teaching methods stressed at the new school
until they were what the teacher felt comfortable with; and (4) learning
from past mistakes and concentrating on the future rather than dwelling
In the past.

Ms. Carpenter was Involuntarl ly reassigned to Hi I Icrest when her
school, Forest Glen, closed. She is one of two teachers who exhibited

learning behavior both In the spring and fall. She accepted the move

when it came In the spring, and rather than worry about its consequences,

278

she determined to make the best of the new situation In the fall. She

recalled:

I didn't spend too much time dwelling on it, I guess, because I

knew there were many things going to happen that I couldn't

control and I didn't want to spend my summer worrying about what

was or wasn't going to happen. I figured I'd wait and see what

was going to happen when I got there. I knew we could work out

whatever the problem was. You can live wIth It and go on. So,

I just tried to take a positive attitude on It and didn't dwell

on it too much (FN, Carpenter, II-I7-82, card 7).

The most frequently displayed learning behavior was asking questions
and learning from others. When Ms. Fox was reassigned from a middle
school to second grade Meadow Elementary, she was completely unfami I Iar
with the curriculum. 'The weeks before school In August that she worked
at Meadow were largely spent In physical Iy setting up her room. She did
not have much time or opportunity to sit down and study the new curricu-
lum. She relied on asking others what to do In each subject. As she
discussed this with the researcher, Ms. Fox Indicated that, even In late
October, she still had questions about how to work with one of her
students In reading. She remarked:

I had to ask questions in order to know. Still now, like the
reading program, I still am asking questions about the reading

program. "What should I do with a kid in this situation?" I

have a boy who comprehends like a fifth grader and he can't read

words on an individual basis at second grade. What can I do

with him In order to make him able to read those words better

(FN, Fox, 10-28-82, card 2).
Although Ms. Carpenter was an experienced elementary teacher, when she
took her new assignment at Hillcrest she accepted a position for which
she had no formal or experiential background--that of reading teacher.
She told the researcher how she actively sought out especially incumbent

teachers at Hillcrest and tried to learn from them what their

expectations were of her. She remembered that

 

279

I tried to make it a point to step In the rooms of people I
didn't know and speak to them a little bit or If I saw a couple
of peOple together, maybe sit down with them In the lunch room
where I would be In a position where they could speak to me or I
could speak to them. . . . I tried to listen to the kinds of
complaints they had about the other reading teacher and remember
myself not to do that. . . . I just ask them "what are you
doing?" I have talked to resource teachers as to what they do
In their rooms so that I would be doing something different. I
spent one afternoon with one of the reading teachers (FN,
Carpenter, II-I7-82, cards 5, I4-15).

Several teachers experienced stress In their new schools relating to
school expectations about how curriculum would be taught. ‘Their learning
response to this was, generally, to modify the new school's expectations
into a blend of those expectations and what the teacher had done In the
past. Ms. Brand felt that although the Riverview guidelines were
somewhat helpful in getting the year started, she felt better after she
modified them to suit her personal teaching style. She frankly stated:

I more or less went along at first with the Riverview way of

doing things just to get started. Then as the year has

progressed, I've felt more and more free to do things on my own

or the way I'm comfortable with. 'TheIRIvervIew way was helpful

but It would have made me feel a lot better if somehow the

message would have gotten across that you don't have to adhere
to this exactly. You're free to do what you want to do. That

feeling did not come across, but I think It was there. I know
that it's OK to do that, but I didn't get that message. I just
started to do my own thing and waited for a reaction. I guess
just trial and error. I haven't gotten a negative reaction.

I'm not used to not teaching science or social studies, which
I'm not just because I've got the split. If I had a straight,
then I would be. I find myself on some areas I really like, the
Indians, I put my stuff up anyway, and In reading groups we talk
about It. It's more to satisfy my need than It Is for the kids.
I feel like I have to do that, touch base or keep tabs on how
they're doing. It's almost the mother Instinct, I guess.
They're my little darlins and I want to know exactly what they
are doing, even though It's not my responsibility (FN, Brand,
Il-8-82, card I3, and II-30-82, card 6).

Ms. Underwood also experienced stress about the reading program at
Iiiverview. She found by making minor adjustments to the way she taught

reading, she could, In her own mind, satisfy the school's individualized

280

instruction requirement and still feel as If she was teaching and
monitoring specific reading skills frequently enough to satisfy herself
that the students were grasping the concepts satisfactorily. When
discussing these adjustments with the researcher, she shared with him
that

by making adjustments, minor little adjustments, then I can
accept things such as the reading program. I was totally
against their reading program out here. . . . On reading, the
staff pretty much told us how to do that. You move the students
along at their own individualized rate. I do that. 'Bgl, now
what I am doing Is letting the kids move at an Independent rate
and then using what Ms. Scott has kind of come up with and still
meet wIth a group. So I try to meet the kids In a group at
least once or twice a week and just go over some of the concepts
in the group. I don't know how they'd look upon that. Ms.
Hawser doesn't know that's the way I do It. It's a secret (FN,
Underwood, Il-I6-82, cards II, I9).

Only one teacher felt that she had learned from past mistakes and
that this now enabled her to now view the job change differently. Ms.
Gates had bitterly opposed her Involuntary reassignment from Spring Hill
to Meadow Elementary. In the Spring, she had both grieved her transfer
and physically run away from North Umpqua area. Looking back on her
traumatic ordeal from the vantage point of hindsight, she could see what
she felt was her mistake: dwelling In the past rather than concentrating
on the future. She confided to the researcher:

I don't look back anymore. It's like It's dead. It's just

gone. I can't picture myself In that building anymore. I've

been in there once. I've been In the building once to put that

sign In the lounge. It's alien to me. The room that was my

room has nothing In It of mine. It's not part of me. It

doesn't look like any room I've ever had or put my life Into.

. . . l concentrated more on the leaving. I didn't put any energy

Into going to. I looked back Instead of forward. That was my

own mistake. I probably would have been happier If I would have

looked forward. But, I couldn't (FN, Gates, II-23-82, cards 24,
3i.

Another reason why the researcher did not see negative evidence in

the classroom of the effects of being Involuntarily transferred may be

281

that once the teachers began working in their new schools, they felt

positive about their new jobs.

Teachers' Feelings About Their New Schools

Each of the ten teachers In the three schools Invol ved In this study
had positive feelings about being at the new school. Reasons for these
feelings were mixed, but Involved relations with their col leagues,
students, and parents. IAII the teachers' reasons for their positive
feelings focused on some aspect of Interpersonal relationships. None
mentioned curriculum or the physical facility as contributing to their
positive feelings. ‘The examples given below are a representative sample
from each of the three schools.

Riverview E lementary School. Ms. Campbel I, who was apprehensive
about staff interpersonal relations prior to coming tolRivervIew, found
that she real ly enjoyed both the staff and second grade. She commented
to the researcher that

after two weeks at Riverview, I definitely like Lt. I really

like second grade and this Is a wonderful class of kIds.. . I

am quite happy here. I can honestly say that I feel that It Is

an excellent elementary school. I feel comfortable and look

forward to coming to work. . . . I like the staff. I think It

is a happy place to come. And, If I'm going to teach, I'd

rather be here than anywhere else I know of (FN, Journal, Ms.

Campbell, 9-13-82; 9-28-82 and IO-I3-82 Journal Meeting Ms.

Campbell, card 11%

Ms. Brand, who had nightmares about her job, heard good comments about

the staff prior to coming, and found that what she had heard were

true. She felt positive about her move to Rivervlew, noting that
everything has turned out quite well, I don't have any big
complaints. I'd heard a lot of good things about Mr; Austin and
they've been true. I'd heard a lot of good things about this

building and staff In general which have proved to be trueIIFN,
Brand, II-8-82, card 17).

282

Ms.l3ilbert, who did not feel she had experienced any great degree of
stress In her involuntary reassignment, simply and emphatically told the
researcher, "I love it here this year. I love, it. I think It's great--
not good--great" (FN, Gilbert, II-II-82, card 12).

Ilillcrest Elementary School. Only two teachers atltillcrest were
irnualved in this study. Both were positive In their feelings about their
new assignment. Ms. Baird, whose reassignment was quite traumatic,
provides the best contrast between her feelings In the Spring before she
came to work and in the fall, after she began working. She was split
between Hillcrest and Woodlawn, but spent most of her time at Hillcrest.
She found she enjoyed both staffs. She told the researcher:

lam happy at Hi I Icrest. I like what I am doing. . . . If I need

help, I feel comfortable asking for It. And, I feel I can ask

anyone. Everyone has been very friendly, helpful, encouraging, and
supportive. I like It. I am happy--too busyy too much IQ gg--but,

I am beginning to feel competent, confident, accepted, and cared

about. . . . I enjoy Woodlawn and the peOple I work with at Wood-

lawn. I feel like I am accepted there as another of the traveling
teachers that are becoming so numerous around the district, but I am

at home at Hillcrest (FN, Journal, Baird, IO-20-82, card 3 and 10-
27-82, cards 3, 12).

 

Meadow Elementary School. Ms. Gates exhibited the strongest emo-
tional behavior to her Involuntary reassignment of any of the teachers In
the study. The stress from this process was still so vivid In her
memory, that when she met with the interviewer in November-three months
after the school year began--she told the researcher, about the Inter-
view, "I was sure that I was going to cry. I was sure" (FN, Gates, II-
23-82, card 31L When she talked about her positive feelings towards the
school, she exclaimed:

It's a great group and I'm happier here than I was at Spring

Hill! I love the staff here. ‘Thls Is a nice group. I like

them all. They are all very different from each other, but all
just neat (FN, Gates, II-23-82, cards 4, 22)I

283

Ms. Fox, whose transition from middle school to elementary school
was not nearly as emotion-laden as that of Ms. Gates, also was very
positive about the staff. In addition she noted that she had good pa-
rents and students. Perhaps the best evidence of her job satisfaction
was the story she relayed to the researcher concerning Mr;lAllen, the
personnel director, questioning her about possibly going back to middle
school the fol lowing school year. She told the researcher about her

feelings of job satisfaction when she said:

I'm real glad that I'm here now, and I like second grade.
Everybody says, "do you like It as well as sixth?" I don't know
yet. I haven't been here a whole Year. You know, there are a

lot of neat things you can do with the kids. . . . I really like
It a lot; I really enjoy it. . . . This Is the best staff I've
ever worked with by any means. They are just super COOperatIve.
They are nice and I really enjoy coming to work. . . . l have a
good group of parents, I have a good class, and I'm having a
really good year. .. . The personnel director came In my room
the other day and asked me how I was doing. I didn't know If It
was a social "I'm In the building" or whether It was a personal
"get a feeling" type thing. He came In and asked me how I was
doing and I said, "I am doing OK." He said he had heard that I
was doing OK. He just wanted me to know that when the middle
school went back to a six-hour day that there would probably be
a sixth grade position for me. So then, I said, "I'm not so
sure I'm Interested In going backl" I loved the look on his
face. He just kind of want, "Ohhh" and walked out (FN, Fox, IO-
21-82, card 9; IO-28-82, card 13; 12-2-82, card 16; 12-9-82,
cards 2, 4).

In addition to teachers' viewing their new jobs positively, the
reassigned teachers also were able to look back at the job change and
view it as a positive professional experience. 'This provides the third

reason why there was a lack of stress evidenced in the classroom In the

fall.

284

Teachers' Feelings About How Involuntary Reassignments Affected Them

 

Professionally

 

Eight of the ten teachers felt that the job change had been a
professional growth experience. The remaining two had no comment on the
subject.

Help 13 Getting Out 91 the Routine. Six of eight teachers felt that

 

 

they needed a change to get them out of the routine they felt they were
in. Three examples given here all indicate that the teachers were
teaching out<of habit and felt they needed the challenge of a change.
Ms. Gilbert was discouraged enough to quit. The change has made a big
difference In her attitude about teaching. She told the researcher:

l was about ready to quit teaching last year. After five years
of doing the same thing and the same frustrations--same school,
same people, same lesson plans, same problem areas--I was just
sick of It. And, I love it this year. . . . I really enjoy my
job a lot more. I feel like I'm accomplishing a lot more so I
feel better about myself (FN, Gilbert, II-II-82, cards 12, 24).

Ms. Eddy felt as if she had accomplished all her goals In fifth grade and
was looking for a change. She remarked:

For me, the change in grade levels has been very positive. I've
really enjoyed changing. I taught fifth grade for seven years
and felt like I had done most everything that I wanted to. I
was getting to be like the teacher my dad told me about who used
to take her yellowed sheet out which said, "Day I78" and that's

what they did. I really'enjoyed the idea of moving to another
grade level. I looked forward to that (FN, Eddy, II-II-BZ, card
3).

Ms. Fox was tired of just going In and doing a good job. She recognized
that she missed the creativity and challenge a new job would bring. Of
this, she said:

It's kind of forced me to get out of the rut l was In in sixth
grade. I'd taught it long enough that I never had to do
anything at home or anything because I was so on top of
everything and organized. I knew all the lessons by heart
forwards and backwards, and the projects that we did with them.
I was not being too creative or challenging myself In any way.

285

It was just go In and do a good job, but yet not go out of my
way to come up with anything new. It got me out of that rut.
So, I looked at it more as an opportunity to try It out and see
the difference (FN, Brand, II-8-82, card 17).

Help _i_n Evaluatilryg Teaching 9; a Profession. One teacher, Ms.

 

Underwood, felt that as a result of the change she could now feel
rewarded in occupations other than teaching. Prior to her involuntary
transfer, she felt she just wanted to teach. In the sense that the
experience expanded her occupational horizons, she considered it a
positive experience. She emphatically exclaimed

I'll tell you this, Ed, the whole situation has changed my Idea
of education. If you had asked me last year, "Would you ever

give up teaching," I would have said, "No." I wanted to just
stay and teach sixth grade and I was happy there. Now I'm ready
to quit. I like it here, but I can give It up now, whereas

before I didn't think I could. Now I can see that there are
other things In life that I can enjoy just as much and get
rewarded for it. And perhaps, teaching Isn't what I was made to
do. Maybe I can get out there and work with people in a
different way than education. I did not see that last year. I
look on it as very positive in that I didn't see that last year
and it took this change to make me realize that (FN, Underwood,
II-30-82, card ll).

Conclusion

 

Teachers viewed being involuntarily reassigned as a stressful pro-
cess. Stress occurred during the period of planning for the layoffs and
reassignment as teachers anticipated the consequences of the impending
changes in schools and in grade levels taught. Stress occurred during
the layoff process because while the use of seniority to determine the
layoff order was comforting to those with many years of tenure, those
teachers with little seniority found its use as the sole determiner of
layoff position created stress. In addition, interpersonal stress was

produced between teachers being laid off and those remaining through

286

jealousy, selfishness, and even the wel I-meanlng attelnpts of teachers to
help each other. Stress, during the recall process, was generated as
teachers carefully considered what school to request a transfer to, as
teachers were given their teaching assignment within the new school, and
as teachers visited their new school In the spring. There Is also stress
in physically moving into a new school. Stress Is produced by teachers
being new to a staff and physical plant. Stressful situations arise as
teachers coped with (I) unfamiliar school routines: (2) new curriculum;
(3) new teaching methods; (4) not feeling accepted by the Incumbent
staff; (5) being unfamiliar with students: and (6) not knowing the pa-
rents and not being known by the parents.

Teachers received both emotional and physical help from those with
whom they were most closely associated. School principals, col leagues,
relatives, and friends constituted a support system for involuntarily
reassigned teachers. Interestingly, the teachers' union and school board
provided no physical or emotional help. ‘The school district, while
providing no emotional support to Involuntarily reassigned teachers, did
move teaching materials and furniture for the displaced teachers. This
help, however, turned out to be Ironic because the Intended help became a
source of stress. Principals provided primarily emotional support both
as teachers were preparing to leave their former school and as they began
work In their new school. An important aspect of principals' support was
providing, through their leadership, the school professional climate
which Is conducive to encouraging a supportive attitude among colleagues.
Colleagues provide the primary emotional and physical support for each
other both as Involuntarily transferred teachers prepared to leave their

former school and as they began work In their new school. Friends and

287

relatives, although they provided both physical and emotional help, were
limited in their ability to provide emotional support because they were
not closely enough Involved In the professional setting to have the
empathy needed for such support.

Most teachers did not allow the emotional effects of being involun-
tarily transferred to affect their classroom behavior. Teachers viewed
themselves as "professionals" In the sense that they did not want the
chi ldren's educational experience to be negatively affected by their
distress. Teachers could be expected to exhibit unfamiliarity with (I)
new curriculum: (2) new school policies and routines; (3) new students
whose abilities are unknown due to the grade change and corresponding
difference in maturity; and (4) teaching procedures and classroom manage-
ment techniques for the new age groups. Teachers responded to the stress
Irnnalved in involuntary transfers by four primary coping mechanisms: (1)
fight; (2) fleeing; (3) freezing; and (4) learning. The first three of
these coping mechanisms were used primarily in the spring before the
actual reassignment took place. In the fall, once the reassignment has
been accomplished, most teachers used the fourth coping mechanism. Once
the school year began, teachers generally felt positive about their new
school, colleagues, and teaching assignment. Most teachers, after the
involuntary reassignment process was over, felt that their experiences,
however unpleasant at the time, provided professional and personal growth

experiences.

 

 

 

CHAPTER 6

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter Is divided into three major sections: (I) conclusions
drawn by the researcher from the data on each of the three research
questions; (2) implications for further research: and (3) Implications

for practice.

Conclusions From the Data

 

I. THE LACK OF RELEASE TIME FOR INVOLUNTARILY REASSIGNED TEACHERS
TO PREPARE THEIR SCHOOLS AND THEMSELVES FOR CLOSING AND TO BECOME

FAMILIAR WITH THEIR NEW SCHOOLS CAUSES STRESS.

Involuntarily'reassigned teachers were not given district-approved
release time to pack up their rooms and become acquainted with their new
schools, col leagues, curriculum, parents, and students. However, as
professionals, teachers did do the work required of them to close their
schools. Packing was accomplished primarily on their own time. Board
member Lane commented to the researcher, "Teachers were also spending
extra time on weekends and after school packing stuff up" (FN, Lane, 12-
2-82, card 2% Unpacking their materials at the new school was also done
on teachers' own time. Most involuntarily'reasslgned teachers managed to
spend at least some time visiting their new schools. This time either
was creatively scheduled during the Instructional day, took place after

the Instructional day, or was a combination of Instructional and

288

 

289

noninstructlonal time. The catch-as-catch-can method of visiting schools
reduced the quality of the limited time teachers spent there. 'The stress
produced seems to largely be caused by district level administrators' and
board members' insensitivity to teachers' and principals' felt needs.

Since teachers did accomplish their task of packing and labeling supplies
and equipment in their rooms and were able to visit their new school, the

question becomes: why is release time Important?

The importance of Release Time

The Importance of release time for packing teaching materials and
visiting schools Is that providing such time (I) signals to the teachers
the importance the board and district administration attach to an orderly
school closing process: (2) signals to the teachers that the board and
district administration recognize all the work and effort that will be
required to accomplish the task: (3) al lows teachers to work together In
sorting materials, giving away unwanted materials to each other, and in
preparing usable teaching material for transfer to the new schools: and
(4) facilitates integration of the old and new staffs.

Teachers' Requests for Release Time. lAs professionals, teachers had
two channels of communication to request release time: through their
union, and through their principals. They chose the latter means. As
Ms. Brand, a former Lakeview teacher, told the researcher:

Those of us that were moving and had to pack everything, asked

If we couldn't have some extra time. We were told, "NoJ' The

principal asked for us. But from higher up they said, "NoJ'

And, yet, we had to have everything ready to go--packed and

labeled--on the last day of school. It made me feel very

negative. It was just one big hassle. I felt resentful, and I

think other teachers I know at Lakeview felt the same way.

They want us to do all this, yet we are supposed to keep

teaching our kids. So, If It was going to get done, the only

way it was going to get done was for us to do It after school
hours. (FN, Brand, II-8-82, card 6).

290

Principals' Request for Release Time. Principals also wanted
teacher release time. They felt It was Important primarily to provide
staff development time, and they also agreed with the teachers who wanted
time to pack up their rooms. Mr. Al len, the district personnel director,

told the researcher that

the request for release time was coming from the principals.

They were saying, "why don't you send the kids home early and
have the staffs over so people can share materials or Ideas)‘
The push came not so much from the teachers themselves. The

union knew their position on It at the table. It pretty much
came from the building principals (FN, Al len, lO-18-82, cards
4-5).

Reasons for Requestigg Release Time. Teachers felt release time was
important mainly (I) so that they would not have to teach and try to
pack at the same time (FN, Brand, II-8-82, card 6); and (2) because of
their dislike of having to do the school closing activities on their own
time. Ms. Carpenter's main complaint about the closing process was the
amount of her personal time spent on boxing up materials at Forest Glen.
She stated that

I don't think I had very many negative vibes on closing except

for the time Involved and actually having to do It and spending

part of my summer--taking some of the days of my vacation--to

pack up (FN, Carpenter, II-3-82, card I6).

Ms. Brand told the researcher about working on her own time. She
emphatically stated:

I was frustrated and I think a lot of teachers were frustrated.

We had to sort and pack everything, and It all had to be done

on our own time. We weren't given any extra time to do It.

So, I spent weekends and I spent several afternoons (I taught

morningsL I just spent the whole day there and packed all

afternoon (FN, Brand, II-8-82, cards 2, 6).

Principals felt release time for teachers was Important also» Mr.

Austin, principal at Rivervlew Elementary, wanted time for the Green Park

 

291

and Riverview teachers to talk with each other about their respective

students. He felt that

It would have been nice If we could have met, let's say, wIth
half-day staff development time. We could have sat down wIth
the other teachers and talked wIth them about grouping the kids
(FN, Austin, IO-25-82, card 7).

Mr. Taylor wanted the Forest Glen and Hillcrest teachers to be able to
spend release time together to allow teachers from both staffs to have
time to adjust to each other. He explained to the researcher that

not only did those teachers have to adapt to a new building,
they have to adapt to an almost, for them, new teaching
situation. It's difficult for teachers to do that, especially
in light of the fact that we don't have any new teachers. All
of these teachers have been teachers ten to fifteen years,
everyone of them. . . . One of the largest drawbacks to the
whole transfer system Is that we never had time to get those
teachers into the building to make them feel more comfortable
in the situation, to get a chance to meet peOple. It's tough
to walk into the teachers' lounge and you don't know anybody.
And these are col leagues, but they don't know each other. We
needed some time to talk to these people to ease their anxiety.
(FN, Taylor, IO-6-82, card 3, 7).

He cited the example of the "we-they" feeling among Hillcrest and Forest
Glen as another reason for the release time to become acquainted and
adjust. He lamented:
There are aides that are Forest Glen aides. There are aides
here that arellillcrest aides. There should be only Hillcrest
aides. We are just one school. It's going to be the death of
me here because I keep hearing it (FN, Taylor, II-3-82, card
10).
Of his desire for teachers' staff development, Mr. Taylor emphasized to

the researcher:

We would like some days In the spring to get together with
people, like mlnI-lnservlces, to discuss curriculum, rooms,
concerns, educational philoSOphy, and have some sharing
experiences (FN, Taylor, Il-3-82, card I4).

Mrn Ball, principal at Meadow Elementary, told the researcher how his

staff wanted time to spend time with their new colleagues. He said:

 

 

 

h: i _‘w
. .__

292

They agreed that It would be a good thing to invite the new
teachers over so they could talk about the little Incidentals
that are very specific for the classrooms that would be
Impossible for anybody to cover, such as what are the little
differences between schools, In purchasing materials, and In
getting something done (FN, Ball, IO-28-82, card 2).

Principals also wanted teachers to have release time to pack. Mr. Ball
assured the researcher that

recommendations were made to allow for release time so that

teachers would be able to visit the schools, so that teachers

would be able to move their materials themselves, and to give
them something that said we recognize that you are going to

have a very difficult time of It (FN, Ball, 9-27-82, card 5).

The Request for Release Time Denied. Ms. Brand's principal, Ms.
Davis, as well as other principals serving as members of the Transition
Committee, asked Dr. Meyers for release time. Although there were many
reasons why the request was denied, the main reason was the lack of
support for the idea by the superintendent. A district administrator,
Mr. Fisher, explained that

It all comes back to the almighty dollar and the I80-day thing.

And It was felt, I think, by the central administration and the

superintendent that If the teacher Is only changing buildings,

they're still going to be working In an elementary setting K-S.

They're certified, they're qualified, they're experienced, and

they should be able to get Into the situation next year without

too much problem (FN, Fisher, IO-l9-82, card 8).

When the researcher discussed the request for release time with
Superintendent Meyers, he based his denial on state public school
attendance regulations. He Informed the researcher that

I had Indicated to all the principals that the first thing we

had to do, as far as I was concerned, was to give the children

of that school year I80 days of school and that closing schools

and moving just could not interfere with that (FN, Meyers, IZ-

I-82, card 2).

The data Indicate that Superintendent Meyers did not, for whatever

reason, put the request for release time on the official board agenda so

that it would be discussed and acted upon by the full board. Ins.

 

293

Edwards, principal at Spring Hill Elementary, told the researcher that
Dr. Meyers told her that "he got to the president of the board and It got
stopped right there. He wouldn't put it on the agenda" (FN, Edwards, 9-
21-82, card 6). Board member Olson discussed the request for release
time with the researcher and Indicated a private conversation about the

subject had in fact, taken place.

Researcher: Did the board ever give consideration to providing
Involuntarily transferred teachers release time to
pack and visit their new schools?

Mr. Olson: I know at the end of the year there was some
discussion, particularly around Spring Hill, about
some time to do packing, moving, and things like
that. I think the discussion was not in a formal
meeting or In a place where an action could be
taken. It was more or less In an office--back of

the scene type of thing (FN, Olson, I-19-83, card
3).

Another board member, Ms. Lane, denied any knowledge of official board

discussion of release time:

Researcher: Did Transition Team recommendations to the board
contain a request for any release time at the end
of the school year to pack up the schools and/or
visit their new school to become acquainted with
their new col leagues, curriculum, school routines,
school physical plant, et cetera?

Ms. Lane: Not formally. Absolutely not.

Researcher: lnformally?

Ms. Lane: I don't know. I don't think so. I don't recall
anything being done on staff (FN, Lane, I2-2-82,
card 7).

In lieu of release time, principals scheduled several half days of
semi-release time In which half the staff took care of all the children
while the other half were free to work In their rooms. This type of
release time was used by Ms. Davis at Forest Glen and Lakeview and by Ms.
Edwards at Green Park. Ms. Davis told the researcher that she used films

to entertain the children.

We were not able to get board approval for that half day off
for packing time, so we ordered movies Instead. Half the staff

 

294

took all the kids and all of the aides and watched movies and
had some outside time while half the staff packed. 'The
fiallowlng week we did the same thing with the reverse group of
people (FN, Davis, IO-6-82, cards 7).

Ms. Edwards had a similar program and emphasized the use of volunteers to

watch the children.

Ms. Edwards: I worked out, creatively, some time for teachers
to pack.

Researcher: How did you do that?

Ms. Edwards: By getting parents In, by getting anybody else we
could pull In, by running some special programs
with multiple rooms. But It was hours at a
time--an hour or a couple of hours rather than
time as we asked for (FN, Edwards, I2-l-82, card
25).

Dr. Meyers was aware that Instructional time was being used for semi-
release time to allow teachers to pack, and he approved of It. He
explained to the researcher that

Ms. Edwards had two or three very clever gimmicks that she used

to release teachers to do packing. She had a party day In the

gym a couple of afternoons where they showed educational films

and half the teachers were given half the day off. I approved

that kind of thing. Whl le officially we really didn't have any

time off, I think that every teacher that really wanted It had

some time (FN, Meyers, lZ-I-82, card 2).
It appears from Dr.l4eyers' desire to have 180 Instructional days and his
approval of semi-release time, in which students were kept at school and
entertained Instead of studying regular lessons, that his major concern
was that students not be sent home. It appears that Dr. Meyers was
concerned that parents not get the Image that teachers, whom they con-
sidered overpaid, were not spending time with the children. The semi-
release time as scheduled could have been perceived by parents as normal
end-of-the-year parties. As Mr. Vincent, principal at Woodlawn, reminded
the researcher about the last day of school:

You know as well as I do that the last day for kids is basical-

ly a day where kids are winding down and you are closing the
stuff up anyway. There's not a heck of a lot of Instruction

 

295

going on. There's a lot of parties and things like that (FN,

Vincent, IO-5-82, card 7).

In spite of the minimal semi-release time provided by the
principals, teachers still experienced stress In the reassignment
process.

Effects 91 the Denial for Release Time. The Immediate effect of the
denial of release time was stress throughout the various stages of the
involuntary reassignment process. The cause of the teachers' stress,
when release time was denied, could have been rage at their sense of
powerlessness to affect the decisionmaking process. This Is supported in
research conducted by Sparks, Rothstein, and Cichon and Koff (see pp. 46-
47). The teachers' emic view of what produced the stress, however, did
not Include the concept of powerlessness as a stressor. lAnd, although it
can be argued that the teachers did not really tell the researcher the
real reasons-~either conscious or unconscious-for their stress, the
researcher feels he must take what was said to him at face value.
Therefore, based on what the teachers themselves identified as an
underlying cause of their stress, the researcher feels the best
explanation for the cause of the teachers' stress appears to be their
fear of the unknown. This underlying fear of the unknown Is evidenf
during the period before the layoffs actually began. Ina Vincent, prin-
cipal at Woodlawn Elementary, noticed a morale drop among his teachers
beginning in the fall when the possibility of teacher layoffs was first
discussed. He found them concerned about the possibility of being laid
off because they were uncertain about what was going to happen. In
January, when both Lakeview and Green Park experienced "raiding partlesfl'

Ms. Eddy, Ms“ Brand, and Ms. Davis were concerned about losing their

 

296

materials either before the end of the school year or during the summer.
They did not know what would happen to their teaching materials If they
left them In the school after It closed In June. They also learned to
lock their rooms when they were not in them for the rest of the year.
During the layoff process, some of those teachers who were laid off
appear to have been In a situation of not knowing who their real friends
were. Ms. Baird felt that some col leagues on the school district bowl Ing
team wanted her to be reassigned so that someone could be recalled to her
position after It would be vacant. Inn Fisher, principal at Spring Hill,
witnessed teachers' hostility towards one of his kindergarten teachers
who was changed from a half-time to a ful l-tIme position. Ms. Gates
found that people she thought were her friends said things that hurt her.
During the recall process, when teachers requested schools, both Ms.
Davis and Men Carpenter witnessed the stress of teachers being uncertain
about who their new principal would be and what he/she would be like.

The uncertainty about what school to pick also produced stress for Ms.
Gates because she was unfamiliar with the other elementary schools. Ms.
Fox experienced stress in requesting a school because MrulAllen, the
personnel director, would not tell her the grade-level openings in the
schools. Ms. Carpenter both experienced and witnessed uncertainty In
others requesting a school because she was unsure of how her request
would be decided upon by Mr. Al Ien. Ms. Underwood and Ms. Fox both found
their teaching assignment stressful because neither had ever taught in an
elementary school before, and both were unfamiliar with elementary school
routines, the curriculum, and the maturity levels of the children. Ms.
Baird was afraid of the unknown aspects of her job: the students' needs:

the curriculum; and the whole concept of "emotional ly Impaired." Her

 

297

fear of the unknown stemmed from the fact that she had never taught
emotionally'impaired children and also had no formal training in that
field.

Although most involuntarily reassigned teachers were able to spend
time at their new school, that time was largely unproductive because:
(I) in some cases teachers had their own students to watch; and (2) the
time spent In the schools was too short. In this respect, most teachers
were able to visit their new school only once, and that visit usually was
for no more than half an hour. Both the frequency of the visits and
their duration did not allow teachers enough adequate time to explore the
unknowns In their new jobs. Mr..Allen, the personnel director, remarked
that the district had to make sure the teachers' visits to their new
schools were "low key" because of his concern for the feelings of teachers
who were being laid off. Ms. Carpenter's only contact with her new
school, Hillcrest, came when she brought the pen pals to visit (see p.
203). She noted that the visit was brief, not permitting her to Interact
with the Hillcrest teachers because she had her class to watch during
that time. Ms» Underwood also felt she was not given the time she needed
to become acquainted with Rivervlew Elementary. She was able to visit
the school once. During that brief visit she had a short talk with the
principal and talked for several minutes to a teacher. Ms. Fox could get
no release time to visit second grade teachers. When Ms. Brand visited
Riverview, she was able to talk with teachers only at recess. Ms. Baird
creatively scheduled an hour once where she visited both of her new
schools, Woodlawn and Hillcrest. She barely had enough time to spend
twenty minutes at each school--with classes In session. .As Ms. Eddy

anticipated beginning her new job and working closely with a teacher's

298

aide whom she did not know and had little opportunity to get to know, her
stress about the unknown aspects of the job resulted In nightmares. Ms.
Brand also had nightmares about her new job, fearing she would not know
how to get Into the first and second grade team schedules because of her
first/second grade split teaching assignment.

The lack of release time added to the stress already present in
being new. The stressors--school routines, curriculum, staff
relationships, students, and parents--were intensified because new
teachers were denied adequate time In which to prepare themselves for the
change. Ms. Underwood, Ms. Scott, Ms. Brand, Ms. Campbell, Ms. Gates,
and Ms. Fox found that unfamiliar school routines caused stress. Ms.
Brand, Ms. Fox, Ms. Gates, Ms. Carpenter, and Ms. Baird all experienced
stress due to unfamiliarity with the curriculum used In their new grade
level. Ms. Scott, Ms. Carpenter, Ms. Eddy, Ms. Underwood, and Ms“ Brand
all felt anxiety over wanting to be accepted by their new colleagues.
The fact that most of the newly reassigned teachers did not really know
their new colleagues professionally deepened their feelings of stress.
Ms. Fox, Ms” Carpenter, and Ms. Eddy all experienced stress In being
unfamiliar with the age group of students in their new jobs. Some
teachers also found that their unfamiliarity with parents and their
perception of parents as being unfamiliar with them caused stress. Ms.
Gates, Ms. Brand, and Ms. Eddy were particularly apprehensive about the
parents as unknown quantities during the fall open house and parent
conferences .

It Is also Important to understand why the request for release time

was denied.

 

299

Reasons for the Denial of Release Time

 

To understand the reason for the denial of release time, the reader
must understand the history of Inservice release time In the district.

District History 91 Inservice and Release Time. Mr; Ward, a
district administrator who has been In the district over twenty years,

told the researcher:

At one time, back when we were growing and the economics
picture was much more Optimistic--this Is prior to the last two
to three years when state aid was on time and not cut--we had
In our calendar 180 days of school plus at one time we had six
to seven Inservice hal f-days during the school year. Gradual ly
as things got tougher we began to have to reduce programs.

That really didn't start severely until two to three years ago.
That was one of those things that was expendable, not by
principals, but taxpayers saw It as expendable. ‘The board of
education tended to reflect the taxpayers. There were some
direct costs, but It was the Idea that teachers were being paid
for more days. So, now our calendar onl has I80 days In It.
In addition to the cost, the perception taxpayers'] was that
Inservice time for teachers, Irregardless of how well we
documented what we did with that time and how valuable It was,
teachers are paid to teach. . . . So any Inservice work had to
be done kind of on the fly (FN, Ward, 12-8-82, card 4).

 

 

Based on the data, there appear to be five major reasons why In-
inaluntarlly reassigned teachers were not given release time: (1) Super-
Intendent Meyers' philosophy about adhering to state attendance laws: CZ)
the cost of a staff development program: (3) community beliefs about
education; (4) board attitudes towards educators: and (5) board attitudes
towards the union.

Superintendent Meyers' Philosophy. [Ma Meyers believed that all
children were entitled to 180 full days of school. He evidently felt so
strongly about this that when he first came to the district as
superintendent, one principal heard him say, "We are not going to have
any snow days. We aren't going to close school for snow)‘ The

principal, Ms. Edwards, added that "He learned otherwise. But, he went

300

on record as saying that" (FN, Edwards, I2-l-82, card I5). Dr. Meyers
told the researcher about state attendance legal requirements and
emphasized that he unalterably supported them. He stated that

under [name of state] law, we need to have I80 days of school
and also 900 hours of Instruction. . . . It's my personal
philosophy, and I feel pretty strongly about this, that the law
guarantees children I80 full days of school. So, I've got to
admit, I think It was at my Insistence that we cut all those

[days of Inservice release time] out. (FN, Meyers, 12-1-82,
card 8).

Dr. Meyers' position appears at first to be In accordance with state laws
and with a letter from the state superintendent of public Instruction to

all district superintendents. In part, It stated:

Even though the economic situation ls serious, It Is my role
to enforce present statutes which require school districts to
provide a minimum of 180 days of student Instruction by the end
of the school year. . . .

The opportunity for a minimum of I80 Instructional days must
be provided to all students, and the State Board of Education,
In keeping wIth Its constitutional mandate, Intends to enforce
compliance with this requirement through appropriate legal
means (Department of Education letter, September 13, I982).

Dr. Meyers' views notwithstanding, however, the Department of
Education does allow release time for staff development within the 180
days as long as the students have 900 hours of Instruction a school year.
A School Law Division employee, Ms. Scharr, explained to the researcher

that

the state allows Inservice release time to be counted as part
of the I80 days. But, If a district takes Instructional time
for Inservice, the 900 hour minimum must still be met. As long
as the 900 hour minimum Is flollowed, the state has no objection
to using part of the I80 instructional days for Inservice
(Schaar, Margie. State Department of Education, School Law
Division. Telephone Interview, 3-30-83).

It appears that Dr.lWeyers could have backed the teachers' and princi-
pals' desires for release time to pack and visit their new schools.

Still, because of his personal phiIoSOphy about adhering to his

 

301

Interpretation of state attendance laws, he chose to Ignore the needs

repeatedly expressed to him and not pursue the matter wIth the board.

The Cost _o_f Staff Development. Principals, district administrators,

 

and board members told the researcher that the major barrier to granting
release time was the expense. This was seen both as direct dollar costs
and as the indirect cost in lost student Instruction time. The principal
direct costs were said to Involve paying the salaries of bus drivers and
food services personnel even If they did not work. ‘The researcher talked
with Mr. Anderson, the bus supervisor, and with Mr. Bailey, the food
services supervisor. They both Indicated that there could be no addi-
tional cost Involved In half days of release time. Mr. Anderson told the
researcher that he would merely have to adjust his employees work sched-
ule. He said, "It would cost no extra money. The afternoon run would
just be moved up” (FN, Anderson, 12-8-82). Mr. Bailey assured the re-
searcher that a half day of release time would not automatically cost the
district extra money, but It could be a problem.

Researcher: If the school system here decided to have teacher
inservice, shut school down, and send the kids
home at eleven o'clock (as an example), would that
cost the district any more money than a normal
day's Operation as far as food services goes?

Mr. Bailey: It would not cost any additional expense, but the
present expense would have no revenue with which
to cover that expense. . . . Our program Is fairly
self-sufficient. If there was inservice, you'd
have to recoup that money somehow. You either
have to build it In the existing program or have
some special way of covering It. . . .

Researcher: Let's say the district wanted to have some half-
days of school, and planned this ahead. ‘Would you
have ways of then trying to figure out how to
absorb that loss?

Mr. Bailey: If I knew it In advance, If I knew a year In
advance, yes. I'd have lots of ways including
just working less labor.. .. So, there are
ways. If we know In advance, we can make
preparations for It. It's where we don't know In
advance, and it's sprung on us--then we're sunk.

 

302

Researcher: Let's say there was a half-day for kids. Rather
than starting lunch at the elementary level at
twelve o'clock, as an example, could lunch be
served an hour earlier?
Mr. Bailey: No problem. We could very easily shift Into that.
Researcher: Do you know whether Mr. Ward or Dr. Meyers were
ever aware of this possibility?
Mr. Bailey: I think they are aware that we are very flexible
and we could switch our schedules--In fact, we
have on occasion. . . . It's unusual or rare, but
not completely unknown, so that wouldn't be a real
problem (FN, Bailey, II-30-82, cards l-5).
Although board members, some district staff members, and principals told
the researcher that one of the reasons there was no district release time
was the cost of paying bus drivers and food service personnel for not
working, those responsible for bus transportation and food services both
agreed that no extra cost would be Incurred as a result of Inservice with
adequate planning. It appears that misinformation was allowed to be used
as an excuse for not providing teachers and principals with the release
time they requested.

Community Pressure. Some members of the North Umpqua School Dis-
trict were concerned that school Instructional time was being used by
teachers to pack up their rooms. .Although this, at first glance, may
seem like support for quality education, In this case the concern may
have reflected the community's belief that educators were overpaid; the
Inference Is that teachers should not be given release time to close the
schools because they are already paid too much. A discussion was held at
a June I982 board meeting concerning teachers packing up rooms on In-
structional time. It was led, evidently, by a parent of a Green Park
student. This school services a predominately blue-col lar housing area.

Board member Nelson talked about the demographics of the Green Park

attendance area with the researcher and explained:

 

303

We have In part of Steamboat Township and part of North Umpqua
a lot of blue col lar workers. And we have a lot of farmers.
Now, your blue collar person--your union person-is used to
unions and used to high wages. But strangely enough they don't
think teachers ought to make it. They kept saying "They're
overpaid" (FN, Nelson, 12-10-82, card 7).

Board member Kennedy explained that

as our dol Iars got "pinchier and pInchIer," the publ Ic comments
took more notice of teacher time off [Inservice release time].
Through various pressures, the desire was expressed from the
board and various sources that it would be better to conduct It

after school on nonscheduled time (FN, Kennedy, 12-9-82, card
6).

Board member Lane told the researcher that the Green Park parent was
concerned that teachers were using school time to pack and that his
children were helping the teacher during that time. She explained that

the question was raised [about teachers using release time to
pack] In a public board meeting either the last part of May or
the first board meeting In June from a concerned parent who
felt his children were being negatively Impacted because the
teachers of his youngsters were spending time packing up the
classrooms Instead of teaching his children. His children were
also Involved In this packing process. The parent expressed
some concerns about that. At that point, the official response
was that It was not happening, that there was no official
school time being utilized for that. During that same time
frame, I was in each of the buildings being closed and It gag
happening, because I saw It happening. There Is no way It
would have materialized If It had not been happening during
that time (FN, Lane, 12-2-82, card 2).

Ms. Lane's account Is confirmed by official board minutes which state:
"Green Park parents were concerned that school time was being used by
teachers to move their materials out of the bui lding" (FN, School Board
Meeting minutes, 6-1-82, p. 1145). Ms. Lane's personal observation of
teachers' use of Instructional time, contrary to Dr. Meyers' statement
that "no official time was being usedJ'Is supported by Ms. Brand, a
former teacher at Lakeview when It closed. Her students were too young
to help actively with the packing, and she lamented this to the re-

searcher as she recal led that "in some of the older classes, the teachers

 

304

had their kids help them " [pack up their rooms] (FN, Brand, II-8-82,
card 6%

Board Members' Attitude Towards Educators. ‘Two prevailing opinions
about educators held by board members seem to reflect the community's
attitudes and seem to have contributed directly to the board's refusal to
allow release time: (I) as professionals, teachers should be willing to
work after normal work hours Just as business professionals do; and (2)
as public servants, they should not expect to be paid for everything they
do. Mr. Jackson, himself a professional business man and board presi-
dent, explained to the researcher his views about professional conduct

and release time for Inservice:

Researcher: Why wasn't there any release time for staff
development and packing out?

Mr. Jackson: A combination of things. No money on the board's
part, and the refusal on the part of the
education association to reopen the contract.

The first part of my answer [no money] dealt with
Inservice training as part of the process of
perhaps getting Involuntarily transferred
teachers more up to snuff In terms of their new
field. .. . When I talk about Inservice costing
a lot of money, I'm talking about basically lost
Instructional time. You see, I'm of the
philosophy that If you're a professional you
ought to be willing to devote after hours time to
Improve yourself. I spent countless hours
throughout the years going to meetings and
programs after my job Is done. It's done
voluntarily. I'm on a salary and It's just a
normal expected thing that takes place.

Somewhere a long the l lne because of col lective
bargaining In terms of teachers, It's expected to
be paid. And we reduce Instructional time for
students to somehow compensate teachers for that.
As far as I'm concerned, that's one of the
problems that teachers have as a group (FN,
Jackson, 12-9-82, cards I-Z).

 

 

Another board member, Mr. Kennedy, who was also a professional business

man, felt that allowing release time was unnecessary because teachers are

305

not little children who need to be led and shown new things. He

emphatically stated:

When you get right down to It, there wouldn't be any teacher In
the district who wouldn't be familiar with any of our
buildings. There Is no reason why they shouldn't be. They are
perfectly open. I think there Is enough Interaction between
these teachers that they are all familiar with each other's
principals at least by hearsay. .As far as calling school off
for a day, putting them on a bus and driving them over and
saying "this Is your new school," I doubt that anything like
that was ever done. These are adult peOple. You don't take
them by the hand really, and close school. At least, If I were

a teacher, I wouldn't expect that (FN, Kennedy, 12-9-82, card
7).

An incident Involving a board member and Dr. Meyers was related to
the researcher by board member Nelson as an example of why the board

would not consider release time. It again seems to reflect the community

attitude that teachers are paid too much.

You have peOple who just have different conceptions of how
school should be run. I think It became us against them--
against the teachers. It was never explicitly said, but I can
tell you a comment that was made one time. It was directed
against the superintendent. "You're In education. You are a
public servant. These things are expected of you. You should
not expect remuneration for them." He said, "Why not?"
"Because you are a public servant)‘ In other words, because
you are a public servant, you do things for less money than
other peOple do, just because you owe It to the people because
you've chosen that field. With that attitude, do you see what
happens when you get to the negotiating table? Do you see
where the attitude comes In from a teacher (FN, Nelson, 12-10-
82, card 11)?

Board member Martin also felt that the cost of release time was an
unnecessary expense to the already financially troubled district.

Researcher: Why didn't the board authorize release time to
allow teachers to pack and to visit their new
schools?

Mr. Martin: Well, I can give you my opinion.. .. I guess
maybe the feeling was that It just wasn't
necessary to spend that kind of money to do It
(FN, Martin, 12-16-82, card 14).

306

Board-Union Relations. Board-union relations apparently had become
more and more formal and adversary-like over a period of years. Mr.
Kennedy, a board member, recounted how the relationship changed over his

years on the board. He noted that

the unionization process had had an effect on the whole damn
system [school] when you get right down to It. 'They've [the
union] became harder and harder and seemingly less cooperative
or less opportunity to Interact because you always have to
consider what does the contract say about that. It's been a
detriment. To the schools' efficient operation of the
district, It's been a handicap. The lines became gradually
more definitely drawn between board, administrators, teachers
and the need to act through channels. As the union grew In
power, we got into tougher and tougher and more bitter
negotiations (FN, Kennedy, 12-9-82, cards 2, 8).

A result of this adversary relationship Is that the officials
Iruualved seem to forget that teachers are human with human needs and
feelings. Board member Nelson wistfully lamented to the researcher that

there wasn't any feeling of togetherness. It just wasn't

there. When something happens like this with a layoff, because

you're so caught up in the economic thing that you don't deal

with the peoples' needs as much (FN, Nelson, 12-10-82, card 6).

Mr. Feaster, a district administrator, agreed with board member Nelson's
assessment of the relationship with the teachers' union. He stated that
personnel were dealt with purely by contract. In other words,

the contract defined the relationship, and to go beyond that

contract was not appropriate or a desired sort of thing. The

leadership had a limited commitment to staff. As long as the
contract was fulfilled, fine. If It didn't cost a lot of

money, maybe we'll do something, but let's not overdo it (FN,

Feaster, 12-8-82, card 2).

Both the board's and the union's tenacious desire to adhere to the
contract are seen In (I) the board's use of the contract as a lever to
coerce the union Into reopening Its contract to renegotiate salary

Increases; and (2) the union's stand that It would not reopen the

contract but would hollow It exactly. ‘The board's use of the contract as

307

a lever, as he saw it, was explained by Mr. Austin, the Riverview

Elementary School principal:
Researcher: Did the board do anything to help the
Involuntarily reassigned teachers?
Mr. Austin: The board wanted to open the contract and
renegotiate the salary Increases as a way of
saving jobs. NUEA said "no" and this hardened the
board's position toward the teachers (FN, Austin,
IO-I3-82, card 2).
Ms. Edwards, the Spring Hill principal, agreed with Mr. Austin's
viewpoint. She related to the researcher a conversation she heard which
irnnalved the board president and Indicated his position about the
Interrelationship between contract reopening and release time for
teachers. She explained:
I know why the president of the board would not consider
release time. It was because he was trying to talk the
teachers' negotiating team Into reopening their contract. He
said loud and clear, and I heard him once myself say, "We're
not doing anything for the teachers until they will at least
discuss opening their contract)‘ r: was a stand off (FN,
Edwards, 9—21-82, card 6).
Mr.‘Taylor, principal at Hillcrest Elementary, seems to have captured the
differences and tensions between the board and union when he described
his perception of the board-union col lective bargaining process. He said
with regret that "It's pure hardball, Ed, pure hardball. It Is as wicked
as any UAW [United Auto Workers] negotiations you've ever seen" “Uh
Taylor, 10-6-82, card 10). ‘The teachers' union officials recognized that
they were behaving like a union. Ms. Lewis, the NUEA president, boldly
stated: "We are a union. Those of us that are Involved recognize that"
(FN, Lewis, 2-21-83, card 30. Consequently, the union refused to nego-
tiate with the board. Ms. Lewis explained that "we did not negotiate

formally. The contract was In place, so we didn't open the contract. We

didn't go back and renegotiate anything" (FN, Lewis, 9-23-82, card I).

308

The contract language In regard to working after normal school hours,
seems, at least partially, to explain why teachers were reluctant to (I)
participate In the inservice with Dr. George: and (2) to pack classroom
materials at the end of the school year on their own time. ‘The contract
stipulates:

The Board recognizes the principle of a standard work week,

and will set work schedules and make professional assignments
which can reasonably be completed within such standard work
week.

It is hereby agreed that attendance at regularly scheduled
PTA, PTIA meetings, etc., conferences, school staff meetings
scheduled not more frequently than bI-weekly for one hour after
dismissal of regular class, shall be required unless the
teacher ls excused In advance by the principal (Professional
Agreement North Umpqua Board of Education and Hood County
Education Association 1981-1984, p. 29, section 3.5-A-B).

The teachers' desire to adhere to the provisions In the section of the
contract cited above is seen In their lack of willingness to attend
after-school mandatory Inservice sessions. tun Vincent, principal at
Woodlawn Elementary, explained the results.of the adversarial board-union
relationship. He said that

If we're going to get inservice, it's got to be done by the
school district. .After school meetings are fine, but all the
other things that have happened, with the bitterness that the
teachers have experienced, It's much more difficult to get them
to volunteer to stay tIl flve o'clock or come back on a day
they don't have to work. All that bitterness has bui It up.
Things have happened--the union/administration thing--the
confrontation. Because of the nature of the beast with
negotiations and the hard feelings, and the layoffs, and some
of the policies that have zapped the teachers. They say,
"Screw you. I'm not going to spend extra time" (FN, Vincent,
11-3-82, cards 17-18).

Ms. Davis, principal at Lakeview, agreed with Mr. Vincent's assessment.
she lamented that

now, even when opportunities for Inservice come up, like the
one we had the other day that met after school, the teachers
are very resistant to it because they remember when we had

release time for It. We had one last week that was district
sponsored on economic education. It was deeply resented by

309

the teachers. They were required to go (FN, Davis, lI-16-82,
card 2).

An example of this resentment occurred when the district Invited the
teachers, through their union officials, to participate In a stress
workshop conducted by Dr. George. Mr.lAllen, the personnel director,
told the researcher about the district request and the union's refusal:

We hired Dr. George and he camelover In the afternoon and met
with the principals. Dr. George has been In Hood County
before, and Is very practical about managing wIth declining
resources. He also has a canned speech for teachers. We had
planned a four o'clock voluntary meeting for the teachers. It
was kind of Interesting. We went to the union with this and
the union decided they would rather not have this gentlemen
come In because they felt the staff wouldn't show (FN,.Allen,
9-13-82, cards 5-6).

Ms. Lewis, the teachers' union president, agreed with Mr. Allen's account
of the Incident as she talked with the researcher:

Researcher: Do you have any knowledge of a workshop by Dr.
George?

Ms. Lewis: Yeah. I think he was the man they [the district
administration] got In and we [the teachers'
union] wouldn't attend. They [the district
administration] asked me if we would attend and It
was like at 4 o'clock at night. I said, "I just
don't think there is any way that we can get
peOple out at that time!‘ I». George was going to
be here to talk to administrators and Dr. Meyers'
point was as long as he Is here, he could talk to
the teachers at four o'clock. And I said, "Dr.
Meyers, there's no way. We'd be embarrassed.
Five peOple might show up. You'd be embarrassed,
so we can't do It. It's too late In the day; too
late In the year [April 28]. "Hey, people just
felt like "forget FH'(FN, Lewis, 9-23-82, card
6).

*********

Because of the multipleefactors of (I) the superintendent's
philosophy on release time: (2) the purported cost of release time; (3)

the community's pressure; (4) the board's attitudes towards educators:

310

and (5) the adversarial board-union relationship, release time was not
provided for Involuntarily reassigned teachers to prepare their schools
for closing and to become acquainted with their new schools. ‘The
hardening of positions and attitudes among board members, district
administrators, and union officials seems to have created a situation
where the board and district administrators were open to making the move
smoother for the children, but not for the teachers. Their failure to
provide adequate release time coupled with an ongoing staff development
program was a major cause of Involuntarily reassigned teachers' stress
during the reassignment process. It should be noted here, that, as Selye
observes, not all stress 15 bad (see p. 44). One positive way to deal
with stress is not to avoid stress, but to be sensitive to the felt needs
expressed, In this case, by teachers and principals. For example,
teachers Identified the lack of a standardized district-wide reading text
as stress-producing. Yet a single text adoption policy might also be
stress-producing to other teachers for a variety of reasons. In the same
way, the lack of release time produced stress In teachers; yet granting
release time would have been stressful for the community because of

community values.

2. THE INVOLUNTARILY TRANSFERRED TEACHERS' PERCEPTION OF THEMSELVES
AS LIKE A FAMILY CAN EXPLAIN WHY THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE MUTUAL SUPPORT

TO ONE ANOTHER.

Involuntarily reassigned staff members assumed some functions of a
fictive kinship system with respect to (1) emotional and physical
support each provides to the others In times of stress: and (2) the close

personal and social relationships between colleagues established over a

3II

period of time. Involuntarily reassigned teachers helped each other with
the physical and emotional aspects of the move to their new school. This
Is evidenced as the Lakeview Elementary teachers provided Ms. Fox with
items she could use In her new classroom: encouragement to visit her new
school, Meadow Elementary, with them: and answers to her questions about
second grade. Ms. Scott provided help to Ms. Underwood by encouraging
her to choose Rivervlew Elementary, taking her to visit Rivervlew, pro-
viding emotional support for her when the school year began, and showing
her how to plan her school day and teach the curriculum. Ms. Eddy, at
Lakeview, provided help to other teachers who were leaving by supporting
them emotionally and helping them pack their teaching supplies. Ms.
Carpenter, at Forest Glen Elementary, helped col leagues who were leaving
by offering unneeded furniture to them. Ms. Campbell, at Green Park
Elementary, was given textbooks and study guides by a teacher friend on
the staff.

The amount of help Involuntarily reassigned teachers provided for
each other exceeded the help normally expected In the role of a teacher.
Although professional cooperation Is expected, teachers' concerns for
each other exceeded professional expectations. One explanation for this
caring and concern for one another can be found in the concept from the
anthropological theory known as fictive kinship. Although the concept of
fictive kinship has not usually'been applied to schools and relationships
of professional colleagues with one another, the researcher believes this
concept Is wel l suited to the phenomenon he observed. Sarker, Vinceze,
Bhowmick, and Foster have observed this system In operation In
Bangladesh, Hungary, India, and Mexico, respectively. Basic to the

traditional fictive kinship systems they observed Is the provision for a

312

biological family member to choose a person from outside the family to
become a ritual (or fictive) family member. ‘The traditional fictive kln
relationship usually lasts for the lifetime of the Individuals Involved.
Much of the responsibilities In the fictive kin relationship revolve
around the practical aspect of providing mutual help and security to each
other and participating In family social functions. Evidence of a
fictive kin-like relationship among Involuntarily reassigned teachers is
seen by the teachers' perceptions of themselves as part of a professional
family that (I) helps one another In times of crisis: and (2) enjoys
each other's friendship beyond the expected professional role through
social activities. In both of these perceptions, the Involuntarily
reassigned teachers function In a limited manner like a traditional

fictive kinship system.

Involuntarily Reassigned Teachers' Perception 91 Beigg Like 3 Family

After two teachers mentioned to the researcher that they felt their
relationships with col leagues was fami ly-l ike, the researcher asked that
question of the other teachers Involved In the study. Five others, or
seven out of the ten teachers In this study, considered former school
<x>lleagues as a family. Ms. Baird felt her former school was like a
family In that teachers were close, knew all about each other, and helped
one another. She told the researcher that,

the Riverview staff was like a family. We al I knew everyone

and their families, their obsessions, their quirks, their

teaching styles, their strengths and weaknesses.. . . When

any of our teachers were pink-slipped, we all worried together

and had pink-slip parties. We worked together as a whole for

about six years. That lends to becoming a family (FN, Journal,

Baird, 12-8-82, card 1).

Two Riverview teachers, Ms. Abbott and Ms. Hicks, were especial Iy helpful

to her when she transferred. Ms. Underwood did not consider the entire

313

Evergreen Middle School staff as family, but did consider the sixth grade

teachers, Including her former team partner, Ms. Scott, as a family. She

commented that

the sixth grade staff at Evergreen was like a family. All the
Evergreen sixth grade [teachers] had the same hour off. We
were just closer in that we spent five hours a week sitting In
the lounge grading papers, talking, laughing, kidding around,
or cooking up something.... . Within the sixth grade level,
we did try to help each other out. One teacher would run off
reading dittos and one teacher would run off social studies,
and then we'd trade back and forth (FN, Journal meeting, 12-7-
82, card 12 and Underwood, II-16-82, Part 1-2, card 15).

Ms. Carpenter also felt her former Forest Glen col leagues were like a
family prior to the school closure. She remarked to the researcher:

The staff [at Forest Glen] I could say was like a family
because they all had to work and get along together. ‘They had
their ups and downs. I think we were pretty close. . . . We
got used to having to work together, get our schedules In, take
turns, help each other out In problems. So, I think we were
very close (FN, Carpenter, II-17-82, card 1).

Ms. Fox was a former teacher at Oak Park Middle School. She did not view
her relationships at that school as like a family except wIth one teach-
er. Nevertheless, In her new school, Meadow Elementary, she dId feel a
family-type bond and gave the researcher an example of how another In-
voluntarily transferred teacher had been helpful to her. She said:

I guess you could say that the staff Is more like a family. I
guess In every family, you have a few outcasts. But,
generally, everyone works together and comes to the aid of
whoever needs help and Is supportive In whatever they ask or
request from anyone. . . . My dad was real sick. Two weeks
ago Wednesday, he started bleeding Internally and was
unconscious for several days, and they were so cooperative. I
got the phone call Wednesday night to come down Immediately, so

we went. I had lesson plans for Thursday, but that's all.
They didn't expect him to live. and so I called Thursday and
said, "I don't have any plans, could you ask if she'll

do plans for me? She did my Friday plans and then they took
care of my whole next week's plans. .. . People called me to

see how he was doing long distance to [name of city] (FN, Fox,
12-2-82, cards 1, 12).

314

M5. Gates considered Spring Hill as family because she has no relatives
of her own nearby. When describing her feelings of the staff as being
family-like, she gave the example of the quantity of time she devotes to
school work. She commented:

I'd say that the Spring Hill staff was like a family'especially
because I don't have a family close by. Whether or not they
like that, I use them for that. . . . Last night I was here
until eight o'clock. ‘Thls Is my whole world. ‘Thls Is what I
have. I don't have a family and kids, so this gets all my
energy. (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, cards 10, 12).

Ms. Eddy and Ms. Brand were'teachers at Lakeview Elementary when It
closed. ‘They both expressed a strong feeling that they looked upon their
cxalleagues as family. Ms. Brand, when commenting to the researcher about
mutual help given each other by the staff, Indicated that

the staff as a family Is a good analogy. We got along real
well. We were very supportive of each other, helpful to each
other. . . . The biggest way we helped each other was
emotionally. When someone was really depressed or discouraged,
just trying to help each other that way by talking with them
(FN, Brand, 11-8-82, card 8).

Ms. Eddy also emphasized the helping function of her former colleagues,
and gave the researcher an example of how this help was given with a
personal problem. She felt

the staff Is like a family In that a lot of times, when you were
feeling very emotional about things, a lot of different things,
we got so that If anything was bothering you, you could let It
out. I really had a hard time when my son went to
kindergarten. The first conference, the teacher asked me how
to teach kindergarten. I was a little uptight over that. I
came Into the lounge the next morning, and I was just totally
upset over the whole situation. ‘They gave me a lot of support
through that. . . . We knew everything I think there was to
know that you would let anyone know about each other. If
things were going badly at home, you could talk to the other
people. If you were upset about something that was happening
In the classroom, we all tried to help each other (FN, Eddy,
10-21-82, card 3 and II-11-82, card 12).

315

The fictive~kin-llke family tie Is also seen In Involuntarily reassigned
teachers' desire for, and enjoyment of, social closeness to one another

from their former school colleagues.
Involuntarily Reassigned Teachers' Desire for Social Activities

Thermost striking example of the relationship between Involuntarily
transferred teachers being more than just a professional relationship Is

seen In the close social ties among former Lakeview Elementary teachers.

Ms. Brand told the researcher:

Our school had a reputation for the staff getting along real
well, cooperating real well with each other. .And It was on
more than just a work basis. We just felt that we were really
close friends, too, on a personal level not just a professional
level (FN, Brand, 11-8-82, card 8).

Ms. Eddy explained to the researcher that staff only social activities

were a part of school life:

We used to get together as just the staff-~not husbands, not
wives, not In the evening, but after school-and do something
socially. Some nights we've gone out to dinner and bowling.
We have had a party at four thirty at someone's house. We did
that at Christmas time. We used to just have a party for us
together and bring some munch and party for awhile and chit-
chat (FN, Eddy, 12-8-82, card 11).

When Lakeview Elementary closed, the teachers banded together In a year-
end party as a sort of farewel l to themselves. Ms. Eddy told about the
Importance of the party and the main topic of conversation. She

remembered that

a lot of it was just talking about It [the break up of the
staffCL We all were pretty good about talking about our
feelings. We talked a lot about not being a group anymore:
that we were going to miss each other. Just being together
helped, and knowing that was going to be the last time we'd all
get together like that. We just had a lot of fun together
doing different things. We went out for a boat ride and
enjoyed the time together (FN, Eddy, 11-18-82, card 10).

The teachers from Lakeview were dispersed to three other elementary

316

schools when It closed. Yet, even after school began In the fall of
1982, the teachers felt the need to continue the close family-like ties.
One of the Involuntarily reassigned teachers at Meadow'who was formerly
at Oak Park Middle School told the researcher:

The teachers who came from Lakeview Elementary, they get
together and party. Like the other night, they all went out
for a drink and they did not ask anybody else except for the
Lakeview teachers who were there last year . . . (FN, Fox, 10-
28-82, card 6).

Ms. Eddy, also now at Meadow Elementary, told the researcher about one

such party held In late October for all former Lakeview Elementary

teachers. She explained that

two nights ago, we al I went out to dinner. We Invited
everybody we had taught with at Lakeview at one time or
another. Most of them were going to come, then something
turned up for a few. But, there were eight of us there and It
was really'nlce. We all talked about that everybody was going
through the same things. You know, they talked about feeling
alone, feeling like there just wasn't anybody there who really'
cared about them, and yet now they knew that we all still care
about one another and about what was happening. It was good
that we all had a chance to talk, and we talked about our
families and all the things we used to talk about. We got
there at five and left at five to eight. It was really a good
time together, and we decided that we were going to do It again
around Christmas time (FN, Eddy, 10-28-82, cards 2-3).

Ms. Brand, formerly from Lakeview, was Invited to the party, but at the
last minute had to cancel her plans to attend. She told the researcher

about this and her anticipation of another party In early December.

I missed our first dinner. We were to meet at 's and
have dinner. My babysitter called at the last minute and said,
"I'm sorry Ms. Brand, but I didn't remember and I can't
babysrh. I told you I could, but I can'tJ' So, I didn't get
to go. We are planning another one the first part of December.
. . . We had been together, wel I, I'd been there since 1973.
So, we were a really close staff and It was very hard on us to
separate (FN, Brand, 11-8-82, card 7).

 

317

After the December party, the researcher again talked with Ms. Eddy, who
said about the time together, "It's always fun to get together with
everybody. We talked about everything that Is happening and got caught
up with what's happening with the kids" (FN, Eddy, 12-8-82, card 2). ‘The
closeness of several Spring Hill staff members Is Illustrated by a group
of teachers who regularly would meet with the principal on Fridays after
school, have a few drinks and talk. Ms. Campbell, one of the teachers
Involved, related to the researcher that at these afternoon meetings

we drank! [She laughs;] Nothing special. Sometimes we talked
about all kinds of stuff. Ms. Scott and Ms. Underwood would
meet us. And would meet us. I had a student teacher
two to three years ago and she would come and meet us. The
librarian would come with us sometimes. It was nothing. It
was just a group of people that got along well together and go
for a drink on Friday afternoon after school (FN, Journal
Meeting, 10-13-82, card 10).

The principal Involved, Ms. Edwards, confirmed this social activity among
teachers who were going to be Involuntarily reassigned and told the

researcher:

I had a small group of teachers who were not going to be going

with the big bunch of teachers. I took them out for a drink on
Friday afternoons. .... to work through the feelings of being

an isolate, to work through the feelings they were getting from
other staff members (FN, Edwards, 9-21-82, card 1).

Ms. Fox, while not considering her former staff to be like a family, did
have one special teacher friend at Oak Park with whom she enjoyed a close
bond of friendship and social activity. She told the researcher:

I really miss one friend over at the middle school a lot
because we've got a good friendship. I really miss It. She's
my mom's age, really. She's kind of my mother and a neighbor.
She's the one who comes over and helps me during the week off
and on. I miss that, and I also realize that she's not going
to be there for that much longer. I just miss not seeing her.

I just miss the social aspect of It (FN, Fox, 12-2-82, card
16).

318

Ms. Gates looked upon her former Spring Hill staff as being like a

family. When telling the researcher about this relationship, she

emphasized the social aspects. She noted that
we celebrate each other's birthdays. The other fourth grade
teacher there helped me so much. . . . I'd be desperate
because I couldn't think of an art project. She'd help me
there. It was almost like a mothering thing, there. We shared
each other's personal triumphs. We'd sit In the lounge and
explain how so and so just had a baby and how my son just got

his first tooth. You sit around and celebrate each other's
happy things and sad things, too (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card
1

Ms. Carpenter, who taught at Forest Glen when it closed, felt that social
activities both during the school year and during the summer were an
important aspect of the staff's family-like function. She commented:

We frequently went out to lunch together and did things

together. Not In the evening so much, although sometimes In

the summer we would get together, go to a play or do something
(FN, Carpenter, 11-1-782, card 1).

********§

The examples of the Involuntarily reassigned teachers' emic view-
point that they were family-like In the help they provided each other and
In their desire for social Interaction, link their concept of themselves
to the anthropologists' concept of fictive kin relations. ‘Teachers at
Forest Glen Elementary school went out to lunch together during the
school year and planned joint activities during their summer vacation.
Teachers at Lakeview socialized during school as well as going out to
lunch together, and having after school and evening social events. Sixth

grade teachers at Evergreen Middle School were thought'om as family-like

because of the help they pnovided each other. At Oak Park, Ms. Fox did

319

not view the staff as a family because she did not perceive them as
helping each other or enjoying social events together.

Mutual help provided by involuntarily reassigned teachers to each
other was not the only source of support and help provided them.

Principals also provided support.

IL. PRINCIPALS' HELP GIVEN TO INVOLUNTARILY TRANSFERRED TEACHERS CAN

BE EXPLAINED AS A FUNCTION OF THEIR ROLE AS PRINCIPAL.

In addition to the mutual emotional and physical help provided each
other by teachers who were being involuntarily reassigned, principals
also assisted the teachers being reassigned. ‘This help, which was given
by both the former and the new principal, consisted mostly of
psychological support. This Is evidenced as Mr. Bal l, the Meadow
Elementary School principal, met with the new Meadow teachers in the
Spring at Lakeview Elementary out of consideration for their feelings
about the Meadow teachers whose jobs they were taking. Mr. Austin,
principal at Riverview Elementary, also»made trips to Evergreen Middle
School during which he spent time encouraging Ms. Underwood about her
move to Riverview. Ms. Davis provided encouragement to her staffs at
Forest Glen and Lakeview by providing schoolwide movies In lIeu of
release time so that they could pack on Instructional time without
students in the classrooms. In addition, she provided help to Ms. Fox,
who was not even one of her teachers. Mr. Taylor visited Forest Glen
Elementary while MS. Davis was on vacation and partially used the time to
become acquainted with the teachers he would be supervising In the Fall.
Ttwls action removed some of the teachers' concerns there about not know-

Ing much about him. To a lesser extent, principals provided physical

 

320

support. Mr. Austin helped MS. Campbell, Ms. Gilbert, Ms. Underwood, and
Ms. Scott in moving and arranging their classroom furniture. .At Meadow,
ltillcrest, and Spring Hill, the material from the closed schools was
stacked in the school multipurpose rooms by Mr. Baker's maintenance crew.
In August those respective school principals, Mr. Ball, Mr. Taylor, and
Ms. Edwards, physically helped teachers move their belongings Into their
classrooms.

Principals' willingness to help teachers with their physical and
emotional concerns surrounding the reassignment process cannot be
explained as a fictive kin-like response because neither the teachers nor
the principals said they viewed the help from this perspective. What
accounts for principals' help, then, may be the normal role expectation
of the building principal as one who Is there to serve the teachers and
to facilitate In any way possible the teachers' main task of teaching
children. Evidence that the principals viewed their actions as routine
Is seen In the common practice of a principal taking a vacation during
the days classes are In session. Both MS. Edwards and Ms. Davls took
vacations In the spring while school was In session. Of this, Ms. Davis
explained, "When we went to Florida last spring I did have Mr. Taylor
cover Forest Glen for me. He was actual ly out there part of the time.
This is normal. We cover for each other when we are going to be gone"
(FN, Davis, 12-8-82). MS. Edwards told the researcher: "Mr. Austin
came. Mr. Fisher came. Between the two of them, they covered the
building. Mr. Fisher and l, by being so close, always cover for each
other when one of us had to be out of town" (FN, Edwards, 12-1-82, card
29). Ina Fisher, the Spring Hill principal, told the researcher about

his efforts to help Involuntarily reassigned teachers at his school

 

321

through counseling. Of this, he noted that his help In this area
"evolved just because of what I feel might be one of my strengths:
Interpersonal relationships" (FN, Fisher, 9-23-82, card I).

Involuntarily reassigned teachers also discussed ways principals
helped them which could be considered to be a routine function of their
role as principal. lha Ball physically helped teachers move furniture in
the fall. Ms. Gates noted that "he helped some, but he had the whole
school to put together. He helped me find some things and he helped me
haul some things around" (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card 6). Ms. Fox told how
Mr. Bal I helped move materials to create extra classrooms. She re-
membered that "I came over one Sunday afternoon--It was the Sunday before
Labor Day, and Mr. Ball was here moving stuff out of the basement because
they needed to make that Into classrooms" (FN, Fox, 10-21-82, card 9).
Mr. Bal I also tried to help Ms. Gates gain self-confidence about her new
job. She told the researcher that

Mr. Ball nmst have said so many times, "book I know It's hard.

I know It's hard, but you can do It. I have a lot of faith In

you. I know that you're a good teacher and you can do It."

HIS faith In me gave me faith back In myself (FN, Gates, 11-23-

82, card 29).
Ms. Fox felt that Mr. Ball "treats everybody equally. .. . He Is
usually really receptive to what they say or else he says 'no' and gives
them a reason why" (FN, Fox, 11-4-82, card 8 and 12-2-82, card 4). Ms.
Brand noted that at Lakeview Elementary the teachers wanted release time
to pack at the end of the year and It was her principal, Ms. Davis, who
asked the superintendent. Ms. Brand recounted how "the principal asked

for us. But from higher up, they said, 'No' (FN, Brand, 11-8-82, card

6). When Mr. Taylor watched Forest Glen while Ms. Davis was on vacation,

 

322

Ms. Carpenter did not seem to find that unusual or unsettling. She
commented that

we had little contact with Mr. Taylor. We didn't talk to him

that much. He would come In the room when we were having class

and kind of walk through and maybe stop and say "HI." He was

visible. He was there (FN, Carpenter, 11-3-82, card 4).
Mr. HI ll routinely, almost dal ly, made It a point to walk through his
school and talk to al I the teachers. Ms. Scott said that "Mr. HI I I must
have come over here five or six times--'what do you need, 15 there
anything you need' (FN, Journal Meeting, 10-25-82, card 11). Ms. Under-
wood told how Mr. HI I I met with al I the new teachers. She said, "He did
meet with me last Wednesday. He's meeting with al I the new teachers"
(FN, Underwood, lI-30-82, card 5). Ms. Gilbert was also part of Mr.
HI I l 's routine of talking to his staff. She related to the researcher
that "he checked. He came around that first week and checked with me--
'IS everything going all rIght?' And, after the first month, 'How are
you doing?” (FN, Gilbert, 11-11-82, card 19). Mr. Hill also provided
his staff with routine physical help In moving their furniture to create
rooms. MS. Brand told the researcher that "Mr. HI I I helped a lot moving
furniture for us" (FN, Brand, 11-16-82/11-30-82, card 11). Ms. Scott
remembered that "we had to move my desk. It was over there and Mr. HI I I
moved It for us there . . . " (FN, Journal Meeting, 10-13-82, card 4).
Mr. Hi I I also provided some help with textbooks for Ms. Underwood. She
recal led that "before school was out, Mr. HI I I brought me al I the text-
books. He brought them to Evergreen, left them there, and told me I
could have all summer to look at those texts" (FN, Underwood, 11-16-82,
card 4). Ms. Fox remembered how helpful Ms. Davis had been In the spring

in contrast to her principal at Oak Park. She related to the researcher

that "my principal did not do anything . . . but Ms. Davis was very

323

helpful with everybody" (FN, Fox, 10-21-82, card 7). In discussing the
curriculum help given teachers by Mr. Taylor, both Ms. Carpenter and Ms.
Baird felt he supported their programs. Ms. Carpenter said, "I ap-
proached Mr. Taylor and asked If It would be all right to move the
reading books Into the supply room. And, he said, 'yes.‘ . . . He also
seems to be pretty supportive as far as getting materials" (FN, Carpen-
ter, 11-3-82, cards 14-15). Ms. Baird, when talking about Mr. Taylor's
help, stated that "he has been very kind, understanding, and supportive
of me and of our program. He has gone 'all out' to keep our aide time,

so he realizes how much work we are trying to do, and our unique problems

 

in the Resource Room" (FN, Journal, Baird, 12-8-82, card 9).

*********

Principals' help can be seen as primarily psychologically supportive
as they fostered a climate in which help could be given to the teachers.

They also provided minimal physical help to teachers. This was limited

 

simply because the principals had whole staffs to care for and did not
have large amounts of time to concentrate on Individual teacher's needs.
In addition to the help provided each other by Involuntarily
reassigned teachers and principals, some relatives--Including
boyfriends--helped teachers with primarily the physical aspects of the

change.

4. RELATIVES' HELP GIVEN TO INVOLUNTARILY TRANSFERRED TEACHERS CAN

BE EXPLAINED AS A NORMAL FUNCTION OF A BIOLOGICAL FAMILY.

Relatives, which Includes boyfriends as prospective relatives, also

helped Involuntarl ly reassigned teachers emotional ly and physical ly. Ms.

324

Gates' parents provided physical help In cleaning furniture, arranging
her classroom, and suggestions on appropriate curriculunu Her boyfriend
helped repair and arrange classroom furniture. Ms. Baird's boyfriend and
daughter also supported her emotionally through the transfer process.

MS. Eddy's children helped her and another former Lakeview teacher move
their belongings from the Meadow multI-purpose room Into their class-
rooms. MS. Fox's husband used most of his annual vacation to help his
wife physically arrange her classroom, which was the former school board
room.

The explanation for help by relatives lies in the normal cultural
expectation In which family responsibilities Include helping other family
members In time of need. Ms. Gates simply asked her parents for assis-
tance to set up her room In the fall. She related to the researcher how
she had visited her classroom, gone home, called her parents long dis-
tance and said, "Can you come and help me because I can't do It--l just
can't" (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card 6). She also mentioned to the re-
searcher how her boyfriend "came In and did some things [In her classroom
In the fall]. He nailed the cabinet back together that was all ripped
apart and put knobs on that" (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, card 6). Ms. Eddy's
children "decided they wanted to come the first day" that she went to
work at Meadow In August. (FN, Eddy, 11-11-82, card 9). Ms. Baird's
boyfriend also provided her emotional support. She proudly told the
researcher:

My boyfriend has been super! 1 don't even know how he can stand

me sometimes, but he's always there with a shoulder to lean on

.. . "I'll be there. You can do Lt. .. 3' During the

Springtime, when I was In limbo, and now this fall as I'm living

the change, he 15 always there with a big hug, a kiss, a smile,

a bouquet of flowers, a shoulder to lean on, and lots of time to

hear me out (FN, Journal, Baird, 10-20-82, card 4 and 10-27-82,
card 4).

 

325

*ifli‘liflii

Relatives, Including boyfriends, provided physical and emotional help to
Involuntarily reassigned teachers. ‘The emotional help was given both In
the spring and in the fall, while most of the physical help occurred in

the fall as teachers moved Into their new schools.

5. MOST INVOLUNTARY REASSIGNED TEACHERS DID NOT ALLOW THEIR

PERSONAL STRESS RELATED TO THE CHANGE TO AFFECT THE CLASSROOM LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT.

Evidence to support this conclusion comes from (I) the two Instances
of teacher self-reporting of their disruptive behavior In the classroom
and a principal's verification of one of the two teacher self-reports;
and (2) the lack of disruptive negative behavior observed by the re-
searcher In the fall as he observed Six out of the ten teachers In the

study.

Teacher Self-Reported Disruptive Behavior

The emotional effects of being Involuntarily reassigned were
evidenced in the spring In Ms. Scott's and Ms. Underwood's sixth grade
team. They told the researcher how towards the end of the school year,
MS. Underwood would lose her composure In class and Ms. Scott would have

to take over her duties.

Ms. Underwood: I was having a real tough time leaving middle school
and sixth grade and Shed a lot of tears.
Ms. Scott: The last day, we'd go, "Oops! Ms. Underwood Is

going to lose It. Ms. Scott, you take over."

MS. Underwood: By the last day, Ms. Scott, I didn't even have to
say anything. All she had to do was look at me and
she knew (FN, Journal Meeting, 9-17-82, card 4).

 

326

M5. Gates also had a problem of losing self-control In her classroom.
She told the researcher that the problem was so severe she almost could
not continue teaching. She vividly remembered:
I was having trouble finishing the year. . . . They pink-
Slipped me In April and they hired me back In May. I almost
couldn't finish It from that point on. I was a wreck. There
was a lot of bitterness there. You just have no Idea (FN,
Gates, 11-23-82, cards 2-3).
Ms. Gates' principal, Mr. Fisher, gave the researcher more specifics
about her behavior. He recal led that
she became so distraught, It affected [her] attendance and also
passed on down to the kids. Not only did she verbal ly make some

comments that were taken home, but also her actions, body
language, showed this type of thing and situation (FN, Fisher,

10-19-82, card 3).
Researcher Observed Lack 91 Disruptive Behavior

In the fall, the researcher expected to observe, In the classroom,
the emotional effects of being Involuntarily reassigned. He expected
teachers toi(l) exhibit unfamiliarity with the curriculum: (2) teach too
high or too low for students' abI l Ities: (3) Show a lack of understanding
about school policies; and (4) demonstrate a lack of being prepared to
teach as evidenced by not having enough work for students to do. Only
one of the six teachers observed exhibited unfamiliarity with the
curriculunu Ms. Underwood routinely used the teacher's guide when
teaching math and spelling (FN, 9-9-82, 9-13-82, and 9-27-82). l=Ive of
the six teachers the researcher observed Invited the researcher to work
directly with students In reading, math, and spelling as well as to
correct math, English, and spel ling papers. While the researcher has no
documented evidence of the work being appropriate to the children's
achievement level, his Impression IS that the work was appropriate. ‘This

IS based on conversations with the children when helping them; In seeing

 

327

the test scores of the math, English, and spelling papers: and on twenty
years as an educator who has observed teachers In classroom situations.
One teacher demonstrated a lack of understanding of school policy.
Ms. Campbell consistently forgot to take attendance and count the number
of students who wanted to eat hot lunch. Her pleasure at mastering the
policy procedure was evident In October when one morning she exclaimed,
"I beat you for once" as the safety patrol student came In the room to
pick up the two reports (FN, 10-13-820. ‘Teachers were well organized and
always had enough work planned for students. Excerpts from class obser-
vations provide examples of teachers' typical class organization and

teaching styles. ‘This excerpt Is typical of Ms. Campbell's second grade

morning classes:

The students begin their day by coming In and hanging their
coats on the coat rack. Then they walk around, socialize, and
are In their seats by nine o'clock. At nine o'clock, a student
leads the pledge to the flag over the Intercom for the whole
school. Then, In the next two or three minutes a safety patrol
member comes In to get: (1) hot lunch count: and (2) absentee
sl Ip. They're not ready. After the pledge, Ms. Campbel I has
the class assemble In the story area by the calendar bulletin
board where they: (I) have show and tell; (2) go over month,
day, year drill; (3) get instructions for the morning's
activities.

Ms. Campbell: What number Is It going to be today?

Student #1: Seventeenth.

Ms. Campbell: What Is today?

Student #2: Today Is Friday.

Ms. Campbell: So, today Is Friday. What month?

Student #3: September.

Ms. Campbell: Friday, September 17th. I think we've got
everything, don't we? has another
tooth out, doesn't she?‘[SaId as she writes the
girl's name on a big white toothQ] Anybody else
lose any more teeth? She lost another one. I
see some people have some things for sharing, so
let's see what ou brought. ?

[student's name]' [the girl talks about pictures
she has] That's you? That's you as a baby.
Lots of pictures, huh? 0K, who else has
something for sharing? Just .. ..?
Today, when you go back to your seat, this Is
what I want you to do. [She shows the class a

 

328

dittoé] Here we have our poem right here on the
top. . . . It says down here [bottom of the
ditto below the calendar boxes] twenty-eight,
twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one. You have to go
through here and put In this little box how many
days in each month. [Ms. Campbell then Shows
the class a second ditto on math addition at the
top and subtraction at the bottom.] [Student
says, "Yukl"] Yuk nothing! We've got to learn
those. [Ms. Campbel I shows the class a third
ditto with a big squirrel on top and a story
about It underneath. Words In the story have
blanks for missing vowels.] Complete the story
with A, E, I, 0. U. I _m a I_tle gr_y
squirrel. I want you to color the squirrel, and
I want you to color the days of the month. I
think you' II have time for both. OK, you're
going to need all three of these today.

will pass one out, will pass
out one, and, will pass out one (FN,
Carpenter, 9-17-82, cards 1-2).

Finllowing this, students began work at their tables. Students spent from
nine-fifteen to lunch at noon working on these except for a twenty minute
mid-morning recess. During the period before and after recess, Ms.
Campbel l cal led up reading groups to work with her. Reading lesson
assignments were given at that time for each group. They worked on those
In addition to the dittos. Most students did not run out of work al-
though some had free time to go to a learning center area. Some also
stayed in at recess or noon to complete work. .A typical fourth grade
math class for MS. Scott had the students doing seatwork while she worked
at her reading table either alone grading workbooks talking to Individual
students, or working wIth small reading groups. Math class was from ten-
fIfty until noon. Instruction on new material was usually given In the
early afternoon the day before the class worked on the problems.
10:54 - The class comes In. Students ask what they need.
Ms. Scott says, "You only need your workbook. Everyone should
have their math workbook. Turn to pages 17 and I8 . . . . When

you finish your math today, I want everyone to read your library
book."

10:57 - Juice and milk come In.

 

329

11:00 - Class works In their workbooks whl le Ms. Scott
works the reading table. She cal IS students up Individual ly and
goes over their reading folders with them and corrects their
work.

11:10 - Ms. Scott Is still working at her reading table.
No students there. Kids are working on their math. Assignment
on the board: "WB, p. 18."

11:20 - Ms. Scott is working alone at the reading table.
It looks as If she IS grading papers using a red magic marker
and workbooks. Kids are working on math.

11:40 - MS. Scott Is talking to a student at her reading
table. Students are working on math and pleasure reading.

11:50 - Ms. Scott Is working alone at her reading table.

One student Is still working on math. The rest are pleasure
reading, getting drinks, socializing quietly, and going to the
bathroom.

12:00 - Lunch dismissal (FN, Scott, 10-11-82, cards 1-2).
Ms. Underwood hollowed much the same class routine as Ms. Scott. A
typical fourth grade math class looked as flollows:

Today's assignment Is on the board: "Math W. B.
p. 352
#1-45"

10:54 - Ms. Underwood Sits at her reading table and helps kids
Individually with math. Kids are working on math from their texts.
Books are out, open.

11:00 - Ms. Underwood works alone at the reading table. Kids
work on math at their tables.

11:20 - Ms. Underwood works at the reading table with
Individual students on math. Rest of the kids work on math at their
tables.

11:30 - Ms. Underwood sits at her reading table working on math
with a girl. The rest of the class ls working on math at their
tables.

11:40 - Ms. Underwood Is alone at the reading table. Kids are
working on their math at their tables.

11:50 - Ms. Underwood at her reading table helping kids on
math. The rest of the kids work at their seats on math.

12:00 - Lunch dismissal (FN, Underwood, 10-18-82, card 3).

Factors Accounting for the Lack g: Evidential Stress lg Classrooms

 

Other than the limits of the researcher's observation skills, there
appear to be five factors that mitigate the effects of stress related
behavior from involuntarily reassigned teachers being evident In the

classroom: (1) the teachers' professional attitude: (2) the teachers'

 

330

professional skills that they bring with them Into their new job: (3) the
teachers' ability to learn from new situations: (4) the teachers' posi-
tive feelings about their new job: and (5) the teachers' belief that the
job change was good for their professional and personal growth.

Teacher's Professional Attitude. Teachers' attitudes towards their
students Show that to them, teaching 15 more than a job. They cared
about their students, soimuch so that they did not allow the effects of
stress to be evidenced in the classroom. After a noontime Interview wIth
Ms. Scott and Ms. Underwood In which both broke down and cried as they
recal led various aspects of their Involuntary reassignment, Ms. Scott

told the researcher bluntly:

I have to tell you one thing. I'm not going to come to your

Friday meetings anymore If we are going to talk about things

that I get emotional about. I know it's good for your study,

but right now I'm uptight and that's not good for my job. I

have the kids to think about. Ms. Underwood Is feeling the

same way right now (FN, Journal Meeting, 9-17-82).

Teachers' Professional Skills. The researcher expected teachers
would Interact with children in a businesslike yet friendly manner. The
six teachers observed in this study behaved In that manner. ‘The excerpt
below was taken in MS. Scott's fourth grade class and shows her typical
verbal and nonverbal behavior towards the children. Ms. Scott Is walking

around the room during this period while students work at their seats.

TIME VERBAL ACTIVITY NON-VERBAL ACTIVITY
9:09 "good, good" smile
9:11 ------ poked lightly on a

boy's head wIth her
finger and smiled at

him.
9:12 "I'm sorry guys" as they smile with a wink
get some books
9:14 "Would you pass out one smile

paper to each person,
please?" (said softly)
9:17 talks softly to a boy pats boy on the back

 

9:20
9:43

9:52

9:55

9:56
9:57
10:03

10:04
10:05

10:06
11:00

11:16
11:24

11:28

331

talks with a girl and
Answers her question.
"OK, I've asked there be
no talking."
"Concentrate on this
today so you don't make
the same mistake."
"However you want to do
It, OK? It's your
choice."

Talks to a boy, but I
can't hear

Talks to a girl, but I
can't hear

"Matt, get busy! (tone
Is disapproving)

"Good, now spell ---"
"Understand me?"
(talking directly to
Matt. Tone firmer.

She moved to directly

In front of him versus
across the room where
she was at 10:03)

sigh (mimicking a girl)
"I'm waiting. You're
not going to like It If
we have to make this time
up."

talks to a girl

"OK class, It's too noisy
In here. Thank you."
(voice firm but pleasant)
"Neat! I like his eye-
balls the best. That's
neat about art work
monsters. (FN, Scott,
9-3-82, cards 2-3).

smiles
deadpan

wink

smile

touch on back

smile
frown
smile

forcefully stabs her
finger onto his desk
top to make her
point.

smile
deadpan

smiles
deadpan

smiles

The researcher also expected to observe Involuntarily reassigned

teachers to demonstrate a lack of being prepared to teach through not

having adequate, organized planned lessons.

The research found Instead,

however, that teachers were well organized and well prepared to teach.

The six teachers observed consistently exhibited these skills. An

example of this Is taken from an observation of Ms. Eddy's kindergarten

class:

 

332

9:00 - Opening activities. Kids are playing around the room,
hanging up coats, et cetera. MS. Eddy plays several chords on the
piano as a Signal to the kids to assemble. ‘They assemble facing the
front wall of the room and sit In a semicircle on the floor. Ms.
Eddy Is seated in front of them with her back to the wall. She
takes roll by calling their names. ‘Then students go through a
calendar drII I using the bul Ietin board behind her. A large
October calendar with about 4" squares for each day Is on the
board. Each day has either a red, green, or yellow leaf thumb
tacked to it. The kids as a group snap, clap, and pat a rhythm
based on the leaf colors. Ms. Eddy has the kids say the
complete date as Individuals. Then the kids sing songs and do
motions with some of them. This was followed by reciting a
poem with motions.

9:20 - Show and tel 1 time. Several students bring things--
dolls, cars, trucks, new shoes.

9:25 - Ms. Eddy has the students move to the far end of
the room where there are five tables wIth chairs. This Is
where most of the instruction occurs. She has the students
practice drawing numbers 0 through 6 on construction paper.

Their work, when finished, is made Into a booklet. Sample
numbers are on the wall In purple and green. Students begin
the lettering stroke with the purple line and move towards the
green line. Ms. Eddy has seven learning stations-one for each
number--and the students rotate around them. She and her aide
are constantly monitoring each station to help the children.
The atmosphere Is relaxed, yet the children are working well.
During this time, Ms. Eddy also works specifically with several
different groups of children at the chalkboard. She has them
practice writing numbers on the board.

9:59 - Three chords on the piano again, by MS. Eddy, signals a
major break in activity. It's clean up time.

10:00-11:00 - I am In the lounge for coffee and then
Interview Ms. Fox. Ms. Eddy's kids are at recess and story time.
Ms. Eddy's aide reads the story which gives Ms. Eddy a break.

11:00 - MS. Eddy takes the class to the gym for physical
education. This consists of rotating the students through three
movement coordination drills: ball dribble, skip rope, and figure
eight. She conducts her own class and asks the researcher to
assist. The researcher sits on the floor with the kids and helps
them with the ball dribble drill.

11:26 - Physical education Is over and Ms. Eddy takes the kids
back down to her room.

11:30 - Juice time. Each child gets a half pint of juice or
milk and a graham cracker. As this activity comes to an end (about
11:35), Ms. Eddy begins to talk to the class about Mr. T. This is
story time drlll on alphabet letters--their shapes, their sounds,
and pictures whose contents begin with the particular letter under
study. Ms. Eddy has a big grocery sack for every alphabet letter.
In It she has pictures corresponding to the letter on the bag (for
Mr. T, she has a telephone, etc.). She talks about where Mr. T
lives (between Mrs. S and MS. U), and what words he makes (t

 

 

333

sounds). She has the kIds think up words and she prints them on the
chalkboard as they say them.
12:00 - Dismissal time (FN, Eddy, 10-21-82).

Teachers' Ability I2 Learn From New Situations. .All of the teachers
In this study exhibited learning behaviors as they coped with their
involuntary reassignment stress. Most of the learning behaviors were
exhibited In the fall as teachers reported to their new schools. ‘The
most common learning behavior was asking questions. Ms. Fox, two months
after school had begun, still realized her need to ask. She said:

Still now, like the reading program, I still am asking questions

about the reading program. "What should I do with a kid In this

situation?" I have a boy who comprehends like a fifth grader

and he can't read words on an Individual basis at second grade.

What can I do wIth him In order to make him able to read those

words better (FN, Fox, 10-28-82, card 2)?
IML Carpenter found that asking questions, especially of Incumbent
teachers rather than the teachers whom she already knew, not only helped
her learn but provided social opportunities to become better acquainted.
She recalled:

I tried to make It a point to step In the rooms of peOple I didn't

know and Speak to them a little bit or If I saw a couple of people

together, maybe Sit down with them in the lunch room where I would

be In a position where they could speak to me or I could speak to

them. . . I just asked them, "what are you doing?" I have talked to

resource teachers as to what they do In their rooms so that I would

be doing something different. I spent one afternoon with one of the

reading teachers (FN, Carpenter, 11-12-82, cards 5, 14-15).
Several teachers learned to adapt their new school's curriculuNIexpecta-
tions with their teaching styles, and In this way lessen the stress of
being new. Ms. Underwood was new to the material, the fourth grade, and
Individualized Instruction. She modified the Instructional method and
blended It with the curriculum expectations until she felt comfortable In

both what she was teaching and how She was teaching. She told the

researcher that

 

334

by making adjustments, minor little adjustments, then I can
accept things such as the reading program. I was totally
against their reading program out here. . . . On reading, the
staff pretty much told us how to do that. You move the students
along at their own Individualized rate. I do that. _Bgt, now
what I am doing Is letting the kids move at an Independent rate
and then using what Ms. Scott has kind of come up with and still
meet with a group. So I try to meet the kids In a group at
least once or twice a week and just go over some of the concepts
In the roup. I don't know how they'd look upon that. Ms.
Hawser E; fourth grade teacher] doesn't know that's the way I do
It. It's a secret (FN, Underwood, 11-16-82, cards 11, 19).

Teachers' Positive Feelings About Their New Jobs. Each of the
ten teachers had positive feelings about being at their new school
after the move was made. ‘Their attitude partially accounts for the
lack of observed stress behavior In the classroom. Examples of
teachers' positive attitudes are shown by Ms. Canpbel I at Rivervlew
and MS. Gates at Meadow. Ms. Campbel I had opportunity to travel
around the state on teachers' union business and, In the process, to
visit other schools. Nevertheless, she felt that Riverview was the
best place she could be. She told the researcher that

after two weeks at Riverview, I definitely like It. I really

like second grade and this Is a wonderful class of kids. . . . I

am quite happy here. I can honestly say that I feel that It Is

an excellent elementary schooJ. I feel comfortable and look
forward to coming to work. . . . I like the staff. I think It

Is a happy place to come. And, If I'm going to teach, I'd

rather be here than anywhere else I know of (FN, Journal,

Campbell, 9-13-82; 9-28-82 and 10-13-82 Journal Meeting,

Campbell, card 11).

Ms. Gates had the most severe emotional reaction to her Involuntary

 

reassignment of anyone In the study. Yet, when she joined her new school

staff, she found she enjoyed them. She exclaimed:

Probably right from the time that my parents came down and we
threw ourselves Into this, that's when I became a Meadow
teacher. . . . It's a great group and I'm happier than I was at
Spring Hill! I love the staff here. ‘This Is a nice group. I
like them all. They are all very different from each other, but
all just neat (FN, Gates, 11-23-82, cards 4, 22, 24)!

335

Teachers' Feelings About Involuntary Reassiggment _a__s_ _a_ Professional

 

Growth Experience. Eight of the ten teachers In this study felt, after
the change was completed, that the reassignment helped them grow
professionally. MS. Gilbert told the researcher that

I was about ready to quit teaching last year. After five years

of doing the same thing and the same frustrations-same school,

same people, same lesson plans, same problem areas--l was just

sick of It. And, I love It this year. . . . I really enjoy my

job a lot more. I feel like I'm accomplishing a lot more so I

feel better about myself (FN, Gilbert, 11-11-82, cards 12, 24).
Teachers' professional growth also occurred In being able to assess their
own feelings about teaching as a profession. Some teachers feel that
teaching is the only career they want, and they are happy. Others can
feel trapped In teaching and yet are unable to see clearly that there are
other careers they would enjoy as much or more than education. Real
professional growth occurs when people can analyze their own feelings
about their present job, objectively rank It against other possible
vocational Interests, and then choose the profession to fol low. Ms.

Underwood emphatically told the researcher:

I'll tell you this, Ed, the whole situation has changed my idea
of education. If you had asked me last year, "Would you ever

give up teaching," I would have said, "No." I wanted to just
stay and teach sixth grade and l was happy there. Now I'm ready
to quit. I like It here, but I can give It up now, whereas

before I didn't think I could. Now I can see that there are
other things in life that I can enjoy just as much and get
rewarded for It.. .. I did not see that last year. I looklon
it as very positive In that I didn't see that last year and It
took this change to make me realize that (FN, Underwood, 11-30-
82, card 11).

*********

Teachers' professionalism partially accounts for the lack of
observable stress related behavior in the classroom. This is evidenced

In their attitudes about children, In their application of teaching

336

skills to their new teaching situation, In their use of learning be-
haviors as a c0ping response to stress, In their positive attitudes
toward their new jobs, and In their ability to view the involuntary
reassignment experience as fostering professional growth. The re-
searcher's limitation also may partially account for the lack of docu-
mented observable stress related behavior In the classroom. ‘The re-
searcher was not present In every classroom of the six teachers all the
time. Stress behaviors could have been present when the researcher was
not observing. Also, the researcher may have missed some stress related
behaviors because he was not aware that the behaviors In question were
stress produced. Finally, the researcher did not have adequate sound and
video equipment (or the expertise to operate them) from which to record

and study intensively the classroom Interactions he observed.

Implications for Further Research

The following areas of Interest may provide additional opportunities

for further research:

1. The fictive kin concept is useful In explaining the helping
relationship between Involuntarily reassigned teachers. The concept of
the school system as an extended family should be explored to determine
the extent to which It may be applied to principals, dlstrlct administra-
tors, board members, and union officials In explaining their relation-

ships to each other.

2. lnvoluntari ly reassigned teachers' classroom behavior should be
further studied through quasi-experimental research and/or microethno-

graphic techniques to learn more about what effects, If any, are evi-

 

337

denced In the classrooms. The researcher was unable to observe Involun-
tarily reassigned teachers' classroom Interaction prior to their reas-
signment. This lack of observation did not allow the researcher to
establish a data base for what Is normal behavior In a variety of situa-
tions for each teacher. An Important aspect of any further research Is
the Inclusion of such a data base so that post-Involuntary reassignment
classroom research may provide a better opportunity to show stress re-

lated behavior that may be associated with Involuntary reassignment.

3. ‘This study has focused on the emotional stress teachers have
when they are Involuntarily reassigned. Missing from this study are the
data needed to determine the stressors In such reassignments on non-
transferred teachers, principals, students, and parents. Now that stres-
sors affecting Involuntarily reassigned teachers have been Identified,
the additional research on principals, students, and parents will provide

a gestalt which Is currently missing In research literature.

4. 'This study concentrated on the effects of Involuntary reassign-
ment on elementary teachers, grades K-5. The research data gives a
slight clue that middle and high school teachers may view their col-
leagues less like fictive kln than elementary teachers. In addition, the
three former middle school teachers In the study seem to have experienced
considerable adjustment stress to the new curriculum and age group. The
effects on middle and secondary teachers of being Involuntarily transfer-

red should be given further attention.

Implications for Practice

Based on the conclusions to this research, the following suggestions

may be implemented to lessen the emotional effects of Involuntary

338
reassignment on teachers:

1. School boards, superintendents, and teachers' union officials
Should create Informal opportunities to become acquainted with school
staffs and their individual needs on a continuous basis. This could
include, but Is not limited to: (1)1vislting classrooms dUrIng the
Instructional day; and (2) Informally'visiting with teachers on
noninstructlonal time individually'and In small groups in classrooms

and/or faculty lounges.

2. Release time for staff development should be cooperatively
provided by the teachers' union, board, and superintendent. The staff
development program should be jointly planned by teachers and
administrators and focus on teachers' needs--col Iectively and Individual-
ly. Staff development time should be devoted to, but not limited to (I)
stress management and Interpersonal relations development: (2) curriculum
planning; (3) student placement: and (4) Informal social time neceSsary
for Involuntarily transferred teachers to become acquainted with their
new adoptive family. Principals, the superintendent and his staff, board
members, and union officials from wIthIn the county bargaining unit
should attend staff development programs to underscore further the Impor-

tance of these professional activities.

3. The superintendent, In cooperation with union officials,
principals, board members, and teachers, should create a climate within
the Individual schools, and within the school system as a whole, that
encourages communication, openness, and trust so that teachers feel
comfortable In expressing the need for help with work related stress.

One of the ways this can be accomplished Is through superintendents and

339

principals, as instructional leaders,lallowlng teachers greater autonomy
and encouraging them to participate more In matters affecting their work.
A second method Is for the superintendent and principals to build bridges
between the job and the home so that the employees' spouses come to

better understand the stressors at work.

4. It Is the responsibility of the board, the district superinten-
dent, and the teachers' union to (I) recognize the extent of the emo-
tional impact made on school staffs Involved In Involuntary reassignment,
and (2) act cooperatively to provide the release time and support ser-
vices which help family members cope with their stress. ‘The critical
issue Is the provision of adequate time for staff development activities.
The provision of release time signals to employees the Importance and

value placed on the teacher family's welfare and on the quality of educa-

tion provided to the children.
Conclusion

Involuntary reassignments created stressful situations for elemen-
tary teachers. ‘This stress was evident during the pre-Iayoff period as
teacher morale dropped and teachers feared the unknowns about the moves
being contemplated. The most stressful period of Involuntary reassign-
ment appears to be In the spring, during the layoff and recall process.
During the actual layoff and recall process, stress was produced by (I)
the use of seniority as the sole criterion for layoff and recall; (2)
intentional and overt attempts by non-reassigned teachers to overtly
covet reassigned teachers' rooms and teaching materials; (3) well-meaning
non-reassigned teachers attempts to help newly reassigned teachers; (4)

recalled teachers' attempts to choose which school to request for

340

reassignment; (5) the unknown aspects of the new grade level teaching as-
signment: and (6) the lack of release time for teachers to visit their
new schools. Stressful situations alsoioccurred In the fall as teachers
move into their new schools. Such Situations Include those that are
caused by (I) Inadequate planning In the movement of teachers' supplies
and equipment from their former schools to their new schools: (2) a lack
of familiarity with the new staff; (3) a lack of understanding of school
routines: (4) unfamiliar curricula and/or teaching methods: (5) a lack of
understanding children's ability levels: and (6) unfamiliarity with pa-
rents' expectations of the teachers' role.

Involuntarily reassigned teachers were provided both physical and
emotional help by others. ‘The primary physical and emotional help came
from other Involuntarily reassigned teachers In the same building. Al-
though most of this help occurred In the spring, when the emotional
crisis of reassignment Is at its peak, this help continued In the fall as
newly reassigned teachers exhibited concerns and fears like a first year
teacher. In the fall, the incumbent staffs in the new schools also
provided a support system for Imparting that school's cultural expecta-
tions to the new members. The principal's role In helping Involuntarily
reassigned teachers emotional ly and physical ly consisted mainly of creat-
Ing a school climate that fosters an atmosphere of caring and mutual
concern. In addition, they provide direct emotional and physical support
to individual teachers as time permits. District administrators, school
board members, and union officials do not appear to have provided teach-
ers with physical and emotional support except to the extent that the
district moves teaching supplies and equipment from teachers' former

schools to their new schools. Family and friends provide some emotional

 

341

and physical support to Involuntarily reassigned teachers. ‘Thls help Is
limited because family members are not close enough to the work Situation
to know what IS the best help to give.

Involuntary reassignment stress can be ameliorated through careful
planning. The negative behaviors experienced by teachers as they coped
with their stress--fight, fleeing, and freezing--can be turned Into a
positive coping behavior--learning. This careful planning should be
accomplished at the direction of the superintendent and include teachers,
principals, union officials, and district personnel. The program planned
should include ongoing release time staff development activities that
are focused on: (I) teacher's perceived Individual needs: (2) teachers'
perceived col lective needs; and (3) administrators' perceptions of
teacher needs.

The Involuntarily reassigned teachers, after they began work in
their new jobs, were positive about their new colleagues, curricula,
students, and parents. In addition, once their Involuntary reassignment
was completed, teachers were able to view the whole process as a positive
and professional growth experience. (Blosing schools and reassigning
teachers Is no easy task. Neither Is It something that should frighten
educators. But it Is a process that affects human lives. As such, It
demands thorough planning and cooperation by al 1 parties Involved: the
board, teachers' union, district superintendent and staff, principals,

and teachers.

 

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