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There are a few things to consider in making the decision about whether or not to continue with the "Global Day of Play". The first thing that I would heavily weigh is the fact that I am brand new to the building. I once heard it said that the only thing you should change in a building that you are just coming into is the trash. This makes sense too, at least generally speaking. Being the new guy on the block, even if you happen to be the guy in charge; it doesn't seem like the smartest thing to do to come in and start changing the status quo and unnecessarily making waves. Undoubtedly, you will be making changes at some point as you see fit (changes which not everyone will like), some sooner or more serious than others, but insofar as one practically can, he should assess the climate and culture of the building as much as possible before starting to change things that have been done for a while, especially considering an activity that half of the staff and a large amount of the community supports.

Another thing to consider; even though I am new to the building I trust I would have some idea as to who the better teachers in the building are. I would very seriously consider where they were concentrated in terms of this being a good idea. I would go and get their thoughts on it and I trust that they would all kind of fall in the same place either being for or against the day of play. These teachers, superstars as they are called by Whitaker, will have a much better feel of the building and understanding of its climate, its teachers, and its students than I would. I would also trust that these teachers would be deliberate in doing what they genuinely thought was best for their students. That is where all of our loyalty should be, the well-being of the students. From their position they would be able to make a much more informed and data driven assessment of the day of play (which is also why I surmise that they would have the same general sentiments towards the day), so I would take their input very seriously.

The decision would be contingent, at least in some measure, upon what these teachers I talked with had to say, but all things considered, if I had to make a decision right now, I would keep the play day. For one thing, I am the new guy and this is what has been done and what is already expected, so even if there isn't unanimous support of the idea, those that don't like it already expect it. I believe fewer waves would be caused in erring on this side than if I made the change my first time around the block and upset the people who supported it (especially without any real data to make the change). I would be able to then assess the situation myself. Perhaps there are some logistical improvements that could be made that would get the other 50% onboard. Given the community support, this also seems like a great opportunity to build community relations. It seems to me that outside of all of my best teachers giving some really good reasons why they all hate the "Global Day of Play", I would hold the tradition and make assessments of my own and move forward or make adjustments accordingly for the following year's festivities.

In thinking through these adjustments, I would also make it a point to get input from anyone who was not in support of the day to see what I might learn from their point of view and if their objections held any water. If it happened to be that my best teachers were the ones not in support of this tradition, I would have to seriously consider still holding the event. If their case was compelling, I might consider cancelling, but I doubt it; this event is referred to above as a "tradition". The last thing that I want to do is come in and break that longstanding tradition without even experiencing it. I trust this would really rub a lot of people the wrong way and really leave a sour taste in their mouth about me and the building moving forward. So if it were my best teachers that opposed it, I would hold a brainstorming meeting about how we could make it better.

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In light of the fact that I am new to the building and my position, I would not make any substantive changes the first year of the event.  I would definitely use the planning leading up to the event and the day of the event to gather as much information as possible about how the event is planned, who are the driving decision makers in the day and how smoothly the day goes.  I’ve found that some annual education events tend to get “stuck” in that there is a feeling that “it’s always been done.”  It would be ill-advised to make any changes before I see and experience the day for myself. There are many questions that I would want to get answers to.  What are the primary goals and objectives of the day?  How is the day organized?  How are community members brought into and made a part of the day?  How do teachers feel about the day?  How do they feel the day could be improved?  How do students feel about the day?  How do parents respond to the events?  After the day, I would plan a wrap up meeting and discuss the day and use the feedback to help guide decision making for the following year.  With a new building principal, the time is right for switching up the event.  Giving time and attention to all stakeholders is wise.  Allowing teachers in the meeting to share the “grows and glows” of the event gives voice to everyone.  Whitaker points out the importance of identifying the people who are most attached the event as is as well as the people who are most committed to making changes.  Respectful dialog is the very best way to allow new ideas into the planning while giving credit to those teachers who are most dedicated to keeping the day “as is”.  By allowing staff members to work together to  improve the day, you will mostly likely have more buy in and a greater sense of involvement for all staff members.  Change for the sake of change is bad, but change to make something better and more beneficial for our students is a good thing.  While this could potentially be a staff conflict, if handled properly, it can be a staff building exercise that creates a better event and a stronger, more cohesive staff.

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Since I will be in a new position at a new building, it is not my place to necessarily take a stance or make a decision to change anything in that first year. My first year expectations are to observe and be a sponge soaking in all the information. I need to learn about the climate and culture to get a true understanding of a topic or situation before making any opinions or decisions. With that being said, my first goal would be to get a better understanding as to why the community supports this idea (through a survey) while meeting 1x1 with teachers who both support and are against it to know they 'why' for all teachers. It is valuable to get the input. This will then help me to create a plan moving forward as to either continue this Day of Play and bringing the staff together with my reasons why based on feedback received. Or, maybe it is an opportunity to make change with this program depending on the feedback received.

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As the new principal at Mason Elementary School, I would proceed with the “Global Day of Play” in my first year because I do not think it is wise to make school-wide changes without learning more about the staff, the students, and  the school’s climate and culture.  It also gives me time to observe the event and to see how the students and staff are interacting during the “day of play.”  Knowing that half of the staff does not approve of this event, I would hold a staff meeting and explain the rationale for keeping it this year so that we have time to gather data and form a committee.  I would also speak face-to-face with our most reluctant staff members in order to ensure them that their voices will be heard prior to the next school year.  I would seek the best possible teachers to be a part of the committee because, like Whitaker suggests, their input is the most valuable.  I would also make sure, however, that the committee was open to all staff members, those who agree with the idea and those who do not.  I would establish norms and protocols for the committee to follow in order to make the best decision for all students.  I would require the use of research for this “day of play,” the use of survey data from the staff and community (which they would create), and a cost/benefit analysis in order to make the best decision for the students.  I would be an active part of this committee and act as the facilitator; ultimately, the committee would present their findings at the beginning of the following school year.  After the committee presents their information to the staff, I would communicate to the staff our final decision on this event.  Because their colleagues have gathered the data and presented the information, hopefully, we have a majority of staff members on board with this decision; however, if we still have loud naysayers, I would speak to them personally about their professional responsibilities even if they disagree.  Like Whitaker points out, an effective building administrator cannot ignore negative staff members, but I would keep my responses constructive and centered around professionalism, respect, and the school’s primary purpose of providing educational opportunities for all students.

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As the new Building Principal my own personal believe is that Global Day of Play is a great way to for students to build social skills, be engaged and develop a positive mindset for the upcoming school year. However, keeping in mind the 50/50 split of staff support is my job as a leader to provide an explanation that not all staff may agree with but that they can respect. "Effective principals maintain a professional respect for others' beliefs. And at times, they still encourage, cajole, persuade, and lobby their teachers to change their beliefs." I would first do some research into what teachers in my building are the key organizers of this event. Are they the "Best Teachers" in my building?" I would meet with the teachers who are solely responsible for organizing Global Day of Play and gather get their point of view as to why they feel this is beneficial for students and the school. I would then meet with teachers who I know are not on board and ask them "why they don't feel this is beneficial for students and the school" and ask "what they would like to see changed?" It very well could be a situation in which they felt left out and therefore are not in favor of this day. I want to make sure all teachers are included and know that their opinions and beliefs do mattter. I would then meet as a whole staff to discuss how we are going to move forward. I would first start out by posing the question "what is best for all students?" and "what is best for our school?". I would explain that this day would benefit majority of the students and our school as a whole. This is the mindset that we as a whole staff must always ask ourselves.

Anonymous 1m

I would then make a list of all the activities that are included in this day and formulate small groups of teachers to be in charge of specific activities. I would arrange groups of teachers who I feel could benefit from working together toward a common goal. I would make sure to place a teacher in favor and not in favor in each group.Although it may feel uncomfortable "uncomfortable feelings make people change." I would give the groups freedom to keep the existing activity or create a new activity based on what they see fit. I would then have each group present their activity/event to meet and make majority are in favor.

Anonymous 1m

My goal is for all teachers to feel ownership in this Global Day of Play and to allow all voices to be heard. I know I will still have some teachers who are not "on board" but ultimately if the rest of the staff is, they will start to feel that change is necessary.

Anonymous 1m

During the actual Global Day of Play I would make sure to observe teacher and student interaction and make note of any changes I see could be beneficial for next year. I would also send out a staff survey after the event in order to gain staff feedback as to what they felt was successful or what was not successful. All of this data will be used to move forward one way or another in the future.

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I am a firm believer that unstructured play is extremely important to the social and emotional learning of a student, particularly in a middle school. I would allow the Global Day of play to go on as planned, without any changes my first year. I would acknowledge the concerns of the teachers who think that it's wasteful or run poorly; and I would be very focused on whether their concerns are valid or not. However if they are concerned simply because it was a "waste" of a school day that they would rather spend doing work, I would try to explain to them the importance of unstructured play, especially before the start of the school year. New beginnings should be celebrated, and unstructured play days are a great way to showcase that. Once I have observed the day, and seen what worked and what didn't I would ask teachers and admins from both sides of the issue to sit down and both present their ideas why they think the Global Day of Play should continue, should be modified, or should be discontinued altogether. I would then review the information, and make the best educated decision I could based on the evidence I was given. If people had a problem with my decision, that could be a good way for me to show that things might change, or things might stay the same; either way, it would be a chance for me to show that I was the leader of the school and my decisions would need to be followed.

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Going into a new school year with a new principal, teachers expect there to be some changes. There may be changes in meeting times, schedules, and routines ect. I feel there needs to be a give and take that first year so teachers can get to know your leadership style and you can feel out their teaching and learning styles. With that being said, I would let the global day of play proceed as usual, with the intention of it being under review for the following year.  Getting rid of this event altogether could set the year off to a rough start, especially if there is about half the staff that is on board with this event.
During the event I would make note of what actually happens trying to be as subjective as possible. I would take my findings to the committee who puts on the event and discuss how we should move forward. This may include surveying the staff.
I would be open to ideas of modifying the day to make it more appealing to the staff. The  committee and myself would work on these changes for the following year, by using the data we collected from the staff survey.

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As a new principal of Mason Elementary School, I would allow the Global Day of Play to proceed without any changes this first year. However, before the actual day, I would discuss the situation at a staff meeting or through a staff email. During this discussion, I would let teachers know that you've heard some concerns about this activity, but that you just plan on observing this year. I would observe and take notes on my findings so that I can remember any possible changes to make for the following year. I would then ask for a committee of teachers to form in order to discuss the day's events and how those events could be more beneficial to the students. I would also ask this group to collect data (possibly through an email survey) from the rest of the staff. My first thought is to add a little more structure to the day of play. For example, setting up play stations around the school and on the playground that relate to specific areas of study. Possible, setting up fun or messy sensory experiences on the playground in order to address specific science objectives. In order to meet specific math criteria, the staff could set up counting games in the library. The idea would be to add a little more structure to the event, however also remembering to keep the activity fun and playful for the student body. I believe this approach relates to our reading with Whitaker because it demonstrates that administrators need to consistently work to make their school a positive environment. It also relates to administrators continuously striving to show teachers a better way to improve learning for students.

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The fact that roughly half of the staff dislikes the "Global Day of Play" celebration could speak volumes....or not.  As a brand-new principal you do not yet know much about your teachers - you don't know who the great ones are or who's just riding out the last few years of retirement.  You don't know what intangible resources are devoted to this event (does a small group of teachers take on all the mental work of the day?) nor do you even know what the day looks like yet.

I would start off by meeting one on one with a few teachers who I already knew I respected, and get their input. As much as possible, I would try to gauge both perspectives (however, if all the teachers I really respected came down on one side of the issue, then that would absolutely tell me something). I would then send out a questionnaire to all the staff, asking what changes should be made to the "Global Day of Play" program, making clear that we would not be cancelling it, but that I would like their ideas on how to improve the structure and function of the day.  I would implement those suggestions that made sense to me, allow the Day of Play to continue and observe, get feedback and check-in with staff members afterwards.

If necessary, I would then form a small group of parents, teachers and a few 6th graders to advise me on a new plan for the next year's Day of Play.

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Please post your response from your perspective as the Building Principal while using our readings from Todd Whitaker.  

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Please post your response from your perspective as the Building Principal while using our readings from Todd Whitaker.  