A Mistake Made With Kinkade?
A Business Principle Takes Out a School Principal
Fri., Aug. 22, 1997
Citing a desire to focus on the future, Kinkade refused to comment for this story. But in the spotlight now, more than Kinkade herself, is Dr. Fox, who, since taking the helm in January of 1995, has shaken up the public school system by implementing a management policy that has meant the replacement of more than a third of AISD's 96 principals and the transfer of approximately 17 principals. While his transfer mania has been criticized for causing everything from disruption of school business to mental anguish for children emotionally attached to their principals, Fox is under attack more for his style of administration than for his decision-making. (Only one principal -- Eddie Orum -- ever contested his transfer.) That Fox took Kinkade away was bad enough, say critics, but that he did so without so much as a "by your leave" or a smidgen of public input, is what is unforgivable. The Kinkade episode has served to fuel the perception that Fox is an insensitive manager who follows a set of lockstep policies that leave no room for the human element, much less for any heart. Sometimes, as Fox is discovering the hard way, it's not what you say that matters, but rather the way you say it.
Businessman or Educator?
To hear Dr. Fox explain Kinkade's reassignment, it is just one small part of an overall system of management which thrives on renewal through change. Often, at least for a principal who has led the same school for several years, this renewal is accomplished by moving that employee to another school. Critics of this policy charge that Fox does not take a principal's contributions to the school into proper consideration before making a reassignment. The perception is that people are transferred according to a formula; once a certain number of years have passed, regardless of the principal's success with a school, a reassignment becomes a looming probability. Concerning his policy regarding reassignments, Fox explains in a measured, almost terse tone: "This is a professional business practice. It's not my idea. It's just part of good management practice to refresh." Fox will not discuss the Kinkade case in particular, but does elaborate on his vision of reinvigorating the Austin school system.
Throughout this conversation, Fox's speech is peppered with phrases like "revitalization tendency" and "corporate model" -- concepts not immediately associated with education. "Like most good corporations," Fox declares, "we review personnel every year in relation to their responsibilities. Everyone needs a change of venue sooner or later." Ironically, venue may be the problem Fox, himself, faces. Perhaps his ideas would be embraced by a wider audience if he were, in fact, running a corporation. Instead, he has been entrusted with the job of educating the city's children. As Fox is finding out, there is no single theory that can meet all the concrete needs of this population.
What was once a murmur in the early days of Fox's administration is growing into a roar. People want to know more about the man who runs the schools. Is he a businessman or an educator? Can he be both and lead effectively? Jill Haas, a Casis parent, likens the situation between parents and AISD, as it operates under Fox, to that of workers and a corporation. She describes a climate where the administration makes key decisions behind closed doors, with no opportunity for meaningful discussion with the community, then announces those decisions with no chance for debate. "Dr. Fox and the administration could have been more honest and upfront. The secrecy surrounding this decision seems to be an example of his business influence."
The situation at Casis, once a localized controversy, has become the epicenter of a debate over Fox's ability to handle people. In a community where many wince at the mention of such concepts as "downsizing" and "proactive response," Dr. Fox is in dangerous territory. Business theory, much like language, doesn't always translate well. What may work brilliantly in the boardroom doesn't necessarily work in the classroom. While Dr. Fox's ideas are praised by some, his implementation methods do not enjoy such popularity. The situation at Casis is the best example to date of the clash between Fox's vision and that of the community he serves.
Alex Albright, a member of the interview committee of parents, teachers, area principals, and AISD administrators which selected a Lago Vista ISD principal, Anne Spooner, to replace Kinkade, explains the dissatisfaction. "Most people I know were shocked and angered at what happened with Amy. They felt that the situation was mishandled."
Larry Elsner, a parent who serves on the Casis Campus Advisory Committee (a group which advises the principal on academic issues), finds fault with the decision to take Kinkade out of the school environment for the next calendar year. He says, "It's one thing to lose an outstanding principal so that she can go to a new school to benefit another community. It's another thing to lose her to central administration until a new school is built. Perhaps she is needed for planning, but it seems questionable."
The Reassignment
In some ways, Amy Kinkade's reassignment should not have shocked the Casis community the way it did. Kinkade had been at Casis for more than a decade, so it was likely that she would be moved under Fox's theory of management. "It was no surprise to me," says former Casis parent Rebecca Donnelly. "His track record is to move people."
But some say there was another factor that may have played a part in Kinkade's reassignment: the rumbling dissent among some parents regarding Kinkade's effectiveness as a principal. Some parents believed that Kinkade didn't always listen to their complaints regarding problems with teachers or curriculum. Jill Haas describes a situation which involved her son, Trey, a special education student at Casis. Haas believed that Trey was capable of handling the environment of a regular classroom and approached Kinkade about this. Haas says that Kinkade believed Trey would be better off visiting the regular classroom for certain subjects, but that his homeroom should be in a special education class. This left Haas feeling angry and without options. "I felt that Amy didn't coordinate with parents when there were problems like this. She can be a little short. She doesn't always hear people out." As a result of this disagreement with Kinkade, Haas moved her son to another school to enroll him in a program which integrated his learning experience.
Another complaint among some parents was the perception that Kinkade gave more weight to the needs of teachers than to those of students when parents expressed dissatisfaction with particular teaching styles. "Protecting a teacher's job," says Donnelly, "became more important than the kids' treatment."
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One theory as to why Kinkade was moved along has to do with other complaints from parents. Specifically, Donnely recounts, several parents complained to the superintendent and to school board members about the math curriculum at Casis. It was the perception of many parents that this area was not being taught as well at Casis as at other elementary schools, and they wanted to have some say in what changes were needed. "Parents have no input," says Donnelly, who adds that this sentiment was echoed to Dr. Fox and the school board by several parents. That has led Kinkade's supporters to speculate that the detractors had somehow engineered the reassignment. A group of Kinkade's critics did meet with an educational consultant to discuss ways of improving the administration of curriculum. These suggestions were passed on to the superintendent through meetings between the parents and AISD Area II Supervisor Yolanda Rocha, who oversees the Casis campus operations. According to Donnelly, Fox attended one of these meetings himself. These "secret meetings," as Kinkade's supporters call them, added further fuel to the fire and made many feel that the superintendent was not giving equal time to all sides of the story. This perception deepened the developing rift between those who find fault with Kinkade and those who are her champions. Though he refused to discuss the specifics of this situation, Fox (through his spokesperson, Della Mae Moore) insists that he makes decisions after hearing many different viewpoints.
As for the champions, Kinkade has plenty of them. For every parent with a criticism of Kinkade, there seem to be two who praise her talents as an educator. Larry Elsner says: "Amy is an excellent principal. She was walking the halls of that school every day. She knew the kids, knew their personalities, knew their parents. Her main concern was the overall development of the child."
Support from Casis faculty is similarly positive. Bonnie Cross, a second-grade teacher, describes the reaction of many teachers to Kinkade's transfer: "The teachers were in a state of shock. Amy is a wonderful principal and a real people person. She is always concerned about what is best for the children in her school."
Alex Albright, another Casis parent, doesn't think the reassignment had anything to do with what kind of job Kinkade was doing. According to Albright, "Amy was terrific. I think she was reassigned because it is Fox's policy to reassign principals every few years. It may not be a bad idea to change principals from time to time, if it is handled in an orderly fashion. This situation was not handled in an orderly fashion."
A Reason to Unite
Despite their differences of opinion regarding Kinkade's effectiveness as a principal, both sides seem to agree on one thing: Her reassignment was a bungled mess. The timing of Fox's decision is the chief complaint. As Albright explains, "The timing was atrocious. Amy didn't even get to announce that she was leaving because school was already out for the summer."
The disruption to the school community should not be underestimated. "The main complaint I heard from parents," says AISD school board member Ted Whatley, "was the way it was done. By announcing the transfer after school was out for the summer, it gave the impression that the district doesn't care about people and their feelings." Whatley believes that many people in the district support the idea of moving employees to avoid staleness, but not the way it is currently being implemented. "The problem is not the policy," surmises Whatley, "but the way the policy is carried out."
Though Kinkade's reassignment has been characterized as a promotion by central administration, the way the process worked in this case casts doubt on that claim. If there were problems with Kinkade's management style, says Haas, "she should have been told and given a chance to correct these problems. If there were no problems and this was a promotion, why shove her out the door with no time for goodbyes?"
When asked whether he believes Austinites understand his transfer policy, Fox (again through his spokesperson, Della Mae Moore) insists that his main concern is academic success for the students. Though no elaboration on this comment was forthcoming, it indicates that Fox might not have seen Amy Kinkade as a part of that academic success in her role at Casis. If that were so, why was Kinkade moved to another position dealing with the same issues of academic success? Jill Haas doesn't see how a transfer accomplishes anything. "If someone's doing a lousy job, why doesn't he fire that person?"
The Future Trend
One chief concern among Casis parents, teachers, and other concerned citizens is the belief that decisions are being made without their input being taken seriously. Though parents were given an opportunity to give suggestions on the selection criteria for the new principal, many felt that the crucial decisions were made earlier; when Kinkade was reassigned, they were not given the same invitation to express their concerns. The result of this process has been the belief among many that the request for input after the fact was merely lip service from Fox and the central administration staff. Frank Walsh, the parent of a Casis second-grader, explains it this way: "The parents had input, but no impact."
Now, the school year is underway and life will certainly go on at Casis. The students and teachers will adjust to the school without Kinkade at the helm. They will probably even become fond of their new principal. Most likely, Amy Kinkade will settle into her new position. But, somehow, the feeling is that damage was done. Courtesy was abandoned in favor of quick business strategy. If a smooth transition, which was the stated reason for Kinkade's abrupt transfer, has been achieved, there have been costs along the way. The community's perception of administration is less flattering. Parents are more wary of those in charge. In the race to improve, something has been lost. Perhaps nothing tangible, nothing which can be easily quantified by number crunching or data analysis. Nonetheless, something was lost. Civility, though difficult to measure, is a presence sorely missed.
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