Unhealthy Eating; Why People Eat

Unhealthy eating; why people eat unhealthy; Sociological reasons; a literature/Methodology review

School Change

Review & Critique of an Article from School Administrator

When Edwin Diaz became superintendent of California's Gilroy Unified School District in 2000, his obstacles seemed insurmountable, according to Carrie Portis and Mary W. Garcia's article, "The superintendent as change leader," from the 2007 edition of School Administrator. The article paints a highly favorable picture of Diaz's tenure in his role as a curriculum reformer. When he came to the helm of his district, his schools were in crisis. More than half the district's 10,000 students came from economically disadvantaged homes, 30% were not proficient in English, and the schools were racially divided. In addition, the school district was "completely decentralized. We were a 'choice' district with magnet schools that each chose its own academic focus, instructional philosophy and schedule," Diaz noted, disapprovingly (Portis & Garcia 2007: 1).

Diaz saw this as a negative because he believed that to meet the standards of No Child Left Behind, a common culture and curriculum was necessary for all the schools. To create such a culture, teachers were encouraged to embark upon professional development to create a more standardized approach to learning. Principals were encouraged not to simply take note of data about student performance on standardized tests, but to deploy it specifically to address weaknesses that impacted student performance on tests. Diaz saw a crisis of low expectations, and raising community aspirations was deemed critical. The best way to do so, he believed, was to show that the school was improving in a way that was measurable and concrete.

To meet crucial benchmarks, a new literacy program was established, and teacher mentorship and professional education programs were created for every school. However, popular bilingual education programs in some schools were eliminated, even though parents supported the program. Diaz believed that centralization of authority in his hands was vital in the era of No Child Left Behind. "Many superintendents report they are increasing centralization of curriculum and professional development in order to align personnel, planning and resources around the goal of achievement for all students. In the process, they have had to identify what should be district-controlled and what should be site-controlled....there is a shift to managed instruction and the understanding that there are applications and implementation strategies that require high fidelity" (Garcia & Portis 2007: 5).

It is difficult to fairly judge Diaz's tenure, or those of the other administrators taking a similar approach in the article as the study the article surveys asserts, it takes "12 to 15 years to completely transform an urban school district" (Garcia & Portis 2007:5) the article does parenthetically allege the loss of creative leeway, as schools once were able to try to suit the needs of the unique composition of their student body. The article does not discuss the negatives of Diaz's approach of consolidation. It is silent on how the students view the more standardized curriculum; rather the focus is on the need for top-down driven reform.