A case study of the Magrath school council 1995-2000
Date
2000
Authors
Christensen, Darryl K
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Education
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Faculty of Education, 2000
Abstract
This study is an examination of the Magrath School Council, Magrath, Alberta, Canada,
from 1995-2000. The study examines the reasons people in Magrath give for sitting on
school council. The study also examines how the school council has evolved from 1995-
2000 and what the members consider their successes and failures. The results of the
study provide some insight into the functioning of a school council in rural Alberta and
hopefully offer some suggestions to school councils for avoiding potential problems and
encouraging successes. Finally, a comparison of the work of a school council from the
perspective of teachers and of parents is made. The results indicate that teachers, as
council members, become very concerned when they think parent council members are
using their positions on council to engage in school administration activities. Teacher
members prefer a school council that works on building better communication between
school and community. The studied group of parent members agree. In the beginning,
parent council members had some serious misunderstandings of the work of a school
council in the initial stages, coming to the task with personal agendas and activist
determination. As their perceptions and their roles modified over time, the school council
at Magrath has become a fairly innocuous organization, attending mainly to tasks that do
not create conflict or tension with professional staff. Ironically, both parent and teacher
members of the present school council are concerned about the current state of the
council, worried that it lacks authority and purpose.
Description
vii, 58 leaves ; 29 cm. --
Keywords
School management and organization -- Alberta -- Magrath , Citizen's advisory committees in education -- Alberta -- Magrath , Education -- Parent participation -- Alberta -- Magrath