Breaking the Silence: Overcoming the Problem of Principal Mistreatment of Teachers
Publication Type:
Web ArticleYear of Publication:
2002Abstract:
Erica Jacobs, a Virginia teacher, says that reading this book provided no easy solutions, but that it will contribute to teacher-administrator dialogue by acknowledging that abuse exists and charting its range (from aggressive eye contact to sexual harassment), telling teachers’ stories and encouraging teachers to take steps from getting support from peers to taking one’s case to the public.
Citation: Blase, J. & Blase, J. (2002). Breaking the silence: Overcoming the problem of principal mistreatment of teachers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Full Text:
By Joseph Blase and Jo Blase
2002 (208 pp./paperback)
Corwin Press
ISBN:0761977724
$29.95
By Erica Jacobs
Oakton High School
Vienna, Virginia
Two kinds of teachers should read this book: those who have good principals and can't imagine being mistreated, and those who have suffered abuse from their administrator. That pretty much covers the whole teaching population.
I've taught under several principals—one fired for sexual harassment, and five who either loved me or hated me, with nothing in between. In Breaking the Silence authors Joseph and Jo Blasé offer the complement to Joseph Blase's earlier book, Bringing Out the Best in Teachers: What Effective Principals Do.
The wisdom in both of of these good/bad principal books seems very common-sensical to anyone teaching for decades, but can be extremely informative for principals new to administration or teachers new to the profession. There should also be an audience for this book among district-level administrators, education policymakers, and community and business leaders who are engaged in school improvement initiatives.
The Blases interviewed 50 teachers who had experienced principal mistreatment, and the results show that this abuse in the workplace has the same traumatic effects as abusive relationships in the home.
They provide a chart which is as poignant as it is lengthy and exhaustive. It itemizes abusive behavior, the effects on the "target," and the target's response. These are all drawn from the teachers' stories, and they really hit home for me.
Principal abuse begins with aggressive eye contact and ignoring, escalates to yelling, being nasty and rude, threats, criticism of work, spreading untrue rumors, making unreasonable demands, and sometimes culminates in sexual or racial harassment.
What effects does this treatment have on teachers? Like abused children, we lose sleep, get sick, become depressed, get angry, think of suicide, or stay home in bed and exhibit a wide range of responses from appeasing, denying, detaching, to defying or threatening.
For many teachers the solution lies in a transfer to another school, but the Blases intelligently provide solutions to those who must stay in the abusive environment. Again, it may seem like common sense, but teachers may not be rational when their supervisor is abusive. The Blases advise teachers to garner support from those around them, both colleagues and family. They suggest seeking professional advice from a therapist. We should confront whoever is bullying us. We should document the abuse and file an internal complaint. When all else fails, we should take our case to the public.
Every aspect of this study is supported by very powerful teacher narratives. One teacher's tale of explosive behavior relates:
He criticized me publicly and loudly... He would mock me in front of other teachers... He called me into his office and berated me for over an hour on the proper way to show respect to a principal. He called me a troublemaker... He ridiculed me in a faculty meeting.
Many teachers will have our own internal narratives running through our heads as we read the book. Reading this study was not as liberating as I thought it would be because it became clear there was no easy solution. Nor was it cathartic to read about other teachers who had suffered, in most cases, far more than I have ever suffered. I found myself just feeling sad.
Perhaps the greatest contribution this book has to the existing dialogue of the dynamic between teachers and administrators is simply the fact that it admits such a thing as teacher abuse exists — and that it is all too commonplace. It's in the open now, and may allow teachers to form networks with one another to combat this inexcusable behavior. Perhaps it will also gain the attention of decisionmakers who are in a position to address the problem of principal mistreatment on a larger scale.
