Hello,
The results I received from my original inquiry are really varied. I've posted my
original question and the 23 results I received below, in case any others are
interested
Rachel Barrett
Director of Library Services
Library Media Center
Duxbury High School
130 Saint George Street
Duxbury, MA 02332
rbarrett@cloverset.org
Original Message:
Hi All,
I'm just wondering if you can tell me if you're considered an "administrator" or a
"department head" at your school. Also, if there are committees that include
department heads and administrators (like a leadership council or a curriculum
council), are you a member of those committees? This is just a curiosity because
I've noticed it differs at the schools I've worked at, so I'm wondering what the
standard is.
Rachel Barrett
Responses:
1) I am paid on the teacher scale, but I have been increasingly utilized as
an administrator. I have served on accreditation teams, led seminars and workshops,
and trained many assistants over the years that I've been here. Luckily, I get
summers off like a teacher, and unlike an administrator.
2) Rachel, I don't know if there is a standard, but in my understanding is
that in our district we are considered an "administrative" position on the teacher
pay scale. For example, back in the 90's, Texas had something called career
ladder. You could reach the different levels by completely graduate courses, and
by maintaining high evaluations from your principal. At the 2nd level you received
an extra 1500 in pay; level 3 gave you an extra 3,000 per year. They did away with
it after a few years, but the teachers who had already attained levels 2 and 3
continued to receive the extra pay. When I left the regular classroom to become a
librarian, I lost my career ladder pay, because I am no longer considered a
teacher.
3) I am administration and am included in committees that department heads
attend. I'm on Curriculum Council and the technology committee; the other librarian
"reports to me" (whatever that means!); I attend decision making meetings that
other department heads attend. The other librarian is considered faculty.
4) Rachel, At my school we have LLTs (team or department leaders) Can't
remember for sure what LLT is: something about Literacy Trainers. So, no, I am
neither an administrator, or a department head.
5) I'm not an administrator or department head, but I am on our leadership
committee which is comprised of all the department heads. I ask to be on the
committee because I am one of very few people who work with all students and all
teachers. Sometimes I am a back-up representative for the elective department.
6) While I wouldn't consider myself an administrator in the traditionalsense
(no administrative license), I am considered a department head inmy present
position. In fact, when I was told I was not a departmenthead, nor would I be
permitted to participate in any academic or curriculum councils in my old schools,
that was the straw that sent me looking for this new position. In my opinion, it's
vital to the students' best interests to have the librarian/media specialist be
part of the curriculum planning and the department level administration of the
school. Happy Friday!
7) No. I am not at my school. I am the district librarian for our school.
At the high school, the principle and vice-principle treat me just like any other
teacher which is something that I like. They expect me to have lesson plans, be at
all meetings and give input during technology meetings ect. When we break up into
groups, I am usually with either the English teachers or with the technology
department. Unfortunately, at the middle school, the principle there treats me as
support staff. He never includes me with staff meetings or department heads. In
fact, he even groups me with the lunch ladies and custodians in the building. The
elementary principle treats me a little bit like the middle school principle. She
doesn't include me in the teacher meetings or staff development but she does
acknowledge that I am a professional and a teacher.
8) I am not an administrator, and not on the leadership team, used to be. I
was taken off in a reorginazation by a new principal. We are considered part of
the English dept. I just continue to do what I have been doing and don't worry
about it. I have close friends on the team, so they keep me informed. I don't
like it, but it is not a battle worth fighting.
9) There are 3 people in our Library Department at our high school
-Librarian/Department Chair, Library Media Specialist, Paraprofessional/Aide. The
Department Chair is a member of several of the school committees, such as
Department Chairs, School Improvement, etc..The Department Chair is not an
Administrator and we do fall under the local supervision of an Assistant Principal.
However, we also have a County Media Coordinator and a County Director of Media
and Technology.
10) I am considered neither. I work with another librarian who was here before me
and she is the dept head and attends dept head mtgs. However, she informed me that
it is just a title and she is not a true dept head, as they have other perks such
as a stipend and an extra free period every day. In the two other schools in which
I worked the librarian was just a teacher, not an administrator or a dept head. One
was a MS and one was a HS.
11) I'm my library's administrator, department head, secretary, janitor, and
everything else. When kids catch me talking to myself I tell them I'm having a
library staff meeting. We have two librarians here at Hickory County R-1 Schools.
I serve grades 7-12 officially, and 5th and sixth grades sometimes make use of my
resources. The elementary librarian serves up to grade 6 officially, and 7th and
8th graders sometimes make use of her resources. We work together on some things,
but neither one of us is over the other, and we each report directly to our
respective principals.
12) I think this must vary widely. We're a 4-school district, so our library
department consists of 4 people. The position of "head of the the library
department" rotates among the 4 of us. In my building, the special area teachers
(Phys Ed, Music, Art, Library) are represented at building level meetings (planning
team meetings, grade level meetings) by one of the special area teachers. I
remember interviewing in a district in which the librarians were considered part of
the technology department, and were represented at meetings by the head of Tech
services.
13) I am a department head (department of 1). I attend monthly department head
meetings. I chair one of the acreditation committees (curriculum) so I am on the
"Leadership Team". I also chair the site technology committee. The curriculum
council is a district committee and there is a librarian on it.
14) I am considered an administrator for the district. I am the library
coordinator with an assignment as the high school librarian.
15) You ask a really good question. I call myself a pseudo-administrator. I get
invited to Cabinet meetings (with all the administrators) and department chair
meetings. I am also on our School Site Council. I'm kind of my own department, so
I guess I'm both...
Hope that helps....although I probably just confused you even more.
16) I am considered faculty, a Department Chair (without the dept. chair stipend,
however), and am on the Academic Council.
Please post the results you get, as I’m sure a lot of people are interested
17) I'm considered a teacher at my school. I am sometimes included on
committees.
18) I was sort of both. I was a Department Chair, and was required to attend
all department chair meetings, and voted on all curriculum and text adoption
issues. I was a quasi-administrator since I supervised employees and was
responsible for their yearly written evaluations, and administered the library
budget and was responsible for financial reports required by two of our three
funding sources. I was also tenured faculty, and taught a certified course
(Library Science) which had a course audit number, as opposed to the office
aide/library aide students, who's class did not have an audit number and only got
pass/fail credit, not GPA grade credit.
It made union meetings interesting! I always considered myself a union member (I
was a union rep for two two-year terms and sat on a number of grievence hearings as
the union rep for the person involved in the hearing), and that made for some
interesting administration meetings.
Hope this helps.
19) Here our department heads are called coordinators, and I am considered the
Library coordinator, so I attend the monthly Curriculum Council meetings. Hope
this answers your question.
20) I am a dept. head and head 5 depts. the art, business, TV studio, music,
and library -- all the depts of one person. I am included in all dept. meetings
and asked for advice before any curriculum is written or lesson plans are
developed. I also serve on the school's Disciplinary Board, the Crisis Committee,
and am the Middle States Chair.
21) I'm considered a "Team Leader" at my school. I represent the specials
(p.e., art, library and music) at meetings of similar leaders: counselor, literacy
specialist, spec. ed, grade levels, principal.
22) I'm a department head and technology coordinator in my building. I'm
considered part of the teaching staff, not an administrator.
23) I am considered an administrator at my school. I work in a Pre-K-2 campus
and I am included in curriculum committee. My pay scale is under admin 2. My
contract is 193 days. Hope this helps!
LM_NET
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