Political Risk-Taking: Leading Literacy Education in an Era of High-Stakes Accountability

Abstract

In the current accountability environment, many school districts have mandated test preparation courses, canned programs, and otherwise limited teacher risk-taking in all but very high-performing schools. This article further suggests that extant literature on risk-taking as part of educational change is no longer sufficient for understanding risk-taking in the current political environment. The author uses findings from a multicase study that investigated what happens in school districts that makes educators willing to take risks and resist the pressures of current accountability policies to redefine risk-taking as a political act. Through the use of interview data, field notes, and literature, the study describes four conditions that support political risk-taking in the current accountability context.

Authentic leadership praxis for democracy: a narrative inquiry of one state superintendency

“…Leadership practice is thus inherently political and involves risk-taking (Ryan, 2010;Ylimachi, 2005). Ryan (2010) concluded in the study of school principals that social justice initiatives frequently face political opposition; therefore, principals who wish to be social justice leaders must 'play the political game' (p. 374).…”

The Politics of Another Side

“…The current principal, who is more even handed in her views, has nevertheless said that she feels the need to honor the presence of military families at the school. This raises an issue that is little studied by researchers of educational administration: political risk taking (Brunner, 1999;Ylimaki, 2005). The study of school administrators will have to focus more seriously on the question of how school administrators might behave less like cautious politicians and more like advocates for children (Anderson, 2009).…”