Assistant high school principal Elise Abbott is disturbed by the autocratic decision-making of the interim principal Marla Richardson. She meets with Marla to discuss Marla’s approval of the English department chair’s removal of master teacher Alice Tremont from gifted/talented courses. The chair reassigned the courses to herself. Although the department chairs are supervised by the principal, the English department teachers are supervised by Elise. Prior to being named interim principal, Marla had been an assistant principal. She and Elise had both been selected as assistant principals two years earlier. Both of them had taught for years in the English department. Until Elise became an assistant principal, she had been the English department chair. This case is designed to provoke student discussion about power, decision-making, and the relationships among school personnel. Students are encouraged to reflect on their own assumptions about power and leadership as they consider the conduct of the assistant principal and principal. ACCESS FULL MANUSCRIPT HERE: http://cnx.org/content/m14140/latest/
