Week 10 - Reflection

"Trends and Issues in Various Settings" was an interesting chapter for me. In my opinion, the school district in which I work needs to implement new ideas for improvement. The piecemeal change idea is what we have been using for the past several years. It appears as though our district sees the smaller, more immediate problems and chooses to make changes to fix these. However, many times these changes work only as a band-aid and not a true solution to the problem. It has happened quite a few times that a new idea is implemented that is going to solve many problems--The Save-All and Solve-All Solution. However, then the next year these ideas have been remodeled once again to fix the problems encountered that year. It seems like we never really give one idea a fair chance to be fully implemented before it is replaced with another current solution. Sometimes when ideas and policies are changed, we need to make sure everyone is on board and will stay there for a set duration to see if the changes implemented actually work. Personally, the piecemeal theory of change has not worked well in my experience. Although, it may not be due to the theory, but the way it has been implemented or not.

Systemic change sounds like the ideal format to implement change in a school district. Just as Reiser and Dempsey mention, for many districts, including where I work, this would be difficult because of the up-front cost and the need to maintain funding for improvements. While reading this section, I was visualizing some of the changes that could be made and getting people involved. I think for schools/districts with many difficulties and problems, possibly, a complete overhaul is the best way to help solve the many issues that plague the school systems. It may be easier to get more people on board and involved in implementing new policy when a complete change is presented with all possible advantages and disadvantages.

The "Step-Up-To-Excellence" methodology presents itself as systemic change. The steps in this process appear to be key in implementing change for many types of businesses. I specifically like the idea of having everything and everyone aligned and in place before the actual changeover process takes place. All people involved in the implementation process should be well versed and trained in what the process will be. The more prepared people are for change, the smoother the transition should be.

I also like the idea of having all levels of people involved in creating and implementing the steps of the process. If the only people involved in the decision-making process for transition, then it is very possible that their vision of what is needed/required to be changed is tunneled through their own interests and concerns. If many people from different departments and levels are involved in this process, then more ideas for needs and necessary changes is quite a bit broader. Many different people provide a variety of perspectives and experience from which people can offer their ideas.