Sociology
Monday, October 15, 2012
EQ: How do public schools illustrate the components of
bureaucracy?
NEWS: Chapter 3 and 4 Test – Wednesday, October 17th
Activating Strategy:
Group Functions
Soccer Goals
-make decisions
-wins/losses
-control behavior -assign tasks
-practice
-select leaders
-define boundaries
-give back to school/community
1) Bureaucracy
Nationwide less than ___% of teachers are fired or fail to
have their contracts renewed because of poor
performance. Why?? Bureaucracy
Should schools be allowed to fire teachers because of
poor performance on state tests such as PSSA’s or
Keystone Exams ??
At long last, some troubled school districts are deciding
that enough is enough. Rhode Island officials have given
five failing schools until next Wednesday to decide to
close down permanently or restart with tools that include
new management, merit-based teaching jobs and more
teaching hours. At a sixth, Central Falls High, the teachers'
union balked at such a restart plan. As a result, all the
teachers and the principal were fired, with their work
ending this June. No more than half can be rehired for
next fall.
*In PA, we allow students from failing schools to transfer
to other schools
Lesson: Bureaucracy
Examples of Bureaucracy:
Bureaucracy- a ranked authority structure that operates
according to rules and procedures Usually has many
departments
Characteristics of a Bureaucracy
Division of Labor- work is divided among specialists in
various positions
Ranking of authority- Each individual is responsible to a
supervisor at a higher level
Employment based upon formal qualifications- Specific
qualities required for each job. Individuals hired on the
basis of tests, education, and previous experience.
Rules and Regulations- Routine procedures that identify
the exact responsibilities and authority of each person.
Lines of Promotion and Advancement- Remaining with
the organization leads to job security and seniority
Public Schools and Bureaucracy:
Div. Of Labor- Classroom teacher, curriculum director,
reading specialist, principal, finance manager, special
education teacher
Ranking of authority- classroom teacher- principalsuperintendent- school board ( DO NOT BREAK THE
CHAIN OF COMMAND !!!)
Employment based upon qualifications: Teachers must
be certified in subject area, pass knowledge based test,
student teaching experience in order to get a job.
** A physicist at NASA cannot teach physics in a public
school because he or she is not certified to teach
Rules and Regulations: Attendance must be taken,
learning focused questions must be posted,
Lines of Promotion- a teacher with the most experience
in a department has seniority. When teachers are laid
off, the most inexperienced teachers are laid off first, no
matter what type of success or failure they have
experienced in the classroom.
Why are bureaucracies effective?
*Create order by defining job tasks
*Achieve goals with large numbers of people
*Organization continues as people come and go
Weaknesses:
*Lose sight of original goals
*Abandon original purpose
*Red Tape, slow process to get things done
*few people rule the masses (use position to promote
their own agendas)
*People get promoted to positions for which they have
little ability to succeed
Why is there so much bureaucracy in public education
and what can we do about it?
1) Principals do not run their own building
2) Education decisions are left up to the states, and
local school boards, no national agenda, except
school lunches
3) Many policies/codes/rules (Good organizations
thrive on talent and good decision making, not on
processes and rules)
4) Principals act sometimes as “Chief Compliant
Officers”, “followers of the rules”, not managers and
instructional leaders
5) Everyone checks the rule book (No creative decision
making)
6) Federal mandates ( NCLB, Special Education)
Solution: Hire one Chef (the principal), Let the Chef be
responsible and accountable for the sweet tasting soup
-Chef can be the CEO of the kitchen and accountable for
the results
Tuesday, October 16th, 2012
NEWS: Chapter 3 and 4 Test – Wednesday 10/17
EQ: How do public schools illustrate the components of
bureaucracy?
Activating Strategy:
A)Why is there so much bureaucracy in public
education?
1) Administrators do not run their own building(NO
EXECUTIVE CHEF)
2) Education decisions are left up to the states, and
local school boards, no national agenda, except
school lunches
3) Too many policies/codes/rules (Good organizations
thrive on talent and good decision making, not on
processes and rules)
4) Principals and teachers act sometimes as “Chief
Compliant Officers”, “followers of the rules”, not
managers and instructional leaders
5) Everyone checks the rule book (No creative decision
making)
6)Federal mandates ( NCLB, Special Education Laws)
B)Return handouts, organizers etc. for Chapters 3 and 4
Instruction:
**Test tomorrow, Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 (80 -90 pts)
- Matching of vocabulary for both chapters
separately
- Multiple Choice for each chapter
- Few short answer questions for each chapter
**Review Sheet for Chapter 3 and 4 (Done in Class)
Sociology
Wednesday, October 16, 2012
EQ:
Activating Strategy:
1) Review of vocab for Chapter 3, #1 to #10 multiple
choice questions, Chapter 4
2) Big Issues to review
a. Status vs. Role/Bureaucracy/Types of Social
Interaction/ Types of Societies/ Groups
(Types-Functions)
Core American Values/ Cheating/ Sources of
Social Change
Lesson: Chapter 3, Chapter 4 Test TODAYT
Thursday, October 18th, 2012
EQ: What are the four characteristics that shape our
personality?
Activating Strategy:
1) Finish Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 Test
2) Chapter 5, Section 1 Handout on Socialization
**Complete using textbook
Friday, October 19, 2012
EQ: What are the characteristics that shape our
personalilty? Chapter 5, Section 1)
Activating Strategy:
1) Socialization- process of social interaction in
which a person acquires the knowledge, values,
and behavior essential for communicating and
participating in society
2) Four characteristics that shape personality
 Parents
Culture
Heredity
Birth Order
Lesson:
3) Are you a product of your environment??
-Technically all the same in the Labor and Delivery
Room, everything changes when you leave the
hospital (Two parents, single parent, housing,
finances, support etc.)
Examples: Daycares, latch keys, Perry County,
State of Pennsylvania, Preschools
Cultural Environment Questions
Case Studies of Anna Isabelle, Genie
Anna Isabelle
Genie
*Confined to Room
*Malnourished
*Emaciated
*Confined from 20
months to 13 years
*No Noise
*No Human Contact
*No Communic.
*Found at 6 years old
*Died at age 10
*Had advantage of
mother’s contact
*Communic. Thru
gestures
*Unable to
function/Neglect
*Lack of stimulation led
to later issues
*Isolation caused
irreversible change to
emotions, language, etc.
What led to different levels of success in teaching
these girls to function normally in society?
*Lack of stimulation in early childhood
*No reading to kids
*Any language skills were a blessing
*Lack of play toys/games etc.
*Lack of attention/craved attention when they
came out of isolation
--Irreversible damage done to emotional, language
and behavior devleopment
3. Describe three sources of change that have contributed to change here at Susquenita High
School. List the source of change and an example to support your source. (3points)
4. Prove, justify and support the type of group (s) in which social media outlets like Twitter and
Facebook would be place. (2points) Primary, Secondary, in group, out group, formal, informal