complicated ones. It’s harder to predict what
will happen, because complex systems interact
in unexpected ways. It’s harder to make sense
of things, because the degree of complexity may
lie beyond our cognitive limits.”
The authors go on to describe three proper
ties of complex
systems. “The
first,
multiplicity,
refers to the number of potentially interacting
elements. The second,
interdependence,
relates
to how connected those elements are. The
third, diversity, has to do with the degree of
their heterogeneity; The greater the multiplicity;
interdependence, and diversity, the greater the
complexity.”
We would argue that school districts meet
all of these standards or definitions for com
plex systems. Even in a small modal district of
four elementary schools, a middle school and a
high school,
where classrooms and schools are
by design loosely coupled, there is multiplic
ity, interdependence and diversity; As school
districts increase in size, the complexity also
increases.
To ifiustrate the situations superintendents
currently face, consider Philadelphia and its
superintendent,
Wffliam Hite, who came
to
the
district from Prince George’s County Md., in
October 2012.
Rather than dealing with a tra
ditional school board, he reports to the School
Reform Commission created in 2001 when
the state took over the schools. The commis
sion’s agenda,
which he is working diligently to
implement, includes:
Expanding
charter school enrollment
—
from
50,000
in
2012-13
to 80,000 in 2014-15
—
and
thereby increasing the number of “high-per
forming seats:’
‘
Borrowing $300 million for operating
expenses (thus creating a level of debt service
that further erodes the district’s ability
to
main
tain itself).
Closing as many as 60 district schools
(25
percent) over a two-year period and, at the
same time, continuing to convert low-perform
ing schools
to
charters.
Negotiating a teacher contract that would
dramatically change wages and working condi
tions for teachers
—
by imposing a
15
percent
salary cut, reducing benefits, extending the
workday, eliminating seniority
provisions and
transfer
rules,
and increasing class size.
Adopting an FY
2014
budget that requires
Harris Sokoloff (left) and James “Torch” Lytle of
the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School
of Education use the threads on a spider map to
illustrate the complexity of the superintendency.
laying off 3,700 employees, including all assis
taut principals, counselors and school secretar
ies, and
675
teachers.
b Appointing principals for at least
70
schools,
30 percent of the total (at least
50
of whom will
likely have no prior experience in the position).
Of course, complexity is not unique
to
the
leadership of urban school systems. Just across
the city border on Philadelphia’s Main Line is
the Lower Merion Public School District, one
of the
highest-performing
and best-funded dis
tricts in the state.
I
SEPTEMBER 2013 SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR
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