Values and Valuation in the Practice of Educational Administration

The authors briefly examine the educational administration literature relevant to values and administrative practice, then present a general philosophical position which integrates values, practice and science. They discuss the process of valuation, as it applies to concrete situations in educational administration and some of the characteristics of school organizations. Willower and Licata encourage administrators to use reflective, values-oriented and valuation-oriented practice in their day-to-day lives. The authors provide tools to help assign value and valuation to the decisions administrators must make. The goal is to make informed choices about even the most complicated education issues. Willower and Licata present a practical approach to administration aimed at * Anticipating the consequences of alternative courses of action * Cultivating the ability to "see" desirable futures for the school or district * Choosing intelligently among competing values Administrators can help improve the school lives of administrators-in-training, school leaders, staff, and students by encouraging this type of thoughtful practice as an everyday reality. They can begin by developing a workable process by which any administrator can make informed choices about issues. Learn how to advocate thoughtful practice and valuation-based decision making to help become (or teach others to become) better, more effective school administrators. Willower and Licata provide the tools to successfully develop a process of assigning value and valuation to decisions every school leader must make. Here is the spark an educational leader needs to practice or teach sound, caring, value-based decision making. Exercises, cases, and vignettes help translate philosophies and ideas into real-life practice.