DOCUMENT RESUME ED 239 009 UD 023 337 AUTHOR Schwartz, Henrietta; And Others TITLE School as a Workplace: The Realities of Stress. Volume I, Executive Summary; Volume II, School Site Case Studies and the Role of the Principal; Volume III, Methodology and Instrumentation. INSTITUTION American Federation of Teachers, Washington,D.C.; Roosevelt Univ., Chicago, Ill. Coll. of Education. SPONS AGENCY National Inst. of Education (ED), Washington,DC. PUB DATE [83] GRANT G-80-0011 NOTE 243p. PUB TYPE Reports - Research/Technical (143) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC10 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Administrator Role; Case Studies; *Educational Environment; Elementary Secondary Education; *Principals; *Stress Variables; *TeacherBurnout; Teacher Morale; *Teaching Conditions; Urban Schools ABSTRACT This three volume study presents the resultsof research which examined working conditions and theirpossible relationship to stress among faculty in six schools (twoelementary, two middle, and two high schools) in two major U.S. cities. Information about the schools was obtained throughethnographic case studies. Data were synthesized to describeeach school and to identify potential stressors, with emphasison the identification and description of stressors,related to thecontext or culture of the school and the system, the work environment. These datawere then analyzed within a psychological anthropologyframework. Specifically, drawing from previous studies, itwas postulated that once basic human needs are met, individuals (in thiscase school personnel) seek security, status, and sociability intheir culture, society, occupations, and personal lives. In addition,eight universal aspects of behavior were examined (valuesystem, cosmology or world view, social organization, technology, economic system, governance, language, and socialization process). Comparisonsof findings across schools resulted in five major categoriesof stressors: (1) security; (2) governance/leadership; (3) budget-cuts; -(4) staff relations; and (5) student issues.Student issues, however, were found to be stressors only in the two high schools. Thisreport is organized as follows: Volume Iincludes an introduction to the study, a literature review, description and analysisof stressful conditions in the schools studied, conclusions regardingthe findings' significance, and recommendations for policymakersand practitioners concernedswith reducing stressful conditionsin schools. Volume II includes the full case studies of each ofthe six schools, and a report on extensive interviews with the schools' principals. Volume III containsa detailed discussion of the research methodologies, as well as the instruments utilized fordata collection. (GC) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EOUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization CD originating it. 1 Minor changes have been made to improve OThisreproduction quality. pr\ Points of view or opinions stated in th;s docu- ment do not necessarily represent official NIE CNJ position or policy. SCHOOLS AS A WORKPLACE: THE REALITIES OF STRESS Volume I: Executive Summary Volume II: School Site Case Studies & the Role of the Principal Volume III; Methodology and Instrumentation SCHOOLS AS A WORKPLACE: THE REALITIES OF STRESS VOLUME I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Roosevelt University Henrietta Schwartz George Olson Albert Bennett Rick Ginsberg Jerry Kaiser Project Director Educational Issues Department American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO This study was supported by a grant to the American Federation of Teachers from the National Institute of Education (NIE-G-80-0011). The research was conducted through a subcontract to personnel at Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois. The opinions expressed herein represent those of the contractor and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute of Education or the U.S. Department of Education. We would like to dedicate this report to the memory of Stephen K. Bailey, a champion of education and a scholar who never lost touch with the schools or people in them. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to acknowledge the very expert assistance of field researchers Mary Ellen James, Rebecca Waxman and Abraham Simon. The guidance and valuable input of Jerry Kaiser, the AFT Project Director, were greatly appreciated, as were the instructive comments and criticism by Robert Koff, who provided the initial inspiration for the project. Donald Cichon contributed to the analysis of data and raised useful research questions. Special thanks go to personnel from the local unions in each site who -assisted in securing entry into schools, as well as with collection of demographic data. The direction provided by the project advisory board members--Stephen Bailey, David Berliner, Patrick Daly, Kenneth Greenspan, Daniel Lortie, Ed Muir, Jerome Tepperman, Vincent Tinto and William Walley --helped the staff focus on appropriate areas-of concern. David Berliner, Beatrice Ward, John Mergendoller, Jacqueline Vaughn and Ed Muir; contributed insightful comments and suggestions for revisions in reviewing the draft report, which were used extensively in development of the final text. Marilyn Rauth, director of the AFT Educational Issues Department and Joe Vaughan, the NIE Project Officer, also provided valuable assistance in the editing of the final report. Finally, to the faculty, administrators and staff members of the six schools studied, we offer our thanks and appreciation for opening their lives to our scrutiny. A Note to Readers The total report on the study "Schools as a Workplace: The Realities of Stress" comprises three volumes. Volume I includes an introduction to the reasons for and procedures used in the study, a brief literature review, a description and analysis of stressful conditions in the schools studied, conclusions regarding the significance of the findings, and a set of .recommendations for educational policy-makers and practitioners concerned with reducing stressful conditions. Volume II includes the full case Studies of each of the six schools studied and a report on the indepth interviews with each of the six principals of these schools. Volume III contains a much more detailed discussion of the methodologies used as well as the actual instruments which were developed or revised to aid in data collection. While Volume I is seen as an overview document and perhaps of most direct applicability and interest to policy- makers and practitioners, readers are encouraged to examine all three volumes in order to gain more complete information and insights on the procedures and findings of the study. vii PREFACE History tells us that vivid descriptions of realitycan sometimes transform society. At the turn of the century, Upton Sinclair, in The Jungle, described conditions in the slaughter yards of Chicago with such vividness thatsociety demanded reforms in the food processing industry. Movie and television records of the conditions of war have graphically portrayed the suffering andhuman toll taken and have influenced public opinion and action. If the descriptive record is powerful enough to arouse the readers' or viewers' emotions andengages their intellect, then there occurs a popular demand to change the situation. I believe that this study of stress in the lives of urban teachers contains descriptions which will move the reader both emotionally and rationally. It should be difficult for anyone who cares about public schooling in Americato remain indifferent when they are informed that there are schools in which: --the plaster falling from the ceiling created a safety hazardto children and observers alike; --"street people," juveniles not in school, irate parents and others could enter and roam the halls; --school and community representatives were unable to prevent the operation of a methadone clinic on the same block as the school; --no textbooks existed in some classes and a new teacher was told to use old Readers Digests as texts; --the potential for positive parental involvement was virtuallynon- existent as school personnel and parents frequently criticized each other and openly exhibited hostile behavior toward one another; --the teachers' restroom consistently had no toilet paper, paper towels or sua); --mid-terms were cancelled because the school ran out c:f paper; --racial tensions among school personnel at one site established role models which encouraged racial separation rather than integration among students; --teachers were faced with the threat of transfer and layoff throughout the school year. The case studies in this vo1/2me provide richer descriptions of schooling and of the lives of teachers and students in these schools than does the sampling of findings given above. The descriptive records and the interviews with teachers provide jarring evidence of why some conditions of urban teaching in the 1980s are perceived to be so stressful. Any teacher who did not feel occupational stress when working in environments like those cited above would be aberrant. ix Fortunately, the same descripLions of schooling that are so disconcerting contain some information needed to propose solutions to thesedifficult problems. Thus, this study provides teacher educators, school board members, school administrators, and parent'; with recommendations for the reduction of occupationally-related stress experienced by urban teachers. This study is disconcerting to those of us who believe that teaching should be a noble profession and