IT’S PEOPLE, NOT PROGRAMS

Introduction

School improvement is often discussed in terms of programs, policies, systems, and initiatives. Schools adopt new curricula, classroom management models, technology plans, assessment systems, intervention programs, and professional learning structures with the hope that these changes will improve student achievement. However, the chapter “It’s People, Not Programs” from Todd Whitaker’s What Great Principals Do Differently: Twenty Things That Matter Most argues that the real source of school quality is not the program itself, but the people who implement it.

Whitaker’s central message is clear: great principals understand that teachers determine the quality of a school more than any program does. Programs may support improvement, but they do not automatically create it. Effective principals focus their energy on developing teachers, building relationships, and helping staff members become more effective.

The Central Idea: Great Schools Depend on Great Teachers

Whitaker explains that outstanding principals know that a school is only as strong as the teachers within it. A school may have awards, high test scores, modern facilities, and impressive programs, but families and students usually judge the quality of the school by the quality of their teachers.

For example, if a student has excellent teachers every day, that student is likely to believe the school is excellent. If the student’s teachers are ineffective, the student’s view of the school will likely be negative, no matter how many programs or awards the school has.

This means that the most important work of a principal is not simply to introduce new programs. Instead, it is to ensure that students are taught by capable, caring, and effective teachers. Whitaker emphasizes that there are two major ways to improve a school:

1. Hire better teachers
2. Improve the teachers already in the school

Both approaches focus on people rather than programs.

Programs Are Not the Solution

Many schools search for programs that will solve their problems. Over time, education has seen many initiatives promoted as the answer to school improvement. Examples include open classrooms, direct instruction, whole language, phonics, response to intervention, technology initiatives, professional learning communities, assertive discipline, and state standards.

Whitaker does not argue that these programs are useless. Instead, he argues that no program is automatically successful by itself. A program can help teachers improve, but it cannot replace teacher quality. If a program could succeed regardless of teacher effectiveness, every school would already be successful.

The problem occurs when educators begin to believe that a program itself is either the solution or the problem. When this happens, they overlook the most important factor: the teacher.

A strong teacher can make many different approaches work well. A weak teacher may struggle even with a well-designed program. Therefore, principals must avoid blindly adopting or rejecting programs. They should ask whether a program will help their teachers become more effective.

The Example of Open Classrooms

Whitaker uses the example of open classrooms to show how educators sometimes misunderstand what causes success. In his explanation, open classrooms may have appeared successful because excellent teachers were using them well. Visitors may have seen strong teaching in open spaces and concluded that the open classroom design was the reason for success.

However, Whitaker suggests that the real reason for success was not the absence of walls. The real reason was the presence of excellent teachers. Dynamic, creative, and skilled teachers could turn an open space into a powerful learning environment. Less effective teachers might struggle in the same setting.

This example shows that schools can mistakenly credit a program or structure for success when the true source of success is teacher quality. As Whitaker argues, programs should be adopted only when they help teachers become better.

Assertive Discipline: Problem or Solution?

Another important example in the chapter is assertive discipline, a classroom management approach in which teachers may write a student’s name on the board and add checkmarks for repeated misbehavior. Some schools strongly support this approach, while others reject it.

Whitaker argues that both sides may miss the main point. Assertive discipline is not automatically good or bad. Its effectiveness depends on the teacher using it.

He describes two different teachers to illustrate this idea. One teacher, Mrs. Hamilton, was highly effective and used assertive discipline so naturally and skillfully that it was barely noticeable. Her classroom management was strong because she was a strong teacher. The method did not define her effectiveness.

In contrast, another teacher, Mr. Lewis, used assertive discipline in an aggressive and ineffective way. In his classroom, the problem was not simply the management technique. The problem was the way the teacher implemented it.

This example supports Whitaker’s larger argument: programs and strategies do not work independently from the people who use them. A technique can be helpful in the hands of an effective teacher and harmful or useless in the hands of an ineffective one.

Individual Teacher Development

A major responsibility of effective principals is to support the growth of individual teachers. Whitaker notes that teachers in more effective schools often report that their principals encourage and support individual staff development.

This is important because teachers have different strengths, weaknesses, experiences, and needs. A single schoolwide program may not help every teacher in the same way. Great principals understand that staff members vary in their abilities, so they focus on helping each individual teacher improve.

Less effective principals may focus mainly on schoolwide goals, programs, or initiatives. While these can be useful, they are not enough. Real improvement happens when the people in the school improve.

Teacher development may include:

• Classroom observations
• Constructive feedback
• Coaching and mentoring
• Professional learning opportunities
• Peer collaboration
• Support for classroom management
• Encouragement and recognition
• Individualized growth plans

The goal is not simply to implement a program, but to increase teacher effectiveness.

Rewards and Praise: The Importance of How People Use Them

Whitaker also discusses the debate over rewards and praise for students. Some educators believe rewards motivate students, while others believe rewards can reduce intrinsic motivation. Whitaker suggests that the issue cannot be solved by deciding whether rewards are always good or always bad.

Instead, the important question is how appropriately and effectively teachers use praise or rewards. Some excellent teachers use praise and rewards well. Some ineffective teachers also use them, but poorly. Therefore, the tool itself is not the determining factor.

This connects to the broader theme of the chapter: effective educators understand people. They build relationships. They know when praise is meaningful and when it is empty. They know how to encourage students without manipulating them.

Whitaker warns that ineffective teachers and leaders sometimes try to force or bribe people into compliance. Effective teachers and leaders, however, build relationships so that students and staff want to do well.

The Role of the Principal

The principal plays a crucial role in shaping school quality. According to Whitaker, great principals do not become distracted by programs at the expense of people. They know that the success of any initiative depends on the teachers, students, and relationships within the school.

Effective principals:

• Focus on teacher quality
• Support individual staff development
• Build strong relationships
• Understand teacher differences
• Avoid one-size-fits-all solutions
• Use programs as tools, not as magic answers
• Recognize that people determine school culture
• Help teachers become more effective

A principal who focuses only on programs may believe that improvement comes from adopting the newest initiative. A principal who focuses on people understands that improvement comes from strengthening the adults who work with students every day.

Implications for School Improvement

The message of “It’s People, Not Programs” has important implications for school leaders. When considering a new initiative, principals should ask:

1. Will this program help our teachers become more effective?
2. Do our teachers have the skills and support needed to implement it well?
3. Will this initiative improve student learning, or simply add another requirement?
4. Are we focusing on the real problem, or blaming a program?
5. How will this support individual teacher growth?

Programs should not be adopted simply because they are popular or because another school used them successfully. What works in one school may not work in another if the people, context, and implementation are different.

School leaders should also be careful not to blame programs for problems that are actually caused by ineffective implementation. Likewise, they should not give programs credit for success that actually comes from excellent teaching.

Conclusion

The main lesson of Whitaker’s chapter is that people determine the quality of a school. Programs may be useful, but they are never the true foundation of school success. Great teachers create great schools, and great principals focus on helping teachers become better.

The chapter challenges school leaders to look beyond quick fixes and educational trends. Instead of asking, “What program will solve our problem?” principals should ask, “How can we improve the people in our school?”

Effective principals understand that every initiative depends on the people who carry it out. They focus on relationships, teacher development, and individual growth. In the end, the quality of a school is not determined by its programs, but by the quality of its people.

References

1. Whitaker, T. (2012). What great principals do differently: Twenty things that matter most, What great principals do differently: Eighteen things that matter most depending on edition. Routledge/Eye On Education.
2. Whitaker, T., Whitaker, B., & Lumpa, D. (2008). Motivating and inspiring teachers: The educational leader’s guide for building staff morale. Eye On Education.
3. Marzano, R. J. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
4. Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. Routledge.
5. Fullan, M. (2007). The new meaning of educational change. Teachers College Press.