Rudolph A. Sewell You joined the Business Education Department of the Success High School eight years ago as the teacher of Principles of Business (grades 10-11). You hold a Bachelor's Degree in Administration. After earning that degree, you completed a professional certificate in education from a leading university. The Head of the Department who recruited you retired at the end of last academic year and you were appointed to that position. Mrs. Bell is a member of your department and has been employed at the Success High School for the past 15 years. Prior to joining the Success family, she worked at several high schools including the most prestigious one in the Parish. She started out at Success High as the Principles of Accounts Teacher (grades 10-11) but was reassigned to teach Business Basics to grades 7-9 students at the beginning of her fifth year. This reassignment was done by a previous Principal who acted on the advice from a previous Head of Department that she was not managing the upper grade syllabus. She gained employment at Success High School with a Teacher's Diploma and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business Education ten years ago. She is also an Examiner (Marker) with the Caribbean Examinations Council for their Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) in Accounting. You have observed, especially since this academic year, that Mrs. Bell has been doing minimal work with her students. She carries out her assigned duties as a teacher but does not volunteer to assist with special projects in the department. She has expressed to persons outside of the department her view that she has been passed over for the position of Head of Department; even though she is qualified and much more experienced than you are. The four other members of the department are all trained at the bachelor's degree level in Business Education. Two started studies towards their Master's Degree in August of last year. Their teaching experience range from 2 to 5 years and they have not been employed at any other school than Success High School. They make the effort but their lack of experience shows up especially as they try to manage student discipline in the department. The school has decided to introduce a sixth form programme in Business Education. The School Board has also mandated that the department offers Business Education courses, especially Accounting, to the wider community. Funds have been identified for the upgrading of the facility in terms of furniture, computer hardware and software. However, the School Board needs the assurance that the department will be managed effectively, particularly in the deployment and supervision of staff, before disbursement.

Tasks:

The principal has requested a meeting with you at which you are expected to outline clearly the problems in the department and the strategies you will employ in an effort to solve them. Prepare detailed notes for this meeting outlining the following:

1. The three main issues to be addressed if the department is to fulfil the mandate given by the School Board.

2. The challenges you face in resolving the issues identified in response to question 1.

3. Your plan for the resolution of the issues to include the execution of your supervisory roles.