By Gerald Shirley, Principal, School of Discovery

President George W. Bush’s federally sponsored No Child Left Behind Act and President Obama’s Race to the Top plan place great accountability with teachers and principals. One of Obama’s school intervention models replaces the principal and rehires no more than 50 percent of the staff at a low-performing school.

The schools operate without principals and assistant principals. Teachers make decisions about school discipline, the curriculum and the budget. They perform evaluations of each other. The key is shared decision-making, since studies of effective schools highlight collaboration.

The teacher-led school minimizes teachers’ complaints about policies, because they have to find solutions. The school has its challenges as with the traditional principal-led school. Most classroom teachers have not received any administrative training.

It is still too early to determine if the teacher-led school increases student achievement. Data supporting success continues to be mixed. Some of the schools are showing better literacy and math achievement rates, while others continue to lag behind the state averages.

Parents should conduct a comprehensive review before they enroll their children in a teacher-led school.