For better or worse, New York City school principals are bound by a series of obdurate rules that prevent them from executing even the simplest decisions in an instant. While many principals, assistant principals and the principals' union accept the status quo, others like Mr. Corbluth are increasingly pushing for more power. This nascent movement has the backing of Schools Chancellor Rudy Crew and Mayor Rudolph W.Giuliani, who have supported strengthening the hand of principals with teachers in current talks with the principals' union, the Council of Supervisors and Administrators. Their proposal also included a record raise of more than 30 percent over five years and sought, in return, to end lifetime tenure and to institute a full working year, not a nine-month year. The principals' union scoffed at the offer, calling it akin to slavery and an insult to its 4,400 members.
Talks are at an impasse.
First there were the lockers. There was the pizza crisis. In a school of 1,300, student council leaders complained that pizza was not always available at lunchtime. That meant a meeting with the head of food services. It's a good sign in the school that we are able to move on things.