A case study on the role of principal/teacher relationships in building school capacity

Scope and method of study. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the role of relationships, initiated and nurtured by a principal with his/her teachers, in building school capacity. Employing case study methods to study a high performing middle school in a suburban southwest community, data collection involved an engagement with the staff and principal of a school with a record of demonstrated success. Viewing the site through the theoretical lens of symbolic interactionism, interpretivism has provided a vehicle for understanding the experiences of relationships in the social setting of a school. Sergiovanni's community theory and a feminist leadership framework have proven particularly helpful in understanding the role of relationships.; Findings and conclusions. As a result of this seven-month study, I have found that a combination of factors contribute to create a community of learners able to constantly build a school's capacity. Relationships are key in this school's record of success. However, basic to the success are the factors of interlocking triangles of relationships that ensure that all faculty members are a part of the community and the employment of situational leadership, informed by the personal information of relationships. Enhancing the strength of the relationships is the webbed or nested structure that forms as each relationship in the school builds on another. At the heart of the school is a principal who leads out of the feminist ethic of care. The community that results is stronger and more efficient with a greater capacity for success.