Technology Initiatives Derailed in U.S Early Education Schools: Should Leadership Redesign the Organizational Blueprint?

Abstract

Where and when innovation occurs in the United States (U.S.) early education schools depends greatly on the congruency of long-standing workplace norms, access to resources, and the actual oversight of school leadership. Norms include many factors not the least of which is a work groups’ desire to improve. Resource access is controlled in large part by the government, both local and national. And finally, oversight of work methods and organizational communications is difficult for early education school leadership due to the high educator turnover rate, educator qualifications and traits, such as the emotional-intelligence of the work group, and the low rate of pay for the industry. Although government initiatives and individual school initiatives alike frequently focus on ‘quality service’, the workforce is simultaneously challenged with emotional intelligence factors. Leadership education of school leaders must collaborate a wide set of divergent perceptions of what constitutes quality service and which organizational communication will be enhanced by technology. The examination of data in a November 2012 survey focuses on what the educators perceive, what technology educators have access to, how educators are using technologies they have access to, and what educators view as connected among technologies and school quality.