Climbing up the ladder to headship in Mexican compulsory education: perceptions of the escalafon, the point-based system currently used in Mexico to appoint school heads, an exploration in elementary schools

Lopez Delgado, Manuel (2013). Climbing up the ladder to headship in Mexican compulsory education: perceptions of the escalafon, the point-based system currently used in Mexico to appoint school heads, an exploration in elementary schools. University of Birmingham. Ed.D.

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Abstract

Given the importance of educational leadership Bush (2008) argues that preparation of aspiring school leaders should not be left to chance. This exploratory case study is a critique of the Mexican system for appointing school leaders. The study is a qualitative research which used semi-structured interviews to collect data pertaining the strengths, shortcomings, and possible improvements of the system. The study revealed that there are some positive aspects in the system that could enable its consolidation. The study found a need to upgrade the current system since school leaders in Mexico are appointed by a system in which its regulations were promulgated 40 years ago. The current system does not enable the appointment of prepared leaders, since preparation for the post is not mandatory. The findings revealed a need for leadership preparation as a prerequisite for participants in competitions for leadership posts and, also for those who are already holding a leadership position. The approach adopted to appoint leaders without previous preparation seems to be problematic as time is wasted in enabling their readiness to effectively enact headship. The study also explored other topics such as talent identification, preparation, and leadership learning in which it was evident that Mexico still needs to do more when compared to what is currently done at international level.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ed.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ed.D.

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