Sergiovanni Notes Moral Authority and Supervision

Sergiovanni, T. J. (1992). Moral authority and the regeneration of supervision. In C. Glickman (Ed.), Supervision in transition: 1992 yearbook of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (pp. 203-214). ASCD.

·      Supervision-in-practice included training teachers to measure up to specific, mandated standards, using surveillance systems to monitor teacher behavior, and engaging in administrative tasks to oversee the immense amount of paperwork associated with such practices.

·      Sergiovanni's supervision is the extinction of the current supervision-in-practice. Supervision, instead, would come from within and include professional and moral sources of authority.

·      Sources of Authority

o   Bureaucratic authority: a source of authority that exists "in the form of mandates, rules, regulations, job descriptions, and expectations. When we base supervisory practices on bureaucratic authority, teachers are expected to respond appropriately or face the consequences (p. 204)."

o   Psychological authority: a source of authority that exists "in the form of leadership, motivational technology, and human relations skills. When we base supervisory practice on psychological authority, teachers are expected to respond to our personality and the pleasant environment we provide, behaving appropriately for the rewards we make available in exchange (p. 204)."

o   Technical-rational - a source of authority that exists "in the form of evidence derived from logic and scientific research. When we base supervisory practice on the authority of technical rationality, teachers are expected to respond in light of what is considered to be truth (p. 204)."

o   Professional - a source of authority that exists "in the form of informed and seasoned craft knowledge and personal expertness. When we base supervisory practice on professional authority, teachers are expected to respond to common socialization, accepted tenets of practice, and internalized expertness (p. 204)."

o   Moral - a source of authority that exists "in the form of obligations and duties derived from widely shared values, ideas, and ideals. When we base supervisory practice on moral authority, teachers are expected to respond to shared commitments and interdependence (p. 205)."

·      Valuing Collegiality

o   "This supervision will be concerned with promoting a dialogue that makes professional and community values and beliefs explicit (p. 213)."