School Principals as Qualified Informants of Educational Policies: The Chilean Case

• In Event: 34.095 - MTCC Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: 34.095-5 - The Role and Perceptions of Stakeholders in Implementation

Abstract

School principals play a key role in the final result of educational policies. Nevertheless, it is uncommon to consider their opinions regarding these policies. This article analyzes, from comparable annual surveys, the opinion that school principals had with respect to the educational policies carried out during the reformist administration of President Michelle Bachelet (2014-2017). The results show that i) the inclusion law was the most controversial among school principals, ii) the opinion of principals is very dynamic and changing during the course of the administration, iii) school directives have a clear understanding of the more urgent and pertinent educational policies. For this reason, decision makers should systematically consider their opinions in the design and implementation of education policies.

Authors

• Gonzalo Muñoz, Universidad Diego Portales

• Jose Weinstein, Universidad Diego Portales

• Maria del Rosario Rivero, Universidad Diego Portales