As a veteran in the educational field, seventeen years as a classroom teacher and fifteen years as an administrator, I find myself very torn over the decision to appoint a department head for the upcoming academic year. I am the principal of a middle-to-upper class high school centrally located in a tight-knit, bedroom community. Most of my students are white, but we have a small population of Hispanic students, and an even smaller population of African-American students. Our faculty, primarily white when I assumed the principalship, has become slightly more diverse with the hiring of many Hispanic teachers. Because we are an extremely large high school, over 3000 students and 180 faculty members, our core departments (Science, Social Studies, Math and English) are quite large. A department head is chosen, from those teachers in the department who wish to apply for the position, every three years. This year it is time to appoint a department head for the Science Department, a group consisting of 21 teachers (a mix of inexperienced and experienced professionals), who have only recently begun to collaborate and work together. The department has been relatively cohesive, only a few disputes amongst teachers who share the same classroom space, despite it's past of turmoil and anger. The current department head, a white male who has held the position for six years running, is not seeking reelection. However, there are two candidates who do want the position.

A first applicant for the position, a fifteen-year veteran of the classroom, is a great educator who puts students first. He has completed many courses in Educational Administration and now feels as though he would like to begin to try the administrative arena, starting with becoming the Science Department Head. This teacher is extremely organized and responsible, but does not have good relationships with his colleagues because he spends most of his time in his classroom, rather than in the department office. He if often perceived by department members as cold and has not contributed to the climate of the department. This particular teacher and I have worked together for quite a while and we have an excellent rapport. Three years ago, I mentioned to him that I thought he would make a great candidate for the Science Department Head position and was hoping that he would consider; he declined and asked for my support for the next round of selections.

The second applicant, the youngest but not the most inexperienced teacher, has thrown her hat into the ring. She is an energetic teacher, active in sponsoring the Chicano Student Movement club and also working on a doctorate in Educational Administration. She too is organized and responsible, has great working relationships with her peers, but is very young and lacks life experience that can be helpful when in administration. If chosen, she would be the youngest and only Hispanic department head in the school. It would also be a milestone for the department, as there has never been a female chairperson. She is a recognized "young talent" who has true potential to become one of the few Hispanic administrators in the district.

Both applicants interviewed well with the panel (myself, an assistant principal, a department head from another large department, and a Science department team member) and I am now left with the decision of choosing the appropriate person within the next few days. I feel obligated to the veteran candidate because of our past discussions over the position, but would also feel unwise to pass over a promising new leader. My decision must be made quickly as the end of the school year is rapidly approaching.