Diane Raver
What can be done to improve the nation’s schools? This is a question former St. Leon resident Dr. Clete Bulach decided to tackle when he wrote “Creating a Culture for High-Performing Schools,” which was published in August.
The Villa Rica, Ga., resident, who received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati, a master’s degree from Xavier University and completed his doctorate at UC in 1974, spent time as a teacher, administrator and superintendent in various Ohio school districts.
He later became a professor of education administration at Murray State University, Kentucky, and the University of West Georgia.
What prompted the father of five to write the book? “I realized that the relationships that exist between administrators and teachers, teachers and students and students and students were a major factor contributing to our dropout rate, poor attendance and low student performance.
“The main factor affecting relationships is control. Students are controlled to the extent they lack motivation,” the professor reveals.
“This is a comprehensive school reform plan that is designed to create ... a high-performing school.
“Student behavior is such that teachers seldom have to control them or tell them what to do. This results in greater time on task, higher teacher morale, low teacher absenteeism and improved parental support.”
The University of West Georgia Department of Educational Leadership associate professor emeritus describes another distinctive feature: “The student peer group is a positive force and not a negative force. There is an emphasis on cooperation instead of competition.
“The end result is a school culture where faculty and students are good citizens, who trust and care about each other, cooperate with each other and focus on what can be done to help one another. While we call it a comprehensive school reform plan, it could also be called a comprehensive dropout prevention plan.”
The grandfather of seven believes all educators would benefit from reading the book, which he admits is his greatest professional achievement.
The golfer and fisherman recalls his favorite quote: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Bulach follows this philosophy in his own life. “I never quit. If I can’t solve a problem, I just keep digging until I do.”
He says, “I was a four- year wood shop and vocational ag major at Sunman High School. If I could get a doctorate degree with that kind of preparation, you can do anything you set your mind to.”
He notes that his strengths are data-based decision making and analysis, which he puts into practice as chief executive officer of the Professional Development and Assessment Center, a consulting agency he established.
“I provide analysis for schools on school culture and climate, leadership behavior, teacher caring behaviors, bullying behavior, character-related behavior and levels of openness and trust,” he adds.
“I really miss the folks at St. Leon, but the winters are too cold to come back.”
Diane Raver can be contacted at 812-934-4343, Ext. 114.
