External support to schools: necessary but misunderstood

Abstract

In this article we present the results of one of the studies developed about the external support systems to the schools in Canary Islands, especially the one refered to the Teachers' Centers. The study aimed to the following main purposes: to gather information about Teachers' Centers in order to reach a better understanding of the nature, functions, performance models and work conditions of school consultants, and to identify the main needs and problems thei are facing, offering at the time some suggestions for improvement. The main conclusions point to a double divorce 1) between what the school consultants think they should be doing (this is, functions related to school development and improvement, and to teachers' empowement and professional development) and what they are doing to the date (meeting needs related to the process of implementation of the 1990 Educational Act, mainly working in the designing and development of trainning courses for teachers and the dissemination of legal regulations related to the Educational Act); and 2) between what the school consultants think they are doing and what the techaers perceived abouy it. It is suggested that Teachers' Centers should recover the original idea becoming institutions at the service of teachers and schools, geeting more autonomy in their functioning from the Regional Educational Authorities.