Part of our vulnerability is often the fear of change because it
takes us out of our comfort zone. It is easier to maintain the status
quo, rather than face painful transition processes. This fear often
leads to resisting needed school reform. Literature on school
reform=change seems to point out that, although change often
occurs because of new acquired knowledge, those involved in the
change must recognize the need for change and be willing to participate
in the process. However, once a decision is made about
change, even those who resist it must become a part of that change.
Change theorists claim that change is affected by leadership, communication,
staffing, and assessment. Change occurs when there is
a driving force to move beyond the status quo (Ornstein & Hunkins,
2004). However, when change is not planned for adequately, the
result may be resistance to change. This is often the case with school
reform. Unequal power structure and coercion build resistance to
change. For many teachers change may be viewed as ‘‘. . . simply
signaling more work—something else to add on to an already
134 M. A. Pacino et al.
overloaded schedule for which little or no time is allotted’’
(Ornstein & Hunkins, 2004, pp. 308–9).