Historical trajectory of management of Santa Catarina state public schools: pros and cons

Abstract

This paper presents the historical trajectory of the management of Santa Catarina state public schools in Brazil. The disputes and the tensions aroused from the 1980s onwards are indicated, being at the center of this issue the effective participation, a fundamental element of the democratization of education. The text highlights the main events and documents that were important for the construction of the current scenario, for the shaping of the “new” mode of choice of managers and management strategy adopted through the School Management Plans, instituted via Government Decree in 2013. To elucidate these processes, a literature review was conducted in dialogue with the legislation and the documents that are reference in this field. As a methodological strategy, we used the content analysis technique proposed by Bardin (2016). It was observed that the main tensions were related to the ways of choosing school managers. In the 1980s and 1990s, the election commenced but later declared unconstitutional and void; thus, the indication was again used as a way of choosing the leaders of Santa Catarina’s schools. In the 2000s, the international influence in the formulation of education policies was evidenced, which, through its recommendations, has changed the conception of management, whose propositions may be the origin of the School Management Plans. The Santa Catarina State Education Plan (PEE/SC 2015-2024) changes the focus of democratic management beyond the school, placing it in the state educational system. Despite the struggles and disputes present in the management trajectory, advances are still needed for the democratic management to be materialized in the context of public education in Santa Catarina.