ABSTRACT
Star teachers are extremely sensitive to the fact that they work in mindless bureaucracies. They know quite well that, in large urban school systems, teachers are treated as bureaucratic functionaries, and not professionals. Star teachers recognize that even good teachers burn out that the organizational press of a defective bureaucracy is an inevitable source of constant stress. They protect themselves in several ways: by learning which rules and policies must be obeyed and which can be ignored; and by learning which clerical demands must be done, which can be delayed, and which can be put off indefinitely. This function of protecting themselves from an injurious bureaucracy is a critical set of behaviors for stars. In addition to protecting themselves, stars have an even more important stake in the care and feeding of the bureaucracy. Star teachers demonstrate their organizational abilities on a daily basis.
