Yes, I hoped I made that clear by saying "teachers on the front lines".

The admin seems to only exist to make teacher's jobs harder, but they can easily pass the buck by saying their hands are tied by the higher levels of the chain of command, but the problem is admin is generally lazy, looks for the easy way out, misinterprets the "spirit of the law"/malicious compliance, and are generally "yes men".

Some examples:

• Understaffed teachers burdened with classrooms too large, and not enough time or resources to give the kids the support they need to pass and prosper. Teachers then get blamed for failing students who can't pass, either because it's too much for them, they needed extra support, or behavioral issues. Then they brow-beat the teachers to pencil-whip failing students with a passing grade. Even more difficult if there are special-needs kids that divert even more attention from the other 27 who already don't get the resources or attention they need. (Because they cut special needs funding of course)

• Admin doesn't lift a finger for anything that requires a tiny bit effort on their part, but selectively puts their thumb down on people whenever it makes them look good. Can't send a kid to the principal's office who is throwing a tantrum. "It's the teacher's responsibility to maintain order". But they will gladly perp-walk a 9 year old out in front of the entire school in handcuffs for playing with a water pistol because "gun" = "zero tolerance".

• Teachers get negative reinforcement for doing the right thing. "Required to report certain activities by law", but then get lambasted for actually reporting them when they do happen because it causes admin to actually do some work. (They expect the teachers to keep silent, brush things under the carpet, and if the "cat gets out of the bag", it's suddenly the teacher's fault for not reporting it)

• Cut funding for supplies, and intramurals? Expected to spend their own money, but also "not allowed to spend their own money"... (you figure out how that's supposed to work). Then expected to make things work flawlessly with a crippled budget. Oh yes, the same crippled budget they took money away from so they could give admin all raises.