Connie,
That's the great problem, isn't it? Teachers who understand how to help children learn are blocked in their efforts by administrators who must please powers outside the school. Before education became big business with a hierarchy of power and laws for every possible aspect of the school experience, "principal" was short for "principal teacher." That kind of principal taught at least one class during the day and understood exactly what the other teachers in the school were trying to accomplish. As long as teachers remain in their present despised and disempowered state, schools will continue to decline and conscientious teachers like you will either continue to do the best they can, or give up.