May 2009 Archives

Today is Graduation Day at our school. We are an alternative school and a small one at that, so we only have seven graduates today. There are others who should be joining this group, but they got sidetracked and will need to return in the fall to try and complete their requirements. We have others who decided getting a diploma wasn't worth it and left school completely. So, it's a big day for these seven students, their families and the school staff who supported them.

I'm proud of them for making it to the finish line. I hope that this accomplishment will teach them that they can achieve whatever they want, if they stick with it, even when there are detours to the end goal. Something happened to each of these graduates that caused them to have to leave their home school district and end up here to finish their education. And instead of giving up and throwing in the towel, they hung in there and made it to this day.

While I am looking forward to the ceremony and celebration of this day, I can't help but wonder if we did all we could do as a school to prepare them for the future. I really don't have to wonder long. I know there is more we could do and need to do. Now, I'm not saying I can't be happy for the good things we did accomplish, because I can. I just know that as the educational leader of this school, I need to keep my mind student-focused and continue to select a few things to work on each year to keep improving our program for the students we serve.

It's so easy to bogged down in the day-to-day issues and concerns that come flying at us from all directions. We all know that. But as the end of my second year as an administrator comes to a close, I can't help but reflect on if I have made a difference and what kind of legacy I want to leave.

After today, I'm going to take some time to do what Barbara Barreda suggested in her post, which was, "Empty your inbox, re-do your files, clean out your drawers and re-evaluate your priorities and set a new agenda that will carry you into the 2009-2010 school year with fresh perspective and hope." Then, I am going to keep working on the improvements we need to reach alternative learners and give them the education they deserve.

But first, I am going to celebrate this day with these seven students, their families and our staff. I am grateful to be a part of this and to be able to make a difference in the education of the students who will follow these seven. I hope that each of you, as you serve in your leadership role, can take some time for reflection and celebration at this time of year. And don't forget to have a piece of graduation cake - indulge yourself!!

Reggie Engebritson

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 4:00 AM | Permalink | 3 Comments | Recommend

Recently several discussions, articles I have read, experiences I have had and also videos I have seen, have give me reason to believe that colleges are not preparing teachers to teach the youth of the 21st century in the realms of cultural sensitivity and technology (to name only two areas).

The link below will show a video that is in American Sign Language. I used to teach deaf students, so it strikes a chord with me. It describes how one program from Southern Mississippi was lauded as a great program for deaf education. However, after looking at the courses offered, it became clear that they view deafness as a pathology and ignored the cultural components that make up deaf culture. What does this say about our teacher prep programs when they ignore such a rich culture and language that is viable in the 21st century? After all, this is a language that has been shown in numerous research studies to help young children with verbal and nonverbal skills.

Another example is that many colleges and universities do not even require teachers to take one technology course as part of their degree. New teachers come to the classroom with the knowledge of Facebook but have no idea on how to apply Web 2.0, specifically, social networking to the classroom! We are coming across teacher after teacher that do not know how to take the skills that they may know and apply them to their pedagogy. Teacher prep programs should require the application of skills and not only the knowledge of them.

So look at the clip below and answer the question that Sean Connery asks.

James Yap

Deaf Ed. Example
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/LeaderTalk/upload/2009/05/jamesyap/elliottness.flv

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 8:41 PM | Permalink | 2 Comments | Recommend

This past week we completed the 2009 version of the California Standards Test. It is a standards-based test designed to assess the degree to which children mastered the standards at their grade level. If they get higher than a scaled score of 350, they will be considered "proficient" and everyone will be happy.

Of course, anything less than that means they are "not at grade level" and it will be a reason for great concern. And if 45% of our overall students or 45% of our Latino students or 45% of our English language learners are not at grade level, the state of California will declare us to be a "Program Improvement" school.

So here is what I don't get.

If we have a standards-based curriculum, and students' mastery of those standards is determined by a standards- based assessment (in our state: the California Standards Test), then why aren't kids grouped in classrooms according to their mastery of those standards? In other words... a true, standards-based school.

Where do we see standards-based schools? In that Taekwondo studio down the street-- the one in your neighborhood strip mall.

Not so in your school or mine.

In fact, in a few weeks we are going to promote quite a few students to the next grade level who have not yet mastered the standards for this year. We'll know who they are, because those will be the students who don't do so hot on the California Standards Test. We will agonize over the perennial "promotion/retention dilemma", we'll choose our poison (social promotion being the lesser of twin evils)... and we'll promote each student whether they are ready or not. But at least we are not sending them to spar against accomplished opponents throwing spinning heel kicks.

The significant difference is that in Taekwondo we group students by their demonstrated competence. In public schools we group kids according to 1) their chronological age and 2) the grade level they were sitting in when the clock ran out at the end of the game last June. Our 11 years-olds are fifth graders no matter what level of mastery they have attained in school. And next month, they will become 6th graders and they will struggle to catch up all year until it is time to take the California Standards Test again. When that time comes, they will be handed the Sixth Grade Test-- not because they are ready for it... but merely because we placed them in a student grouping called "Sixth Grade"!

So what if we organized our students for instruction according to the martial arts, mastery-based model that is thousands of years old instead of the archaic, age-driven system that we all perpetuate today?

For starters:

• Students would be grouped according to where they are on the continuum of standards.
• We wouldn't need grade level groupings at all.
• Students would move fluidly forward and back according to their demonstrated needs and evidence of mastery.
• Teaching would be far more differentiated.
• Students would progress at their own pace.

With regard to testing:

• Some 11 years-olds would take the 4th grade version of the California Standards Test... because that is the level they are ready for.
• Some 11 year-olds may take the 7th grade test.
• Some 11 year-olds might take the 5th grade test for math, but the 3rd grade test for language arts.
• Every student would be "at grade level" because, as in Taekwondo, they would be taking a test to demonstrate what they can do. It is geared to their level... so they will all be--by definition--"proficient".
• Since all students would be proficient, schools would not show up as "Program Improvement" and the states' metrics that are now based on counting percentages of proficient students would be obsolete. So they will need new metrics.

Since we are a charter school known for our willingness to try stuff, we are intent on pursuing this model. We know we will have to do our homework and that we will be accused of 'gaming the system.' And yet, our real intention is to completely align our school-- curriculum, assessment, and student groupings-- to a standards-based model.

The Adams County School District 50 in Denver, Colorado is already taking a courageous lead on this. And I'm sure there are others.

But I am wondering...

What questions, suspicions, criticisms, warnings, come to your mind when I describe this project?

Hearing no comments... we are going to go full speed ahead!

"...Joonbi...shiyak!"

Kevin W. Riley
El Milagro Weblog: http://kriley19.wordpress.com/

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 8:45 PM | Permalink | 8 Comments | Recommend

Last month I wrote a somewhat humorous poem about Facebook and why I am not a big fan of the site. That article was published on April 19th. On April 20 I found myself at the table (yet again) with a group of quarreling sixth grade girls. While sixth grade girls quarreling about the he-said, she-said stuff is pretty routine, the root of this consternation stemmed from a Facebook exchange between two of the girls. When asked how this whole thing started, Salina replied: “Jenna said mean stuff on Facebook to me about Stacie. Then I told Jenna that it was mean and she shouldn’t be telling me that stuff. Then I told Stacie what Jenna was saying about her on Facebook. Then Stacie got mad and she told me that she was going to beat up Jenna. Then Jenna called everyone a skank and everyone got mad and started yelling at each other using really bad language.”

Now, although this Facebook exchange went on outside of school over the weekend, it became the topic of conversation at the lunch table on Monday. It then spilled into recess and ultimately into my office. While I have heard quite a bit about cyberbullying via emails and text messages, this was the first cyberbullying incident I had dealt with regarding Facebook. I asked each of the girls involved if she had a Facebook page and all but one said she did. I also asked them why they allowed certain girls to be on their friends list when they know that some of them will resort to this type of bullying, and most said because they felt they “had to.” This kind of pressure to allow “friends” on one’s site could also be considered a form of bullying, as they feel there may be consequences to shutting some out regardless of their lack of Internet etiquette.

According to the website stopcyberbullying.org, cyberbullying is “when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen, or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones.” As a public school principal, I can’t legally discipline a student for cyberbullying actions that take place outside of school that don’t result in bodily harm at school. However, when cyberbullying that has taken place outside of school becomes a school issue, as it did today, we must reserve the right to take action if the effects of outside cyberbullying threaten the safety or well-being of the student(s) in school, even if it hasn’t caused bodily harm…yet. Stopcyberbullying.org recommends adding a provision to the school’s acceptable use of the Internet policy, reserving the right to discipline the student for actions taken off-campus if they are intended to adversely affect the safety and well-being of a student while at school. According to the site, this makes it a contractual, not constitutional issue.

So far, nine states have cyberbullying laws designed to protect children from being harassed, threatened and humiliated online. Two of those states, Arkansas and New Jersey have express language in their laws that allow for school officials to take action against cyber bullies even if the actions take place outside of school.

In a 2007 USA Today article, Koloff reported that “The American Civil Liberties Union has opposed some cyberbullying laws, saying they set up school officials to trample on students' First Amendment rights. The ACLU helped block a proposal last year to expand an Oregon law to include off-campus bullying, arguing that school officials have no right to impose punishment on students for what they do away from school.”

While Minnesota (where I am a principal) enacted a law in 2007 requiring each school district in the state to put policies in place to address the growing problem of cyberbullying, there are no provisions for disciplining students for cyberbully actions. Our Acceptable Use of the Internet policy next school year will definitely not only address cyberbullying, it will include a clause that states something to the effect, “If cyberbullying outside of school becomes an issue in which a student feels threatened or unsafe in any way at school, the principal has the authority to discipline the cyber bully.” It will give the school community the clear message that cyberbullying will not be tolerated and at the very least will give me a little leverage when I need it.

By Nancy Flynn 5/19/09

References:
www.cyberbullyalert.com/blog/2008/10/cyber-bullying-state-laws-and-policies/

www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/ylr/cyberbullying.asp

www.socialsafety.org/law_enforcement_cyberbullying.html

USA Today, 2-7-2008 States push for cyberbully controls
By Abbott Koloff, USA TODAY

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 8:43 AM | Permalink | 2 Comments | Recommend

I'm convinced the two longest months of the school year are February and May. February because it is in the dead of winter and even though it has 28 days, it seems like it is 28 days in dog years. May is long because we have the myriad end of year assessments, students are anticipating summer vacation (except those on year round schedules), and teachers and school executives are anticipating a chance to recharge. Yet, this year has been much more difficult than most years. The recession with accompanying slashing of state and local budgets has significantly impacted school budgets. More and more schools and districts are facing furloughs, delayed hiring, nonrenewal of contracts at a much higher frequency than we've seen in generations.

I'm challenged by this issue: how do we as executives find ways to motivate our staff in non-monetary ways? I'll list three ways that I have either used or heard others use effectively. Please add your comments to share what you have found that works. In this environment, there truly is the wisdom of crowds.

Look forward to hearing your suggestions and strategies.

Best regards,
Chris

Ideas and Suggestions:
1-short hand-written notes to teachers thanking them for something specific that they have done to help achieve your school's mission. Write these freely and include people that may be frequently ignored, such as custodial staff, office staff, child nutrition staff. One principal has a bunch of 3x5 notecards on card stock with an apple on the front and writes the short note on the back. She keeps a checklist to ensure that she has not forgotten somebody in her school.

2-Student Focus on Success-another principal has 5 minutes at the END of faculty meetings to display the individual picture of a student who has either turned around or made significant progress. She talks about the student, the background, and the success story. She ends with noting that lots of people who have been an important part of helping this student make a step forward. The keys, she says, are to find ways to help people connect to the mission of the school.

3- A twist on this is a quarterly awards breakfast with recognition (with certificate) on ways that people in teams have done something extraordinary. The principal wanted to emphasize teamwork (rather than isolation) and weighted possibilities more heavily with those groups that did something significant between teachers and teacher assistants, or teachers, teacher assistants, and child nutrition or custodial staff, or teachers across grade levels. He is trying to promote cross school collaboration and breaking down silos.

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 9:31 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

When the twelfth of the month rolls around I always find myself wondering what is on the mind of other administrators right now. Does my little corner of the world reflect their reality? I have always found May and June to be one of the most difficult times of year from an administrative perspective. That is because I have my feet firmly planted in two realities. First is the immediate reality including final staff evaluations, graduation, final exams and all of the paper work that the end of each year brings. The other is a future but no less immediate reality, that is all of the planning and work that takes place to set budgets, staff, calendar, schedules and curriculum for the next school year. Sometimes I long to be back in the classroom with its definite endings and beginnings. There was something wonderful about the cyclical cleaning and closing of your room in June and then returning after summer to open your room and prepare for a new year. How can I bring that same mentality to my work which never seems to end?

It seems that this is good time of year to take personal stock of our work. It is time to really talk with our administrative teams and to be willing to let go of some of those "great ideas" and refocus our priorities. Many of us are visionaries and idea people who always are forging ahead to the point that we are exhausted and may not be making the progress we want with what is truly important. So I propose that we join our teachers in the ritual of closing down the school year by taking stock of our office and jettisoning the bottom 20%... the things that are good ideas but not great or critical. Drop those projects and ideas that would be “nice” to do some day. Will Richardson recently called for schools to have Chief Learning Officers. Perhaps that should help us define what we set as priorities. Will this project, this task improve our learning community? Will it facilitate or support excellence in teaching and learning?

So I challenge you to join your teachers by marking on your calendar that day they are closing their classrooms as your day to figuratively close this year in your office. Empty your inbox, re-do your files, clean out your drawers and re-evaluate your priorities and set a new agenda that will carry you into the 2009-2010 school year with fresh perspective and hope.

Barbara Barreda

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 1:27 AM | Permalink | 2 Comments | Recommend

It is that time of the year - graduation season - a time of celebration; a time of endings and of new beginnings. This past week, I have had the opportunity to be part of two graduation ceremonies - one for an Executive Ed D program where I attended in support of members of my cohort; the second for Journalism majors where I watched my daughter receive her Masters degree. These experiences have made me start thinking - what are we telling our graduates as they move on to the next phase of their lives, their education, or their career? What is the message about leading and leadership?

Well, Google co-founder Larry Page addressed the grads at Michigan State University - the university his entire family attended. Page talked about the summer training program Leadershape he attended while a student at the university; the program's slogan: "have a healthy disregard for the impossible." Part of Page's message -

Overall, I know it seems like the world is crumbling out there, but it is actually a great time in your life to get a little crazy, follow your curiosity, and be ambitious about it. Don’t give up on your dreams. The world needs you all!

is something I would want my daughter to hear and my colleagues who have completed their Ed.D's - as a matter of fact - I would like the 8th graders leaving my school in a few short weeks to heed Page's words. Yet, the real heart in Page's words come when he tells a brief story about his father, who died at an earlier than expected age:

always remember that the moments we have with friends and family, the chances we have to do things that might make a big difference in the world, or even to make a small difference to someone you love — all those wonderful chances that life gives us, life also takes away. It can happen fast, and a whole lot sooner than you think.

So, I am left thinking about how to achieve a balance in our work in education; how to encourage leadership from all that will allow us to achieve what may seem impossible - work that will demand time and energy and commitment, while at the same time supporting and reminding those with whom we work to cherish and make time for family and friends. For there seems to be so much work to do. At times I grow weary of reading the latest reports about what Obama has said about education, or Aren Duncan, or the McKinnsey report. It seems as though we will never come to enough of a consensus even about the effectiveness of education in this country, let alone what direction we need to be moving and what our students need throughout the time they spend in school.

And thus, the words of historian and novelist David McCullough as he addressed the graduates of the University of Utah, seemed to resonate. McCullough spoke about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1869 - during a time of greed, corruption, and excess - a time not unlike the present. Yet, as McCullough explains, the Brooklyn Bridge - a structure of great beauty, great purpose, and great technical achievement - also serves as a symbol of the hopes and aspirations of a nation founded on the beliefs of self-government and equality.

And about education, McCullough asserts:

Nor does the fact that we have so long believed in education for all mean that quality public education will quite naturally continue without our constant attention, or that good teachers will just come along, because they always have. There is no more important work than that of our teachers, or more important people in our society

As educational leaders - by role, by personal belief and commitment, or both - I think we must build careers that incorporate cherished family and friends. We cannot choose one over the other. In fact, I do not think we can even parcel our lives into time for family/friends and time for work. I am beginning to think that those who will be able to make a real difference in education will be those for whom family, friends, and education are one and the same. However, the only way that would be possible would be to make our educational places family friendly.

In my district, our superintendent, Linda Brewer, has relentlessly worked to have a daycare facility on our campus so that teachers with young children could have them close-by. It is a dream that is seemingly close at hand - but has recently become a part of a political storm. Yet, this is an example of the leadership we need; leadership that is willing to create a vision for something that is not widely accepted, not understood, and not the norm. Yet, in creating a school district where the values of family are supported in more than just words; where expectations for standards of work and student achievement are very high, but are accompanied by support for those that are hired to do carry out that work - that is the leadership that is needed in these times - the type of leadership that is rooted in the dreams and hopes upon which this country's education system was built - but firmly focused on the future.

Sue King

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 11:12 AM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

Who will ignite the desire to learn in the adults today so they will ignite the desire to learn in our children tomorrow?

On April 27, 2009 President Obama spoke at the 146th Annual Meeting of National Academy of Sciences. I recommend the entire speech for its historic importance, a turning point for science, technology, math and engineering (STEM) that could some day be viewed as the equivalent of President John F. Kennedy's 'Decision to Go to the Moon' speech almost fifty years ago on May 25, 1961, and for the context it provides Mr. Obama’s comments on STEM education.

How far will the STEM education have travelled by 2020? By 2070? Now seems like the time for us to transform the status quo. If predictions about the future are correct, as I believe they are, our civilization my depend on what scientists and educators do now with this invitation Present Obama issued us, individually and collectively, to prepare the youth of our nation to "tackle the grand challenges of this decade."

What will you do? What will we do together?

STEM Education: Top Priority

America’s young people will rise to the challenge if given the opportunity –- if called upon to join a cause larger than themselves. We’ve got evidence. You know, the average age in NASA’s mission control during the Apollo 17 mission was just 26. I know that young people today are just as ready to tackle the grand challenges of this century.

Mr. Obama identified the quality of science and math teaching as the “the most influential single factor in determining whether a student will succeed or fail in [STEM] subjects.” Given that America is projected to be short 280,000 math and science teachers in 2015, Mr. Obama said we need to pay attention to this weakness and take strategic action now.

Offering a specific financial incentive, Mr. Obama said, “States making strong commitments and progress in math and science education will be eligible to compete later this fall for additional funds under the Secretary of Education’s $5 billion Race to the Top program.”

Mr. Obama presented elements of his STEM agenda when he challenged Americans to collaborate to “dramatically improve achievement in math and science” using "inventive approaches."

2020 STEM Education Goals

Mr. Obama announced two major goals for STEM education over the next decade.

√ By 2020 "increase the number of high school graduates so … America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world" and
√ By 2020 ensure that American students move “from the middle to the top of the pack [internationally] in science and math over the next decade”

The Fifty States

Mr. Obama asked each state in the nation to

√ raise STEM standards
√ modernize science labs
√ upgrade STEM curriculum
√ forge partnerships to improve the use of science and technology in our classrooms
√ enhance STEM teacher preparation and training
√ attract new and qualified STEM teachers
√ better engage students in STEM education
√ reinvigorate STEM subjects in our schools
√ create systems that retain and reward effective STEM teachers
√ create new pathways to bring the expertise and the enthusiasm of experienced STEM professionals into STEM classroom

Obama Administration

The Obama administration’s budget “provides tax credits and grants to make a college education more affordable,” and it “triples the number of National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships” to support students who want to pursue scientific careers. Mr. Obama also committed to participating “in a public awareness and outreach campaign to encourage students to consider careers in science and mathematics and engineering.” You can view Pennsylvania's STEM Initiative Communications Plan video here.

National Governors Association

The National Governor’s Association (NGA) has a current STEM initiative, a component of Innovation America. Mr. Obama said Governor Edward Rendell of Pennsylvania will lead an NGA initiative to have every state make science, technology, engineering and mathematics education a top priority. Read Innovation America: Building a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Agenda, an NGA report, to become familiar the NGA STEM agenda. I created a summary, NGA Innovation America STEM Strategies, that you can download here.

Academy of Sciences and the Scientific Community

Mr. Obama challenged scientists to

√ “use their love and knowledge of science to spark the same sense of wonder and excitement in a new generation”
√ “spend time in the classroom, talking and showing young people what it is that your work can mean, and what it means to you”
√ “participate in programs to allow students to get a degree in science fields and a teaching certificate at the same time”
√ participate in “new and creative ways to engage young people in science and engineering, whether it’s science festivals, robotics competitions, fairs that encourage young people to create and build and invent — to be makers of things, not just consumers of things”

Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation

Mr. Obama announced that the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation will be launching a joint initiative to inspire tens of thousands of American students to pursue [STEM careers], particularly in clean energy. The initiative will include

√ "an educational campaign to capture the imagination of young people who can help us meet the energy challenge"
√ "research opportunities for undergraduates and educational opportunities for women and minorities who too often have been underrepresented in scientific and technological fields, but are no less capable of inventing the solutions that will help us grow our economy and save our planet"
√ "fellowships and interdisciplinary graduate programs and partnerships between academic institutions and innovative companies to prepare a generation of Americans to meet this generational challenge"

Encouraging Words

The President concluded with some sober words of encouragement and hope for the audience of scientists and the education profession.

Somewhere in America there’s an entrepreneur seeking a loan to start a business that could transform an industry — but she hasn’t secured it yet. There’s a researcher with an idea for an experiment that might offer a new cancer treatment -– but he hasn’t found the funding yet. There’s a child with an inquisitive mind staring up at the night sky. And maybe she has the potential to change our world –- but she doesn’t know it yet.

As you know, scientific discovery takes far more than the occasional flash of brilliance –- as important as that can be. Usually, it takes time and hard work and patience; it takes training; it requires the support of a nation. But it holds a promise like no other area of human endeavor.
......................

As President Kennedy said when he addressed the National Academy of Sciences more than 45 years ago: "The challenge, in short, may be our salvation."

Resources

√ The Decision to Go to the Moon: NASA History Office
√ Present Obama Speech to the National Academy of Sciences, April 27, 2009: Audio, Video, Transcript, Pictures
√ Pennsylvania STEM Initiative Communications Plan Video
√ Innovation America: Building a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Agenda, National Governors Association
√ STEM Communications Tool Kit, National Governors Association
√ Innovation America Website, National Governors Association

Photo Sources

√ President Obama
√ Innovation America: Building a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Agenda, National Governors Association

Dennis Richards
Superintendent
Retired, but still Learning & Teaching
twitter: dennisar
skype: drichards1
dennisar at gmail dot com
innovation3.edublogs.org

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Leave a comment | Recommend

Each of us has a professional identity. You may think you are looked upon as a hard working educational leader; but your identity, what others think of you, may be very different.

For example, I know a few dedicated folks who feel they are going ‘over and above’ to do their jobs and that people recognize their effort. In fact, their identity among their professional colleagues is that they are folks who can’t be relied on. Why do people feel that way about them? They don’t return phone calls or e-mails consistently. This inconsistency leaves people hanging, and after a while they lose faith in them.

There are those that attend various meetings and commit to doing things and then get so busy with their ‘real’ jobs that they don’t have time to follow through. It’s not the end of the world to do this once; but because these leaders repeat the pattern, they become known as ‘all talk’.

There are leaders I know who have identities of ’self promoters’. At meetings with their colleagues they have all the answers. They talk a lot about how wonderful things are in their districts; and rarely listen to what others have to say. It’s all about them.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are those technology leaders with the ‘I can’t win’ identity. As their budgets shrink and their aged computers age even further, they see no correlation with their own ineffectiveness as leaders. However, their colleagues do. Whatever their image is of themselves, these folks are seen as negative and weak. They are often sarcastic, “Sure, my teachers can’t wait to use technology.” Their signature responses to suggestions from others are things like, “I’ve tried that.” “You don’t understand, that won’t work with my (insert group here: teachers, administrators, superintendent, principal, board of education).”

I know leaders who have the reputation of having great ideas; but little follow through.

There are those who are known as ‘control freaks’. Everything has to go through them. Every request, every issue, every piece of information must pass through their filters. They control the flow of information to their superintendents, administrators, and teachers. They are guardians of the gate.

Their are those that deal in ‘drama’. They’re involved in conflicts where ever they go. They are well-known among their colleagues because they are always talking about some other colleague (usually negatively) when they aren’t around.

It is a good idea to give some thought to what identities we have created for ourselves. We need a good mirror because what we think our identity is may be very different from how others see us.

A practice that I employ before meetings is to ask myself, “What identity do I want to have with the others in this meeting?” My identity for a specific meeting, depending on the situation, might be:

a trusted adviser, a team player, a good listener, someone with specific expertise, someone that is organized, a strong leader, an individual with vision, an individual with experience, etc.

Of course, there are leaders that have earned positive identities and sometimes we can have both positive and negative identities simutaneously. As leaders we are called upon to take an honest look at where we need to improve and to adopt practices that strengthen our ability to lead effectively.

Focusing on our identity is not play-acting or being manipulative.

It is simply being deliberate about the actions we take in the world and doing our best to be more effective in our jobs.

pete

Ed Tech Journeys

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 10:28 AM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

Remember the bumper sticker that read,

"IF YOU CAN READ THIS, THANK A TEACHER."?

Well, these days the bumper sticker should say, "If you can read this, and tie your shoes, tell time, get along with others, solve problems, understand others' points of view, respect yourself, respect others, perform math calculations, make change for a dollar, write a five paragraph persuasive essay, compare and contrast, synthesize, hypothesize, and spell 'hypothesize' correctly, then you should THANK A TEACHER!"

Teaching is harder and more complicated than ever, and the pressure on today's teachers is huge. Teachers are expected to teach, assess, model, and even parent their students. Teachers are being held accountable for all facets of a child's education. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does make teaching one of the hardest and most important jobs out there. I have often said that a school is only as good as the teacher your child has that year. In other words, your child can go to the world's greatest school with the most Blue Ribbons earned, but if your child has a poor to mediocre teacher, the awards will mean nothing to you.

We often use this LeaderTalk blog to write our feelings regarding teachers and teaching. These posts are occasionally critical of teachers, or at least perceived as critical. I have done this myself (Here). However, it's the teachers who make the most difference in the students' lives. It's the teachers who have the greatest impact on today's students, and it's the teachers who have the power to make the most change in schools.

So, since we are in the middle of "Teacher Appreciation Week," take a moment to remember a teacher who made a difference in your life, and try to appreciate the important role teachers play in our society.

Please thank a teacher some time this week.

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 4:11 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

Earlier this week, I posted this on Education Futures:

"Let your mind wonder for just a moment. As yourself this question: If I could redesign an entire teacher education program, what would it look like?

Here is my vision of a teacher education program. I imagine a teacher preparation program that:

-Challenges the individual. No one in this program would say "But I thought getting an education degree was suppose to be easy!"
-Is rigorous enough to attract intellectual, innovative, thought-leaders
-Robustly develops a student's ability to solve problem, become a critical thinker, and work collaboratively.
-Is packed with upper level courses in history, ethics, mathematics, law, economics, policy, research, engineering, biology, anatomy, chemistry, and computer sciences (just to name a few).
-Is academically challenging so that becoming a educator is professionalized at the level of doctors, lawyers, MBAs, etc.
-Stresses global, national, and local issues. Students would not only understand where Cambodia is, but have some understanding of its politics, culture, history, and relationship to the rest of the world.
-Mandates each student study abroad.
-Mandates the individual gain proficiency in a foreign language.
-Forces the pre-teacher to act on the tenants of social justice and peace education. This individual would be a skilled conflict mediator.
-Produces teachers who are intercultural leaders.

The main draw back would be that this individual may be too marketable for the teacher education profession. With skills like these, what Fortune 500 or innovate start-up company would not be banging on this person's door? This individual would be a cosmopolitan and in high demand. Thus, if such a teacher education program were created, how could we retain such individuals. Isn't this the person you want to teach your children? Why are we not doing more to create cosmopolitan educators? What is your vision? Are there revolutionary programs out there? I would love to hear about innovative approaches currently underway."

If a person were to completely redesign a principal preparation program, what would it look like? What components are must haves? What dispositions are needed by school leaders? I will post my list soon!

Jayson Richardson
Department of Educational Leadership
University of North Carolina Wilmington

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 6:00 AM | Permalink | 4 Comments | Recommend

My office was literally covered in post-it notes as I sat staring in frustration over a challenge posed to me by a colleague, mentor, and inspirational leader: what is your top ten list of tools for teachers?

For nearly a month, I wrestled with this question with NOTHING to show for it but a bunch of post-it notes with fragmented tools that meant little in terms of teaching and learning when shown in isolation. Then I realized why I was struggling; it went against everything I believed about instructional technology and education. So, I shifted the question and that is exactly the move my colleague expected and sought - pedagogy not tools is the focus!

What are ten methodologies and values all classrooms should exhibit?

This is a challenging yet vital question for all educators to negotiate as we continue to discuss what it means to be well-educated in the 21st Century and what that profile means for teaching and learning. While I am still painting this picture and it is a collaborative painting, here is an initial list for discussion and debate:

- Quality of Thought: Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking, Interdisciplinary, Meta-Cognitive, Multi-Sensory, Knowledge Transfer, Community, Flexibility, Synergy, Design, Listening, Innovation, Risk-Taking, Independent
- Participatory Learning: Play, Performance, Multi-tasking, Collective Intelligence, Judgment, Networking, Simulation, Appropriation, Distributed Cognition, Visualization, Negotiation, and Transliteracy
- Inquiry-based Learning (problem/project): Research, Collaboration, Design, Present, Contribute, and Reflect
- Connective Learning
- Differentiated and Customized Learning
- Cooperative and Collaborative Learning
- Authentic
- Transformative Assessment and Data Use
- Brain-Based
- Higher-Order Thinking and Questioning

Would this be the types of classrooms that would engage students? ignite their passions? build genius? create well-educated, global citizens capable of competing, connecting, and contributing in the 21st Century?

If not, what values, methodologies, and pedagogical practices should each classroom in your school should exhibit?

Start there and begin this conversation with your school today. After all, isn't it time we begin shifting our organizational mindsets on teaching and learning?

Image by Peter Gerdes

Ryan Bretag is the Coordinator of Instructional Technology at Glenbrook North High School

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 11:49 PM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

“Not me! Absolutely not me!” stammered Randy, my friend and colleague. The discussion at the superintendent’s meeting had turned to blogging. “I get enough criticism as it is. I don’t need another whacko taking pot shots at me from left field on the internet,” he added. He winced as he said it. “Why should I provide an easy forum for another critic?” he added.

“Randy, don’t you think the rational folks in your school district recognize a whacko when they hear one?” I responded.

“Yeah, most of them probably do but I still don’t want to lie awake at night wondering what the next critic is posting on the internet,” he responded.

“Do you lie awake now?” I asked with a smirk.

“Well sure! Doesn’t every superintendent do that occasionally?” he asked. “I just don’t want to make it easier for people like that to have a voice.”

“I hear you,” I acknowledged, “but what you don’t realize is that now every person has a voice if they want to be heard. The explosion of internet communication through blogging, web sites, chat rooms, instant messaging, emails, and even text messaging means every Tom, Dick and Harry has a voice if they want one. The modern tech savvy superintendent recognizes that they better have a technological forum established BEFORE it all hits the fan and the whackos show up.”

“Listen Randy,” I continued, “If you have an internet presence that’s popular, educational, and already established, your rational public will bury your whackos when they show up. They get embarrassed by people like that who try to represent your community!”

“I don’t know Mark,” he sighed. “I think my skin is too thin and my head is too thick to learn how to blog!”

I chuckled at his insight and added, “Maybe you better start blogging to them before they start blogging about you!”

He shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “You can’t teach an old dog, new tricks. I lasted this long, I can make it few more years.”

I commented, “You might survive, but the new superintendent is expected to thrive, not just survive. Blogging is just one more potential tool in the tool box of the modern school superintendent.”

“Well, then just consider me ‘old school’ then,” he said with a grin.

I nodded and replied, “Old school I can understand, but while you’re sipping margaritas in an RV park in Arizona, our younger colleagues are going to be on the front lines. Who knows what challenges they will face? If we don’t find new ways of getting the good word out about public education, the term ‘old school’ might mean more than you think!”

As the meeting ended and we went our separate ways, I wondered once again what the future would hold for superintendents on the front lines of the war on public education.

This excerpt is taken from Dr. Mark Stock's book chapter in Leaders as Communicators and Diplomats by Corwin Press and Sage Publications and reprinted with permission in his book The School Administrator’s Guide to Blogging by Rowman & Littlefield.

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 7:45 AM | Permalink | 1 Comment | Recommend

We’ve been discussing teacher quality for decades. Everyone is rightfully concerned about making sure that good teachers are in front of students. Thus the teacher quality provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, the calls for performance or merit pay, the concerns about alternative licensure, the quests for better teacher evaluation systems, the gnashing of teeth over ‘obstructionist unions that get in the way of firing bad teachers,’ and so on…

For the purposes of discussion, here’s a modest proposal:

1. Do our damnedest to create a positive working climate for teachers: ongoing administrative and community support, decent resources, professional development that’s actually useful, etc. Sometimes easier said than done, but nonetheless…
2. In nearly every school there usually are a handful of teachers who are just going through the motions (or worse). Students know who they are. Other teachers know who they are. Administrators know who they are. Parents know who they are (that’s why they work so hard to get their kid some other teacher instead).
3. Every year fire the worst teacher in the school. If you don’t have a robust teacher evaluation system (or if you’re worried about administrator bias), do it like they do on Survivor: everyone gets a vote and the one with the most votes leaves the island. Administrators, teachers, staff, students, parents – everyone involved with the school gets a vote. Dismissal by consensus. The more that are involved, (hopefully) the less likelihood of a witch hunt. If necessary, modify the master contract to make this happen.

From Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric:

"You should take the top 20 percent of your employees and make them feel loved," Welch advised. "Take the middle 70 percent and tell them what they need to do to get into the top 20 percent." Managing out the bottom 10 percent of performers is necessary not only for the organization's continued success but also for the sake of employees affected by the rigorous appraisal system. "People need to know where they stand," Welch said. "Failing to differentiate among employees – and holding on to bottom-tier performers – is actually the cruelest form of management there is."

Thoughts?

Scott McLeod
Dangerously Irrelevant

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 7:25 AM | Permalink | 5 Comments | Recommend