Well, another school year has come to an end. Although the fatigue I face at the end of a school year is still palpable, I must say I ended the year with a positive feeling - one of satisfaction and optimism.

Though certainly a practice that is questionable with regard to effectiveness and sense, we hold 2 professional in-service days at the end of the school year. These days are for any teachers who have not acquired 12 hours of professional development throughout the school year. The sessions are limited in scope due to the small number of people who are able to 'teach' and the uncertainty of how many teachers will have to participate. As an administrator, I volunteered to conduct two sessions on the first day - each 3 hours in length.

The first session was with a small group (10) of teachers from my own building. The purpose of the session was to help in developing a stronger working knowledge of backward design and unit development. Although I had some angst in preparing materials for the session - ever mindful of the dubious value of 'professional development' as it is generally done - we ended up going a bit past the 3 hour mark and realizing time to discuss, dialog, and make sense and meaning out of some of the work we are doing in the district was valuable to all of us and exactly what we need more of in order to design units that are of high quality and well-connected from one grade to the next and across various subject areas. Perhaps even more importantly, the time to have open, honest discussions about educational issues allowed us time to share and listen to each others' perspectives and thoughts - and would ultimately allow us to develop the types of relationships needed to be a real community of learners.

The afternoon session - which I was fearing even more - was with a group of 14 high school teachers. The topic - formative assessment. Once again - the time went quickly and the opportunity arose to have some genuine, honest discussion about the real challenges facing the high school teachers. You would think in a district where 95% of the students continue their education beyond high school - most in a 4 year college or university; and where resources and interest in education are plentiful - the challenges would be minimal. And although the challenges are clearly not what one would see in urban or rural areas - the challenges still do exist - and still do prevent the dedicated, conscientious teacher who truly wants to provide the very best education they can to each and every student from doing many of the things they know and understand to be beneficial. So, this group of teachers - who self-admittedly knew very little about what was meant by the process of formative assessment and how using formative assessment in planned and purposeful ways - remained engaged in the presentation and the discussion. And once again, the opportunity arose for dialog and discussion about how to overcome the lack of motivation, the obsession with "THE GRADE," rather than the LEARNING; how to change the culture; how to manage when you had 150 - 175 students on your rosters; and how to find time to work together to face these issues.

At the end of both sessions, I thanked the participants because I had truly enjoyed the chance to be with them. I was tired and a bit hoarse (it has been a few years since I had " taught" for 6 hours in one day!), yet I was more relaxed than I have been in quite awhile. The openness and the willingness of those teachers who were there on the last day before the summer vacation to be part of a shared learning experience was wonderful. But even more importantly, I realized that structuring 'professional development' time as opportunities for dialog, discussions, and exchanging ideas, beliefs, and challenges creates the kind of positive atmosphere that is needed and wanted by the vast majority of teachers - professional educators who work unbelievably hard throughout the school year to do the very best every day for every child. Anyone who believes that teachers are less than "professional" because they only work 9 months a year should spend an sunny day in a 3 hour session at then end of 185 days of work with 100 - 175 kids from age 11 to 18 with a group of them- and listen to the passion, care, and desire to learn more in order to do more. I am so grateful I had the chance to bring the school year to a close in that fashion!

Sue King

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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

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I have said, "We must be explicit about what we want students to know, understand and be able to do."
What some heard was, "You are not doing a good job."
I have said, "We will be more effective of we collaborate and work together to figure out how to best meet the needs of our students."
What some heard was, "You are not doing a good job."
I have said, "The responsibilities of public education have changed; we can learn together how to be successful in this new environment."
What some heard was, "You are not doing a good job."
I have said, "I believe in the ability of teachers to reach and teach ALL children."
What some heard was, "You are not doing a good job."

I am quickly approaching my fourth year as principal in my current school. At times I feel as thought the four years have flown by; other times, I feel like it has been a very long - and very arduous period. I must preface this by admitting that as far as challenges in public education go, this position is a dream job. Our district is blessed with plentiful resources, very involved and supportive parents, and a student population that is extremely compliant and very well-behaved. However, examining practices and looking at how to move our school forward collectively and how to ensure that we are creating an environment in which every child is valued, nurtured, and provided with opportunities has been a journey fraught with unexpected challenges both personally and professionally.

I accept the bulk of the responsibility for how things have gone. In all honesty - we have made a good bit of progress in breaking down some barriers among professional staff, building a level of trust and comfort in speaking one's mind and sharing one's thoughts, challenges, and successes, and in developing a common vision for what is needed within our organization. However, doing the really hard work of following through on the "what is needed" - getting teachers to truly work together as professionals and discuss, debate, and work through issues of planning/choosing what is to be taught and how to assess student learning - that is a different story!

As much as I have read about the importance of understanding an organization's culture (and I do believe I own and have read almost every book that has been published) when proposing any type of change, I greatly underestimated the impact of my words, actions, and what I can only describe as the 'balance of power.' I also do not think I realized the degree to which each individual's psychological needs contribute to the working of the organization as a whole and how - as the positional leader - understanding, taking into consideration, and responding to how my leadership effects each person - requires skills I never thought about.

I am currently involved in a leadership training called "Pattern Aware Leadership." We are examining the patterns of our families and our upbringing that impact who we are and how we approach our work and our relationships. It has been enlightening. The bottom line message - EVERYTHING IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. And, how we operated within our families - the patterns that were established and in place even before we entered into the dynamic - very much effects how we operate within the various organizations and systems to which we belong. This experience is causing me to be a bit more introspective about my role in the current 'state of affairs' in my school.

In addition, I am reading a book by Edward L. Deci titled Why We Do What We Do.I began the book in an effort to look more deeply into the motivation of students. Deci's work certainly has given me much to think about for that topic, but spoke LOUDLY and CLEARLY about what I need to attend to in working with teachers. Deci writes about being "autonomy supportive"- which he describes as being able to take another person's perspective, build alliances, and engage in new situations from that person's perspective. It involves providing choice both a the individual and group level and sharing decision-making. However, Deci also emphasizes that supporting autonomy does not mean allowing people to do whatever they choose; setting limits is indeed crucial.

I will close with a brief excerpt from Deci's book that I believe is wonderful food for thought for this blog:

In a way it is all quite ironic. Parents, politicians, and school administrators all want students to become creative problem-solvers and to learn material at a deep, conceptual level. But in their eagerness to achieve these ends, they pressure teachers to produce. The paradox is, the more they do that, the more controlling the teachers become, which, as we have seen so many times, undermines intrinsic motivation, creativity, and conceptual understanding in the students . . . One of the most important implications of this is that for people in such positions - teachers, parents, and managers, for example - will not be very effective in supporting the autonomy of their students and employees if they do not have their own support. Finding that support- finding a network of people who will help you satisfy your own needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness - is one of the most important aspects of promoting autonomy in the people you teach, care for, or supervise.

Perhaps this on-line community is part of that network.

Sue King

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In his latest book, The Global Achievement Gap, Tony Wagner issues a "call to action" for all those who are concerned with how we educate our students for the future. Wagner paints a compelling picture of how we should be preparing students and for the need to stop tinkering with our school systems and make meaningful and significant alterations. In the conclusion of the book, Wagner identifies three changes in our world that demand different methods for teaching and learning:

All kids need new skills to thrive in a global knowledge economy.
In the age of the Internet, using new information to solve new problems matters more than recalling old information.
Today's youth are differently motivated when we compare them to previous generations

And Wagner provides examples of schools where instruction and assessment have changed drastically; schools where the teachers are lifelong learners and who hold themselves and each other accountable for the learning of all students. Schools in which there is true collaboration around student work and student learning; where adults learn and work together, establish relationships with their students and with each other, and where every child is seen as a capable learner.

So, once again I am left wondering what it will take - or if it is even possible - to create a school like the ones described in a traditional public school system in this age of accountability (which I am afraid I do not see going away even with the new administration). What I did not read about in Wagner's description of these schools that appear to be breaking the mold were constraints imposed by special education regulations, by schedules and staffing decisions based on athletics, or by conflicts among the members of the school or greater community. It seems to me that the work of creating culture and developing a unified vision and building a true community of learners requires so much time, so much tenacity, and so much support - especially in the very traditional school systems that it is almost impossible to imagine real change taking place.

For me, having reached one of the milestone birthdays this year that makes one begin to think about retirement (or at least the career options after retiring from the every day grind of school administration), I wonder how much more tenacity I can muster and how I can continue to fight the good fight at the same time I work to develop better relationships with the teachers, the students, the parents, the school board, and the community. Because at this point, I feel as though all I do is battle; even after a day and a half of in-service with 67 teachers which got very positive reviews overall; even though I am seeing more people sharing ideas and thoughts about how we should be meeting the needs of kids; even though I am seeing more walls between staff coming down and people speaking up in large faculty meetings about what they think and believe. How can we maintain the momentum, nurture ourselves and others - but keep really pushing things forward to make the kinds of changes Wagner and others like him propose.

I continue to predict that education in 10 years will be much different - that it will have to be. I am even planning the redesign of our middle school with that in mind - thinking about flexible spaces and small group learning; about infrastructure that will support the high tech world; and about a structure and setting that will encourage inquiry, creation, and meaningful work for everyone. Yet, I continue to be challenged by those who can see only what education has been and only what will maintain the status quo. So what can I, a building administrator, do to at the very least keep things moving forward at least at a rate that will not leave students too far behind. And how do I develop a support system for myself, my assistant, and the others who believe we can bring about meaningful change? As much as I am trying to be patient and celebrate successes, I also have the sense that time is running out; that we are at a critical juncture and we will either break through or fall back into the "just how it is" routine of public education. Any suggestions? Mantras? Support groups?

Sue King
sking@hershey.k12.pa.us

Posted by LeaderTalk Contributor at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)