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Here’s an interesting quote from Trevor Packer (Vice President for AP Programs – The College Board).
"When AP was only attracting self-taught students, it was okay for teachers to deliver traditional college lectures. But that's certainly not what teachers are saying is going to help them now."
This quote is interesting on multiple levels, but in this post I am only going to address three points
1. I take a significant amount of flack (I'm not complaining, I volunteered for my job) when I point out the quality of instruction is fairly uniform, regardless of setting. And the predictable result of this uniformity is that academically fragile students struggle with testing and students who are not academically fragile do okay with testing. The bottom line is that the perceived success of schools has more to do with the relative wealth of the zip codes served than the quality of the staff. The above Packer quote provides additional validation (for the masses) that this observation has merit.
2. Many veteran teachers jealously guard their “right” to teach upper level classes. Often this is because those classes are either easier to teach and/or the quality of the student overcomes the quality of the instruction. Essentially the teacher’s need for ego fulfillment and professional security are validated by the “false positives” that high SES students provide. The above Packer quote provides additional validation (for the masses) that this observation has merit.
3. The landscape is changing (not as fast as it could, but changing none the less). For a variety of reasons the doors of more rigorous classrooms are opening up for more and more students. This is forcing systems to respond in order to address this reality. This is a good thing. The above Packer quote provides additional validation (for the masses) that this observation has merit.
When I work with high SES campuses, if there are nay saying teachers (generally the very VETERAN teachers and/or the upper level teacher), they focus on one of the following two “facts.” Either I’m accused of not caring enough about teacher feelings, or I’m accused of not validating their prior “success” enough. All I can do, is state the following: This quote is from one of your own… "When AP was only attracting self-taught students, it was okay for teachers to deliver traditional college lectures.”
Now, let’s quit whining, so we can focus on improving.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
A Reader Asks... (Brezina's Rule)
In regards to the Brezina related posts, a reader asks:
“Why is it so hard for school systems to understand the exact quote...'If it is not right for kids, it is wrong.’”
SC Response
This seemingly simple question has a very painful answer. The belief that schools are about students is a myth. Schools are really about adult convenience. Now before you get indignant, I will present three common (and near universal) proof points.
Proof Point #1: The master schedule. Master schedules are built for adults, not students. If master schedules were built for students, we would shuffle the schedule many times a year to address student needs. Instead, schedules are built to reward, punish and/or reduce the workload of adults. Ask anyone who worked for me and they will tell you that the schedule was a fluid instrument that changed at any time there was a compelling student need (this is also why all of my staff had at least two certifications).
Proof Point #2: Annual appraisals. Annual appraisals have next to no correlation to student improvement. Notice, I didn’t write student "performance"? Let me explain. Was the performance of your campus essentially the same as last year? Did you receive any “exceeds expectations” ratings on your annual appraisal? Why? If your system is about students, then the performance of the prior year is the new expectation. To exceed that expectation, you must significantly improve. Otherwise, I appreciate the effort and at best you met my expectation.
Proof Point #3: Teaching assignments. How are teaching assignments doled out on your campus? Let me take a wild guess. The most experienced teachers teach either the highest grade levels, and/or the most motivated (GT, Honors, AP, etc.) students. The rookie teachers teach the weakest students and the weak teachers are shuffled off to non-tested subjects. If your campus is about students, the best teachers teach the weakest students, always. I always put the best teacher I ever worked with (Coach John Boyd) with my most academically fragile students. ALL DAY LONG. And all he produced was successful students, semester after semester.
Being about students is hard work, everyday. Most people don’t want to work that hard. And if leadership does not commit to the concept, our most academically fragile students die a death of 1000 convenient cuts.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
“Why is it so hard for school systems to understand the exact quote...'If it is not right for kids, it is wrong.’”
SC Response
This seemingly simple question has a very painful answer. The belief that schools are about students is a myth. Schools are really about adult convenience. Now before you get indignant, I will present three common (and near universal) proof points.
Proof Point #1: The master schedule. Master schedules are built for adults, not students. If master schedules were built for students, we would shuffle the schedule many times a year to address student needs. Instead, schedules are built to reward, punish and/or reduce the workload of adults. Ask anyone who worked for me and they will tell you that the schedule was a fluid instrument that changed at any time there was a compelling student need (this is also why all of my staff had at least two certifications).
Proof Point #2: Annual appraisals. Annual appraisals have next to no correlation to student improvement. Notice, I didn’t write student "performance"? Let me explain. Was the performance of your campus essentially the same as last year? Did you receive any “exceeds expectations” ratings on your annual appraisal? Why? If your system is about students, then the performance of the prior year is the new expectation. To exceed that expectation, you must significantly improve. Otherwise, I appreciate the effort and at best you met my expectation.
Proof Point #3: Teaching assignments. How are teaching assignments doled out on your campus? Let me take a wild guess. The most experienced teachers teach either the highest grade levels, and/or the most motivated (GT, Honors, AP, etc.) students. The rookie teachers teach the weakest students and the weak teachers are shuffled off to non-tested subjects. If your campus is about students, the best teachers teach the weakest students, always. I always put the best teacher I ever worked with (Coach John Boyd) with my most academically fragile students. ALL DAY LONG. And all he produced was successful students, semester after semester.
Being about students is hard work, everyday. Most people don’t want to work that hard. And if leadership does not commit to the concept, our most academically fragile students die a death of 1000 convenient cuts.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Brown Writes - Middle Ground?
A reader asked the following question: “By adjusting your philosophy, does Brezina mean to seek middle ground? Or does he mean to find common ground and build upon it? As Cain suggested, sometimes there is no middle ground. So, then what?”
The Brown Answer
I actually believe that common ground can be found in most cases. I have two tests to see if that common ground can be found, understanding that I have control over only half the issue, myself.
The first question: "Is it good for students based on my knowledge and past personal experience and with the philosophy of education for all students?"
That question should be central and paramount to any conflict, issue, or disagreement.
Second, I must ask myself this question: "Is this issue about me and the image, style, or strategy that I have initiated?”
If so, this is an issue that I can and must change immediately. Many conflicts are not about real issues or philosophy but about individuals and personalities. I must be willing to examine my relationship to the issue.
If I can determine that I am not the issue, then I must move forward with a strong sense of confidence and zeal. That decision may cost me my job, but it must be a position that as a leader I am willing to take.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
The Brown Answer
I actually believe that common ground can be found in most cases. I have two tests to see if that common ground can be found, understanding that I have control over only half the issue, myself.
The first question: "Is it good for students based on my knowledge and past personal experience and with the philosophy of education for all students?"
That question should be central and paramount to any conflict, issue, or disagreement.
Second, I must ask myself this question: "Is this issue about me and the image, style, or strategy that I have initiated?”
If so, this is an issue that I can and must change immediately. Many conflicts are not about real issues or philosophy but about individuals and personalities. I must be willing to examine my relationship to the issue.
If I can determine that I am not the issue, then I must move forward with a strong sense of confidence and zeal. That decision may cost me my job, but it must be a position that as a leader I am willing to take.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn…
Brezina Writes - Middle Ground?
A reader asked the following question: “By adjusting your philosophy, does Brezina mean to seek middle ground? Or does he mean to find common ground and build upon it? As Cain suggested, sometimes there is no middle ground. So, then what?”
The Brezina Answer
I believe how you fix a problem depends upon the situation you are in, each ISD has its own DNA and how you fix it in one school can be different in the next. I will be speaking to the, “then what?”
I agree with your statement that adult attitudes are often the root of the problem. That being the case, if you need to leave, it is better if it is on your terms rather than theirs. Sometimes it is only you that must (and will) do the hard things that have to be done. A critical thing to remember is that the quicker you make those decisions and stick to them, the better off you and the organization will be. People will be mad, but for a shorter period of time. The longer you take, the more the pain and anger grows exponentially.
This question reminds me of my first Superintendent's job. The situation is a near perfect match to what you describe. I walked into the following and I had a choice; fix the situation, or tread water and look for another job in 3 years (my contract term).
These were the issues:
1- Race riots the previous school year.
2- Fights were a regular occurrence on the secondary campuses.
3- The state fire marshal chained and locked three campuses over the summer.
4- A bond issue had passed 5 years previous, but citizens kept getting injunctions to delay the construction of new buildings.
5- Meaningful academics were non-existent.
6- Students had an hour for lunch and could go any place in town to eat,
7- The Athletic Director and HS Principal quit when I was hired.
8- I hired their replacements about a week before school started.
I decided that I would leave the district in a better position than what I inherited.
1 - It took us about six weeks to fix the fighting problem. To address some discipline issue, I kicked some star athletes off the football team. That led to boycotts of the games and the teams. We ended up playing the season with just 13 players, but it built a strong foundation that has served that community for over 30 years now.
2 - I had a secret plan to sell the bonds the day the injunction was lifted and executed that plan. That made the leader of the anti-bond group furious. He got elected to the Board and did everything he could to make my life miserable and job difficult (after I left, I ran into that Board member and he gave me a hug and told me that I did the right thing).
3 - At mid-term, we closed campus (for lunches) without a peep from the community, even the hamburger joints did not complain.
4 - Finally with control of the system, we tackled the academic issues.
5 - We built the new High School.
For the record, I carried my resignation letter in my coat pocket to every Board Meeting during the first year, just in case.
In that situation I could not see any middle ground. The choices were doing what was good for the kids and the community, or not doing it. Therefore, I did what I thought was right. But believe me, I communicated 10 times more than normal on the “what, why, when and how.”
That is Leadership. You know going in that some of your decisions will be accepted and some will not, even if it is the right thing. But you still do the right thing.
Climate and culture can change quickly, but to make that change stick takes time. When I accepted a job in a larger district, the Board asked me to help them hire the next Superintendent. I did, and I set up the Principal to take his job, and the AD to take the Principal's job. That AD also eventually became the district’s superintendent. That was a 14 year plan. All of that to say, if you are in a leadership position make sure you are training someone to take your job.
Leadership isn’t easy, but you volunteered for the job.
SC Response
Mr. Brezina starts out by saying situations are contextual, and he is right. However, he trained me to operate under the foundational belief that, “if it is not right for kids, it is wrong.” It is amazing how that clears up almost every contextual concern.
Second, he mentions that he communicated ten times more than his normal mode. I rented time on a MIT supercomputer to do the math on this particular equation. The re-created model shows that in this case, Mr. Brezina used twenty words, instead of his normal two.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
The Brezina Answer
I believe how you fix a problem depends upon the situation you are in, each ISD has its own DNA and how you fix it in one school can be different in the next. I will be speaking to the, “then what?”
I agree with your statement that adult attitudes are often the root of the problem. That being the case, if you need to leave, it is better if it is on your terms rather than theirs. Sometimes it is only you that must (and will) do the hard things that have to be done. A critical thing to remember is that the quicker you make those decisions and stick to them, the better off you and the organization will be. People will be mad, but for a shorter period of time. The longer you take, the more the pain and anger grows exponentially.
This question reminds me of my first Superintendent's job. The situation is a near perfect match to what you describe. I walked into the following and I had a choice; fix the situation, or tread water and look for another job in 3 years (my contract term).
These were the issues:
1- Race riots the previous school year.
2- Fights were a regular occurrence on the secondary campuses.
3- The state fire marshal chained and locked three campuses over the summer.
4- A bond issue had passed 5 years previous, but citizens kept getting injunctions to delay the construction of new buildings.
5- Meaningful academics were non-existent.
6- Students had an hour for lunch and could go any place in town to eat,
7- The Athletic Director and HS Principal quit when I was hired.
8- I hired their replacements about a week before school started.
I decided that I would leave the district in a better position than what I inherited.
1 - It took us about six weeks to fix the fighting problem. To address some discipline issue, I kicked some star athletes off the football team. That led to boycotts of the games and the teams. We ended up playing the season with just 13 players, but it built a strong foundation that has served that community for over 30 years now.
2 - I had a secret plan to sell the bonds the day the injunction was lifted and executed that plan. That made the leader of the anti-bond group furious. He got elected to the Board and did everything he could to make my life miserable and job difficult (after I left, I ran into that Board member and he gave me a hug and told me that I did the right thing).
3 - At mid-term, we closed campus (for lunches) without a peep from the community, even the hamburger joints did not complain.
4 - Finally with control of the system, we tackled the academic issues.
5 - We built the new High School.
For the record, I carried my resignation letter in my coat pocket to every Board Meeting during the first year, just in case.
In that situation I could not see any middle ground. The choices were doing what was good for the kids and the community, or not doing it. Therefore, I did what I thought was right. But believe me, I communicated 10 times more than normal on the “what, why, when and how.”
That is Leadership. You know going in that some of your decisions will be accepted and some will not, even if it is the right thing. But you still do the right thing.
Climate and culture can change quickly, but to make that change stick takes time. When I accepted a job in a larger district, the Board asked me to help them hire the next Superintendent. I did, and I set up the Principal to take his job, and the AD to take the Principal's job. That AD also eventually became the district’s superintendent. That was a 14 year plan. All of that to say, if you are in a leadership position make sure you are training someone to take your job.
Leadership isn’t easy, but you volunteered for the job.
SC Response
Mr. Brezina starts out by saying situations are contextual, and he is right. However, he trained me to operate under the foundational belief that, “if it is not right for kids, it is wrong.” It is amazing how that clears up almost every contextual concern.
Second, he mentions that he communicated ten times more than his normal mode. I rented time on a MIT supercomputer to do the math on this particular equation. The re-created model shows that in this case, Mr. Brezina used twenty words, instead of his normal two.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
A Reader Writes... (A Democratic Revolution)
In response to the post, "A Democratic Revolution," a reader writes:
"Zakaria’s highlights are interesting, but what interested me even more was the potential role and influence on history that digital communication, such as Twitter, has brought forth. If you did not see the article in the Houston Chronicle on June 17th, click on the link below.
The article discusses how Cohen, the youngest member of the State Department, utilized his resources to manipulate the use of networking time on Twitter, a social blogging service, to possibly change history in Iran. His intention was to allow information about the protests in Tehran to be communicated, which squelched the government’s efforts to restrict the media coverage.
When I read the article last week, I could not stop thinking of the discussions and connections that we could have with our students about the implications of technology in our world today!"
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6484263.html
SC Response
Great comment, great article. It almost makes me wish that I was teaching Social Studies in Summer School right now.
The reader closes with an excellent sentence. Many administrators (notice the lack of the word, "leader") do their level best to keep schools locked in "traditional, eyes forward, don't talk" modes of operation. I tolerated this as a student (because I didn't know better) and hate it as an adult.
We have to keep pushing the envelope and looking for new ways to engage students. From an operational standpoint, one comment changed the way I looked at classroom instruction and classroom management. Dr. Jim Davis said the following in a planning meeting, "What if the only way students could cheat, is by not helping their buddies?"
I'm still implementing permeations of that concept on many of campuses that I work with.
Here's what I would do this summer (you can do this as a teacher leader, all the way up to board member). Build a team of you and your youngest teachers. Say, "Twitter is leading a revolution. What can we use to revolutionize instructional delivery?"
Then pilot that idea in a couple of social studies classes.
Why social studies classrooms (or I as a call them, campus remediation and extension labs)? Because, a good social studies classroom can address elements from every other content area. And, any high stakes test in Social Studies is not as rigorous as the tests in other content areas. That is not meant as an indictment, its just recognizing that you have to play the hand you are dealt.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
"Zakaria’s highlights are interesting, but what interested me even more was the potential role and influence on history that digital communication, such as Twitter, has brought forth. If you did not see the article in the Houston Chronicle on June 17th, click on the link below.
The article discusses how Cohen, the youngest member of the State Department, utilized his resources to manipulate the use of networking time on Twitter, a social blogging service, to possibly change history in Iran. His intention was to allow information about the protests in Tehran to be communicated, which squelched the government’s efforts to restrict the media coverage.
When I read the article last week, I could not stop thinking of the discussions and connections that we could have with our students about the implications of technology in our world today!"
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6484263.html
SC Response
Great comment, great article. It almost makes me wish that I was teaching Social Studies in Summer School right now.
The reader closes with an excellent sentence. Many administrators (notice the lack of the word, "leader") do their level best to keep schools locked in "traditional, eyes forward, don't talk" modes of operation. I tolerated this as a student (because I didn't know better) and hate it as an adult.
We have to keep pushing the envelope and looking for new ways to engage students. From an operational standpoint, one comment changed the way I looked at classroom instruction and classroom management. Dr. Jim Davis said the following in a planning meeting, "What if the only way students could cheat, is by not helping their buddies?"
I'm still implementing permeations of that concept on many of campuses that I work with.
Here's what I would do this summer (you can do this as a teacher leader, all the way up to board member). Build a team of you and your youngest teachers. Say, "Twitter is leading a revolution. What can we use to revolutionize instructional delivery?"
Then pilot that idea in a couple of social studies classes.
Why social studies classrooms (or I as a call them, campus remediation and extension labs)? Because, a good social studies classroom can address elements from every other content area. And, any high stakes test in Social Studies is not as rigorous as the tests in other content areas. That is not meant as an indictment, its just recognizing that you have to play the hand you are dealt.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Sunday, June 21, 2009
A Reader Writes... (Sunday Advice and Book Recommendation)
In response to the Sunday Advice, Dr. Mike Seabolt writes (and then recommends):
“The advice to 'Seek first to understand, then to be understood,' is a basic principle of Steven Covey’s, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
It is a great read and will dramatically improve your leadership ability. The book focuses on communication and personal relationships and how they are used by effective leaders to promote their organizations.
The book was extremely popular 20 years ago, but is not much read these days it seems. The underlying principles are timeless, however, and I recommend the read. "
SC Response:
Doc, if you hadn't mentioned that the book was published twenty years ago, all of these 22 year old teachers and 29 year old AP's would think that it was new.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“The advice to 'Seek first to understand, then to be understood,' is a basic principle of Steven Covey’s, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
It is a great read and will dramatically improve your leadership ability. The book focuses on communication and personal relationships and how they are used by effective leaders to promote their organizations.
The book was extremely popular 20 years ago, but is not much read these days it seems. The underlying principles are timeless, however, and I recommend the read. "
SC Response:
Doc, if you hadn't mentioned that the book was published twenty years ago, all of these 22 year old teachers and 29 year old AP's would think that it was new.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
A Reader Writes... (Who is Brezina - Part 5)
In response to the reader’s observation in, “Who is Brezina – Part 4,” a reader writes:
“The fact that every district has its own climate is something I have learned the hard way. Having worked in AU schools, I have found it is the climate and culture, the attitude of adults if you will, that is the root cause of the problem. Having the academics sink to the level of AU is a mere symptom of a much deeper problems.
By adjusting your philosophy, does Brezina mean to seek middle ground? Or does he mean to find common ground and build upon it?
As Cain recently suggested to me in a phone call, sometimes there is no middle ground. So, then what?”
SC Response
As the reader states in his comment, we have discussed this issue on the phone. And as is often the case with real world situations, none of the solutions were neat and tidy. I think it is time to kick this problem up-stairs to the brain trust.
So Lead Your School readers, join the fray and share your opinion on this.
And just to ramp up the pressure, Brezina and Brown, I know you check in on a regular basis. What do the two of you think?
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“The fact that every district has its own climate is something I have learned the hard way. Having worked in AU schools, I have found it is the climate and culture, the attitude of adults if you will, that is the root cause of the problem. Having the academics sink to the level of AU is a mere symptom of a much deeper problems.
By adjusting your philosophy, does Brezina mean to seek middle ground? Or does he mean to find common ground and build upon it?
As Cain recently suggested to me in a phone call, sometimes there is no middle ground. So, then what?”
SC Response
As the reader states in his comment, we have discussed this issue on the phone. And as is often the case with real world situations, none of the solutions were neat and tidy. I think it is time to kick this problem up-stairs to the brain trust.
So Lead Your School readers, join the fray and share your opinion on this.
And just to ramp up the pressure, Brezina and Brown, I know you check in on a regular basis. What do the two of you think?
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
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