A Reader Writes... (Instructional Discussions - Part 3)

In response to the posts addressing, “Instructional Discussions,” a reader writes:

"SC, here are some problems with your improvement recipe:

1. The staff in the worst schools will reject meaningful training because after all, they are not the problem, the kids are.

2. The more conversations you have, the more irritated the faculty will become.

3. Short term measurable results will lead to growth plans and directives. The faculty will respond negatively to these.

4. You have the will, but your assistant principals and central office administrators fold at the first sign of trouble.

5. Time is not on your side because as the previous points keep unfolding the Board decides to pull the ripcord and jump.

6. You get the results; in fact the results exceed expectations. But due to the turmoil that you created, you have already gone to another district by the time the results are released.

7. You rack this up as "experience and a growth opportunity.” The move to another district costs you about $7000.

8. Repeat steps 1-7.

If this stuff scares you, you are smart, but are not a LYS leader."

SC Response
An interesting and ironic submission. You see, I met with a principal just last week and told him flat out, the prudent thing to do is to stick his head in the sand and keep doing what they have always done on his seemingly successful campus. That absolutely no one, not his staff, not his community, and not his central office have any interest in meaningful change on his campus. Potential gap be damned. But that is not going to happen. As you well know, the LYS'er is driven by two things, maximizing student opportunity and chasing down "Great."

The rest of my response is going to take a little more time than normal to write. So you are going to have to wait. But tomorrow, I’m going to address each of your points, one by one. Until then,

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...