A Reader Submits... LYS

An old school LYS’er submits:

“You know that you are working at a high level when you are in the trenches modeling and demonstrating the tools and practices that will take schools and school leaders to greater levels of success.

Leadership is honed in the field. There is not enough adversity and accountability at a central office desk to push you to the next level. We leave too much untapped leadership potential on the table due to risk avoidance and ego protection

I know of no organization equal to LYS in its focus on student performance and holding school leaders accountable for actually leading. This focus translates into success for all stakeholders in school communities, now across the country (globe?). The LYS Nation has the privilege of reading this blog daily, which means we train and improve ourselves daily. The blog lets us tap into the collective wisdom of present and past great school leaders who have hands on experience in implementing cutting edge practices in instruction and operations.

I’m sick of PLC’s who write a school vision to follow at the beginning of the year and then file it away and continue business as usual. I believe that we, the LYS Nation are becoming the new breed of PLC’s. We team, we have effective dialogue, we act, and we hold ourselves and our teams accountable. We are the new change agents and we will improve student performance not by staying in the comfortable middle but by doing what is right for students, right now.

I’ve worked for and with Sean before, I’ve heard him tell hostile crowds, “You may be smarter then me, but I will out work you.” I’ve watched him re-build schools that everybody else had written off as lost causes. Like him, I’m a risk taker. You have to be when you choose to work in tough settings.

Everyday, I can’t wait to read LYS daily news. It helps me to perform at a high level as a school leader. To be an LYS’er you must be willing to work hard, change on the move, believe all learners can achieve, and hold all stakeholders accountable. That is message you get when you read LYS. I think that some people are intimidated by the blog because it makes them question who they are and what they do. But I welcome those questions. Cain, Brown and Brezina have all coached me and have helped me become the leader I am today. Pay attention to what they say and use their tools and solutions. And don’t be afraid to question them whenever you get a chance.

Thanks for LYS!! Think, Work, Achieve, it is the effective way!!!”

SC Response
Wow. The only thing I want to add is that LYS isn’t about me, Brezina and Brown. It is about the network of school leaders (both formal and informal) that are out there trying to make things better not because they have to, but because they want to. I have learned much more from the LYS Nation than I have been able to share. The blog is the vehicle to keep us connected. Even when we move to different parts of the country knowing that the blog maintains the links between the Boyd’s, Marchel’s and others of their timber, makes it easier to keep pushing forward.

Thanks for the kind thoughts and keep pushing. Each new success that you have paves the way for the rest of us.

Think. Work. Achieve.

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