Blog and E-mail: A Review of Functions

Some of you have seen a version of this post before, but since I last posted it, we have added about 100 new members to the LYS Nation. Therefore, I thought a refresher might be in order. The following is my attempt to explain the features that are embedded in the blog site and the e-mail updates.

Note: This section relates to the blog site (not the e-mail updates).

On the left side of the page: If you enter your e-mail address in the subscribe box, you will get a daily e-mail update of all the postings within the last 24 hours, after you respond to the confirmation e-mail (a spam preventative).

On the left side of the page, under the e-mail subscription area: Links to the PowerWalks site, the Lead Your School campus support site and Cain Notes (temporarily inactive due to site maintenence).

On the left side of the page, under the Lead Your School Resource area: Current School News. Click on any of the four key words and the most current news stories that relate to that key word will be displayed.

On the left side of the page, under Current School News: RSS Feeds. I don't have a clue. The tech guys just said it needed to be there. Can anyone out there explain it?

On the left side of the page, under RSS Feeds: Followers. Again, no clue (just following tech guy instructions). Some of you do this, care to explain it to the rest of us?

At the bottom of the blog page, under the last post of the week: Blog Archives. Click on a week, and all the
posts from that week will be displayed.

Note: This section relates to the actual posts (on the blog site).

If you click on a post title, it will pull up a comment box at the end of the post. Just type in your comment and click the "post comment" button.

At the bottom of each post, click "comment" and you can leave a comment or read comments others have left. However, the majority of the comments, I post under the heading, "A Reader Writes."

At the bottom of each post, click the envelope if you want to e-mail that post to another person.

At the bottom of each post, if you click a "Label" work, it will pull up all the other posts that have the same label words.

At the bottom of the post, there are reaction boxes. You get to rate the post.

Note: This section relates to the E-mail updates.

If you click on "Lead Your School", it will take you to the blog site.

If you click on a post title, it will take you to the post and there will be a comment box at the bottom of the screen. Just type in your comment and click the "post comment" button.

Note: This section relates to Reader Comments.

This is how all comments are handled:

Your comments, opinions and question are welcomed and encouraged. Keep them coming.

All comments opinions and questions are reviewed by me.

Comments, opinions and questions, where it is asked that the information not be shared, receive a private response from me.

One liners and comments that do not require a response are just posted as a comment.

Comments, opinions and questions of merit are posted as, “A Reader Writes…” They are posted in a first come, first serve fashion. So sometimes it takes a while to get to yours.

I don’t know if it is proper blog etiquette or not, but I spell and grammar check comments before I post them.

Post format:

Purple text is the comment of the reader.

Your turn… This is your invitation to weigh in and join the conversation.

Readers Write... (Quick Advice for AP's, Vol. 2 - Parts 2 and 3)

In response to the posts relating to “Quick Advice for AP’s – Vol. 2,” two readers write:

“I guess I missed the non-LYS’er AP dialogue and if the AP warning that B & B might visit their campuses was based on that information then I, for one, was certainly out in left field or right field and certainly not "centered" field. So, in the future, it would be helpful for an identifier "not for general consumption."

Can you just refresh my memory on that blogalogue? Also, are there official and unofficial LYS’ers?”

AND

“If that weak post killed your mood, check yourself. As a veteran LYS principal, I have questioned Brezina and Brown. Cain knows this. But I have never disagreed with them (especially publicly).

Why? Because every time I have doubted them I have found out later (battered and bruised as a result of my poor decision) that Brezina and Brown don't give advice lightly. You are free to accept or reject. Occasionally, I rejected. I paid. You don't have to.”

SC Response
The short version of my post was that disagreeing with Brezina and Brown is not the most prudent move for an inexperienced leader. Plus, there was a reminder to keep in mind that if they show up on your campus, someone way above our pay grade wanted them there.

Are there official and unofficial LYS’ers? That’s a good question. In my mind there are Old School LYS’ers, New LYS’ers, Anti-LYS’ers, and What are LYS’ers. Old School LYS’ers are just a loose band of school leaders that were never satisfied with yesterday’s performance. They found each other and competed against each other. They can usually trace their roots back to the likes of Brezina, Brown, Schaper, Richardson, Hooker, Neeley, Donaldson, Guthrie and Berry.

New LYS’ers either found the blog and joined in because it resonated with their beliefs or had Brezina, Brown, or one of the people they trained, work with them, their campus or their district. New LYS’ers can eventually become Old School LYS’ers.

Anti-LYS’ers are generally focused on process, feelings and complexity. In “Good to Great” terms, they are the foxes. Or in the worst case scenario, they are threatened by LYS’ers because they are comfortable or uncoachable.

What are LYS’ers don’t even know that we exist.

Finally, the second writer drives home the point I was trying to make. There is a reason why Brezina and Brown are legends. They have walked the walk. And unlike their peers, they continue to go to schools everyday to find the answers that that we are all searching for. I don’t expect anyone to blindly accept what they say as gospel. However, if all you bring to the table is limited experience and a “feeling,” listening and taking notes might be your best course of action.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Teacher Stress - Part 14)

In response to the post, “Teacher Stress – Part 9,” a reader writes:

“This was a great post because it clearly holds all of our feet to the fire, teachers and administrators. What we all need to remember is that our purpose in education is to do what is in the best interest of our students at all times. That may mean that there are moments when we as adults are made to feel uncomfortable, but it is not personal. It is not about being mean, or not liking someone. That is personal. Rather it is about doing what will keep our students moving forward at the greatest speed possible while creating opportunities for the adults to grow as leaders in the school. This post will be required reading for my staff.”

SC Response
You are right. The post did a very good job of outlining critical professional behaviors that set us up to achieve our mission. That mission being to maximize student potential. The key, of course, being the concept of ‘professional.’ Unfortunately, the understanding of what it takes to be a true professional is somewhat lacking in our field. If you don’t believe me, read Schmoker, Fullan, etc. The good news is that as a staff becomes more professional the school quickly moves ahead of the pack.

However, I’m going to reverse myself somewhat and state for the record that I want more teachers to make their jobs more personal. But here is what I want this to look like. I want teachers to quit taking personal credit for every student success and using that success as “proof” of their both their effectiveness and the lack of ability / motivation of less successful students. Instead I want them to take personal responsibility for every student failure and use that failure as proof that there are holes in our craft and in our systems that have to be identified and corrected. When that happens, teachers will finally begin to demand and utilize the resources that a true profession brings to bear.

We are fortunate that in our profession that when we fail, no one dies, goes to jail, or loses their business. But until we collectively start acting like the stakes are that high, we will continued to be described as “the unprofessional profession.”

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

State of the Blog - The Last 100 Posts (500 and Counting)

Hello, LYS Nation. This is the 500th post to the column, so as is the tradition, we will review our progress.

First, the review:

The 1st post was on Monday, February 16, 2009.

The 100th post was on April 14, 2009.

The 200th post was on June 10, 2009

The 300th post was on September 2, 2009

The 400th post was on, Wednesday December 16, 2009

The 500th post is today, April 7, 2009

It has taken 1 year and 51 days to reach the 500 post milestone.

The 500 posts represent more than 435 pages of single spaced text. That is the equivalent of about a 1,700 page book.

The top 7 key words have been: Leadership (166); Robert “Bob” Brezina (77); E. Don Brown (69); Campus / School Improvement (51); Principals (51); School Change (39); Instruction (35)

The LYS Nation is now driving the discussion on the blog. Don’t slow down. It seems that we all find the blog much more interesting as a dialogue.

There have been over 16,300 site hits.

There are 389 e-mail subscribers. Thank you!

There are now both international readers and e-mail subscribers.

All of this is incredibly exciting; especially when you consider that just a little more than a year ago, every number was 0.


Now, a little blatant self promotion:

First, if you like the blog and you haven’t signed up for the e-mail subscription, please do so. I find that it’s easier to write to people than it is to write to web hits.

Second, if you like the blog and find it useful, tell three other people. This blog is a much more powerful resource for school improvement when it is a dialogue.

Third, if you have not yet sent in a comment, please do so. Education research points out that the act of critical writing actually makes the learner smarter. Sharpen your saw and drop us a line.

Finally:

Thank you so much for reading and responding. This international network started out as a way for just a couple of schools to stay connected. The LYS Nation is now made up of board members, central office administrators, campus leaders, and teachers who are focused on redefining what students are capable of. Who knows what we will discuss in the next 100 posts.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn…

A Reader Writes... (Teacher Stress - Part 13)

In response to the posts relating to, “Teacher Stress,” a reader writes:

“In my experience as a teacher, counselor, program manager, and assistant principal, those teachers that felt that administrators were bullying them were teachers that were having "issues" in their practice.

I have worked and continue to work with teachers in many ways. Ultimately we are accountable for ensuring that each student receives a rigorous engaging education. If I were to sit in my office all day and pretend that all was well I would be doing a disservice to every student and teacher in my building.

Additionally, I think that constructive criticism is one way to show respect for all teachers, whether they are superior or satisfactory. Every teacher should strive for excellence and in my experience superior teachers seek the criticism and the satisfactory teachers are those that feel that there is no room for improvement.

All said, we should strive for excellence. Settling is unacceptable, as we are talking about educating our youth. My grandfather always told me "Close only counts in horseshoes and grenades." I expect that my children have a high quality education and not a decent education, and all teachers and parents should expect this.”

SC Response
Agreed. I want to add two things.

1. Criticism isn’t fun. Even if I ask for it, anything that isn’t 100% positive stings a little. If I didn’t ask for it, it is even worse. Most educators are able to go for years without facing any meaningful criticism. So if you are the first bearer of seemingly bad news, regardless how relevant or truthful that news is, you are the jerk. In fact, the more relevant or truthful, the more the information is unappreciated.

2. Research shows that our most competent educators have the perception that they have the most to learn and have the biggest holes in their craft. As such, they are the most receptive to feedback; positive or negative. Our most incompetent educators have the perception that that they are experts in our field and that there is nothing in their craft to improve on. Thus any feedback contrary to their opinion is obviously wrong.

So the litmus test is this. If an individual continues to ignore, contradict and/or fight coaching feedback and criticism, you are most likely dealing with a marginal educator who should be replaced, sooner rather than later.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Quick Advice for AP's - Vol. 2)

In response to the post, "Quick Advice for AP’s – Vol. 2," a reader writes:

"This is kind of an arrogant post. Kind of killed the mood among me and the LYS'ers I know. Where is the humility?"

SC Response
I didn’t write it as an arrogant post; I meant it as an irritated post. With the LYS Nation, I know that I do a lot of preaching to the choir. In this case the choir got snapped at for the transgressions of others. My bad.

About 6 weeks ago, we had a rash of non-LYS AP’s who decided that they had darn near reached the apex of our professional knowledge. As such, what could two dinosaurs who obviously don’t know anything about the complexity and challenges of working with affluent suburban students offer them? So they wasted their district’s money and Brown and Brezina’s time. As you could see, I let the soft and entitled push my buttons.

Hence the post. As for killing the mood, I apologize. But the beauty of a daily discourse is that everyday you get a fresh start.

Finally, humility has never been a goal of mine, but neither has fame. I’m driven by the need to find the answer. Sometimes that drive gets in the way of social graces, but fortunately, those of you who have worked for me (like you) or with me know that when the going gets tough, that’s when I’m driven to work harder.

Thanks for the reality check.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Asks... (Teacher Stress - Part 12)

In response to the post, “Teacher Stress – Part 9,” the Marine asks:

“This was an outstanding post, who wrote it?”

SC Response
Your blog sparing partner, the Sailor. He says, “Go Navy!”

Happy Easter