Posts
In response to the post, "A Reader Writes... (Teacher Stress - Part 18)," a reader writes.
"I have to respond....mainly because I don't think generalizations are helpful...and there were certainly a lot of generalizations made here. There are bad central administration staff...just like there are bad principals, assistant principals, and teachers. Must we continue to beat a dead horse by generalizing, stereotyping and focusing on the bad apples? This approach really seems to create an environment that does not produce collaboration and team work between the "players" that need to be making it happen for the kids.
None of us, in this business, are an island. Even good principals require a team to make them good principals. The success or failure of my campus depends on a strong team; on the campus and at the central office. Yes, we, as principals, can move our campus forward even with an ineffective central administration. But that is a tough fight. A central administration staff that is supportive and working toward campus success makes my job so much easier.
In this blog, we've criticized Assistant Principals (I couldn't survive without mine); teachers (that is where it all happens); counselors; and central administration staff. Not sure we've started in on food service and transportation...but they may be next.
Careful....we may choke on our principal haloes."
SC Response
Great post. Like I tell everyone, if you don’t like the tone of the blog, change it by sending in a comment.
First, if you talking specifically about, “Teacher Stress – Part 18,” you missed the context. I stated that I was describing a district that is in a doom loop. That obviously describes a narrow niche of school districts. It does not describe the majority of districts. On the other hand, having a working understanding of the dynamics of a doom loop district allows everyone else to do some self monitoring and self reflection. If you recognize some of the patterns or practices occurring in your district, fix it. If there ever was a case of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, this is it.
Second, yes there are poor performers in every role, from Board Member to Para-professional. And beating the dead horse gets tiresome. But this blog is driven by people who are trying to improve things because they want to, not because they have to. When that is the case, dealing with poor performers is a much more complex issue. It is much easier to improve the “have to” situation. Hence, the regular discussions.
Third, I know that the poor performers are in the minority, most educators are good people who try hard and want what’s best for their students. But we are also a profession that engages in very few professional behaviors. To not point that out and not work everyday to fix that situation would not be professional.
Fourth, effective teams are built on honest assessments and professional expectations. Dealing with that doesn’t always feel good. But this is where the role of leadership is most important, doing the hard stuff. One
reason why I often point out the frailties of upper management is because as the outsider, I can. The subordinate can’t point out to the boss that she is letting the team down, and survive. In that context, I see the blog as a vehicle that promotes reflection and examination of our practices through the lens of effective vs. ineffective. In this particular case, your post made me re-examine the recent content of this on-going conversation. After all, there is a fine line between constructive feedback and petty whining.
Finally, I’m the last one to claim that principal’s are perfect. In fact, I know of no one who holds principals more accountable than I do (other than Brown). Any principal that we have worked with can attest to that. Or as one principal stated, an LYS assessment is not meant to be a self esteem building exercise. But we do it, because we are zealots for public education and we believe that the work we (public educators) do is too important and too serious not do at full speed.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Friday, May 7, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
A Reader Asks... What to do Next
An up and coming LYS Teacher asks,
"Hey there, it’s your favorite rookie teacher. I was talking with some of my tenured co-workers and they asked me what I do with my kids who finish their work before the majority of the class. I said that I have them go to the reading corner and quietly read to themselves. Some of the veterns were astonished that I didn't just give the kids more worksheets to keep them busy.
Is that the right thing to do? I just really want to know if I am doing something that is ok?"
SC Response
Beware of the a’ma crabs. Of course they were astonished; you are making them look bad. Keep those kids reading as much as possible. The only thing I would add is just to add some purpose to the reading, I sometimes get suspicious of all the “free reading,” I see at some schools. Have as much, if not more, non-fiction available as fiction. Also include some form of reporting, based on the reading, either verbal or written. Finally, look up the author, Kathy Collins. She is a great resource on reading groups and creating student book clubs.
Keep up the good work and don’t fret about the Negative Nelly’s on your team. Just let your student’s performance do your talking.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
"Hey there, it’s your favorite rookie teacher. I was talking with some of my tenured co-workers and they asked me what I do with my kids who finish their work before the majority of the class. I said that I have them go to the reading corner and quietly read to themselves. Some of the veterns were astonished that I didn't just give the kids more worksheets to keep them busy.
Is that the right thing to do? I just really want to know if I am doing something that is ok?"
SC Response
Beware of the a’ma crabs. Of course they were astonished; you are making them look bad. Keep those kids reading as much as possible. The only thing I would add is just to add some purpose to the reading, I sometimes get suspicious of all the “free reading,” I see at some schools. Have as much, if not more, non-fiction available as fiction. Also include some form of reporting, based on the reading, either verbal or written. Finally, look up the author, Kathy Collins. She is a great resource on reading groups and creating student book clubs.
Keep up the good work and don’t fret about the Negative Nelly’s on your team. Just let your student’s performance do your talking.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
A Reader Writes... (Latest School Rankings - Part 2)
In response to the post, “Latest School Rankings,” a reader writes.
“As a stand alone freshman campus, we feel the need to grow kids as fast as possible since we only have a year to see major improvement. The kids we have this year are not as strong academically as the year before, and sixty of our strongest incoming students (academically) were enrolled in a new Early College program, so we'll be missing the strength of their scores as well. Yet, we still must deal with the bar consistently and systematically being raised. The sense of urgency has almost crossed the line and become a sense of fear.
I wonder if the argument of improvement will satisfy the state and community if the standard is not met even though we started with less and had farther to go. Probably not. There will always be diversity in the academic level of incoming classes as a whole, so progress must be dealt with regardless of the starting point. Failure to meet a set standard often does not reflect a lack of growth. But in the eyes of the public, it is taken that the educational system has failed to do its job.”
SC Response
Good post. Let me start with my opening statement to school boards with low performing high schools. The high school cashes the check that every school in the feeder pattern wrote. As I explain to teachers, student success is a relay race. Kindergarten must run their leg of the race at full speed and then pass the baton to first grade. First grade must run their leg at full speed and then pass the baton. This occurs all the way up to graduation. Every grade level that half-steps down stream, exponentially increases the difficulty of the work up-stream. As one LYS principal puts it, the worse case scenario in third grade is that the student is two years behind. The worst case scenario in tenth grade is that the student is nine years behind. In this case, the best the high school can do is become a remediation factory. For the high school to add value, the feeder pattern has to add value. Though a simple concept, this fact escapes most everyone in the system, except the staff that is left holding the bag. My personal pet peeve is the middle school staff that has scale scores drop from 6th to 8th grade and have difficult student populations not count for their accountability, yet act like they are beyond reproach.
But this is just one part of the issue that is impacting your campus. The other problem is the taking the cream of the crop for “elite” programs. This is where a district creates alternative programs for the motivated and affluent, leaving the poor and unprepared for the traditional high school to educate. This was my big issue with the small school movement a couple of years ago (and I’m a huge proponent of smaller schools). The brain trust and policy makers behind the movement seemed much more concerned with saving the students who reminded them of themselves, than actually improving the quality of education for all students. The more I pointed this out, the less interested they became in my expertise.
Now before you think that I’ve gone all soft, that is not the case. As Schmoker, Fullan, Schlecty, Brown, etc. point out, I’ve yet to visit a campus that does leave tons of potential on the table by continuing to engage in ineffective and inefficient practices. And most schools still spend an inordinate amount of energy sorting students instead of teaching them. But unlike our political and social adversaries, I believe that we have the capacity to improve and that public interest is more important than private interest. How’s that for urgency?
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“As a stand alone freshman campus, we feel the need to grow kids as fast as possible since we only have a year to see major improvement. The kids we have this year are not as strong academically as the year before, and sixty of our strongest incoming students (academically) were enrolled in a new Early College program, so we'll be missing the strength of their scores as well. Yet, we still must deal with the bar consistently and systematically being raised. The sense of urgency has almost crossed the line and become a sense of fear.
I wonder if the argument of improvement will satisfy the state and community if the standard is not met even though we started with less and had farther to go. Probably not. There will always be diversity in the academic level of incoming classes as a whole, so progress must be dealt with regardless of the starting point. Failure to meet a set standard often does not reflect a lack of growth. But in the eyes of the public, it is taken that the educational system has failed to do its job.”
SC Response
Good post. Let me start with my opening statement to school boards with low performing high schools. The high school cashes the check that every school in the feeder pattern wrote. As I explain to teachers, student success is a relay race. Kindergarten must run their leg of the race at full speed and then pass the baton to first grade. First grade must run their leg at full speed and then pass the baton. This occurs all the way up to graduation. Every grade level that half-steps down stream, exponentially increases the difficulty of the work up-stream. As one LYS principal puts it, the worse case scenario in third grade is that the student is two years behind. The worst case scenario in tenth grade is that the student is nine years behind. In this case, the best the high school can do is become a remediation factory. For the high school to add value, the feeder pattern has to add value. Though a simple concept, this fact escapes most everyone in the system, except the staff that is left holding the bag. My personal pet peeve is the middle school staff that has scale scores drop from 6th to 8th grade and have difficult student populations not count for their accountability, yet act like they are beyond reproach.
But this is just one part of the issue that is impacting your campus. The other problem is the taking the cream of the crop for “elite” programs. This is where a district creates alternative programs for the motivated and affluent, leaving the poor and unprepared for the traditional high school to educate. This was my big issue with the small school movement a couple of years ago (and I’m a huge proponent of smaller schools). The brain trust and policy makers behind the movement seemed much more concerned with saving the students who reminded them of themselves, than actually improving the quality of education for all students. The more I pointed this out, the less interested they became in my expertise.
Now before you think that I’ve gone all soft, that is not the case. As Schmoker, Fullan, Schlecty, Brown, etc. point out, I’ve yet to visit a campus that does leave tons of potential on the table by continuing to engage in ineffective and inefficient practices. And most schools still spend an inordinate amount of energy sorting students instead of teaching them. But unlike our political and social adversaries, I believe that we have the capacity to improve and that public interest is more important than private interest. How’s that for urgency?
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Monday, May 3, 2010
A Reader Writes... (Latest School Rankings - Part 1)
In response to the post, “Latest School Rankings,” a reader writes.
“Sean,
First, thanks so much for bursting our bubble over here with a big hefty dose of reality!
Second, I want to let you know what I am MOST proud of is our relative rank in the state. I’ve been asked many, many times by teachers, "What schools are ahead of us? Who is our competition?"
Now we know. Shift is happening over here - I love it!
SC Response
Good. This ties into a conversation we had earlier. The biggest danger to a school like yours is hubris. You show up at work, things are pretty darn good, so why break a sweat? Now you have a big, fat, juicy target. Make it your mission to catch the school in front of you
But here’s the kicker, first you have to make that mission public and prominent. Second, if you miss your mark, you have to hold you and your staff accountable. Turn up the heat and break a sweat next year. And here is how it starts. I’m assuming you are about to start your summative assessments. You have to include the following statement in each appraisal conference, “Our current performance is the expectation. The only way you can exceed expectations is to exceed what we are currently doing.”
Do that and you change the context. Now you show up at work, things are not getter better, so you have to do something different.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“Sean,
First, thanks so much for bursting our bubble over here with a big hefty dose of reality!
Second, I want to let you know what I am MOST proud of is our relative rank in the state. I’ve been asked many, many times by teachers, "What schools are ahead of us? Who is our competition?"
Now we know. Shift is happening over here - I love it!
SC Response
Good. This ties into a conversation we had earlier. The biggest danger to a school like yours is hubris. You show up at work, things are pretty darn good, so why break a sweat? Now you have a big, fat, juicy target. Make it your mission to catch the school in front of you
But here’s the kicker, first you have to make that mission public and prominent. Second, if you miss your mark, you have to hold you and your staff accountable. Turn up the heat and break a sweat next year. And here is how it starts. I’m assuming you are about to start your summative assessments. You have to include the following statement in each appraisal conference, “Our current performance is the expectation. The only way you can exceed expectations is to exceed what we are currently doing.”
Do that and you change the context. Now you show up at work, things are not getter better, so you have to do something different.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Sunday, May 2, 2010
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.
Your turn...
“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.
Your turn...
A Reader Writes... (A Big LYS Shout Out - Part 4)
In response to the post, “A Big LYS Shout Out,” a reader writes.
I'm catching up on all my LYS blogs, so I know this is a little late. I worked for Lesa at Copeland Elementary a few years back, and I have to say that even to this day a lot of the decisions I make I wonder "What would Lesa do?"
What a well deserved honor for Lesa and the Hairgrove staff! Congrats, Lesa!
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
I'm catching up on all my LYS blogs, so I know this is a little late. I worked for Lesa at Copeland Elementary a few years back, and I have to say that even to this day a lot of the decisions I make I wonder "What would Lesa do?"
What a well deserved honor for Lesa and the Hairgrove staff! Congrats, Lesa!
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
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