Posts
In response to the post, “School Dysfunction,” a reader writes:
To quote SC, "The execution of best practice in every class, with every student, is no longer a matter of personal choice."
If that simple statement was a creed we all lived by, on every campus, then could you imagine what an amazing education every student would receive?
I TOTALLY agree that “dysfunctional” is relative. That many seemingly OK campuses get by on non-functioning systems. And I know all too well the challenge of “re-functioning” a system when the people in and around it are blind to the number of underserved and damaged students that they leave in their wake.
I was told once “Do not change a thing for at least the first 6 month,” on a new campus. SC, your statement blows that advice out of the water. My kids don't even have 9 weeks to wait, and they won't!"
SC Response
Great post! I just want emphasize the importance of your closing statement. Every day that we know that we are under serving students, we are an active participant in creating an ever deepening hole for them to climb out of. The deeper the hole, the greater the number of students that will never escape, and the only person who really “owns” that number is the principal.
Which is why I always ask, “What do you value more, adult comfort or the future of your students?”
The actions of the principal, based on that question, dictate the quality of education on the campus.
SC Note
Have a safe and restful Fourth of July holiday. Posts will recommence on July 6th.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
A Reader Writes... (Dress Code Yet Again - Part 3)
In response to the post, "Dress Code Yet Again - Part 2," a reader writes:
“I'm with you! But I do believe that colleges need to insist to our future teachers that following sexy or messy clothing fads is inappropriate while at work. The school teacher needs to be dressed with closed toe dress shoes, not only because these shoes will protect your toes if you get stepped on (and you will), but it looks more professional. And your tops need to cover all of you. Think “modesty”. Your skirts or shorts need to be at least knee length, you are working, not trying to get a date. As you dress, actually use your judgment. Remember you are supposed to be a college graduate, dress like one.”
SC Response
Now I feel old. When it comes to professional dress, I don’t blame the colleges, I don’t blame the employee and in most cases I don’t even blame leadership. I see professional dress as functions of local culture and the willingness to modeling expectations. If the culture of the community is to wear jeans and t-shirts, and the staff gets the job done, and there is not a more strict appearance expectation for students, I don’t have a problem with staff in jeans. Granted, that is a lot of “if’s.” Now if one of those “if’s” is askew, I do have an opinion and as many of you know, I am not shy in sharing it.
Dress and appearance can be a powerful tool if purposefully managed. But that is a much longer conversation. In general, here are my starting rules of thumb for staff dress:
1. Campus leaders should dress so that in any room they are in, they are either just a little overdressed, dressed just right, or just a little underdressed. For a man (ladies, you tell me), khakis, a collared shirt and an available blazer meets this standard.
2. Teachers should dress so they look both sharp and ready for action. You never know when you might have to move some room furniture or chase down a student. Your dress should reflect that reality.
3. If there are specific standards for students, staff must meet or exceed those standards.
I will close with this. I have observed high performing / value adding campuses that have no staff dress code. I have observed high performing / value adding campuses that allow casual dress. I have observed high performing / value adding campuses that have strict dress codes. However, I have never observed a high performing / value adding campus that had a sloppy looking staff.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“I'm with you! But I do believe that colleges need to insist to our future teachers that following sexy or messy clothing fads is inappropriate while at work. The school teacher needs to be dressed with closed toe dress shoes, not only because these shoes will protect your toes if you get stepped on (and you will), but it looks more professional. And your tops need to cover all of you. Think “modesty”. Your skirts or shorts need to be at least knee length, you are working, not trying to get a date. As you dress, actually use your judgment. Remember you are supposed to be a college graduate, dress like one.”
SC Response
Now I feel old. When it comes to professional dress, I don’t blame the colleges, I don’t blame the employee and in most cases I don’t even blame leadership. I see professional dress as functions of local culture and the willingness to modeling expectations. If the culture of the community is to wear jeans and t-shirts, and the staff gets the job done, and there is not a more strict appearance expectation for students, I don’t have a problem with staff in jeans. Granted, that is a lot of “if’s.” Now if one of those “if’s” is askew, I do have an opinion and as many of you know, I am not shy in sharing it.
Dress and appearance can be a powerful tool if purposefully managed. But that is a much longer conversation. In general, here are my starting rules of thumb for staff dress:
1. Campus leaders should dress so that in any room they are in, they are either just a little overdressed, dressed just right, or just a little underdressed. For a man (ladies, you tell me), khakis, a collared shirt and an available blazer meets this standard.
2. Teachers should dress so they look both sharp and ready for action. You never know when you might have to move some room furniture or chase down a student. Your dress should reflect that reality.
3. If there are specific standards for students, staff must meet or exceed those standards.
I will close with this. I have observed high performing / value adding campuses that have no staff dress code. I have observed high performing / value adding campuses that allow casual dress. I have observed high performing / value adding campuses that have strict dress codes. However, I have never observed a high performing / value adding campus that had a sloppy looking staff.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
An Exchange between LYS Schools
A regular conversation that the LYS coaching staff has with campus leadership and staff revolves around creating purposeful teaching environments.
Here’s the short version, “Right now, you are not doing it. You are not being objective. Why are you so angry?”
Creating purposeful room environments is a tough nut to crack because the topic is extremely personal, subjective and emotional. If fact, I would be suspicious of the educator who isn’t a little uncomfortable when the topic is first broached. I would ask myself, “What else do they not care about?”
But for schools that are able to cowboy or cowgirl up and tackle the issue, the results are powerful and quick. And other schools are starting to pay attention. For example, below is an exchange between an experienced LYS school and a new LYS school that was forwarded to me.
Good Morning,
I am the math specialist at ABC School, one of the Lead Your School schools in XYZ ISD. I was also one of the lucky ones that visited your campus earlier this Spring. We are working on classroom environments for one of our end of year activities while we are clearing/cleaning our rooms.
At the start of next year we would like to have a rubric of what should be in the classroom. We would like to know if you have any type of room rubric that you use for setting up a classroom? If so, would you share it with us?
Thank you!
Hi, Ms. Jones,
Our best rubrics are pictures of some of the incredible classroom environments that our teachers have set up here. I'll take some today and text them to you.
Specifically, we keep it REALLY simple. If it doesn't impact instruction, it doesn't go in the room. We do not spend in-service days or the first week of school getting rooms ready like we used to in the old days.
Basically, rooms have a calendar up and the names of the kids at their seats when they come in on the first day. That day, we make anchor charts of the Class Rules and Promises, hang them up and we go from there. The trick is to really commit to keeping it simple.
Our teachers feel so much LESS stress when they aren't taking time to make all the "cutesy" stuff and they really get to spend in-service days honing their skills and planning for fantastic instruction from day one.
Hope this helps!
How about that? One more example of the the LYS Nation taking care of it's own.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Here’s the short version, “Right now, you are not doing it. You are not being objective. Why are you so angry?”
Creating purposeful room environments is a tough nut to crack because the topic is extremely personal, subjective and emotional. If fact, I would be suspicious of the educator who isn’t a little uncomfortable when the topic is first broached. I would ask myself, “What else do they not care about?”
But for schools that are able to cowboy or cowgirl up and tackle the issue, the results are powerful and quick. And other schools are starting to pay attention. For example, below is an exchange between an experienced LYS school and a new LYS school that was forwarded to me.
Good Morning,
I am the math specialist at ABC School, one of the Lead Your School schools in XYZ ISD. I was also one of the lucky ones that visited your campus earlier this Spring. We are working on classroom environments for one of our end of year activities while we are clearing/cleaning our rooms.
At the start of next year we would like to have a rubric of what should be in the classroom. We would like to know if you have any type of room rubric that you use for setting up a classroom? If so, would you share it with us?
Thank you!
Hi, Ms. Jones,
Our best rubrics are pictures of some of the incredible classroom environments that our teachers have set up here. I'll take some today and text them to you.
Specifically, we keep it REALLY simple. If it doesn't impact instruction, it doesn't go in the room. We do not spend in-service days or the first week of school getting rooms ready like we used to in the old days.
Basically, rooms have a calendar up and the names of the kids at their seats when they come in on the first day. That day, we make anchor charts of the Class Rules and Promises, hang them up and we go from there. The trick is to really commit to keeping it simple.
Our teachers feel so much LESS stress when they aren't taking time to make all the "cutesy" stuff and they really get to spend in-service days honing their skills and planning for fantastic instruction from day one.
Hope this helps!
How about that? One more example of the the LYS Nation taking care of it's own.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Monday, June 28, 2010
A Converstaion with One of the Smart Guys
I was recently talking to Brett Jimmerson (one of the scary-smart guys in our field). He was almost giddy (as was I) when looking what his district has been able to do in just three years. Here’s the recap:
2008: 8 schools Recognized or Exemplary (mostly recognized)
2009: 24 schools Recognized or Exemplary (mostly recognized)
2010: 32 schools Recognized or Exemplary (even 16 / 16 split)
The formula: The Foundation Trinity; the Fundamental Five, data driven decisions; a motivated and aggressive Principal corp; and a critical and ever growing mass of teachers committed to working differently.
But here was his question, “Why isn’t the media beating down our doors to report the story about the Grand Prairie Miracle?”
Of course I don’t have the definitive answer, but here is my opinion. The Grand Prairie Miracle (like the “miracle” at scores of LYS schools) isn’t flashy. The miracle isn’t a miracle. Instead it is a lot of hard work, a commitment to asking hard questions, and holding yourself accountable to purposefully improving.
In a world that wants to “program” it’s way out of a problem, that’s not a story, that’s a reminder that we’re not better because we lack commitment.
Jimmerson wrapped up with this, “We didn’t do this for the publicity, but our people and our kids have busted their tails for three years now and you would think that someone outside our system would care.”
That’s why there is an LYS Nation. The world may not care but the Nation does.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
2008: 8 schools Recognized or Exemplary (mostly recognized)
2009: 24 schools Recognized or Exemplary (mostly recognized)
2010: 32 schools Recognized or Exemplary (even 16 / 16 split)
The formula: The Foundation Trinity; the Fundamental Five, data driven decisions; a motivated and aggressive Principal corp; and a critical and ever growing mass of teachers committed to working differently.
But here was his question, “Why isn’t the media beating down our doors to report the story about the Grand Prairie Miracle?”
Of course I don’t have the definitive answer, but here is my opinion. The Grand Prairie Miracle (like the “miracle” at scores of LYS schools) isn’t flashy. The miracle isn’t a miracle. Instead it is a lot of hard work, a commitment to asking hard questions, and holding yourself accountable to purposefully improving.
In a world that wants to “program” it’s way out of a problem, that’s not a story, that’s a reminder that we’re not better because we lack commitment.
Jimmerson wrapped up with this, “We didn’t do this for the publicity, but our people and our kids have busted their tails for three years now and you would think that someone outside our system would care.”
That’s why there is an LYS Nation. The world may not care but the Nation does.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Sunday, June 27, 2010
A Reader Writes... (School Dysfunction)
In response to the post, "A Reader Submits... School Dysfunction", a reader writes.
“A school is only as fruitful as the administrative and instructional staff expects it to be. If one thinks of one’s school as "bad" or "nightmare" (terms I've never equated with any schools I've worked for) then it is the attitudes of those working that create such schools.
If however, one works at a LYS school, you truly know the benefits of working in an environment of interconnected / community support. The adults know how important their roles are in their students' lives. This is a successful campus.
I've been lucky to work in schools that live the LYS philosophy and those schools have always prospered and always will. Now that LYS is at my latest school, I just know that wonderful things are going to happen, not only for the students but for the staff as well."
SC Response
Your first sentence is more powerful than I think you envisioned. In my work across the country, I have found that students do a masterful job of perfectly meeting adult expectations. Kids are kids; the critical variables are the adults. That is why you can have two Title I schools in essentially the same setting and one consistently adds value and one subtracts value. You and the original writer both hit the nail on the head; bad schools are created and perpetuated by adults. The more dysfunctional the school, the higher up the food chain the blame goes. The “nightmare” schools that were originally referenced may have poor teachers and bad administrators on site, but it is the Board that allows the situation to metastasize.
We also agree on another point, the fully actualized LYS school is a site to behold. But it does take time, sweat equity, trust and a few bumps and bruises. And your comment makes me smile because during the initial journey when the road is bumpiest there is often quite a bit of anger, disgust, animosity and raw emotions. The initial part of the journey is rarely fun. But then the first group of students achieves something unexpected and almost overnight all the negative feelings are forgotten.
You keep spreading your story and we’ll keep helping schools through the rough spots. Then sooner, rather than latter, the LYS school will be the norm rather than the exception.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“A school is only as fruitful as the administrative and instructional staff expects it to be. If one thinks of one’s school as "bad" or "nightmare" (terms I've never equated with any schools I've worked for) then it is the attitudes of those working that create such schools.
If however, one works at a LYS school, you truly know the benefits of working in an environment of interconnected / community support. The adults know how important their roles are in their students' lives. This is a successful campus.
I've been lucky to work in schools that live the LYS philosophy and those schools have always prospered and always will. Now that LYS is at my latest school, I just know that wonderful things are going to happen, not only for the students but for the staff as well."
SC Response
Your first sentence is more powerful than I think you envisioned. In my work across the country, I have found that students do a masterful job of perfectly meeting adult expectations. Kids are kids; the critical variables are the adults. That is why you can have two Title I schools in essentially the same setting and one consistently adds value and one subtracts value. You and the original writer both hit the nail on the head; bad schools are created and perpetuated by adults. The more dysfunctional the school, the higher up the food chain the blame goes. The “nightmare” schools that were originally referenced may have poor teachers and bad administrators on site, but it is the Board that allows the situation to metastasize.
We also agree on another point, the fully actualized LYS school is a site to behold. But it does take time, sweat equity, trust and a few bumps and bruises. And your comment makes me smile because during the initial journey when the road is bumpiest there is often quite a bit of anger, disgust, animosity and raw emotions. The initial part of the journey is rarely fun. But then the first group of students achieves something unexpected and almost overnight all the negative feelings are forgotten.
You keep spreading your story and we’ll keep helping schools through the rough spots. Then sooner, rather than latter, the LYS school will be the norm rather than the exception.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)