Friday, July 30, 2010

A Reader Writes... (Advice for the First Year Principal - Part 1)

In response to the post, “Advice for the First Year Principal,” a reader writes:

“Since the Texas Charter School Conference I have read all your postings but, Advice for the First Year Principal, is what I've been waiting for. Even though I am assistant principal, my principal is three hours away at the main campus making me the de-facto principal and last year the teachers ended the year with zero morale, so this really helps.

Will there be a part two?"


SC Response
Part two is the on-going LYS conversation. If there is something particular that you are considering, or need help with, just send in a comment.

Even though you are the assistant principal, in your case use the one of the primary leadership rules of the Navy. In the Navy, when on shore, officer rank really matters. The admiral outranks the captain who outranks the commander who outranks the lieutenant commander... But when the ships are at sea, the highest ranking officer on board is the Captain of the Ship.

When you are three hours away from the boss, you are the leader. Embrace the role. That alone should have a positive impact on morale. Weak and/or non-existent leadership is a morale killer. We all want to know that there is a vision and purpose for the organization; that those above us are working as hard we are to further that vision and purpose; and that someone will make the decisions and mobilize the resources that will put us in a position to be successful. When we know that is not the case, we flounder and the organization suffers.

When I worked for Brezina, there were times when I was the highest ranking leader in the district (admittedly, this did not happen very often). When this did occur, I made sure that I was extra visible during the day. I stayed late to make sure that if anything happened I would be there. Even though my “watch” was always unofficial, I made sure that I had my finger on the pulse of the organization. Then when Brezina returned, I would tell him that everything ran smoothly while everyone was away. Which I always found humorous, because he had no idea why I would report this.

The point being is that you have a great opportunity to make a difference, greater than what is typically expected from your nominal position. Work every day to make the most of the opportunity. Finally, if you get in a bind, just drop a line or call.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

A Reader Writes... (Pursuing My First Principalship)

In response to the post, "Pursuing My First Principalship," a reader writes:

“As I recall from the Hooker rule of thumb, the 100 to 10 to 1 ratio was dependent upon your willingness to move. Some people refuse to look no more than a pre-determined number of miles from their current home. I understand this, and have even stipulated a distance before. The reality is if you are not willing to move, your odds of finding the position you want are greatly diminished. Besides, many districts require senior administrators (principals and higher) to live inside the district.”

SC Response
Just this morning I was talking to an LYS principal who applied for his first Assistant Superintendent position, sat for an interview and was a finalist, but lost out to another candidate. He was a little dejected and miffed and I reminded him that getting an interview on the first application was a gift and that to get over himself and remember the big picture.

Early on (again Hooker) it was pointed out to me that a leadership career is like a double elimination tournament. Relatively easy to get into; just get your certification while you are teaching. But each step above teacher is significantly harder to crack, with the competition gets stiffer and the number of slots rapidly decreasing. Mess up, and you might get a second chance but don’t count on a third one. Here is the basic math.

There are 20 to 30 teacher positions for 1 assistant principal position. Luckily, most teachers don’t want to be an assistant principal so the odds are probably around 10 to 1.

There are 2 to 4 assistant principal positions for 1 principal position. Unfortunately, most AP’s want to be a principal. So there are 2 to 3 leadership candidates vying for each principalship. Of which at least 50% have more experience and better connections than you have.

There are 5 to 25 principal positions for 1 assistant superintendent position. But now the career tournament gets serious. Of those 25 principals, 5 to 10 are actively looking for a promotion and they are aggressive, ambitious and can generally make a good case that they are better than you.

There are about 4 assistant superintendent positions for 1 superintendent position. But don’t forget, there are principals, athletic directors and non-traditional candidates who are also in the hunt. This means that there are at least 4 to 6 solid candidates for each position.

From the top looking down, for each superintendent there are about 1,000 to 1,500 educators at work. And each step above teacher is not only was harder to secure, due to scarcity and the quality of the competition, but the position also brings greater risk. No matter what anyone downstream thinks, the higher the position, the easier it is to get fired (which is one reason why the pay is greater).

These facts should make two things clear to the reader. 1) There is a reason Superintendents have egos bigger than battleships. Their egos are built step by step, through years of hard work, personal risk, success and victory. 2) If you want to be a leader, you need to work at it everyday. No one owes you a position and your competition wants what you want. Plus, with every upward move, your competition is better qualified and better prepared.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Four Books)

In response to the post, “Four Books,” a reader writes:

“I would love to see the other books that make up the Top 10!”

SC Response
The rest of the top ten list is somewhat fluid and situational. Also, my list is more leadership and system focused. This doesn’t mean that I don’t value books on instruction, I do. I read a lot books on instruction, but they are generally content or grade level specific, which limits their value to the broad spectrum of the profession. So, here are all of the books on my current list of Top Ten books for school leaders.

The First Five (posted previously)

1. Results Now, by Mike Schmoker.

2. Corp Business, by David H. Freedman.

3. Good to Great, by Jim Collins.

4. The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell.

5. Classroom Instruction That Works, by Robert Marzano.

The Best of the Rest (6-10)

6. The Moral Imperative of School Leadership, by Michael Fullan.
You actually should read everything that Fullan writes, but if time is a factor, this is the one to start with. I do have one small problem with Fullan. He’s too smart. He understands the nuances that drive expert leadership and does a world class job of explaining this (perhaps better than anyone). Unfortunately, the smart/lazy manager type can use Fullan as justification for their repeatedly inane actions (or inaction).

7. How the Mighty Fall, by Jim Collins.
Yes, it is a business book, but Collins lays out the doom loop that district after district is currently stuck in. Fortunately, he tells us how to get out of the loop and even prevent it. Unfortunately, most senior leadership doesn’t care and isn’t listening.

8. Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson, M.D.
The modern classic. I only appreciated it after I read it the second time. First, you have to have tried to manage significant organizational change for the first time and made a mess of it; than you are ready understand what Dr. Johnson is really teaching us.

9. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John C. Maxwell.
Maxwell is a former pastor. He writes about church leadership. In many ways, church leadership is a better model for school leaders than business leadership. Violate the Irrefutable Laws at the peril of your organization and you career.

10. Slot number ten is filled by a number of books, that depending on my mood, interest, or need of the person I’m working with, that I might recommend. Some of those books include:

33 Strategies of War, by Robert Greene for strategic and tactical planning.

The Federalist Papers, by Hamilton, Madison and Jay. If you are trying to lead an organization of more than three people who have competing self interests, you might find this worth reading.

It’s Called Work for a Reason, by Larry Wingate. Admittedly a pulp book. But sometimes we have to get over ourselves, cut thru the BS and admit that we have a job to do and how hard we tried doesn’t matter if we’re not successful. Just looking at the title ought to give you a little boost when the going gets tough.

His Excellency, by Joseph J. Ellis. Think you have leadership all figured out? If this study of George Washington doesn’t convince otherwise, you must be pretty darn good.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The Great Ones Outwork Everyone Else

This is not an indictment or a judgment, it is just an observation.

I understand the need for “down time.” I understand the need to balance family and work. I do not begrudge anyone who says “I’ve got to take some days and rest” or “Right now my family comes first.”

What I do have an issue with is those in our field who espouse the need for balance on one hand, yet want to reap the same rewards as those who outwork them day in and day out. The great athlete, lawyer, doctor, politician, teacher, and school leader obsess on their craft. They put in hour after hour of purposeful work honing their skills and increasing their understanding of our profession. The great ones aren’t “surprised” by their results; they simply examine them and adjust.

If you want your school to be great, it starts with purposeful work; lots of purposeful work. If you aren’t willing to model this, are you being honest with yourself about what you think is important? Do you really believe that your boss and your peers don’t notice?

Jim Collins states that “Good is the Enemy of Great.” I’m beginning to disagree. I believe “Good and Great” are conscious choices. “Good” is about balance and comfort. “Great” is about sacrifice and challenge.

What is your choice? What do your students, your staff and your campus need?

If you want to identify the great leaders and teachers, it’s not that difficult. Just pay attention to who shows up to work when it’s not fun and it’s not required.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Sunday, July 25, 2010

A Rare Sighting

The LYS Nation never ceases to amaze me. Last week, I witnessed something so rare that those of you in a non-LYS district will think that I am making it up. As we have been doing all summer long, we were working with a large group of teachers (all volunteers) who were mapping Critical Curricular Concepts for the upcoming year. This is dry, somewhat tedious, yet critically important detail work.

The surprise was when not one, but two, assistant superintendents arrived for the training. But they didn’t show up just to say “hi” or to make sure everyone was working. They showed up to participate. Eight hours of collaborative work with teachers, digging into the curriculum and debating what must be taught, what should be taught and what can be let go. In eight hours, these assistant superintendents did more for staff morale than could be accomplished in a decade worth of staff appreciation lunches. They found a group of teachers in their district that care enough about students and instruction that they are willing to sacrifice their vacations and free time. Then, the assistant superintendents spent the day, not watching, but working with those teachers at their campus.

If you work at central office and are sitting at your desk reading this, your competition is already out working you on the things that really matter (teaching and learning) and the start of school is still a month away.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...