Posts
Yesterday, I was playing cards with my buddies and I got a royal flush. You should be impressed, after all a royal flush is rare.
Except, we were playing with jokers, 2’s and 3’s wild. And I did use three wild cards. But still, a royal flush is a royal flush. Don’t you agree?
Now some numbers:
2624 / 1159
3153 / 2212
1456 / 3280
145 / 727
Those numbers are some results, with wild cards and without wild cards. Let me explain. Texas just released its school accountability rankings. It claims to have 2,624 exemplary campuses, 3,153 recognized campuses, 1,456 acceptable campuses and 145 unacceptable campuses. But that is when the state uses a slew of politically motivated wild cards. Take away exemptions, exceptions and the statistical smoke and mirrors game that is TPM and you actually have 1,159 Exemplary campuses, 2,212 Recognized campuses, 3,280 Acceptable campuses and 727 Unacceptable campuses.
That is the brutal truth and here is my advice / warning based on that truth.
1. If your campus received its rating based on a wild card, don’t give it back. After all, you didn’t make the rules.
2. If your campus received its rating based on a wild card, don’t go crazy with the celebrations, you and your campus still have some work left to do.
3. Regardless of how you received your rating, that was last year. We’re starting a brand new year and a brand new game. Focus on the present.
I was talking to a principal just last week, whose rating was based on more than one wild card. His comment was, “It’s going to be tough for us to keep this rating.”
My response was, “It will be tougher for us to actually earn it.”
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Friday, August 6, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
A Reader Writes... (Advice for a First Year Principal - Part 3)
In response to the post, “Advice for the First Year Principal,” a reader writes:
“Thank you ~ especially for number 2.
I'm going to print this and post it on my desk. I told someone just the other day, "I'm not here for a personality contest."
In a nice way, of course.”
SC Response
Today I was talking to some up and coming AP’s about the reasons why I think the first year as a principal is so tough. I told them that a big reason for this is that the AP position limits the growth and refinement of their leadership skills.
First consider growth. Initially, in the role, there is a big growth spurt. For the first time, the AP is actually responsible for stuff and things and solving low to mid level problems. The problem is, on most campuses, that’s it. The structure is lacking when it comes to providing increased or complex responsibility for the typical AP. By year three you have seen it all; by year five you know it all.
Because the AP job has a ceiling when it comes to complexity, the typical AP can rely on their “go-to” strength to solve most problems. The autocrat can remain autocratic and generate acceptable results and the collaborator can focus on collaboration and generate acceptable results.
This creates a problem in the principal’s chair, your “go-to” strength will solve a lot of problems, but it will also create problems that you are ill prepared to deal with. The principalship requires a lot of situational leadership strategies. There are times when you have to make decision and tell people exactly what they will do, when to do it and how to do it. The autocrat does well in this situation, the collaborator less so. On the other hand there are times when consensus is the critical variable in solving the problem. The collaborator does great in this situation, the autocrat turns into the bull in the china cabinet.
In theory, or during an “in-basket” exercise, everyone gets this. But ramp up the stress, responsibility, accountability and time line, and theory goes out the window and people revert to their default behavior. It often takes getting your fingers burned or your hand slapped a couple of times to refine and add to your repertoire of leadership practices.
So my advice for the AP’s was look to expand their roles wherever possible, take ownership of both problems and the results of their solutions and recognize that they can learn as much from their failures as they do from their successes.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“Thank you ~ especially for number 2.
I'm going to print this and post it on my desk. I told someone just the other day, "I'm not here for a personality contest."
In a nice way, of course.”
SC Response
Today I was talking to some up and coming AP’s about the reasons why I think the first year as a principal is so tough. I told them that a big reason for this is that the AP position limits the growth and refinement of their leadership skills.
First consider growth. Initially, in the role, there is a big growth spurt. For the first time, the AP is actually responsible for stuff and things and solving low to mid level problems. The problem is, on most campuses, that’s it. The structure is lacking when it comes to providing increased or complex responsibility for the typical AP. By year three you have seen it all; by year five you know it all.
Because the AP job has a ceiling when it comes to complexity, the typical AP can rely on their “go-to” strength to solve most problems. The autocrat can remain autocratic and generate acceptable results and the collaborator can focus on collaboration and generate acceptable results.
This creates a problem in the principal’s chair, your “go-to” strength will solve a lot of problems, but it will also create problems that you are ill prepared to deal with. The principalship requires a lot of situational leadership strategies. There are times when you have to make decision and tell people exactly what they will do, when to do it and how to do it. The autocrat does well in this situation, the collaborator less so. On the other hand there are times when consensus is the critical variable in solving the problem. The collaborator does great in this situation, the autocrat turns into the bull in the china cabinet.
In theory, or during an “in-basket” exercise, everyone gets this. But ramp up the stress, responsibility, accountability and time line, and theory goes out the window and people revert to their default behavior. It often takes getting your fingers burned or your hand slapped a couple of times to refine and add to your repertoire of leadership practices.
So my advice for the AP’s was look to expand their roles wherever possible, take ownership of both problems and the results of their solutions and recognize that they can learn as much from their failures as they do from their successes.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A Reader Writes... (Advice for the First Year Principal - Part 2)
In response to the post, “Advice for the First Year Principal,” a reader writes:
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was a first year principal last school year, and you have just affirmed all I found out...the hard way! By the way, I have 2 dogs!
Great things! Keep it coming!"
SC Response
I was talking to an LYS principal the other day and she said, “Before the blog, I used to think I was the only crazy one. No one wants to change and everyone wants to blame our failures on the things we can’t control. I may still be crazy, but at least now I know that I’m not alone.”
Running a high stakes, people-centric operation is complex, stressful and non-linear work. The learning curve of the principalship is the steepest that any educator faces in her career. One of the reasons why it is so steep is that you have to quickly let go of all your preconceived notions of how easy it must be to lead people. After all, just tell your people what you expect them to do, treat them fair and get out of their way. How hard can that be? Harder than you can ever know until you actually live through it. There is nothing like the principalship. It always remains a daily learning experience. It teaches the novice how to survive in a hostile setting; it teaches the technician how to wield raw power; and it teaches the artist how to leverage influence. So wrap yourself in the experience and the position and remember the following four rules:
The Brezina Rule: If it’s not right for students, it’s wrong.
The Brown Rule: The principal is the only one in the system who is a pure advocate for students.
The Richardson Rule: You can be frequently wrong, but never in doubt.
The Cain Rule: When all else fails, just outwork them.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was a first year principal last school year, and you have just affirmed all I found out...the hard way! By the way, I have 2 dogs!
Great things! Keep it coming!"
SC Response
I was talking to an LYS principal the other day and she said, “Before the blog, I used to think I was the only crazy one. No one wants to change and everyone wants to blame our failures on the things we can’t control. I may still be crazy, but at least now I know that I’m not alone.”
Running a high stakes, people-centric operation is complex, stressful and non-linear work. The learning curve of the principalship is the steepest that any educator faces in her career. One of the reasons why it is so steep is that you have to quickly let go of all your preconceived notions of how easy it must be to lead people. After all, just tell your people what you expect them to do, treat them fair and get out of their way. How hard can that be? Harder than you can ever know until you actually live through it. There is nothing like the principalship. It always remains a daily learning experience. It teaches the novice how to survive in a hostile setting; it teaches the technician how to wield raw power; and it teaches the artist how to leverage influence. So wrap yourself in the experience and the position and remember the following four rules:
The Brezina Rule: If it’s not right for students, it’s wrong.
The Brown Rule: The principal is the only one in the system who is a pure advocate for students.
The Richardson Rule: You can be frequently wrong, but never in doubt.
The Cain Rule: When all else fails, just outwork them.
Think. Work. Achieve.
Your turn...
Monday, August 2, 2010
Blog and E-mail Updates: A Review of Functions
Some of you have seen a version of this post before, but since I wrote it, we have added over 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 and the Lead Your School campus support site.
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:
Text in italics is the comment of the reader.
Your turn… This is your invitation to weigh in and join the conversation.
Think. Work. Achieve.
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 and the Lead Your School campus support site.
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:
Text in italics is the comment of the reader.
Your turn… This is your invitation to weigh in and join the conversation.
Think. Work. Achieve.
State of the Blog - The Last 100 Posts (600 and Counting)
Good morning, LYS Nation. This is the 600th post to the column and in what has become a LYS 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 December 16, 2009
The 500th post was on April 7, 2010
The 600th post is on today, Monday, August 2, 2010
It has taken 1 year and 167 days to reach the 600 post milestone.
The 600 posts represent more than 515 pages of single spaced text. That is the equivalent of about a 2,200 page book.
The top six key words have been: Leadership (200); Robert “Bob” Brezina (98); E. Don Brown (87); Principals (86); Campus / School Improvement (64); Teachers (70)
The blog is now officially the vehicle for the conversation of the LYS Nation. If you haven’t sent in a comment, question, observation or opinion, what are you waiting for?
There have been over 19,700 site hits.
There are 524 e-mail subscribers. Thank you!
There are now international readers and e-mail subscribers. Represented nations include the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom
All of this is incredibly exciting; especially when you consider that just a little more than a year ago, every number was 0.
A Little Blatant Self Promotion:
First, if you like the site 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 site and find it useful, tell three other people. This blog is a much more powerful resource for school improvement as more and more proactive educators join the conversation.
Finally:
Thank you so much for reading and responding. This little network that started out as a way for just a couple of schools to stay connected and turned into a small nation 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…
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 December 16, 2009
The 500th post was on April 7, 2010
The 600th post is on today, Monday, August 2, 2010
It has taken 1 year and 167 days to reach the 600 post milestone.
The 600 posts represent more than 515 pages of single spaced text. That is the equivalent of about a 2,200 page book.
The top six key words have been: Leadership (200); Robert “Bob” Brezina (98); E. Don Brown (87); Principals (86); Campus / School Improvement (64); Teachers (70)
The blog is now officially the vehicle for the conversation of the LYS Nation. If you haven’t sent in a comment, question, observation or opinion, what are you waiting for?
There have been over 19,700 site hits.
There are 524 e-mail subscribers. Thank you!
There are now international readers and e-mail subscribers. Represented nations include the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom
All of this is incredibly exciting; especially when you consider that just a little more than a year ago, every number was 0.
A Little Blatant Self Promotion:
First, if you like the site 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 site and find it useful, tell three other people. This blog is a much more powerful resource for school improvement as more and more proactive educators join the conversation.
Finally:
Thank you so much for reading and responding. This little network that started out as a way for just a couple of schools to stay connected and turned into a small nation 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…
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