A Look in the Mirror

TAKS scores have been released to districts. And the reality of a world without TPM has cast a pall over schools and districts. And that’s OK. Remember that TAKS is just a program review. It tells us how well we taught the material this year and how many students mastered the material this year. TPM masked that reality and it allowed us to take our eye off the ball. Yet we all know that there is always room to improve. So here is what we do.

1. That “punch to the gut” feeling you have right now, hold on to it. We’re going to use it in a couple of steps.

2. Take your butt chewing from Central Office. They can’t beat you up any worse than you are currently doing to yourself.

3. Compare real 2010 numbers to the 2011 numbers. What improved? Build on that success. What fell? Quit looking for who to blame and start problem solving.

4. That punch to the gut feeling from step number 1... Use that feeling to drive your planning over the summer. Use it to identify the things that you can no longer afford to do. Use it to identify the areas where you deviated from what was right and necessary. Use it to start the first day of school next year at full speed, instead of half speed. Use it to help you grind through the tough times when others want to slow down or stop. Use it so you never have to feel it again.

True character reveals itself in times of adversity. This is where you get to look in the mirror and see what kind of leader you really are. Are you going to re-commit, rally your troops and find the better solution or are you going to yell, threaten, point fingers and blame others?

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Upcoming Event / Presentation Schedule

June 11 (TASB) - The Fundamental Five; Improve Now!

June 15 (TASSP) - Improve Now!

June 16 (TASSP) - Conference Breakfast, hosted by E. Don Brown (LYS travel tumblers for the first 1000 attendees, last year we ran out)

June 16 (TASSP) – Book Release Event, “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction”

June 16 (TASSP) - Fundamental Five; Tech Tools for the 2.0 Principal

June 17 (TASSP) - PowerWalks

June 18 (TASB) - The Fundamental Five; Improve Now!