A Reader Submits... UIL Disconnect - Part 2

A LYS Principal submits:

So, a student on my campus misses a whole day of school to attend a track meet, days before TAKS test. This student is a prime candidate to score commended on TAKS given a few test-taking skills, which we are in the middle of teaching. This student participated in the track meet for one event, a total of less than 12 minutes. THIS IS INSANE!

School leaders should be screaming at UIL for this travesty! Where is our outrage? Athletics cannot be allowed to either drive or interfere with the learning process. I am more convinced than ever that the demonstrated (not written) goals of UIL and athletics are totally incompatible with student academic achievement.

SC Response

This is where are views begin to diverge again. I still believe athletics has a place in the academic environment. But I do think that place should be re-evaluated on a regular basis. And I think now is the time for a re-evaluation. Given our current budget and accountability environment, athletics as usual is difficult to defend and even more difficult to sustain. However, any significant change will have to be led by principals.

The coaching community has a vested interest in winning. The superintendent community has a vested interest in keeping school boards happy. The principal community has a vested interest in making sure that the schools are academically successful. Until there is a critical mass of principals that are willing to stand up and say “enough is enough” the vested interests of the first two groups will continue to trump the vested interest of the third.

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

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

A Reader Writes... (More on PLC's - Part 3)

In response to the 6/28/11 post, “More on PLC’s – Part 2,” an old school LYS’er writes:

I understand the initial skepticism towards the power of the Fundamental Five. When the Fundamental Five was discovered, and it was discovered - not invented, it was difficult for even Cain to accept the fact that improving student outcomes could be that simple.

We already had Cain’s Foundation Trinity, which dates back to the early days of the high school restructuring program put in place by Commissioner Neely. There have always been lots of good ideas about how to improve schools, some more practical than others. But it was Cain and Brown that identified the elements common to the ideas that actually worked. Then, they were the first to understand the power of the integrated implementation of those components. While PLC’s were evident in some successful improvement initiatives, they were not common to all successful improvement initiatives. Bottom line, though useful, PLC's are not the end all of instructional improvement.

Granted, it is easier for me to embrace the concept and power of the Foundation Trinity and the Fundamental Five because I was there at the beginning of all of this. I am proud that I was on one of the many campuses that contributed to the development of both. I lived it and witnessed it, and my students have been better off because of it.

When my staff gathers to discuss improving student outcomes, the ONLY framework they need to confine themselves to are the Trinity and the Five. It really is that simple, and yes, those two things alone ARE enough to improve your student outcomes rapidly and drastically.

SC Response

I think what is comes down to is that there are many things that we can consider and do that are a benefit to students in some shape, form or fashion. Which is part of the problem. If I just keep my students safe and treat them with dignity, I have done something positive that day. But the Foundation Trinity provides a mechanism to maintain organization focus on doing the things that make a positive impact on student academic performance. It keeps us from being distracted from our primary mission, educating all students at high levels.

The Fundamental Five focuses on the instructional delivery practices that the teacher controls that maximize teacher effectiveness. Again, providing the entire organization with a filter to separate the practices that are generally not detrimental from the practices that are specifically advantageous.

Simply put, the Foundation Trinity makes sure that the entire organization is playing the same defined game and the Fundamental Five makes sure that the individual actors within the organization are effective and efficient in the execution of their craft.

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

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Recruiting New Teachers

Recently, I read the following quote in Education Week, “Teach for America is a scourge. We need teacher programs that attract people to teaching as a career, not as a bullet point on a resume.”

The quote was presented as is, with neither preamble nor further explanation. So honestly, I don’t know the context of the statement. But overall, I have to say the gentleman could not be more wrong. Teacher programs do not attract people. The job attracts people. And right now, the job sucks. Low pay, high stress, and no appreciation from the public and our elected leaders for the work we do (remember actions speak louder than words). So any organization that advocates and encourages public service is an asset. One that actively recruits bright and motivated graduates to fill the ranks of our profession, based on the nobility of serving your fellow man, is an ally. Because, quite simply, the idea of serving the greater good is one of the few selling points that our profession has going for it right now.

Granted, a lot of these Teach for America teachers only teach for a couple of years and then move on. But the same can be said of teachers who come from the colleges of education. If there is complaint that one could have about Teach for America, it is that it could do a better do of preparing its candidates for life in the classroom. But TFA does a much better job of understanding that the classroom requires specialized training and support than any politician. Our current crop of politicians and policy makers believe that teachers are a commodity and that teacher preparation is unnecessary. Want proof? ACP programs, certification waivers and vouchers underscore their belief that teaching is simple and anyone can do it.

So, if Education Week were to quote me, I would say, “I need energetic, optimistic teachers who will work every day to try to make a difference. If after three years, I can’t convince them to stay in our field, shame on me.”

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

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

A Reader Submits... UIL Disconnect - Part 1

A LYS Principal submits:

As of this year, I have finally concluded that UIL has utterly disconnected itself from the educational process. In baseball and softball we play a determined number of pre-season games, during the school day, in the form of tournaments. Those are generally two-day, all-day tournaments that occur during a three-week period. Then we move to track. There was a time when track meets were on Saturday. Not anymore. Now we do them during the week. Thus, during the final push towards the most important contest of the year (TAKS), many of our teachers and students are at district track meets. How is that good for anyone?

SC Response

As you well know, in our regular debates on the topic of athletics I generally take the pro side and you take the con side. But dare I say you are at least nudging me back to center. I have always believed that a successful athletic program should serve as a supplement to the academic program. It should teach students about hard work, perseverance, sportsmanship and character. All which should make them more successful in the classroom. Personally, I learned more about how to be a leader in a huddle than I ever did in any classroom. Great Head Coaches and Athletic Directors understand this.

Unfortunately, great is a rare commodity. Thus, a number of athletic programs are focused solely on wins, instant gratification and adult needs. My advice is that as a principal, it is your responsibility to advocate for the academic program as aggressively as the head coach /AD advocates for the athletic program. Because if you won’t, no one else will. Plus, I can't remember a time when I saw a coach stand beside a principal and take responsibility for taking students and teachers out of the classroom when campus accountability scores took a hit.

But I want to know, Ol’ Ball Coach and E. Don Brown, what do you think?

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

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of July 24, 2011

So you are going to let some classes let students use their own technology devices this year (really, this is a statement more than a question). A limited pilot seems reasonable. And you picked out a teacher who is not going to let the kids just go anywhere on the web. But it doesn’t take long for you to hear that some student has done something and the evidence is on his or her device. What are you going to do?

Do know that if you go crazy and ignore common sense that this situation is going to blow up in your face. But since only LYS’ers read this blog, we know that common sense is your strong point. Case law tells you that if a school administrator has reasonable suspicion that there is evidence of wrongdoing to be found that he or she can conduct a limited search. The key phrases being reasonable suspicion and limited search. However, if you are allowing the student to use the device in class and the student seems to be doing so appropriately, you do not have carte blanche to search the device. But, a “permission to use / permission to search” agreement, signed by all parties (parent, student, administrator) would seem to be a prudent and reasonable precaution and would go along way in addressing why, when and how to search a device. And if the student and parent don’t sign, they do get to use their device.

Second, when you do find something inappropriate on the student owned device (which you will), leave the Gestapo tactics at home for use on your own children. Be reasonable, with reasonable consequences. There is a lot of inappropriate stuff out there. If we over-react, we will just make that stuff more exciting and cool. If and when your students mess up, teach and coach them so they don’t make the same mistake again.

Now for the disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer, but I have watched almost every Law and Order episode.

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now using bootleg technology devices to follow Twitter. If you haven’t done so yet, we want you to join us. To let you see what you are missing, here are the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of July 24, 2011, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. Congratulations to LYS Principal, Steve Snell. He is the new Assistant Superintendent in Hutto ISD! Who will be next?

2. For those who view bootleg technology as a classroom management land mine, the issue might be larger than a tiny cell phone.

3. If your school internet filters block access to almost everything - you are telling your staff that they are either too dumb or immoral to be trusted.

4. You don't win by pointing out how bad someone else is. You win by blowing the top off performance and raising the bar.

5. Question: "Should charters be allowed in 'successful' suburban districts?" Answer: Effective and efficient schools should be allowed wherever there is need and demand.

6. The Real Question: If the 'successful' suburban school does not outperform its suburban peers, what is the rubric for success?

7. Some believe state testing is contrary to critical thinking and inquiry. LYS'ers know that critical thinking and inquiry are the best test preparation.

8. The quality I most admire is the consistent attitude of "Here's how we can do it." As opposed to "Here's why we can't."

9. I have spent last 2 days training 20+ grizzled, old, tenured and cynical middle school teachers. They were freaking awesome!!!

10. Texas will be tied for 49th place in education spending per pupil after these state funding cuts. Ahead of only Arizona. (By KDKHarman)

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

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation