Friday, April 27, 2012

A Reader Asks... A Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Template


A LYS teacher asks the following:

SC,

We are trying to design a new lesson plan template to use at our school that aligns with the Fundamental 5. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Or has the lesson plan app been completed?

Thank you.

SC Response

I have good news and I’m going to save you and your team a ton of time. You can stop the design work. The Fundamental 5 Lesson Planning App has been available at the Apple App Store for the past two months. Just search for: 

Fun 5 Plans   

Fun 5 Plans allows you to embed the Fundamental 5 in every lesson, map the rigor and relevance of every lesson, and share lessons with anyone with an e-mail address.

Also in development at this time (with an imminent completion date) is a desktop version of Fun 5 Plans for use campus and district wide.

Hopefully, this will jump start your team planning.  Drop me a line if I can help with anything else.

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
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool)
  • Confirmed 2012 Presentations: TASSP Conference (multiple sessions); Region 10 ESC Fall Leadership Conference (Keynote)

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Readers Write... School Closures, Who to Blame - Part 1


In response to the 1/11/2012 post, “School Closures, Who to Blame,” LYSers have sent in the following comments:

First,

Bravo, Sean!!

Second,

Well said!

And third,

Our answer was to redesign our campus! We decided to create a focus on Fine Arts, and have turned a small, declining campus in a sleepy neighborhood in Grand Prairie into a bustling over-crowded exciting one. We continue to use Lead Your School strategies as we maintain our Exemplary performance academically while singing, dancing, and painting our way into a new FUN era of schooling! Thanks for your years of support and we miss you all.

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
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool)
  • Confirmed 2012 Presentations: TASSP Conference (multiple sessions); Region 10 ESC Fall Leadership Conference (Keynote)

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Big Easy Writes... The Importance of the Power Zone - Part 1


In response to the 12/16/2011 post, “The Importance of the Power Zone,” The Big Easy adds:

SC, 

When I read this, I was reminded of a couple of things:

"We tend to accept failure in comfort rather than risk uncomfortable success."

We must constantly reflect on what is best for kids and remember what E. Don Brown said, "If it is good for adults, it is probably not good for kids."

I have said that leadership is a calling, not a position. I think this also pertains to the entire education community. If we are "called," then we will do whatever it takes, with no regard for personal comfort, time, accolades, and the list goes on.

We are human and we all fall short. However, our great educators put kids first, ahead of their own personal agendas, most of the time.

The Big Easy

SC Response
Your point about not having to be perfect (we’re human) but we should put students first (we’re educators) reminds me of a conversation I recently had with a group of new LYS’ers.  They asked why what we teach hasn’t spread even faster than it already has. 

My answer was this, "It is not that people do not want to improve; they just don’t want the improvement to be simple." 

When the improvement is simple, many people fight the initiative. Because their ego tells them if it really is that simple, then they must not be as smart as they give themselves credit for. Otherwise they would have figured it out, by themselves, previously.  What many educators forget is that “simple” rarely means “easy.”

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
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool)
  • Confirmed 2012 Presentations: TASSP Conference (multiple sessions); Region 10 ESC Fall Leadership Conference (Keynote)

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Superintendent's Corner... Consolidation


Below is a submission from a LYS Superintendent:

A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a candidate who is running for the District 85 seat of the Texas House of Representatives.  During our conversation the candidate indicated he favored going to countywide school systems in order to save money.  I indicated I didn’t think countywide school districts would save much money at all, and in addition had the potential to cause harm.  Whether you are for or against county school districts, let’s cogitate on the issue.

The concept of countywide school systems is not alien, even in Texas.  Years ago, Texas had countywide school systems.  A brief history can be found at:


Interestingly, the TEA link says cities and towns wanted more control of their schools, hence independent school districts were formed.  It seems that even as early as the 1880’s local control was of key interest for Texans, and that was before we spent the past three decades relocating school authority to Austin.  Obviously, I think local control is a compelling reason NOT to consolidate back to countywide schools.  Consolidation of independent districts into county districts results in large, centralized government versus small, local government. Our country was founded on the latter, and the former, arguably, is sucking the life out of Nation.  Again, like Senator Hegar has said, our state is drastically different from region to region.   But even within the same county, school districts often have vastly different cultures and priorities.  I know, people in favor of countywide schools say the local communities can keep their schools, traditions, culture, and priorities.  Consolidators say they simply want to have one central administration for all the local schools.  But the superintendent of an independent school district is the executive arm that maintains the culture and priorities of the district in tandem with the locally elected board. Take away the superintendent and the locally elected board and the ability to maintain a community’s culture and priorities will be seriously impacted.  Also, the consolidators will not stop at simply consolidating central administration into countywide administrations.  Once the consolidators have taken the first step, the second step will be easier.  And the second step is the closing of buildings and schools deemed not needed by the county administration.  With the central administration of the independent school districts removed, local control is removed, and the culture and priorities of the community will be supplanted by the needs of the larger collective.  Let me clear: consolidating into countywide school districts is step one; step two is the consolidation of districts by the process of closing buildings.  Once the consolidators win round one, they will not stop.

The main argument for eliminating independent districts and forming county districts is to save money.  Personally I think the de-centralized government argument allowing more local control is the best reason not to consolidate into county-wide schools, but in order to give due diligence to the finance argument, let’s explore it.  There are five independent school districts in my rural county.  The county enrollment is about 8100 students and my best estimate is there are about 21 superintendents, assistant superintendents, and directors in the county.  Looking at a school district like College Station ISD with about 10,000 students, I count about 28 people with the word “superintendent” or “director” in their titles.  So, should my county be consolidated into a countywide district with only one superintendent, I suggest not a single dime would be saved.  In fact, the consolidation just may cost more money, unless you shut down the local school buildings and bus kids to centralized locations (step 2, remember?).  In my county four “fat cat” superintendents would likely become deputy superintendents, assistant superintendents, or directors for the larger collective, and their salaries may very well all go up.  Indeed the larger collective will be significantly more complex, therefore the four displaced superintendents may not be enough to fill all of the senior administrative jobs needed, we may need to hire more.  This idea is explored in the following 2011 publication:


These researchers suggested there are likely benefits to de-consolidating school districts, especially very large ones.

In conclusion, I must say I am not strictly against school consolidation.  If two Texas school district’s duly elected boards decide it is in the best interest of their children and communities to consolidate, I think that’s great.  I simply don’t think Austin should be making that decision.  The fact that few districts choose to consolidate tells me the idea is not too popular with Texans.  Also, Premont and North Forest both fought like Spartans to keep their districts from being forcibly consolidated.  The idea of saving money can easily be discredited, both by logical inspection and published research.  Truly I suspect the real intention of consolidators is to further their agenda to end public education.  Once we have countywide collective districts the cultures and priorities of individual independent districts will begin to deteriorate, with only the needs of the collective considered.  Eventually schools will close, communities will die, and the collective will be complete.  Once the consolidators have a collective that is no longer connected to individual communities, there will be little opposition or outcry as the consolidators continue with their true plan, which is to dismantle public education and replace it with a system of charters and vouchers.  

Again, if consolidation is what communities want, they are free to choose that now, and when done forcibly, districts seem to fight it to the bitter end.  I tell you all, however, to be weary of the skullduggery of those who attack the central administrations of local independent school districts based upon the idea of “saving money”.  Little to no money will be saved, saving money is not their intention, and we all need to be aware of the facts before rushing into consolidation.  I am tired of passing bills in order to find out what’s in them.

Mike Seabolt

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
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool)
  • Confirmed 2012 Presentations: TASSP Conference (multiple sessions); Region 10 ESC Fall Leadership Conference (Keynote)

Monday, April 23, 2012

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of April 15, 2012


In a recent survey of students, a significant percentage of them admitted using their cell phones to cheat in class.  First, the good news.  This means a significant percentage of students admitted to using their cell phones for academic purposes.  Now the bad news, if cell phones can be used for cheating, that means that the academic task was by definition, low rigor (knowledge and comprehension).  To assume otherwise would mean that the teacher was completely asleep at the wheel and I’m not willing to concede that point.  Let me make my case.

If I’m going to use my cell phone to teach, I have either pre-loaded some basic information (the electronic cheat sheet) or I quickly searched for a fact (the electronic glance at the chapter or notes).  To get the right answer quickly and discretely (while the teacher is momentarily distracted) means that the question could not have been that difficult (from a cognitive standpoint).  To successfully answer a complex question (from a cognitive standpoint) would require more cheating time, which would mean that the teacher isn’t distracted, but instead isn’t paying attention to the class.

So here is where I’m going with this.  Don’t let the fear of cheating (which is not a new phenomena) be an excuse for banning bootleg technology in the classroom.  Instead make the use of available academic resources a criterion for success in the classroom and keep your head on a swivel.  It’s just good teaching.    

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now using your own 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 April 15, 2012.

1. If your boss is an idiot you essentially have three options. Manage up, hunker down or leave.

2. LYS Nation, if your state representative isn't willing to fund education he or she is an idiot... so vote them out! (By @cheadhorn)

3. It doesn't matter how well you know your content, if you don't connect with students, you can't be a good teacher.

4. Teacher location during instruction may be the most powerful yet under used tool in a teacher's toolbox. Live in the Power Zone.

5. Of all the tips to improve the quality of teacher questions in class, the only one you need to remember is, “Prepare The Questions Before Class.”

6. Anyone who believes that kicking a student out of class for a dress code violation is a good deterrent has a limited understanding of child psychology.

7. Doing the right thing consistently is not easy. It is simple, but nothing about it is easy. (By @ ToddWhitaker)

8. Only half in jest. With districts having to cut bus service, why can't we give the kids who walk or ride their bikes to school a PE credit?

9. In a presentation at the ASCD Conference, Dr. Atul Gawande reported that teacher retention is 65% higher with a coaching model versus an in-service model.

10. Walking on School Street to the original site of the first public school in America, Boston Latin School.

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
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool)
  • Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASB Conference; TASSP Conference (multiple sessions); Region 10 ESC Fall Leadership Conference (Keynote)