LYS Principal Search - High School

LYS Executive Search

~ High School Principal ~

A large, central Texas school district is searching for its next high school principal

The successful candidate will have

• Demonstrated leadership success as a secondary campus principal
• Demonstrated success educating at-risk student populations
• LYS training and experience, preferred

Information of note

• Large 4A/5A high school campus
• Urban, suburban setting
•  Diverse student population
• Competitive salary and benefits

Qualified and interested candidates submit the following to Search@LeadYourSchool.com

• Letter of Interest
• Resume
• Administrator’s certifications
• Two letters of reference
• Recent campus performance data

Application Deadline: May 11, 2013

Search Consultant: E. Don Brown

LYS Executive Search

(832) 477-5323

LYS Nation, Once again a school district is targeting you to be its next campus leader. Time to step up again!

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• 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)
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations)
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Asks... Mission vs. Vision

A LYS Assistant Principal asks the following:

SC,

I am seeking your help once again. I am on a committee with my principal to help develop a mission and vision for the school. We keep getting confused between the two. My principal has assigned me the duty to simplify the definition so we can all understand, because she is confused as well. Since you always seem to solve all my dilemmas, can you please help?

SC Response

1. Great to hear from you.

2. No problem.

Many people use the two terms interchangeably.  But though they are similar, they are not the same.

Perhaps the easiest way to wrap your mind around the distinctions is this:

The pursuit and accomplishment of your mission, over time, should position you to realize your vision.

Your mission statement articulates:

A. What we do...

B. How we do it...

C. How we know we are doing it...

D. Where we are going...

Here is an example:

We take hills, by always marching forward. As we occupy more real estate, we will soon possess all of Big School Mountain.

Over time your mission statement will evolve.  After all, what is our mission after we persevered and possess all of Big School Mountain?

Your vision statement articulates:

A. Where we want to be...

B. What we value...

C. What our future holds...

D. What inspires us...

Here is an example:

Our ability to take hills protects us from our enemies and allows us live free, under the premise that all men are created equal.

Vision statements represent who you are at your core.

Here are my suggestions.

Both are important but in the short run, the mission statement is more important.  Get the organization moving in the right direction.  Over time, with purposeful action, conversation and reflection, the core of who you are as an organization will begin to emerge and you will be in a position to better articulate the vision of the group. 

Edit, edit, edit.  Long and verbose statements are quickly forgotten.  Each statement should be concise, concrete and visceral.  Consider this, The Declaration of Independence was only 1,137 words.  And it forged a nation and reshaped an empire.

Finally, the development of mission and vision statements often requires facilitation and support.  There is an art to teasing out the central ideas from a group.  I have done this in scores of schools and districts. Call me if I can help.

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• 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)
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Reader's Write... CSCOPE is the Root of All Evil (Part 1:2)

In response to the 2/12/13 post, “It Seems That CSCOPE is the Root of All Evil (Part 1 of 4),” readers write:

1. God Bless common sense. Preach on, Cain !!!!

2. AMEN Brother... Preach on!

3. You are doing an excellent job of defending our most necessary resource! Thanks for all you do!

4. Well done!

SC Response

Thank you all for the kind words.  That was the intent of the series, to use a little common sense in the defense of a useful, though imperfect instructional tool.

Though according to one reader, he saw the posts as a veiled attempt to use Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals to win the CSCOPE argument (admittedly, I had to Google it). Specifically, he accused me of ridiculing the opposition with inflammatory hyperbole. 

One, I debate on merits.  Agree or disagree, all I want is rational discourse. So no, the Alinsky attribution was misplaced.  Two, I wish I was engaging in hyperbole. But I wasn’t. Scan the Anti-CSCOPE blog sites and you will see that I used their own words and ideas. 

And that is what I find most disturbing and serves as perhaps the best (worst) indictment against public education.  Because if they are the product of our effort, it is obvious that we failed them and our communities.  

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• 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) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Writes... CSCOPE is the Root of All Evil (Part 1:1)

In response to the 2/12/13 post, “It Seems That CSCOPE is the Root of All Evil (Part 1 of 4),” a reader writes:

SC,

I completely agree with your reasoning but your case is seriously undermined with the disconnect between "sounds like" and "spells like" ["emphasizing" sort of sounds like "empathizing" but is not interchangeable - same for "unattended" and "unintended"]. You're ideas are great - maybe get an editor, though.

SC Response

First, I’m glad you see the logic in my argument.  The fact that you agree with the logic is just a bonus.

Second, I also agree the typos are at best a distracter and at worse discredit the argument.  However, the reality of writing a daily blog is that typos will slip thru. An editor is not an option, so I have to rely on my eyes (difficult when your brain knows what you intended to write) and spelling and grammar checking tools (which basically are a 93% solution).

And if you catch a grievous error, drop me a line (like you did) and I’ll fix the mistake on the blog site.  I appreciate your careful reading.

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• 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) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Superintendent Shares... An Analysis of HB5

LYS Superintendent, Dr. Mike Seabolt, shares the following:

LYS Nation,

I was asked to analyze and comment on the details of HB5 and the proposed senate compromises.  The following is my analysis, for what it’s worth:

In short, they have only changed names from some existing laws.  The one that comes to mind first is the Foundation Plan, which compares closely to the current Minimum Plan.  So essentially, as a state, we are defaulting everyone to the minimum requirement.

The college readiness indicator states the student must pass testing at the readiness standard.  That means nothing. It’s a political bar that can be changed at will by bureaucrats.

I like the idea that all students take the SAT or ACT, but that will generate an unintended, but predictable, consequence. Average statewide ACT and SAT scores will drop if all students take the test. Which creates an interesting caveat: All students, by design, default to the minimum plan, which without question does not prepare one for college. Yet, by design, all students have to take the SAT or ACT.  There seems to be a logical inconsistency here, and when I see logical inconsistencies, experience has taught me that there is a political agenda at play, not an educational agenda.

As far as feasibility, I think for the majority of schools this is a pipe dream that only works on paper.  In practical terms there is a significant problem with the tremendous amount of flexibility given to students to choose their paths and course requirements.  Where I must say the flexibility appeals to me, it is foolish to think this is not expensive. For example, if I have a store and I want to stock the shelves with variety, this increases both cost and risk.  I can stock the shelves with things I am certain will move fast, and that may satisfy 60% of the population.  To reach the other 40% I have to get into variety.  The problem is, what happens if I invest in inventory that only appeals to 5% of customers?  Now I have tied up cash and profits into overhead that may never be recovered.  In fact, if the items I stocked only appeal to 5% of the customers but I invested 15% of my capital into the items, it may turn out be a costly venture indeed.  The point is flexibility costs money.  Which brings us to reality.

The reality is that without increased funding from the state to pay for mandated flexibility, there will be none.  For example, if I have 15 students who want Year 4 Math Option 1 and 12 students who want Year 4 Math Option 2 and 20 students who want Year 4 Math Option 3, I have generated three needed sections for a teacher.  In the old system I could have taught the same 47 students in two sections if they were given no choice of the 4^th year math. The desire for flexibility has significantly increased the cost of educating my students.  At our high school which is by all definitions, small, I will need at least two additional teachers (most likely four) in order to offer any real flexibility to students.  That is a substantial increase in spending and I don’t see any mention in the bills to pay for this.  Without funding, schools will continue to funnel students into 4^th year courses that available staff can teach, hence flexibility paper, blame for the provider. 

In short, the wording of these bills tries to please everyone: fewer required courses; college testing for everyone; more flexibility; and no extra money from taxpayers to pay for it. 

This is governance? Seriously?

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• 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) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of April 14, 2013

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now Twitter users.  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 14, 2013.

1. Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors in West, Texas. (By @hola_alfredo)

2. It bears repeating: It is amazing the effect on instructional rigor when you let students talk and write.

3. Educators have one of two roles- either they teach or they SUPPORT teaching and learning. (By @brandyjbaker)

4. Here is the only cell phone in the classroom rule you need: Your phone must always be out, on the desk, face up. Total transparency

5. Teacher vs. Student centered classroom environment...who takes up more square feet in the room? (By @hjgrubbs)

6. When "we" signed on as administrators, "walk-throughs" were non-negotiables. So why do we treat them as negotiables? (By @fosterbkay)

7. Hello intentional classroom walk-thru’s. Goodbye stuff & things! (By @hjgrubbs)

8. LYS is conducting a High School Principal search. Are you up to the challenge? Here's the link - http://tinyurl.com/LYSSearch 

9. LYS is searching for a world-class elementary school principal. Are you the one? Here's the link - http://tinyurl.com/LYSSearch 

10. E. Don Brown just presented to 200 educators for 3 hours. He had major surgery 2 weeks ago. I'm up in 5 minutes and I just got a paper cut. Time to cowboy up!

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• 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) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Elementary School Principal Search

LYS Executive Search

~ Elementary School Principal ~

A large, central Texas school district is searching for its next elementary school principal

The successful candidate will have

• Demonstrated leadership success as a campus administrator
• Demonstrated success educating at-risk student populations
• LYS training and experience, preferred

Information of note

• Mid-sized elementary school campus
• Urban, suburban setting
• Diverse student population
• Competitive salary and benefits

Qualified and interested candidates submit the following to Search@LeadYourSchool.com

•  Letter of Interest
• Resume
• Administrator’s certifications
• Two letters of reference
• Recent campus performance data

Application Deadline: May 11, 2013

Search Consultant: E. Don Brown

LYS Executive Search

(832) 477-5323

LYS Nation, Once again a school district is targeting you to be its next campus leader. Time to step up again!

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/Fundamental5
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• 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) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook