Friday, February 5, 2016

It's An Honor To Be Nominated

Yesterday, a friend and fellow LYSer sent me a link to a blog post with a message, “Hey, check out the lists!”

The post is an active poll to identify some of today’s top education policy thinkers, chucked in age groups. I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for these type of polls so of course I clicked the link and started reading and voting. The group in their 20’s, was the list where I recognized the fewest candidates, The group in their 50’s, I recognized the most candidates.  But the group in their 40’s... there was the big surprise.

As LYS Educators (like you) continue to be relentless in their focus on maximizing student opportunity, our beliefs and practices are slowing spreading from state to state. Bottom line, People Are Noticing.

So check out the poll, the link is below. Then vote early and vote often.


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 
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
  • Upcoming Presentations: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National 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

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Why I Like Talking to High School Students

Recently, I was on a high school campus conducting an initial assessment. During the afternoon, I was in a classroom observing instruction.  In the course of this, I was looking over the shoulder of a student to read what he was writing when he looked up and said, “Hey, you were in my class this morning.  What are you doing?”

I said, “Checking out classrooms and determining how hard you are thinking.”

“You can do that?”

“Yes.”

“So how hard am I thinking?”

“Not very.”

“Damn....”

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 
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
  • Upcoming Presentations: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National 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

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Legendary Leadership Badge (January 2016)

There are those who do not understand the power of reflective observation.  They mistakenly believe that there is nothing to learn after a few cursory visits to a classroom.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, the most important key to building insight and deeper understanding about teaching and learning is to engage in a steady volume of daily classroom observation.  What we have learned over the past ten years is that after about every 300 classroom observations, the observer will notice, discern, and/or learn something new... something that was previously hidden. It is the “Eureka” moment, and there is nothing else like it in instructional leadership.

In this pursuit, there is the PowerWalks Legendary Leadership Badge that is earned every 300th PowerWalks Observation. The following instructional leaders have already earned the Legendary Leadership Badge for the 2015/2016 school year (as of 1/31/16).

Two Badges

Glenn Barnes:  November 2015; January 2016
Todd Durham: October 2015; January 2016
Van LeJeune: October 2015; January 2016
Nassrin Spencer: October 2015; January 2016


Pattie Myers: October 2015; December 2015
Shelia Ochoa: December 2105; December 2015
Janie Snyder: November 2015; December 2015


One Badge

Lynn Anderson: January 2016
Teresa Bodey: January 2016
Denise Collins: January 2016
Francisco Delgado: January 2016
Demetrio Garcia: January 2016
Donny Hearn: January 2016
Paige Johnson: January 2016
Daniel Kotara: January 2016
Chesta Schneider: January 2016
Lisa Weaver: January 2016
Greb Wollenzien: January 2016

Pete Armstrong: December 2015
Anna Bryant: December 2015
Shele Coburn: December 2015
Shannon Clancy: December 2015
LuJean Daniel: December 2015
Charlotte Goudeau: December 2015
GayLynn Holt: December 2015
Gail Johnson: December 2015
Stephen McCanless: December 2015
Kimberly McKnight: December 2015
Edna O’Bryant: December 2015
Dawn O’Connor: December 2015
Denise Poland: December 2015
Rebecca Smith: December 2015
Christina Spears: December 2015
Marti Turner: December 2015
Tamika Washington: December 2015
Cody White: December 2015
Pamela Williams: December 2015

Esther Boateng: November 2015
Karen Ivy: November 2015
Shirley Jenkins: November 2015
Ana Lopez: November 2015
Erica Moody: November 2015
Jeffrey Smith: November 2015
Sheila Stephens: November 2015
Sandra Wilson: November 2015

Wes Brown: October 2015
Edward Husk: October 2015
Steve Sherrouse: October 2015

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 
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
  • Upcoming Presentations: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National 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

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

PowerWalks Hero Schools (January 2016)

In furtherance of a LYS Nation tradition, we will take this time to tip our caps to the campuses that have embraced the most important step in creating and maintaining an action oriented professional learning community.  These are the campuses that have conducted an extraordinary number of formative classroom observations in a given month.  For the month of January, the PowerWalks Hero School Targets were as follows:

January Hero School Targets
High Schools – 150 PowerWalks Observations
Middle Schools / Junior High Schools – 120 PowerWalks Observations
Elementary / Intermediate / Combined Campuses – 100 PowerWalks Observations
Alternative Schools – 50 PowerWalks Observations

With the shorter month and the always present ‘bad weather days’, we will adjust the February targets to the following levels:

February Hero School Targets
High Schools – 135 PowerWalks Observations
Middle Schools / Junior High Schools – 105 PowerWalks Observations
Elementary / Intermediate / Combined Campuses – 90 PowerWalks Observations
Alternative Schools – 45 PowerWalks Observations

In January, all of the schools using the PowerWalks Instructional Observation System conducted a total of 13,738 classroom observations. A commendable job, LYS Nation! But now, without further ado, here are your forty-one PowerWalks Hero Schools for the month of January 2016.  Congratulations!!!

Elementary Schools & Combined Campuses
Middle Schools & Junior High Schools
Alternative Schools
High Schools
Southside PS (CISD) - 670
Cleveland MS (CISD) - 419
Frederick Douglas Learning Center (CISD) - 73
Jacksboro HS (JISD) - 456
Colonial Hills ES (NEISD) - 565
Vernon MS (VISD) - 371

Kermit HS (KISD) - 327
McFee ES (CFISD) - 397
Marlin MS (MISD) - 337

Fairdale HS (JCPS) - 321
Live Oak Learning Center (ACISD) - 373
Kermit JH (KISD) - 249

Dublin HS (DISD) - 309
Eastside ES (CISD) - 318
Rockport-Fulton Middle School (ACISD) - 228

Rockport-Fulton High School (ACISD) - 280
Northside ES (CISD) - 300
Borger MS (BISD) - 182

Mayde Creek HS (KISD) - 246
Fulton Learning Center (ACISD) - 297
Poteet JH (PISD) - 159

Morton Ranch HS (KISD) - 239
Poteet ES/IS (PISD) - 285
Ector Middle School (ECISD) - 146

Poteet HS (PISD) - 195
Rennell ES (CFISD) - 280


Cleveland HS (CISD) - 190
Kermit ES (KISD) - 244


Borger HS (BISD) - 176
Kirbyville ES (KCISD) - 233



Marlin ES (MISD) - 226



Little Bay Primary School (ACISD) - 223



Gateway ES (BISD) - 206



Veterans Hill ES (HISD) - 203



Dublin IS (DISD) - 187



Dublin ES (DISD) - 180



Reed ES (CFISD) - 130



Ray ES (HISD) - 120



Ault ES (CFISD) - 116



Cottonwood Creek ES (HISD) - 103



Hutto ES (HISD) - 100




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
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
  • Upcoming Presentations: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National 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

Monday, February 1, 2016

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of January 24, 2016

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of January 24, 2016 when they were first posted.  And if you are on Twitter, you might want to check out the Tweeters who made this week’s list.

1. Even the best athletes in the world have coaches. (By @8Amber8)

2. Sometimes we learn as much from our enemies as our friends. (By @clwilkens)

3. Adult practice drives student performance! (By @KdherreraEMS)

4. Champions are champions not because they do anything extraordinary but because they do ordinary things better than anyone else. – Chuck Noll (By @CoachMotto)

5. Meeting minimum standards simply means that you are "Not Bad." Don't confuse that with actually being "Good." (By @LYSNation)

6. It's always fun hanging out at elementary schools! So much energy and excitement! (By @herbertoneiljr)

7. Researchers and scholars have found very large impacts of teacher quality on student achievement.  Teacher quality matters! (By @tgrierhisd)

8. You can't vote for pro-public education candidates if you're not registered to vote! (By @TACSnet)

9. It's hard to forgive when your first actions are revenge. (By @clwilkens)

10. Jeff Van Gundy (former college and NBA head coach) just dropped one of the most honest, surprising quotes on us: “A well-timed injury can be important for team chemistry." (By @LanceZierlein)

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 
  • Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
  • Upcoming Presentations: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National 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