As mentioned in the 8/2/16 post, “
Rely on People or Rely on Systems,” the A+
priority of leadership is designing, building, and revising a system that
prioritizes effort for the purpose of maximizing results. But I didn’t expound
on which results. In education we
can pick any number of result categories to focus on. Three common categories are spending, adult comfort and
student success. What I would like
you to consider is that two of these are a zero sum game (if one wins, the
others lose). Only one path yields
the elusive win/win, and only in the long term.
First, let’s look at the focus on spending. It is possible to create systems that
minimize spending. Hooray, I win
the budget cutting game! However, the ultimate win in this game is to stretch staff and facilities to the point
where the school provides low quality day care in decrepit warehouse like
environments. This is a miserable
loss in terms of adult comfort and student success.
Now let’s look at adult comfort (which too many education
leaders mistakenly call morale.
They ARE NOT the same thing).
It is possible to create systems that maximize adult comfort. Hooray, I
win the my staff is happy game! However, the ultimate win in this game is to
overpay staff to show up and teach whatever they want, whenever they want,
anyway they want. Scores and
performance don't matter, because any lack of success is the fault of
students, their families, the community, in fact everyone other than the person
actually teaching in the classroom.
From a budget standpoint, the taxpayer foots a bill with next to nothing
to show for it. This is a miserable loss in terms of budget and student
success.
So let’s look at student success. It is possible to create systems that maximize student
opportunity. Hooray, I win the
students success game! However,
the ultimate win in this game means that I have to pay staff fairly and invest
in training, tools and facilities.
In the short run, this means that I’m losing the budget game. But in the long run, schools that
improve student outcomes enhance the taxable value of local real estate and
create a more skilled workforce that generate higher levels of tax revenue and
attract a wider array of businesses.
This is a long-term win.
Also, to win the student success game, in the short-run,
adult comfort in negatively impacted.
Staff have to train, plan, adjust, collaborate, reflect, and break a
sweat, all day, every day. In
short, they have to work, which is darn near an antonym to comfort. However,
when educators see the positive effect of their work on student performance,
they become highly satisfied and increasingly motivated. I’ll take that over
comfort 10 times out of 10.
All of this to illustrate the following point. If as a
leader in education, you are focused on anything other than student success,
ultimately you are playing a loser’s game.
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: LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote); The
2016 Texas Charter School Conference (Multiple Presentations); The 4th
Annual Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote)
- Follow
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