Just a Few More Comments on the Fundamental 5

First of all, Laird and I have been humbled by all of the calls, e-mails and texts congratulating us on the book. Thank you very much for all of the kind words.

Second, because of the LYS Nation after just one day the book shot up to number 18,526 on Amazon’s best seller list. Look out number 18,525 – we’re coming after you. Here’s the link to the book – http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Third, we will have our first book release event at the TASSP conference. If you are in Austin, Texas on Thursday, June 16 come by and see us at the convention center. We will be on the fourth floor in the common area from 8:30 to 11:15. We will sign books and the first 250 people with a book in hand will receive a Soon to be World Famous Fundamental Five Coffee Tumbler.

Fourth, if you are interested in buying campus or district sets of the book (like four campuses did yesterday) call the LYS offices at (832) 477-5323 and Jo will take your order.

Fifth, here are just a few more comments about the Fundamental 5 that LYSers have recently sent us:

“Cain and Laird have identified a new paradigm, which will transform the education of children by distilling research and applying the basic fundamentals of blocking and tackling to the classroom. Within a year, Cain and Laird's formula has dramatically taken many Texas schools from worst to first. Cain and Laird hold the keys to the future of transformative education...The Fundamental Five is simply the best teaching system I have seen. It will change education. And with it, the lives of a generation of children." Robert Brezina, President – United States Academic Decathlon

“We implemented the Fundamental Five on my campus this school year. Right after spring break, one of my most veteran teachers told me that she had come to the conclusion that implementing the practices in her room had brought an increased sense of rhythm and purpose to her teaching. She added that lessons that were always difficult for students in prior years, were less so this year. Bottom line, the Fundamental 5 made a noticeable impact in her ELA classroom.” Unnamed LYS Principal

“Since I have heard you (Cain) talk about "five for five", I have not seen it until today. Ms. Holland, a 5th grade teacher at Johnson Elementary in GPISD, nailed all of the Fundamental Five practices in the time span of just one short observation. When I acknowledged her effort and expertise, her class gave her a round of applause. How cool is that?” Jim Davis, LYS Coach

“Though skeptical at first (I’ve been to lots of trainings by lots of big names) The Fundamental Five works! There is a big difference between telling teachers that they should do something different and providing them with the tools that allows them to do something different. The Fundamental Five are the tools that every teacher needs. Thank you.” Unnamed LYS Teacher

“Purposeful discussion and positive emotions are vital to supporting educational achievement. I loudly applaud the authors in offering teachers practical advice as to how this can be achieved in their classroom.” Dr. Rich Allen, author, international speaker and trainer

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Now Available on Amazon.com! "The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction" http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Upcoming Presentation Schedule

June 11 (TASB) - The Fundamental Five; Improve Now!

June 15 (TASSP) - Improve Now!

June 16 (TASSP) - Conference Breakfast, hosted by E. Don Brown (LYS travel tumblers for the first 1000 attendees, last year we ran out); Fundamental Five; Tech Tools for the 2.0 Principal

June 17 (TASSP) - PowerWalks

June 18 (TASB) - The Fundamental Five; Improve Now!

A Meeting of the LYS Minds

The possibility of having a meeting of the LYS minds was mentioned recently on the blog. Since then, there has been considerable positive response. Not enough for a big conference, but definitely enough for a meet and greet with the chance to network with like-minded educators. Before I reveal what we are thinking, here are a couple of your comments on the idea.

“Sean, I would be glad to attend such a meeting. I think it is always helpful to share ideas and support each other in this tough job we do.”

“Count me in and I will bring some friends along as well!”

“My district is in for such an event. Colleagues need to meet and share how things are going. It's always nice to know that so many of the LYS Nation are working for students. That's our business and our calling.”

And,

“I would be interested even though I am not a member of the LYS Nation, although I'd love to be! I am a first year AP who follows your blog thanks to the suggestion of my former principal.”

For those of you who don’t know, as an entity, LYS is a huge supporter of our professional organizations, such as NAESP, NASSP, AASA, ASCD and all of their state affiliates. E. Don Brown is a former president of both the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Bob Brezina is a former president of the Texas Association of School Administrators and is the current President of the United States Academic Decathlon. So we think it is only natural to invite the LYS Nation to visit us at our booth at the NASSP Conference in Phoenix on March 11 - 14. But we also plan to host an informal LYS reception in Austin, Texas during the TASSP and TEPSA conferences this summer. I’ll post more details as we firm up the plan. The LYS Nation has spoken so we will make this happen.

As for the reader who is concerned that he or she is not a member of the LYS Nation, I propose the following citizenship test.

1. You read the blog on a regular basis.

2. You agree with at least 25% of what we discuss.

3. You disagree with at least 10% of what we discuss.

4. You recognize that as a profession, an organization, a classroom and as an individual, we are no where near meeting our potential and have a passion to chase that potential down.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Asks... (Who is Brezina)

A reader writes and asks,

“I am a member of the Concordia University M. Ed. class that you spoke of. I have enjoyed reading your posts for the last three weeks. I have passed them along to the Administrative Team members at my school, too. I found out that my principal had just joined in a few weeks prior. It is nice to know that he's continuing his professional development even though he's already a principal. There have been recent posts about "Brezina." The one in particular that I copied and put on my desk was your 5 things you learned from "Brezina Writes" on 5-28-09. I agree with all five items from your list. Can you tell me more about who Brezina is and where to find information about him?”

SC Response:
First, I’m glad that you have enjoyed the posts. What started as a way for a core group of about 4 change artists to keep up to date with what each other was doing has turned into a vibrant network of professionals that are interested in improving their campuses and leadership skills by sharing their thoughts, ideas, and observations. The fact that your principal is a reader is a good sign. Not because he reads this blog in particular, but because he is scanning the horizon, actively looking for ways to improve. Working for an active learner is always better than working for a reactionary idiot. At least that has been my experience.

Now to answer your question, “Who is Brezina?”

Bob Brezina is a retired superintendent. He had a storied career as a Texas superintendent for over 30 years. With him, there was no middle ground, you ran at full speed and did what was right for kids, or you didn’t work for him. He is also one of the most intense and intimidating superintendents I have ever met. Even in retirement, he works harder than most sitting superintendents, serving as the President of the United States Academic Decathlon, training school boards, coaching superintendents (not as unusual as you may think, the highest performers in every field have external coaches), and kicking his mentees in the butt when they need it. What you need to do is ask your Professor, Dr. Laird, to tell the class about the first time he met Mr. Brezina. That story encapsulates the much of the Brezina experience.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn…