A Quick TASA/TASB Recap

We wrapped up another great TASA/TASB Conference and once again the LYS Booth was a hub of activity. The vendors in the booth around us asked us more than once, “What exactly are you selling?” The answer, “Nothing. We’re all Texas school leaders. This conference is the chance for all of us to check in and catch up with all our friends and colleagues.” And we got to see a lot of you. I took a couple of pictures to share and a big thank you to the following groups and individuals that stopped by to just say “Hi.”

The Aldine Board, the Beeville Board, Eddie Bland, the Borger Board, Bonny Cain, Ben Carson, James Colbert, Tim Edwards, Robert Duron, the Florence Board, Karen Garza, Lloyd Graham, Richard Griffin, Les Hooper, the Huffman Board, Larry Hutto, the Hutto Board, Marion Jones, Chad Kelly, Wade Labay, the Manor Board, the Midland Board, the Mont Alto Board, Jim Nelson, the Northwest Board, Pete Pape, Andy Peters, Tommy Price, Harold Ramm, Randy Reid, the Royal Board, Elizabeth Saenz, the San Antonio Board, John Sawyer, Mike Seabolt, William Smith, Steve Snell, the Splendora Board, the Tom Bean Board, Chris Trotter, Ed Tweedie, the Vidor Board, the Vernon Board, the Waco Board, Kay Wagner, the West Board, John Wilson, Michael Zolkoski

The list is incomplete and if I missed you, just know that it is do to my sub-par, short-term memory. If you missed us, we’ll present and have a booth at the SIRC Conference latter this month and do the same at the TASA Mid-winter Conference in February.

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

Come visit us at the LYS Booth at the TASA/TASB Fall Conference on 9/30/11 and 10/1/11

Attend the LYS presentations at the Texas School Improvement Conference on 10/26/11 and 10/27/11

The Big Easy Writes... (TASSP / TASB Wrap Up)

In response to the 6/22/2011 post, “TASSP / TASB Wrap Up," the Big Easy writes:

As I reflected on this blog something just came to me that seems a bit of a paradox, and yet, is interesting enough. I have read, "It is not about what you learn. It is about how you learn it."

So does this mean that learning is not like scoring in an athletic contest, but is in fact as much about style points?

Not so fast. Is it about how you score - touchdown vs. field goal, homerun vs. squeeze play, three point shot vs. layup? How you score (learn) assumes that scoring (learning the right "stuff") took place. So the question becomes “How do you hit a homerun in classroom?” LYSers know the answer.

SC Response

After reading your comment, up is down... right is left... Make it stop.

I think I know where you are going with this. It is one thing to just know the fact (scoring). It is another thing all together to connect facts, create meaning, and communicate revealing questions and understanding. Which is why the LYS Nation continues to separate itself from the masses. Others are operating on varying degrees of autopilot and panic (more of the same and “fix the broke kids” programs). The LYSer is engaged in purposeful application, driven by analysis and synthesis. Evaluated though the lens of student performance (style point capacity building).

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

TASSP / TASB Wrap Up

Last week was a blast at TASSP and TASB – North Texas. At TASSP, the LYS Booth was a constant hub of activity with LYS campus leaders old and new stopping by to catch up and connect. I looked up one time and counted 25 LYS principals and assistant principals all clustered around the booth talking shop. Our main presentations on the Fundamental Five and the Foundation Trinity were standing room only. Our two bonus presentations addressing Bootleg Technology and PowerWalks were well attended, especially considering the times when both were scheduled. We were overrun at the conference breakfast, handing out over 1,200 coffee tumblers in less than an hour. Finally, the book, “The Fundamental 5,” was the runaway best seller at the conference bookstore. The store was going to stock 10 copies, I suggested 100. They took 80 and sold out.

At the North Texas TASB conference, we were standing room only for Fundamental Five and at capacity for the Foundation Trinity. I cannot complement our Texas school board members enough. They took copious notes and asked specific, relevant questions. For unpaid volunteers, they attack their role with passion and focused curiosity.

It was great to see everyone who attended and I appreciate everything you do. I’ve attached a number of photos from the conferences. You just might be in one of them.

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

Louise ISD is searching for a Superintendent. Application details at www.LeadYourSchool.com

A Central Texas School District is searching for an Assistant Superintendent. Application details at www.LeadYourSchool.com

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

South Texas TASB Conference Review

This past weekend was the South Texas TASB Conference. Though attendance was slightly down for the conference, you would not have known it from our sessions. I don’t know our actual room count, but we had 250 handouts for each session (Foundation Trinity and Fundamental Five) and in both instances we ran out of copies and had standing room only in the room with people also standing outside in the hall so they could listen. We could not have asked for better audiences. Our board members asked great questions, took prolific notes and their discussions were focused and meaningful. They raised the bar extremely high for the rest of our summer presentations.

If you missed us at this weekend, we hope to see you later this week at the TASSP Conference or the North Texas TASB Conference. And don’t forget to get to the room early, because seats go fast. I have included some audience photos that I took right before we were getting started for the first session. Even at 8:25am you can see that it is almost a full house. A big “THANKS” to all of the LYSers (many people are surprised at the number of school board members follow the blog) that attended or took the time to stop by before the session to say “hi.”

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

Louise ISD is searching for a Superintendent. Application details at www.LeadYourSchool.com

A Central Texas School District is searching for an Assistant Superintendent. Application details at www.LeadYourSchool.com

Follow Sean Cain on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Upcoming Events / Presentation Schedule

June 15, TASSP Conference - "Improve Now!"

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

June 16, TASSP Conference – Book Release Event for “The Fundamental 5”

June 16, TASSP Conference - "The Fundamental 5"

June 16, TASSP Conference - "Tech Tools for the 2.0 Principal"

June 17, TASSP Conference - "PowerWalks"

June 18, North Texas TASB Conference - "Improve Now!" and "The Fundamental 5"

Update from the Field - Texas Charter School Conference and TEPSA Webinar

The Texas Charter School Conference threw another successful conference. Highlights included:

1. Seeing some old friends from my days when I was the State Director of Innovative School Redesign.

2. The official Chef of the LYS Nation, Chef Dwayne, set up another four-star meal for a group of LYS Principals and Central Office Administrators at his restaurant, the Chart House in the Tower of the Americas. As long time readers know, I will put Chef Dwayne and his staff up against any other restaurant in the country.

3. Seeing a different teacher from John Woods Charter every time I turned around.

4. The enthusiastic audience for my presentation and the great discussion pieces that they added.

5. But the biggest surprise came from George Sanders, one of my teachers from my Harris County days. George showed up for my session, without realizing I was the presenter. We were both surprised and when he told me that he is now a principal who led an exemplary school last year, I could not have been more proud and happy.

The TEPSA webinar, my first as a presenter, went as well as I could expect considering that I am a novice. I still have to learn how to talk for 45 minutes without moving and without visual or verbal feedback. It is a strange experience. But the close to 100 attendees stayed logged in for the whole time and the questions that were sent in lead me to believe that they found the information useful and timely.

If you took the time to listen to me at either of these events, thank you. If you didn’t get the chance, in the near future we’ll be at the TASA Mid-Winter Conference, TASB Winter Law Conference, AASA National Conference and NASSP National Conference. Get out and represent your school, your district and the LYS Nation.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

TASA/TASB Conference Summary

Another great Fall conference. As usual, the LYS booth was a hub of activity, with old friends and colleagues stopping by to catch up with and/or check up on other members of the LYS Nation. Some notable visitors included Dr. Richard Griffin, Coach Tim Edwards, Dr. Jerry Roy, Dr. Mike Laird, and Dr. Rod Paige.

We also distributed another 1000 world famous Lead Your School koozies, again running out before the conference ended. And as you can see from the picture, there was an extended meeting with roots of the three major branches of the LYS Family Tree – Brezina, Brown and Berry.

If we missed seeing you, we’ll rectify that at the TASA Mid-Winter Conference, the TASB Winter Conference, the AASA National Conference or the NASSP National Conference.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Come See Us at the TASA/TASB Fall Conference

All right LYS Nation, if you are attending the TASA/TASB Fall Conference in Houston, stop by the LYS Booth and say "Howdy."

I’ll be there, E. Don will be there, there’s a chance that Lesa and Dr. Jim will make an appearance. And of course, as some of the new LYSer’s have dubbed him, “The Brezina” will be holding court. As a former president of the Texas Association of School Administrators, it’s his homecoming.

We’ll be looking for you on the convention floor and we’ll have a supply of the world famous Lead Your School koozies.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Chef Dewayne

I was able to travel the country this summer to work with dedicated LYS educators, speak to packed halls filled with excited audiences, and discuss theory with some of the best thinkers and practitioners in our field. All phenomenal highlights, but one of the best moments was one that on the surface seemed unrelated to schools.

After my presentation at TASB in San Antonio, I had a choice, fight rush hour traffic or wait at the Chart House in the Tower of the America’s. So I grabbed my co-presenter Dr. Mike Laird and we went to the restaurant. The Executive Chef, Chef Dwayne, follows the blog and is a member of the LYS Nation.

Chef Dwayne expects his restaurant to be the best in both San Antonio and the best in the Chart House chain. He monitors every detail of the restaurant, constantly coaches his staff, and models both charm and excellence. I marvel at the way his staff works like a well-oiled machine, but until this summer, I thought it was just the “Chart House Way.” I was wrong; it is the “Chef Dwayne Way.”

Two weeks after the visiting the Chart House in San Antonio, the LYS team visited the Chart House in Monterrey Bay. It was nice, but it wasn’t special. The staff moved a little slower, they were a little less attentive, and their overall presentation was just OK.

Once again, a real world reminder that the organization takes its cues from leadership. If leadership is OK with OK, then OK is what you get. If leadership doesn’t monitor what is important, then what is important receives diminished attention, by everyone.

The bottom line is that it is up to leadership to position the organization to maximize its potential. If you are not working to do that, what are you working on?

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Updates from the On-going LYS World Tour

This has been a whirl-wind ride of the past couple of days. In just four days I have conducted 8 major presentations in 4 different cities. The highlights include multiple standing room only crowds at the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference, multiple standing room only crowds at the Texas Association of School Board Conference, and a capacity crowd at the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association conference. Then at the LYS Breakfast Reception at TASSP, we had over 700 campus leaders stop by.

Now I’m catching a 6:00am flight to California. I have to soften them up a little bit before they have to deal with Brezina and Brown.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Come Out and Say Hi

It is conference time in Texas and as always, LYS is an active participant. This week alone, we will have a booth at the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals convention. Along with the booth, I will present twice on Wednesday, E. Don Brown will host the TASSP / LYS breakfast on Thursday morning, all attendees are invited. On Friday afternoon we will train conference attendees on the PowerWalks system. Again, this is open to all conference participants. Some groups talk about supporting schools, we just step up and do it.

Thursday, I will present twice at the Texas Association of School Boards Summer Leadership Conference. As of now there are over 500 board members pre-registered for the sessions. Board members love hearing about the LYS nation.

Then on Friday morning I will present at the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association conference.

So if you are in the area, stop by and say “hi.” And if you are at any of these conventions, get to the meeting room early, because the LYS presentations are always standing room only.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Save the Dates and Come See Us Live

The Spring / Summer speaking tour dates have been finalized. The LYS crew would sure like to see you in the audiences at the following conferences:

March 11 to March 14, 2010
National Association of Secondary School Principals Convention in Phoenix
Visit the LYS Booth

March 14, 2010
National Association of Secondary School Principals Convention in Phoenix
Presentation by Sean Cain

May 13, 2010
Texas Charter School Conference in Dallas
Presentation by Sean Cain

June 9 to June 11, 2010
Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference in Austin
Visit the LYS Booth

June 9, 2010
Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference in Austin
Multiple Presentations by Sean Cain

June 10, 2010
Texas Association of School Boards Summer Leadership Institute in San Antonio
Multiple Presentations by Sean Cain

June 11, 2010
Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Conference in Austin
Multiple Presentations by Sean Cain

June 11, 2010
Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference in Austin
Post Conference Training Session by E. Don Brown and Sean Cain
(available to all TASSP members and conference attendees)

June 19, 2010
Texas Association of School Boards Summer Leadership Institute in Fort Worth
Multiple Presentations by Sean Cain

LYS Nation, make your travel arrangements now because we’re coming to see you.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Come See Us

This coming week LYS will be out at two different conferences.

The first one is the Texas Association of School Boards Winter Governance Seminar in Corpus Christi, Texas. On Thursday, February 11th, I'll present on the realities of leading meaningful change.

LYS will also have a booth at the American Association of School Administrators Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. On Friday, February 12th, Dr. Mike Laird and I will present on rapidly bridging achievement gaps.

If you are in either area, stop by and visit. It is always great to personally catch up with members of the LYS Nation.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...