The Big Easy Writes... (My Property Tax Appraisal - Part 1)

In response to the 4/15/2011 post, “My Property Tax Appraisal – Part 1,” The Big Easy writes:

As I see it, part of the problem is that:

1. A large percentage of the population is in the "baby boomer" category.

2. Baby boomers, and many others for that matter, have little connection to education, much less educators.

3. The perception of many in category 2 is, "I don't need education at this time in my life. Thus, I have no burning desire to support educators, especially with my money."

4. I do "need" firefighters and police officers, especially in the world we now live.

I have an idea. What if we stayed in touch with our alumni and kept them involved? Really involved and not just once a year at homecoming football game. Newsletters, open invitation to visit, alumni competitions between classes, etc. (someone more creative than me could surely take this and run with it).

The bottom line is that we have to do a better job of marketing the product - the value of education, not just for today's student, but also for today's society. Where better to start than with those who can relate - alumni?

Trust me, I’m a Doctor.

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

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

A Reader Writes... (More on PLC's - Part 2)

In response to the 6/16/2011 post, "More on PLC’s – Part 1," a reader writes:

I couldn't disagree with the writer more...You have missed the point of PLC’s. Because accountability is moving so fast you can't NOT to embrace PLC’s. It is about creating a culture of professional collaboration to improve practice. The Fundamental Five alone will never give you that. Therefore it is LESS efficient or effective, sans a PLC or some form thereof.

Quality teaching is a profession not a trade. It requires teamwork with professional "talk" beyond a series of basic discrete steps, a la the Fundamental Five or Foundation Trinity. The Foundation Trinity alone is merely a recipe to follow without a PLC to "move" the teachers; a PLC allows the Foundation Trinity to become gospel and the Fundamental Five the bible when teachers convene regularly to study their practice.

SC Response

I don’t see a lot of disagreement in the previous post and yours. I see the main area of contention to be timing. Obviously, you are correct in your position that teaching is a profession, not a trade. However, if the culture and practice of a staff has been that of tradesmen (tradespeople?), the move to professionalism requires time, support, and specific direction. A PLC does not spring up due to wishes and good intentions.

So with both of us agreeing that the end state must be a functioning, reflective, student focused PLC, how does one go about cultivating one in the most effective and efficient way possible?

This is where the true value of the Foundation Trinity and Fundamental Five resides. As you state, the Foundation Trinity alone is merely a recipe. But it is the recipe the focuses the brainpower of the organization solely on the expansion of student opportunity. Just because I recognize flour, eggs, sugar and milk doesn’t mean that I am a master chef or can even bake a cake. But the longer I practice, share, and reflect on my success at following the recipe, the better I get at it. What this means from a practical standpoint is that until you get the organization using same ingredients and following the same recipe, spending a significant amount of time talking about how to cook better is an empty exercise. And to have the organization talk about something other than cooking as a precursor to “cooking talk,” is simply demeaning and waste of precious time and resources.

So to leave my cooking metaphor in the kitchen, what this means in the field is that you begin with the Foundation Trinity, often with very little discussion. As the staff goes though the motions of executing the trinity, they begin to develop insights on what the trinity is telling them. At that point Leadership has to carve out time and facilitate the discussions and insights that are driven by focused execution. The PLC develops and grows as the capacity of the staff develops and grows.

This is the fatal flaw of those attempting to implement a PLC where one has never existed before. One sees functioning PLC’s and think, “Well how hard can that be? They are smart, we are smart. They get along, we get along. They like kids, we like kids. We will do this to.”

If only it was that easy.

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

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

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of June 19, 2011

Since I have been publicly advocating for the increased use of bootleg technology in schools, I have been getting some questions concerning internet filters and blocked web sites. The answer to most of these questions are addressed in an article written by Tina Barseghian, “Straight from the DOE: Dispelling Myths About Blocked Sites” (April 26, 2011). The following is a summary of that article.

Here are some surprising rules that educators, administrators, parents and students might not know about website filtering in schools.

• The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) does require filtering to block student access to inappropriate websites

• Accessing YouTube is not violating CIPA rules.

• Websites don’t have to be blocked for teachers.

• Broad filters are not helpful.

• Schools will not lose E-Rate funding by unblocking appropriate sites.

• Kids need to be taught how to be responsible digital citizens.

• Teachers should be trusted. “If the technology fails us and filters something appropriate and useful, and if teachers in their professional judgment think it’s appropriate, they should be able to show it.”

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now using bootleg technology devices to follow Twitter. 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 June 19, 2011, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. I see that Memphis schools are going to include student input on teacher evaluations. I don't see an upside to this.

2. Memphis continued: I was an ass to many of my teachers when I was in high school. My rating of them then is not how I would rate them now.

3. Memphis continued: I want my teachers to teach with courage and conviction, not fear.

4. Restrictions on children: Voting, smoking, drinking, driving, contracts, work, etc. What idiot thinks it is a good idea to let them rate teachers?

5. Student choice is not the ultimate goal. Increasing student opportunity is the ultimate goal. This often entails limiting student choice.

6. Some LYS data - Unnamed district: 6 LYS Secondary Schools, overall attendance improved 0.43%; 2 non-LYS Secondary Schools, attendance fell 0.45%. Nice Job LYS’ers!

7. Congratulations to LYS Principal Jerry Gibson on his promotion. Who will be next?

8. Congratulations to LYS Principal Dr. John Jenkins on his promotion. Who will be next?

9. Congratulations to LYS Principal Dr. Stephen Wurtz on his new promotion. Who will be next?

10. Congratulations to LYS Principal Donnie Bartlett on his new school in his new district. Who will be next?

11. Congratulations to LYS'er Fletcher Turcato on getting his first principalship. Who will be next?

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

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

A Reader Writes... (Remember the Main Objective is to Drain the Swamp)

In response to the 5/3/11 post, “Remember the Main Objective is to Drain the Swamp,” a LYS Principal writes:

SC,

I really needed the reminder yesterday that my goal is to drain the swamp. I am up to my butt in alligators. I read the post, and then went into my procedural team meeting with all my “Type A, Pet Peeve” people and relieved myself of an alligator. I told one of the participants in the middle of the meeting, "We aren't really here to fix your pet peeves and if that is why you volunteered to be on this team, you are wrong." She excused herself and we moved onto a very productive meeting.

Keep it up.

SC Response

It is so easy to lose perspective when you are in the thick of daily routines. As educators, we are attuned to customer service and problem solving. Overall this is not a bad thing. In fact it is a result of us being people-centric. But it also means that very quickly we can find ourselves spending much of our time working to solve issues and problems that have no impact on the greater good.

That is why the Foundation Trinity is the engine of school improvement. Properly executed, we are forced to answer the following questions over and over again.

1. Are we teaching today what we are supposed to teach today?

2. Did our students learn what we were supposed to teach?

3. Did we deliver instruction to the best of our ability?

If your daily activities revolve primarily around insuring that all three questions are answered with an “affirmative,” your part of the swamp is being drained.

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

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

A Reminder From the Ol' Ball Coach

The following is a summer checklist from the Ol’ Ball Coach.

Since the LYS Nation represents the hardest working educators in the land, I thought I might need to remind you of your agenda for the next month:

1. Relax

2. Take some time for friends and family

3. Take some time for yourself

4. Get bored

5. Recharge

6. Be thankful for all the above

Thank you for being there for our youth and enjoy the rest of your summer

The Ol’ Ball Coach.

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