A Reader Writes... (Yes, I Know the Hours are Long - Part 11)

In response to the post, “Yes, I Know the Hours are Long – Part 1 & 2 (11/7/2010),” a LYS Principal writes:

I am one of the old time LYS guys, and I am one of the original writers of this fine blog. I know Sean Cain very well. And here is a news flash: Sean and I only agree about 90 percent of the time. We learn from each other, and I propose that it is the 10% we disagree on that drives our learning from each other. After all, if we agreed 100% on everything, there would be no need for me to call Sean, or for Sean to call me, on any issue.

As far as long hours, I think we ask teachers to do too much. We want teachers to embrace modern best practices, but still expect them to do everything teachers did in 1970. Teachers don't have time to be class sponsors. Teachers don't have time to do fund raisers for prom. Teachers don't have time to attend gratuitous meetings that could be handled with a memo. Teachers are asked to do too much duty that doesn't matter.

Let's look at administrators. Principals are expected to be instructional leaders, but they too are asked to do all the things principals did 30 years ago. Principals are supposed to coach teachers, be in classrooms, develop real improvement strategies, and communicate vision. On the other hand, Principals spend literally half of their time monitoring extra-curricular activities, which in my opinion have minimal (almost ZERO) impact on student academic performance. If you care to debate this point, I double dog dare you. Bring your “A” game.

Teachers need to focus on high quality delivery (instruction) of an aligned curriculum.

Principals need to focus on the high quality delivery (instruction) on an aligned curriculum.

At this point our schools are not good enough to focus on anything else. If extra-curricular activities were going to deliver the academic goods promised, they would have already done so. Concerning extra-curricular activities, educators sold school boards, parents, and students a bill of goods that has never delivered what was promised. I estimate the State of Texas spends anywhere from $3 to $10 billion dollars annually to fund extra-curricular activities. With a near $20 billion dollar budget shortfall, I can show you where to cut up to $10 billion that will never be missed. How did we get to the point where the public was funding the entertainment of our children? Yes, children put a strong value on extra-curricular activities. Guess why? I propose it is because ADULTS place high value on extra-curricular activities, hence kids follow what adults model. What if adults valued curricular activities as much as extra-curricular activities?

Don't get me wrong; I am not saying extra-curricular activities have no value. I am saying that toxicity is a matter of dosage. Oxygen in extreme dosages in lethal, as the lack of oxygen is lethal. Extra-curricular activities ceased to be about kids a long time ago and we have reached a dosage that is causing toxicity. Club sports funded by parents would be a far better option and would remove the burden of paying for the entertainment of children from the taxpayers.

Remember, Time, Energy, and Effort are finite and zero sum. Once they are gone, they can't be replenished. As a profession, we have to abandon the old ideas and practices that retard growth. BTW, I have thrown out some ideas here that Sean and I disagree upon, and I assure you he will post them on the blog in due time. No one is censored here. May the best idea win.

SC Response

It is my hope that the writer of the original posts has stuck with the blog (I can’t distinguish between comments from e-mail subscribers and web-site readers). If so, he or she can see that the purpose of the blog is honest, critical discourse – not blind agreement with each other. You are right, the two of us, who have voluntarily worked with, and in, some of the toughest schools in the country, still disagree on a regular basis. And it doesn’t bother me in the least. In fact, every time we disagree, I’m reminded of our mentors, E. Don Brown and Fred Richardson. Before retirement, they were recognized as two of the best high school principals in the country. About the only thing they agreed on was that schools can be better and that their schools would be better. After that they disagreed as often as they agreed. The day we agree on every thing is the day we have both lost our edge.

I too think that we ask teachers to do entirely too much. I believe that we would be better served with a staff of experts, as opposed to a staff of “Jacks of All Trades.” I also understand that the key to building expertise is focus. This understanding drove the development of the Foundation Trinity and Foundation Five. Both remove the extraneous from teachers’ plates and frees them up to become experts in the “how” of instruction. What is interesting is that teachers fight this more that any administrator. Which, I must be honest, I find difficult to understand. I’m hardwired to chase perfection, and though I recognize many aren’t, I don’t know why.

I also agree that principal spend too much of their time on the administrivia of campus administration and too little time focused on the most critical function of schools, teaching and learning. We will disagree on the value of extra-curriculars. But I recognize that most of your experience is with athletic programs run wild. I grew up in an athletic program that strengthened the campus academic program. Four of the best five teachers I had in high school were my coaches, including the best, Coach Tommy Wallace, who taught me Algebra II, Linear Algebra, Analytical Geometry, Trigonometry, Elementary Analysis, Calculus, and how to be a teacher. The strength of our diverse experience is that between the two of us we know the significant pro’s and considerable con’s surrounding extra-curriculars and are in a better position to make sure that they add to the campus instead of distracting from it.

I’ll close with an extension of our normal challenge, “may the best idea win.” What allows us to engage in the ongoing discussion, without malice, is not our friendship (which is not as old as our professional relationship). It is the fact that we back our ideas with empirical data and experience. When you say, “Here is want I believe, due to A, B and C,” and I respond with, “I’ll give you A, but what about D and E,” what is there to get mad at?

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Advice for the First Year Principal - Part 2)

In response to the post, “Advice for the First Year Principal,” a reader writes:

“Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was a first year principal last school year, and you have just affirmed all I found out...the hard way! By the way, I have 2 dogs!

Great things! Keep it coming!"

SC Response
I was talking to an LYS principal the other day and she said, “Before the blog, I used to think I was the only crazy one. No one wants to change and everyone wants to blame our failures on the things we can’t control. I may still be crazy, but at least now I know that I’m not alone.”

Running a high stakes, people-centric operation is complex, stressful and non-linear work. The learning curve of the principalship is the steepest that any educator faces in her career. One of the reasons why it is so steep is that you have to quickly let go of all your preconceived notions of how easy it must be to lead people. After all, just tell your people what you expect them to do, treat them fair and get out of their way. How hard can that be? Harder than you can ever know until you actually live through it. There is nothing like the principalship. It always remains a daily learning experience. It teaches the novice how to survive in a hostile setting; it teaches the technician how to wield raw power; and it teaches the artist how to leverage influence. So wrap yourself in the experience and the position and remember the following four rules:

The Brezina Rule: If it’s not right for students, it’s wrong.

The Brown Rule: The principal is the only one in the system who is a pure advocate for students.

The Richardson Rule: You can be frequently wrong, but never in doubt.

The Cain Rule: When all else fails, just outwork them.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Readers Write... (Quick Advice for AP's, Vol. 2 - Parts 2 and 3)

In response to the posts relating to “Quick Advice for AP’s – Vol. 2,” two readers write:

“I guess I missed the non-LYS’er AP dialogue and if the AP warning that B & B might visit their campuses was based on that information then I, for one, was certainly out in left field or right field and certainly not "centered" field. So, in the future, it would be helpful for an identifier "not for general consumption."

Can you just refresh my memory on that blogalogue? Also, are there official and unofficial LYS’ers?”

AND

“If that weak post killed your mood, check yourself. As a veteran LYS principal, I have questioned Brezina and Brown. Cain knows this. But I have never disagreed with them (especially publicly).

Why? Because every time I have doubted them I have found out later (battered and bruised as a result of my poor decision) that Brezina and Brown don't give advice lightly. You are free to accept or reject. Occasionally, I rejected. I paid. You don't have to.”

SC Response
The short version of my post was that disagreeing with Brezina and Brown is not the most prudent move for an inexperienced leader. Plus, there was a reminder to keep in mind that if they show up on your campus, someone way above our pay grade wanted them there.

Are there official and unofficial LYS’ers? That’s a good question. In my mind there are Old School LYS’ers, New LYS’ers, Anti-LYS’ers, and What are LYS’ers. Old School LYS’ers are just a loose band of school leaders that were never satisfied with yesterday’s performance. They found each other and competed against each other. They can usually trace their roots back to the likes of Brezina, Brown, Schaper, Richardson, Hooker, Neeley, Donaldson, Guthrie and Berry.

New LYS’ers either found the blog and joined in because it resonated with their beliefs or had Brezina, Brown, or one of the people they trained, work with them, their campus or their district. New LYS’ers can eventually become Old School LYS’ers.

Anti-LYS’ers are generally focused on process, feelings and complexity. In “Good to Great” terms, they are the foxes. Or in the worst case scenario, they are threatened by LYS’ers because they are comfortable or uncoachable.

What are LYS’ers don’t even know that we exist.

Finally, the second writer drives home the point I was trying to make. There is a reason why Brezina and Brown are legends. They have walked the walk. And unlike their peers, they continue to go to schools everyday to find the answers that that we are all searching for. I don’t expect anyone to blindly accept what they say as gospel. However, if all you bring to the table is limited experience and a “feeling,” listening and taking notes might be your best course of action.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Instructional Discussions - Part 8)

In response to the posts addressing, “Instructional Discussions,” a reader writes:

“The blog is on fire write now. The LYS Nation is right on target and SC has just been hitting them out of the park.”

SC Response
I have to say that I agree, the blog is on fire. As I tell people, I lost control of the discussion six months ago. We are now in the middle on an active exchange of ideas, centered on the fact that we love schools and we are driven to see that our schools do great things. Other than that, may the best idea and argument win.

E. Don Brown and Fred Richardson, both former TASSP presidents, close friends, and before they retired, universally recognized as two of the best principals in Texas, would disagree more than they would agree. And we have to understand that the argument is both healthy and necessary. The argument forces us to recognize that what we do is both a science and an art. If we can nail down the science (and we are getting closer everyday), it will be the artists that push and pull us to ever greater heights. That’s makes getting up and going to work everyday worth it.

And for the record, I was never a power hitter. I just worked to put the ball in play and advance the runner. It’s all about fundamentals.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (The Bizarre Meeting)

In response to the post, “The Bizarre Meeting,” a reader writes:

“SC,

Any advice for those of us who aren't at this level yet? I am guilty of trying to do it all instead of developing capacity in others. Give me some baby steps.”

SC Response
Here are some simple steps for building staff capacity. Of course, this isn’t an inclusive list.


1. As a leader, you must develop a concrete, articulated vision for what you want your organization to accomplish.


2. You need to work on making that vision measurable, at all levels of the organization.


3. You must constantly communicate that vision.


4. You must make staff members responsible for achieving their part of the vision.


5. You must give your staff the freedom and flexibility to achieve their part of the vision


6. You must confer with your staff on their progress. The key is coaching and problem solving without diminishing their ownership of their part of the vision.


7. Keep communicating, keep measuring, keep coaching and if need be, don't be afraid to do some subtracting.

As a principal you are forced to constantly perform a high wire balancing act. You are ultimately responsible for your campus’ performance. You have to balance the needs of short term performance (you do everything) with the needs of long term performance (staff capacity building) on the fly. The most difficult piece is the transition. At some point you have to let go and cede some control to others. If you don’t, I won’t tell you that you won’t be successful (you are), you just won’t maximize your potential. Michael Jordan was a great pro basketball player, but he didn’t begin to win championships until he learned to trust his teammates.

That’s my starter list. Brezina, Brown, Richardson and the rest of the LYS Nation, what would you add or subtract?

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Problem with a Co-Worker - Part 2)

In response to the posts relating to “Problems with a Co-worker,” a reader writes:

“I have worked in Scenario 5 districts, more than once. In those cases I made the decision to do what was right for kids. In those districts the accountability scores were horrible, and the board demanded improvement. The teachers were the problem; they did not want to teach kids.

I did was right for kids and insisted that teachers improve. The teachers screamed “foul” - loud and often. The board wanted improvement, but they did not want to listen to teacher griping. This goes back to some Brown wisdom, “School Boards exist to hear the complaints of teachers.”

I held the course despite the cries of “foul.” The board became agitated with the increasing complaints, which fueled the fire for even more complaints. I held the course. In the end the board was ready for me to go in order to keep teachers happy. I accepted a job in a bigger district and soon after my announcement, we learned that the school had moved from academically unacceptable to recognized.

The board caved, I didn't, and the students won. But beware; don't forget the part where I had to leave. Would I do it again the same way? No doubt about it.”

SC Response:
I have a friend who is a Superintendent who once observed, “Every Board wants change, as long as it is easy.” Adults and systems often settle for the path of least resistance. There is considerable comfort and power in the status quo. Conventional wisdom even reminds us, “If it’s broke, don’t fix it.” To constantly question the status quo requires a slightly different kind of personality.

That’s one reason why this blog exists. If you subscribe to Richardson’s philosophy of “If it’s not broke, break it;” or Brown’s philosophy of “The Principal is the only pure advocate for students;” or Schaper’s philosophy of “They may be turds, but they’re MY turds;” or Brezina’s philosophy of "If it's not right for kids, it's wrong;” then you have an inner obligation to constantly challenge and improve the system. And as I am often reminded, that obligation makes you the "freak." Or, at least the freak within your system.

But what I have discovered is that there are isolated “freaks” everywhere. All they need is the knowledge that there are other freaks out there who are pushing and pulling their systems as hard as they are. And with that knowledge brings courage and stronger conviction.

As the LYS nation is well aware, the issue is not “those kids or those parents.” The issue is complacent adults. So keep pushing and pulling, they louder the complacent complain, the faster they are being moved from the status quo. And if the status quo is untapped student potential, a double digit achievement gap, and high drop out rates, why is that a bad thing?

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Why You - Part 2)

In response to the post, “A Reader Asks… Why You,” a reader writes:

“Common sense wasn’t 'Common Sense' until Thomas Paine wrote it.”

SC Response
It is common knowledge that the LYS reader is smarter that the average educator, but a Thomas Paine reference? That’s just showing off.

However, I am going to use your analogy. Paine didn’t invent his argument. He just took the knowledge, discussions and insights of those he was privy to and wrote it down in a way that way understandable and useful to the man in the street. To be compared to Paine is of course an honor (though I get it, the compliment was made tongue in cheek) but in a small, inconsequential way, it is somewhat valid.

I’m the first to admit that I am not an original thinker, but I do think I’m a pretty good translator. What I write about, talk about and coach on is cribbed from the works of Schmoker, Marzano, Collins, Gladwell, Fullen, and Buckingham, just to name a few. Add that to the fact that I was privileged to work for and with icons such as Schaper, Brown, Brezina, Hooker, Neeley, Sawyer, and Richardson. This means that what comes out of my head is the sum total of their wisdom. My spin is that I figure out how to make that work where the rubber hits the road, on the campus and in the classroom.

Practical, common sense solutions work. I do obsess on the work.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Leadership/ Lonely - Part 2)

In response to the post, “Leadership / Lonely,” a reader writes:

“I admit that I am enjoying this blog. However, as a new administrator I am struck by the absolute confidence that you and the other writers display in your comments. Do all successful principals have this level of absolute confidence in what will be, or is it just a bluff, or what? How in the world do you develop that level of supreme sureness in your own abilities? How do you deal with the doubts, or do you even have them. I would love to contribute but I just do not feel I know enough to even know where to start. My coaches always told me that we learn more from our losses than our victories. If so you guys must have lost some big ones to get where you are now. Any suggestions for a rookie?”

SC Response
Great questions! I actually started laughing (at us, not you) as I read your comment, because your questions are so on target. Let me answer them in order.

1. I do think that most successful principals are supremely confident. It’s not that they are sure that things will turn out as they plan. They just know that whatever problem arises, they and their team will be able to figure out the answer. It is the belief that given enough time, anything can be solved. Once you “know” that, you go from being a potential victim of fate to controlling your destiny.

2. Experience and overcoming adversity is what puts you into supreme confidence mode. Once you have faced utter ruin and survived, ordinary problems become less of a big deal.

3. Everyone has doubts. We are in the people business, so nothing is completely sure or predictable. The key is to make decisions as soon as you have just enough information to be reasonably sure of the results and then be willing to adapt as better information becomes available. Forward motion creates both confidence and success.

4. There’s no entrance exam to contribute. We learn as much from working with rookies as we do from veterans. The right question at the right time can clarify a line of reasoning. Fresh eyes make us re-examine processes. I was actually sharing with a principal today, that a question from a rookie AP, drives much of my current research and development. The question, “How do you quantify what your gut tells you?”

5. You hit the nail on the head. I constantly remind the people that I work with that the “brilliant” insights that I have are often the result of long strings of failed and sub-par solutions.

6. As for advice, tackle the problems that nobody else wants any part of. Solve them and you create value for the organization. Fail and at least you know one more thing not to do.

And yes, as a group we can be quite full of ourselves. As Fred Richardson says, “A good principal is frequently wrong and never in doubt.”

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (It's a Small World)

In response to the post, “It’s a Small World,” a reader writes:

“SC, This reminds me somewhat of our recent conversation. I do what E. Don says to the letter, because it works. On the other hand, you all keep recommending me for more and more situations that defy conventional experience and wisdom. These new situations and problems will not be solved with the same kind of thinking that we have used to identify them (my friend Einstein thought of that one).

Just like our discussion of other principals in a district attacking successful principals. JM says this is like crabs in a bucket: you never need a lid because as soon as one almost crawls out, the others pull him back down. Now we have professionals behaving the same way. Interesting human psychology…

So I absolutely agree that “we stand on the shoulder of giants,” but as Newton said in the first part of that quote, “If I have seen farther,” (sometimes it pays to be a physicist). A twist on Newton’s 500 year old wisdom is that if we are going to have the privilege of standing on the shoulder of giants, we have an obligation to see further.

I in no way intended to impugn the giants. I am only suggesting this business is morphing underneath our feet and past experiences and thinking alone will not be enough to deal with the future. Moses did not get to see the Promised Land, for what its worth.

SC Response
As we do this more and more, we begin to see the things that were always there, but were covered up by more pressing and/or mundane emergencies. I agree we are experiencing a seismic shift, for which there are a number of reasons, three of the primary ones being:

1. A rapidly changing knowledge base. To adapt and thrive in today’s society, you simply have to know more, but more importantly, you have to 'know how to know'. To ensure this requires a change in commonly accepted educational practices. What that change looks like is open to discussion. But, if what we do in each individual classroom does not create scores and scores of critical thinkers, then what we are doing can only be considered a work in progress.

2. A dramatic change in accountability. Quite simply, to quote Dr. Jim Davis, “Playing school is no longer enough.” Either we are teaching every student and every student is learning (to know how to know). Or else we have to face the fact that we are not getting the job done and we have not yet “arrived.”

3. We are standing on the shoulders of giants. We have a shot at solving these emerging problems because we don’t have to spend a significant amount of energy solving the problems that resemble the ones previously solved by the likes of Brown, Brezina, Richardson, and Schaper, just to name a few. You will appreciate this analogy, “Calculus is easy. It is the Algebra that is hard.” The way I look at it, the old guys figured out the Algebra, so we can tackle the Calculus.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

The Fundamental Five Poster contest ends today. You have until 11:59 pm Pacific Time to submit your entry. Pizza for the staff and LYS Nation bragging rights are on the line.

It's a Small World

This morning on the way to the airport I was talking to a friend and school leader about how things were starting out this year. He said things seemed to be smooth but he felt that he was doing some things wrong, but he didn’t know what. I asked him what he meant and he said that he knew that there were decisions he was making that other people would do differently.
I told him not to worry too much about that. We are in a dynamic, people driven business. Often there are multiple solutions to the same problem. I then reminded him of a story I had told him before.

Two of my mentors, E. Don Brown and Fred Richardson (my high school principal) are long time friends. Both are principal icons. Both are driven to ensure continuous school improvement and both agree that success is defined in terms of student performance. That is all they agree on. They led excellent schools differently and when faced with the same problem, they will come up with correct solutions that are polar opposites.

My friend said thanks for the reminder and we hung up so I could catch my plane to go meet with E. Don Brown. As I stepped on the plane, the first person I saw was Fred Richardson (who I haven’t seen in two years).

The point of this post is this:

1. Know what you want to achieve, make your decision and implement at full speed. Don’t worry
about process differences, focus on results.

2. Don’t forget the wisdom of your mentors. You never know when something the old guys and gals taught you might get you out of your rut.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Brown Wisdom)

In response to the comments relating to, “Brown’s Wisdom,” a reader writes:

“Let's not fool ourselves; most principals are NOT the main advocates for students even though they should be. In most cases they are caught up in political mumbo jumbo, employee issues, and district office garbage that consumes most of their advocacy time. I am sure glad Sean can say it like it is and refocus the leaders who really want to be advocates.”

SC Response
I do agree that most principals are not the main advocate for students, which is why the system is generally designed for adult comfort. If the person who occupies the advocate’s role does not engage, that is the logical result. However, I think the reasons for not embracing the role are varied. Here are just a couple (feel free to share others):

1. There are bad principals that shouldn’t have received their job. Just like there are bad teachers, bad superintendents and so on. Some people just aren’t cut out for the job, even though they interviewed well. These principals are the "Unwilling and Unable."

2. There are some principals have been beaten down to the point that all they know to do is hunker down and go with the flow. These principals are the "Injured."

3. There are some principals that just don’t know that they should put students in front of adults. These principals are the "Uninformed."

4. There are some principals that haven’t had the right mix of mentors to help them develop their ideas and professional character. These principals are the "Unlucky."

I may be the luckiest school leader ever, my personal list of mentors includes: Dr. Richard Hooker (the early godfather of Texas school finance); Bob Brezina (who LYS readers know); Wayne Schaper Sr. (the godfather of Spring Branch ISD, TASSP and UIL); Fred Richardson (TASSP president); Harlan Yetter (Principal); E. Don Brown (who LYS Readers know) and Dr. Shirley Neeley (Commissioner, Texas Education Agency). If I don’t do right, there is a long line of people who are still more than willing to remind me why we really do this job.

5. There are some principals who are working on a figurative island, who have no one to bounce ideas off of and shore themselves up with. These principals are the "Isolated."

Again, I can not be any luckier. The following are just a few of the active Principals that I get to have serious conversations with, more than once each month: John Montelongo (HS Principal); Justin Marchel (MS Principal); Leslie Thomas (ES Principal); Barbara Fine (ES Principal); Jerry Gibson (HS Principal); Mike Seabolt (HS Principal); and Lesa Cain (ES Principal). That’s a network of a lot of powerful brains that are linked for one purpose, their students outperforming your students.

I was taught early in my career (and didn’t understand until much later) that the two most important people in the system are the Superintendent and the building Principal. The organization focuses on the Superintendent (and central office) because he or she is the source of power. The organization overlooks the Principal (and the campus), even though he or she is the source of service.

My goal (or agenda) is to shift the focus of the organization from the Superintendent and central office to the Principal and the campus. This means that the Unwilling and Unable Principal will no longer have a place to hide. And that every other Principal and campus leader will have at least one external source of support as they fight the good fight. One person is a lonely voice, two people are the genesis of a team.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...