The Legacy of a Great Coach

September 1996. I was in my first month of being a principal. I had just finished doing my morning class observations and was heading back to my office when I saw an older gentleman sitting at the secretary’s desk. Seeing me, she said, “Mr. Cain, this is Mr. Yetter and he would like a minute or two.”

Being trapped and without an obvious escape route, I asked him into my office and said, “What can I do for you, Mr. Yetter.”

He said, “Sean, it’s what I’m going to do for you. I live right around the corner and I was read that this school just got a new principal. You see, I’m a retired principal and I figure I can work for you or I can work for my wife. You pay better.”

I asked, “What exactly are you going to do for me?”

To which he replied, “Your secretary told me you have a substitute filling your 9^th grade reading slot. I’m your new reading teacher.”

“Are you any good?”

“Not really, but I’m better than the sub. But that’s not why you are going to hire me.”

“Then why am I going to hire you?”

“I was a Principal for 24 years in two different states. I’ve seen a lot. What I’m going to do is sit in the back of every one of your staff meetings. I’m going to make sure that the back row pays attention. But most importantly, after you say anything, if you are on the right track I’ll nod my head ‘Yes.’ I’ll nod my head ‘No’ if you screw up.”

I hired him on the spot. And he was true to his word. He would nod yes or no after everything I said. Which made me a better and more collaborative leader. Get a “No” from your coach and it is amazing how fast you want and need team input on an issue. And also true to his word, he taught his reading classes better than the sub, but not by much. Which is why I made him a testing coordinator the next year. When I moved to central office (the power of good coaching), I gave Mr. Yetter a flexible schedule and had him float to all of my campuses, mentoring Principal and Assistant Principals.

Mr. Yetter was an inspiration to our little band of urban educators. He was a high school drop out who made good. He earned his G.E.D. in the military. When he was discharged, he went to college to become a teacher and later a principal. Then he was an inclusion principal, long before anyone considered the concept. He would admit that he didn’t educate his special kids well, but would tell me, “It would have been just plain wrong to let those kids say at home.”

That simple understanding that wrong by omission is still wrong, though inconvenient, has served me well.

Earlier this week, at age 78, Russell Harlan Yetter (Harlan to his friends) passed away. His funeral is today. I will not be able to attend. Instead, I’ll be coaching a group of Principals, Assistant Principals and Teachers in a different city. That is how I will honor his legacy. But I will always miss my friend.

Doc Seabolt Clarifies... (Common Assessment Data Analysis - Part 3)

In response to the 4/22/2011 post, “Common Assessment Data Analysis – Part 2,” Doc Seabolt continues with:

When I say at first let kids choose their level of differentiation, the operative words are "at first." Combined with a concept like Game On, most kids will strive for more. However, if a student is observed consistently choosing below their ability level, the instructor must step in and make better decisions for the student. I recently saw a classroom doing TAKS review problems on fire with competition, and the instructor wasn't even trying to make the kids compete, they did it naturally. The good use of formative assessment and reinforcing effort and success immediately and energetically lit the students on fire. Of course the teacher leading the class is truly extraordinary, but any teacher can learn the techniques.

SC Response

Great clarification. Student failure, often the result of student choice, is the equivalent to the check engine light signal on a dashboard. Something needs attention and adjustment.

Anybody can deliver content. But the artistry in the classroom occurs when every students “chooses” to engage and strives for success. The more at-risk the student, the bigger the role of the teacher in that “choice” equation. Which is why you have to put your absolute best teachers in front of your most difficult students. To not do so places the comfort of adults ahead of the needs of students.

Making that particular staffing decision is one of the first critical steps in the transition from good principal to great principal. Survive it (yes, this does come with some risk) and the discussions and actions of the campus inherently become more student-centric. Avoid it and your campus is always leaving performance on the table. This idea is not unique. It mirrors the exemplar business practice of putting your best people in the areas with the most untapped potential. Which is a very profitable way to operate and continuously grow. If we simply viewed student results as “profits,” then a lot of our decision-making would be more cut and dried.

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

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A Reader Writes... (Advice 2/7/10 - Part 5)

In response to the posts relating to, “A Reader Shares… Sunday Advice (2/7/10),” a reader writes:

"SC, as a former principal and a current assistant superintendent I think you are dead on in your analysis of positional roles and agendas. There are many of my decisions that I now have to make knowing that no matter how bad it tastes, my decision will at least put more principals in the position to be successful. Which admittedly is a couple of degrees off of “Student First.”

SC Response
I think what is important about Brown’s Rule boils down to two critical points.

1. If you are a principal, it reminds you what a pivotal role you have in the overall system. A role that is rarely filled by others if you abdicate your responsibility or compromise the principles.

2. If you are not a principal, it serves to remind you that there is sometimes a need to question your motives at regular intervals and to realize that many of the conflicts that involve you and the principal are strictly contextual, not personal.

When I was promoted to central office, Brezina gave me this piece of advice, “A good principal is difficult to manage. A great one is damn near impossible.”

As usual, he is right. And what I have found is that this good vs. great dynamic generally hinges on the principal’s definition of “win/win.” If the principal’s definition of “win / win” means the compromise between her position and your position, there will be occasional friction, but there is some give to adult considerations. Relationships will remain unruffled, but “good” becomes the performance potential of the school.

If the principal’s definition of “win/win” means that “my kids win / my school wins,” then there will be regular friction. Relationships will sometimes be bruised. However, “great” becomes the performance potential of the school. But only if executive leadership values the particular role that the great principal serves. That role is to keep the system honest. If executive leadership does not value that role, then the great principal becomes the “cancer” in the system and will either be forced out or leave on her own accord.

To sum up, working for a great principal is harder than working for a good one, but much more rewarding. Having a great principal work for you is often a royal pain, but if you can deal with being reminded that sometimes “the emperor wears no clothes,” your district will reap the benefits of her labor and single minded passion. And finally, if you notice that occasionally great principals arrive in your district but never stay, that is one huge red flag.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn…

A Reader Writes... (Sunday Advice 2/7/10 - Part 3)

In response to the posts relating to, “A Reader Shares… Sunday Advice (2/7/10),” a reader writes:

"When I first heard Brown's Law I too felt insulted. I didn't believe it and even discussed the issue with close friends who felt the same as I. But, after years of hard bumps and bruises, my friends and I accept Brown's Law as Truth.

I have seen it proven true time and again. Principal's who don't embrace Brown's Law are likely a detriment to their campus. Going farther, principal's who do not embrace Brown and Brezina are the likely the reason we have accountability.

Put another way: How did we get to the point where the government had to step in and do what's right for kids?

Answer: Because there were (and still are) a whole lot of principals out there who reject the Brown/Brezina principles of leadership.

On the issue of you being comfortable in your current position, this sailor will be bold and fire a shot over your bow. Marine, Move up or move out.

You are obviously talented, trained, and smart enough to be a LYS Leader. There are districts out there playing with the idea of just giving assistant principals a few years to move up; after the timeline expires they are out and new talent is brought in for potential development for the big chairs. Leadership is too important to let talented people get comfortable in positions that are key for developing leaders."

SC Response
When I was principal I was invited to be a part of a group of educators that meet with a group to state representatives to discuss accountability issues. As I explained how I thought a fair and productive system should be designed, the room got more and more quiet. So concerned, I quit talking. Someone said, “We could never agree to this. Where did you get these ideas?”

I said, “It’s not an idea, it’s how I operate my school and our school system.”

My boss at the time, Brezina. My coach, Wayne Schaper (who then unknown to me was a mentor, colleague and close personal friend of E. Don Brown.) So yes, I agree with you. The failure to embrace what Brezina, Brown, and those of their ilk modeled and taught has resulted in politicians making political hay by seeing who can slap us around the most. The bottom line is that great schools and their leaders don’t define themselves by meeting state minimum standards. They define themselves by the next mountain they are attempting to conquer.

As to your comment about how it is time for the Marine to move up, I could not agree more. He has been trained by the best and has been tested under fire. All that is left is to find the superintendent that values everything that a member of the LYS Nation brings to the table. And since I know the Marine personally, I’m not worried about him growing stagnant in his current role. Like you, he was trained by Brown and Brezina and actively looks for the good fight to engage in, everyday.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Shares... Sunday Advice

An old school LYS principal shares the following:

“I had the opportunity to have a conversation with an aspiring administrator this week. He came to me after observing that I don’t talk like most principals and my actions are not like most principals. Inevitably our conversation turned to politics. The aspiring administrator correctly noted that politics are imbedded in schools and are indeed a normal part of society. He asked how I dealt with the political situations that arise. After a second of thought I responded that certainly politics are an aspect of school. As administrators we have to acknowledge that and must be prepared to face political issues in our careers. I shared the two guiding principles that I now live by:

1. From E. Don Brown: The principal is the only person in the entire school system that is in a position to be a pure advocate for kids. At some other point, everyone else in the organization will put some issue ahead of the needs of kids. An excellent principal NEVER compromises on the role of being a pure advocate for kids. I will negotiate many issues, but never this one.

2. From Bob Brezina, a corollary: If it’s not right for kids, it’s wrong.

Every time I face a tough situation, I default back to these basic principles. Any decision I make or any compromise I make must not violate either of these two basic principles. Of course the man agreed that these were important principles. The aspiring principal asked if I was serious about never compromising on these two points. I responded that I in my career I have offered my resignation rather than violate these principles, and I have been taken up on my offer. Every supposed leader out there “talks the talk.” I asked him if he was willing to “walk the walk,” even if he had to leave a campus or district in order to be faithful to these principles. He is still thinking about it.

SC Response
You and I have had this discussion more than once. As leaders who fallen on our swords because it was the right thing to do, we have agreed that there is nothing more liberating and life affirming. When you are willing to accept the worst case synerio, there is nothing that the opposing side can do that will shake your resolve. Couple that with the fact that the opposing side is generally focused on being comfortable and you have the equation that allows one person to have the impact and influence of 100's.

Now there is a small caveat that both Brezina and Dr. John Sawyer (at one time, two of the top five school finance minds in the business) ceaselessly hammered into me. You must live well below your means and you must have a rainy day fund. Without that in place, you are a slave to the paycheck. As we both know, it is much easier to die on the hill when you know that your family won’t starve.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn..

A Reader Writes... (Student Dress Code - Part 2)

In response to posts on student dress codes, a reader writes:

“Here is the problem with your post:

Even the best schools have awesome teachers who will not abide by the dress code. Setting a high adult standard only works as much as your staff wishes to uphold that standard. During the second week of school look and see how the standard drops across the board. There is no adult standard anymore. And if a principal tries to enforce a dress standard even if it is district policy, there are few if any repercussions that ever happen to employees to choose not to obey it.

Leaders’ toughest tasks seem to be on the simplest of things like dress code and cell phones. As times go on, I expect there will eventually be no professional dress anymore except for central office staff. The world is weaving its ugly head and standards into our schools and board members are embracing them”

SC Response
I’m going to deconstruct your comment and address it point by point.

“Setting a high adult standard only works as much as your staff wishes to uphold that standard.”

I disagree, setting a high adult standard works when leadership is willing to model and enforce the standard.

"There is no adult standard."

There is no adult standard when there is no leadership attention.

"There are few if any repercussions."

Again, this is the choice of leadership. I never punished staff into dress code compliance. I did communicate and model my expectation constantly and when a staff member did not comply, we had an immediate conversation about the impact of his or her decision on the students and campus. Immediate leadership attention has amazing preventative and curative powers.

"Leaders’ toughest tasks seem to be on the simplest of things."

This is your big insight moment. You are absolutely correct. Fixing the little things keeps the system running smoothly. Fixing the little things is what continuous improvement is all about. Remember Collin's insightful quote, "The great triathlete rinses cottage cheese before eating it." A school is like a car, ignore the little things (oil changes, air in the tires, wiper blades) and you will find yourself broke down on the side of the road when you least expect it.

"The world is weaving its ugly head and standards into our schools."

This happens if we let it. Don’t stand for it. You were on one of my campuses. We rose above low expectations and standards in less than six weeks. You know first hand that a talented team can out work, out think, and out achieve a lazy world. Given the choice between easy and right, it is human nature to pick easy. Therefore, ensure that the only option is “right.”

As a principal, you set the tone and expectation on your campus. The average principal lets his or her campus operate under this assumption, “Well most of us try hard, but considering the staff and the students, outside expectations and rules for Our Average School, are not realistic.”

Great principals have campuses that operate under this assumption, “The rest of the district may be a bunch of half-stepping slackers, but here at Our Awesome School, we work differently because we are better.”

It is your choice; do you want to be average or great?

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... Characteristics

To add to the discussion that has revolved around Brezina and Brown (their respective “rules” and advice), a reader writes:

“Yes, there are many types of principals out there, no doubt. What I was trying to tease out is that the only type of principal that counts is the effective principal. If we distill this idea, then perhaps we get these characteristics; the Effective Principal is:

• Is the ultimate and final advocate for the student;
  
• Engages the faculty, students, parents, and community;
  
• Is a leader of leaders. By this we mean the principal builds capacity in others and expects them to be engaged;
  
• Is the biggest cheerleader of, and for, the faculty when they are engaged; and
  
• Is aware of his district’s and school’s DNA and tempers (not compromises) approaches with patience and tactics.

I am sure I have missed something, but out of all of this Brezina and Brown wisdom, it would be useful to distill the characteristics. At least we would have a guide for self-reflection and discovery.”

SC Response
This is a pretty good start on the list. I have had discussions like this with a number of Principals and Superintendents and Brezina and Brown. I actually have a piece written on “Great Principals,” that I’ll post soon. But, here are two ideas that I have been pondering recently.

1. A critical characteristic of the "greats" versus the "others" is the search for ideas. The first filter is, “Are you actively searching for them?” If you aren’t, you may be a hard worker, but you aren’t on the path to being great. The second filter is, “Where are you looking for them?” The Great Principals look both inside and outside the system for ideas. They are self-sufficient shoppers of the world. Good principals seem to look for answers in just one place, either internally or externally.

2. The 10,000 hour rule (or why there does not seem to be as many great ones). The 10,000 hour rule has been discussed for a while now, most recently by Malcolm Gladwell in the book, “Outliers.” The idea is that it takes 10,000 hours of intense reflection, focused practice and work to develop the insight and experience package to be great. Greatness, it seems, is built by purposeful grinding. From a school year perspective, it would take a minimum of seven years to hit 10,000 hours. But, in reality, due to the mundane elements of work, the minimum time to reach the "great" level (think top-tier professional athlete) is probably around 10 to 12 years. So this answers part of the question, why aren’t there more great ones; there aren’t as many principals that are staying in the position for at least 10 years. But, that doesn’t answer the entire question. Here is what I think. I believe that the external factors can re-set the clock. When the rules change, for example – dramatically increased accountability, it backs everyone up. It may not wipe out all the hours of expertise that was built up, but it takes a big chunk of them. Think of Michael Jordan switching to baseball - gifted athlete, mediocre baseball player.

The clock was re-set and the principals that got their jobs right at the time of the re-set are the ones that are the furthest on the path on the new “great.” They have a head start on the new hires and they were building new skills while the older principals were still trying to adapt old skills (it takes a while to realize that what worked before, now doesn't work as well). Again, just some ideas I have been pondering.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn…

A Reader Writes... (Cain's Commentary)

In response to some of my advice / commentary, a reader writes:

“I question the, ‘it's OK to be frequently wrong, but never in doubt,’ advice if you want to remain in a position of power within an organization. If you make 100 mistakes, but you demonstrate confidence in your actions and keep plowing along making mistakes, are your going to be OK?

I think you should learn from your mistakes and be wrong less frequently. Even if you show confidence that you are correct, others in the organization will lose confidence in your ability and stop following you. If you continue to plow ahead never in doubt, it indicates that you are either, incompetent, or out of touch with the reality of local control.”

SC Response
Excellent questions and points. Now, let’s talk. First, the proverb: “Great Principals are frequently wrong, but never in doubt.” This is a fundamental leadership practice and a critical nuance that even Fullan writes about. It recognizes the following duality: In complex and dynamic environments, as a leader you are forced to make decisions with incomplete information. When you do this, you will often decide wrong. If you wait too long, you will miss opportunities, also wrong. If as a leader, I know that there is a chance that my decision is wrong, and I let my team get a whiff of that, it will effect their morale and performance. If they know that I am completely confident, then they can be completely confident.

Two quick sayings that support this (both from Todd Whittaker).

1. When the principal catches a cold, the staff catches pneumonia; and

2. When you are the leader and someone asks you how things are going, the answer is always either, “Great,” or “Just like we planned.” Any other answer is a detriment to you, your team and the organization.

Now, if I know that I am frequently wrong, that means I always have to be scanning the environment, confirming data and listening to my team. That way, I can frequently adjust to maximize the effectiveness of the actions of the team. I view “frequently wrong,” as “constantly aware, aggressive and flexible.”

So you ask, “If I make 100 mistakes, yet remain confident, is that OK?”

To which I answer, it depends on who catches the mistake and when it is caught. If you and your team catch most of the mistakes early, you will fix them before anyone on the outside even knows that there might be an issue. It is amazing what you are able to figure out once you know for certain what does not work. We are in agreement, we should learn from our mistakes, but if I make 100 action oriented mistakes and you make just one, it won’t be long before I’m 100 times smarter than you are. This is one reason why the biggest leaps in the quality of our craft are now coming from schools that serve low SES students. Just to survive, the staff from those schools are forced to try and learn from their mistakes. Coasting is a career killer.

Which comes to where we disagree, you write, “If you continue to plow ahead never in doubt, it indicates that you are either, incompetent, or out of touch with the reality of local control.”

When I walk onto a campus that is in crisis, if I am not supremely confident in my ability (which I am) to get that campus turned around rapidly, in order to help students and save careers (which I do), that is a dead school walking.

Again, great questions and points, keep them coming!

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn…

A Reader Writes... (Brezina and Brown Advice Combined)

In response to the post that combined Brezina’s and Brown’s advice, a reader writes:

“I totally agree with Cain on the issue of politics. However, the principal does not have the luxury of setting the priorities of the district. As Cain has mentioned, and I agree with him, we need to shift the focus from the Superintendents to the people who are leading the service, the Principals. But until this happens principals are at the mercy of superintendents, which in the vast majority of cases translates to politics. I am not suggesting principals should bow to politics, just that they must be situational aware, and every situation has its own DNA. There are certainly times I wish the State would come in and help, but I have yet to see it.

As another Brown guy, M.L., once pointed out, he would just LOVE to see the State of Texas actually do something, just once. Of the recent times the State of Texas has taken direct action, it seems governance and money were the issues, not kids. With the two most blatant examples being Wilmer-Hutchins ISD and North Forest ISD.

I will say to everyone, pay special attention to Cain’s take on speed, especially items 2 and 3. Those are real jewels, that will make or break you.

SC Response
Two points that I want to add.

1. You are right about the Superintendent setting the priorities of the district. But the principal drives the priorities of the campus (refer to Brown's rule on the principal's role). Depending on your skills, past success, and willingness to get bloodied and bruised, as a principal, you can bend district priorities to best meet the needs of your campus and your students. Brezina not only tolerated this, he expected it. When he moved me up to run all of his schools he told me, “A good principal is difficult to manage. A great principal is damn near impossible to manage.”

That being said, you can only fight central office for as long as central office let’s you fight them (Brezina expected it, that's why he hired you. 96% of you don't have the luxury of working for someone like Brezina). There are school leaders who can work for organizations and there are school leaders who can work for individuals. Take my career, I worked for individuals. The skill set I bring to the table is critical for speed and change. Qualities that some leaders appreciate and most organizations are uncomfortable with. The key is to understand who you are and put yourself in the situations where you are most effective.

2. In regards to the State of Texas taking action against bad schools, yes, the the pace is entirely too slow. And the process is driven by politics. However, sanctions and closures do occur. With your example districts, WHISD and NFISD, money and governance issues were the levers that let the state act. But, it was the disservice to students that got the state’s attention. Also, this is the perfect illustration of the individual vs. organization orientation I discussed above. The organization, T.E.A., has long had the authority to address cancerous districts and campuses, but still doesn’t have the organizational will. Dr. Neely had the will.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn…

Fear

A reader wrote in his recent comment, “Do Not Fear.”

That statement brought to mind a conversation I had with Dr. Mike Laird, on what motivates principals. As we often do, we picked one criteria and tried to see if it does a good job of sorting great principals vs. everyone else. Here is two hours of conversation, boiled down to a couple of paragraphs.

Principals are often motivated by fear. Many principals fear, “doing something.”

What if I am wrong? What if someone complains? What if someone quits? What if I get blamed? These principals are often good managers, but this type of fear stops them from getting ahead of the big really big issues.

Great principals are often motivated by fear. They fear, “not doing something.”

If I don’t do something, these kids won’t be successful. If I don’t do something, some school will catch us. If I don’t do something, we’ll never figure “it” out. These principals don't set the pace for the pack, they lap the field.

I don’t think we can ever completely overcome fear, and I don’t think we want to. With that being the case, don’t let fear paralyze you. Instead, use your fear to push you and your organization to ever greater levels of performance and success. Fear being guilty of “Not Doing Something,” and go solve problems that the rest of us don't yet know exist.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn…