Another Great Review for the Fundamental 5

The good news keeps rolling in for our book, “The Fundamental 5.” Barnes and Noble just picked it up for its online bookstore and the Texas Legal Digest put the book in its Fall Catalog, listed as the best seller at the TASSP Summer Conference!

Then the following review was posted on the Goodreads.com website.

The Fundamental Five - I recommend this for all classroom teachers, new and seasoned. It is another one that I have highlighted up and will be revisiting between now and the beginning of school. Cain and Laird present 5 concepts that are not new to educators, but when used together create a formula that has been proven to increase academic achievement in schools and students.

Then as a bonus, my first book, “Jump Start Your School” received the following review.

Jump Start Your School - Quick read! Great templates to use to kick things off in the area of school improvement. Definitely one that I will be revisiting as the school year starts.

As always, thanks to the reviewer that took her time to acknowledge our work, thanks to everyone who has already read the book and a big thanks to the 50+ schools that have purchased campus sets of the book for their fall book study.

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

A Reader Asks... Staff Urgency

A reader asks,

"SC,

How do you create a sense of urgency in your faculty? If I bring up a serious problem during a meeting I get corrected for being negative, even when I offer a workable solution. It is like “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” at every meeting."

SC Response
I deal with this question on more campuses than you can imagine. Principals struggle with the perceived need to balance reality with staff morale. You know what side I’m on in that discussion. If I have to hide “reality” from my staff, then I have the wrong staff. On the other hand, the need for a “silver” lining is important. There is a difference between being an “underdog” and being the “dead man walking.” One has hope and the other is just playing out the string.

I have a two part strategy for dealing with the situation you describe:

Part 1
1. Confront the brutal facts. If things are bad, let’s not kid ourselves.

2. Determine what is working. Figure out if you can do more of it, or replicate it.

3. Determine what is not working. Figure out how to do less of it, or quit doing it all together.

4. Determine what you are going to do differently, NOW!

Part 2

1. Determine your big annual goal(s).

2. Make the goal(s) concrete and measurable.

3. Work backwards and break the annual goal(s) into short-term (2 to 4 week) measurable performance objectives.

4. Make the goal(s) and objectives both public and prominent.

5. At the benchmark dates (2 to 4 weeks), publicly review progress, celebrate successes, and then refer back to Part 1.

The strategy works. If you want more detail and some ideas on where and how to start (ATTENTION: SHAMELESS PLUG) you can always refer to my book, “Jump Start Your School,” available on Amazon.com.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...