What About T-TESS

A lot of educators have asked me what is my opinion on T-TESS (Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System).  My general response is that it is much ado about nothing.  But I also realize that is a “cynical old man” response, which really says nothing.  So here is my honest critique.

Overall, T-TESS a better framework than what we had (PDAS). But, it is far from perfect and nowhere near being a cure all.  Good leaders will use the system to good effect.  Poor leaders will misuse the system to poor effect. The sun comes up, the sun goes down...

There are three major flaws to T-TESS that are only apparent to our most cutting edge instructional leaders. Meaning (without insult) that rank-in-file instructional leaders haven’t yet solved the problems in front to these three problems.

Problem 1: I’ve already touched on.  T-TESS is just a tool, not magic. And tools in the hands of lazy and incompetent people can cause a lot of collateral damage. Sadly, having lazy and/or incompetent people in leadership roles is not as rare of an event as we want to believe.  And so end the pessimistic portion of this post.

Problem 2:  A lot of the T-TESS evaluation is driven by what occurs before the lesson even starts.  Planning and collaboration.  Which means that:

A. The campus and teachers need a structured, logical and consistent planning and collaboration process in place.  This is the responsibility of leadership, not teachers. 

B. Leadership has to actively participate in the planning and collaboration process to ensure that it is being implemented and to evaluate (over time) teachers.  If leadership doesn’t do its part, it will not hurt leadership. Instead, it will hurt teachers. 

Problem 3: The system allows novice and lazy instructional leaders to believe that:

A. Formative and summative observations should be co-mingled to create a summative teacher evaluation.

B. Surprise / unannounced observations are acceptable for summative teacher evaluation. 

Let me be clear, individually, A and B are BAD PRACTICE. Used together, A and B simply perpetuates the “Us vs. Them” climate that dogs the professional staff on too many campuses. I’ll expand on this in an upcoming post.

Notice I didn’t even address the student performance component of the system.  That problem isn’t hidden. It is right there for everyone to see.  It’s not that I’m against a student performance component. In theory, I’m an advocate. But in practice, there has to be a way to objectively measure the value added by each individual teacher. That system is not in place.  What is in place is a poorly designed accountability continuum that effectively places some teachers at significant career risk at one end of the continuum and some teachers at no career risk at the other end of the continuum.  It’s hard to sell the benefit of that.

All of the above to say this. T-TESS is better than PDAS and better than what is in place in a lot of other states.  Use T-TESS in an honest attempt to support and coach teachers and you’ll be OK.  Use T-TESS to meet a required mandate and really, nothing will change.  

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/Fundamental5
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations); Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Conference (Multiple Presentations); LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote); The 4^th Annual Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Fundamental 5 and Teacher Evaluation Alignment (PDAS)

Yesterday, I wrote that implementation of The Fundamental 5 should not be used for a teacher’s summative evaluation.  Instead, administrators should use the observed implementation of The Fundamental 5 for teacher formative assessment, feedback and coaching.  Essentially supporting a teacher in the honing of daily craft to make summative evaluations less stressful and more rewarding for the teacher. 

To illustrate how this works in practice I will use the PDAS as an example.  The PDAS is the current teacher formative evaluation tool in use in Texas.

When I Frame the Lesson, I make a positive impact on the following PDAS Domains:

Domain I (Student Participation)

Domain II (Learner-Centered Instruction)

Domain III (Evaluation and Feedback)

Domain IV (Management)

Domain V (Professional Communication)

Domain VIII (Improvement of Academic Performance of All Students)

When I Work in the Power Zone, I make a positive impact on the following PDAS Domains:

Domain I (Student Participation)

Domain II (Learner-Centered Instruction)

Domain III (Evaluation and Feedback)

Domain IV (Management)

Domain V (Professional Communication)

Domain VIII (Improvement of Academic Performance of All Students)

When I use Frequent Small Group Purposeful Talk, I make a positive impact on the following PDAS Domains:

Domain I (Student Participation)

Domain II (Learner-Centered Instruction)

Domain III (Evaluation and Feedback)

Domain IV (Management)

Domain VIII (Improvement of Academic Performance of All Students)

When I Recognize & Reinforce, I make a positive impact on the following PDAS Domains:

Domain I (Student Participation)

Domain II (Learner-Centered Instruction)

Domain III (Evaluation and Feedback)

Domain IV (Management)

Domain V (Professional Communication)

Domain VIII (Improvement of Academic Performance of All Students)

When I have my students Write Critically, I make a positive impact on the following PDAS Domains:

Domain I (Student Participation)

Domain II (Learner-Centered Instruction)

Domain III (Evaluation and Feedback)

Domain VIII (Improvement of Academic Performance of All Students)

As the teacher is observed implementing The Fundamental 5 at high frequency and high quality during a Summative Observation, the administrator should find it easy to evaluate that teacher as Exceeding Expectations in the following PDAS Domains:

Domain I (Student Participation)

Domain II (Learner-Centered Instruction)

Domain III (Evaluation and Feedback)

Domain IV (Management)

Domain V (Professional Communication)

Domain VIII (Improvement of Academic Performance of All Students)

The Bottom Line: When administrators use the Fundamental 5 for formative teacher support, as those practices are then implemented with increased frequency and quality, teachers can’t help but to met and exceed expectations on their PDAS summative evaluation.

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/Fundamental5 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: TMSA Winter Conference; ASCD Annual Conference; TEPSA Summer Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Asks... Another Formative Observation Question

A LYS campus instructional leader asks the following question:

SC,

I forgot to ask you to weigh in on the other question that we are arguing about.

Can we use the data we collect on the quick walk-thru’s for a teacher’s summative evaluation?

SC Response

I’m glad you asked that question.  Let be very clear with my response.

The use of short-term formative observation data for summative purposes is not only inappropriate, it borders on management malpractice.

The purpose of short-term formative observation data is to purposefully improve practice over time. That is it. 

If formative observation data is used correctly, then when the summative observation takes place, the teacher is in a position to demonstrate new skills and a higher instructional ceiling.

There are only two caveats: 

If I visit a classroom for a formative observation and it is a train wreck, quit observing and help the teacher get the class back on track. Everyone is entitled to an out of the blue, bad three minutes.  Fix it and move on.

If I see a pattern of poor practice and the teacher is not responding to cues and coaching, I have to have a conversation with that teacher.  I have to tell them I have concerns and that I am taking them off the formative system.  I will tell them when I am coming back to observe for a longer period of time and what I expect to see.  If I see what I expect, I let the teacher know and tell her that she is back on the formative system.  If I don’t see what I expect, I let the teacher know and we move to more direct and prescriptive interventions.  I don’t snipe, I communicate.

It is the difference between leadership and management.

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/Fundamental5
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: TMSA Winter Conference; ASCD Annual Conference; TEPSA Summer Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Shares... What I Know, What We Do

A LYS Principal shares the following:

LYS Nation,

In 2009, I was working in a district that brought in Sean Cain to help us get out of the ditch.  He and the LYS Coaches trained the administrators to focus on the implementation of The Foundation Trinity and teachers on the implementation of The Fundamental 5.  And it worked.  I have since left that district and I am now a principal in a different state. I have spread these instructional strategies to my campus and staff. 

In my new state, teacher evaluation is not a priority, which gives me a lot of latitude in what I choose to do.  What I have done is taken elements of the PDAS and emphasized Fundamental 5 practices.  Then I use PowerWalks to cue and coach those practices. When it time for summative conferences we discuss the following:

1. Provide evidence that your lessons are "framed"?

2. Provide examples of how you recognized and reinforced desired academic and / or classroom behavior?

3. How do you implement frequent small group purposeful talk about the learning?

4. What percentage of time do you work in Power Zone? What does this look like?

5. How do you incorporate writing critically into your lessons? 

6. How do you manage instructional rigor?

7. How did you formatively assess student understanding and how does impact your instructional decisions?

We are working to avoid complications and keep it simple.

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: TASSP Summer Conference (Multiple Presentations); Texas ASCD Summer Conference; ESC 14 Sumer Conference (Keynote Presentation); ESC 11 Summer Conference (Keynote Presentation); NEASP National Conference; The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Keynote Presentation) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Asks... Instructional Coaching

A LYS Assistant Principal asks the following:

SC,

I attended one of your workshops in Austin and wanted a quick clarification about instructional coaching.  You stressed the importance of providing feedback to your teachers and having coaching pieces separate from evaluation pieces.  How do you provide constructive criticism and affirm the things going right for teachers, but not have it positively or negatively affect their evaluation?  Are you not supposed to praise teachers that could possibly become TINA's?

Your input and perspective would be appreciated!

LC Response

Thanks for attending one of Sean's sessions and again for thinking about these issues which affect our teachers in such a powerful way! Coaching teachers falls under the formative umbrella - we advocate providing feedback and coaching AFTER you have enough data to show trends, habits and routines that normally occur in the classroom.  Sitting down with teachers for a coaching conference usually occurs after 15-20 PowerWalks in that classroom.  You listen more than you talk and you set goals to work on over the next 15-20 PowerWalks to improve instruction.  You will notice that the teachers who respond to coaching will work to establish new habits and routines in the classroom that will impact the evaluations in a positive way, even though the coaching is separate.

On the flip side, a teacher who does not respond to coaching - a teacher who digs in his or her heels and refuses to put forth the effort to get better - then that is the time when you as the leader have a formal conference to tell them that their classroom visits will no longer be formative.  They will have evaluative visits that will be documented and a TINA will be developed.  That way you have started your timeline of when the evaluative cycle begins.  Then you develop a TINA with this teacher and he/she works through it.  

The goal of a TINA is to improve practice, so yes of course you give positive feedback when warranted.  We want the TINA to work! If the TINA works more students will learn and succeed with that teacher and the teacher is able to keep his/her job.  Sometimes the TINA doesn't work and it is the responsibility of leadership to do the right thing and NEVER pass on a "bad egg" to another campus where more students are short-changed because we didn't do what we needed to do.

So formative and evaluative classroom visits are different.  One is to grow and improve and the other is to demonstrate the growth and improvement.  Hope this helps!

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: NASSP National Conference; The 21^st Century High School Conference  
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of November 10, 2013

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now Twitter users.  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 November 10, 2013.

1. Somewhere a student doesn't have supportive parents to help them with their schoolwork. Remember that Monday morning. (By @BluntEducator)

2. Want to rock your PDAS?  It's as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4, Fundamental 5. (By @tra_hall)

3. It's hard to find something more inspiring than watching an old dog learn a new trick. (By @LYSNation)

4. We should move kids to CAREER and college readiness rather than College and career.  Emphasize reality. (By @MISDAccountable)

5. Teacher to student feedback is not "teacher telling," it is "teacher coaching." (By @LYSNation)

6. Quality instruction can result in higher standardized test scores, but it does not mean that high test scores = quality instruction. (By @STAARtest)

7. The worst data is data that doesn't move. (By @LYSNation)

8. The Power Zone turns an academic task into a High Yield activity. (By @LYSNation)

9. 43% of businesses said they did not hire candidate because of info found on social media - provocative material #1disqualifier. (By @SchoolSZ)

10. I always thought it didn't matter much about a mascot... But something changed my mind this year. And you know what, I think I'm right! (By @ONeilCHSprincip)

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: NASSP National Conference; The 21^st Century High School Conference  
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Asks... Principal Evaluation

A LYS Assistant Superintendent asks the following:

SC,

I had a question from a principal that I wanted to pose to you.

The order of our evaluation / contract renewal system has a bizarre sequence.  Around March or April contracts go out. About the same time summative conferences occur.  Finally scores from the state come back. 

Hence the question from the principal, "The system is completely backwards!  How can you take STAAR results and have them reflect them on our PDAS evaluations?"

I like the way my principal is thinking... Input?

SC Response

Here is the short version of a long answer.

I need an objective performance matrix for my principals.  This matrix will be made up of critical leading indicators (formative) and results (summative).  Nearly every measure on this matrix should directly correlate to STUDENT performance. The formative indicators will be locally determined and collected.  The summative results will be a mix of required local and state performance targets and outcomes.  

Once I have this matrix built, I can then evaluate my principals.  By contract law, I may have this evaluation conference prior to having all of my state data.  This is OK, since the state data is not the sole determinant of my evaluation.  The final state data (STAAR results in Texas) simply confirms that our evaluation matrix is, or is not, aligned with state mandated student performance standards.  If it is aligned, stick with your decision.  If it is not aligned, figure out why.  

One final, extremely critical, point: Fairness is not sameness.  If your Title I campus performs at the same level as your non-Title I campus, the Title I principal should receive the better evaluation.  And here is your sports analogy that drives this point home.  

The University of Texas goes 8-4 this year and barely beats the University of Houston in the Holiday Bowl.

The University of Houston goes 7-5 this year and barely loses to the University of Texas in the Holiday Bowl.

Who is the better coach? Mac Brown or Tony Levine?

The Holiday Bowl Results shouldn't matter that much.  The evaluation of the coach should be driven by the 8-4 and 7-5.  Given available resources, UT has performed below expectations.  UH, most likely has met expectations (you don't know how hard it is for me to use this example).

Does your current principal evaluation system reflect this basic truth?

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of August 18, 2013

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now Twitter users.  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 August 18, 2013.

1. I had two teachers tell me (at different times) that our speaker today obviously has not read The Fundamental 5...and he needed to. (By @scot_wright)

2. When a system takes purposeful steps to reveal the system (to itself); it has the option to self-correct. Analyze and Adjust! (By @brandyjbaker)

3. Opening Week underway.  Continuing our focus of changing the practice of adults to drive the changes we desire in student learning. (By @blitzkrieg607)

4. Want to rock your PDAS?  It's as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4, Fundamental 5. (By @OCTKinney)

5. Students who know how to seek feedback other than only from the Teacher will be more engaged and achieve greater over time. The case for purposeful talk continues! (By @kimbarker25)

6. It's funny how "conservatives" in Texas hate big government telling THEM what to do, but they love laws bent on micromanaging everyone else. (By @woscholar)

7. Teachers tell me how much CSCOPE has helped them teach to the standards but they are afraid to speak up due to bully blogs. Sad. (By @PaulaKelm)

8. It's been scientifically proven that the less you know, the more you think you know. (By @PaulaKelm)

9. I want to thank all of the CSCOPE support staff. They continue to help teachers in the face of malicious stupidity and purposeful ignorance. (By @LYSNation)

10. What education book made the Washington Post best-seller list? The Fundamental 5 (Cain & Laird) coming in at number 10! Thank you, LYS Nation! (By @LYSNation)

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Requests... The Fundamental 5 / PDAS Alignment

A LYSer makes the following request:

SC,

Hope you've had a relaxing summer. We are excited for a new year at HES. I remember when you showed how the Fundamental Five behaviors correspond to the domains in PDAS.

Is there any way you could post that again? I can’t find it and we would like to share it with our staff as we complete a PDAS update training during this week's staff development sessions.

Thanks so much.

SC Response

Summer has been busy but great.  And here is the alignment you requested.  Hopefully other schools will also find the information useful and timely.

When I Frame the Lesson, I make a positive impact on the following PDAS domains:

• Domain I (Student Participation)
• Domain II (Learner-Centered Instruction)
• Domain III (Evaluation and Feedback)
• Domain IV (Management)
• Domain V (Professional Communication)
• Domain VIII (Improvement of Academic Performance of All Students)

When I Work in the Power Zone, I make a positive impact on the following PDAS domains:

• Domain I (Student Participation)
• Domain II (Learner-Centered Instruction)
• Domain III (Evaluation and Feedback)
• Domain IV (Management)
• Domain V (Professional Communication)
• Domain VIII (Improvement of Academic Performance of All Students)

When I use Frequent Small Group Purposeful Talk, I make a positive impact on the following PDAS domains:

• Domain I (Student Participation)
• Domain II (Learner-Centered Instruction)
• Domain III (Evaluation and Feedback)
• Domain IV (Management)
• Domain VIII (Improvement of Academic Performance of All Students)

When I Recognize and Reinforce, I make a positive impact on the following PDAS domains:

• Domain I (Student Participation)
• Domain II (Learner-Centered Instruction)
• Domain III (Evaluation and Feedback)
• Domain IV (Management)
• Domain V (Professional Communication)
• Domain VIII (Improvement of Academic Performance of All Students)

When I have my students Write Critically, I make a positive impact on the following PDAS domains:

• Domain I (Student Participation)
• Domain II (Learner-Centered Instruction)
• Domain III (Evaluation and Feedback)
• Domain VIII (Improvement of Academic Performance of All Students)

As you observe me execute the Fundamental 5 at high frequency and high quality, you will find it easy to evaluate me as Exceeding Expectations in the following PDAS domains:

• Domain I (Student Participation)
• Domain II (Learner-Centered Instruction)
• Domain III (Evaluation and Feedback)
• Domain IV (Management)
• Domain V (Professional Communication)
• Domain VIII (Improvement of Academic Performance of All Students)

So bottom line, when I execute the Fundamental 5 with high frequency and high quality, I can’t help but to exceed expectations on my PDAS summative evaluation.

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of November 25, 2012

Of the two biggest issues facing the use of bootleg technology on campus (1. Letting students do it. 2. Infrastructure), it is infrastructure that you need to really be concerned with. Specifically, as it deals with bandwidth.

It is recommended that by the 2014/2015 school year that a campus will need at least 100 megabits per second of connectivity to the external Internet for every 1,000 students and/or staff members, and 1 gigabit per second of connectivity for data transactions within a school-wide or district-wide network (SEDTA report). And that is just to get started.  By 2017, multiply the amount of needed bandwidth by 10.

So what does that mean for your campus and/or district?  Three things:

A. What you have now will not be adequate for the immediate future.

B. You need to have somebody who knows what they are doing to assess your campus (or campuses) and give you a prioritized action plan.

C. Start budgeting and securing funds to pay for these upgrades.

As funds get tighter, those who are proactive will continue to widen the gap between their campus and the campuses led by the reactive.

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now using your own 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 November 25, 2012.

1. The Athletic Director never calls a coaches’ meeting during game time. Yet central office thinks nothing of taking Principals off campus multiple times a week.

2. All students should be recognized but it does not need to be done equally. What matters is that it is done in a meaningful way. (By @TheJamesRowland)

3. The brains of poor kids process information differently than rich kids, working harder to ignore irrelevant stimuli. (By @anniemurphypaul)

4. There is almost zero correlation between staff evaluations and campus ranking.

5. I can make the case that an acceptable campus has an exceptional staff, if the campus outperforms its peers.

6. The problem with PDAS is it is a subjective system presented as objective. The Principal must define and communicate the standard of excellence.

7. U.S. birth rate has dipped to lowest ever recorded, falling 8% from 2007 to 2010. (That means fewer students in the future) (By @FareedZakaria)

8. I'm always flabbergasted by presenters who utilize lousy instructional pedagogy as they present about effective pedagogy. (By @tlonganecker)

9. Teacher quality is not about what we teach; quality is all about how we teach! (By @tra_hall)

10. Payoff the first day! Added the "end cookie" (FF: closing product) on my posted objective. Kids worked in a whole new way. And had more fun doing it. (By @NikaMaples)

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: North Dakota Principals Association Conference (Keynote Speaker), TASSP Assistant Principals’ Workshop (Featured Speaker), American Association of School Administrators Conference (Multiple Presentations), National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations)
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation