Maximizing Which Results

As mentioned in the 8/2/16 post, “Rely on People or Rely on Systems,” the A+ priority of leadership is designing, building, and revising a system that prioritizes effort for the purpose of maximizing results. But I didn’t expound on which results.  In education we can pick any number of result categories to focus on.  Three common categories are spending, adult comfort and student success.  What I would like you to consider is that two of these are a zero sum game (if one wins, the others lose).  Only one path yields the elusive win/win, and only in the long term.

First, let’s look at the focus on spending.  It is possible to create systems that minimize spending.  Hooray, I win the budget cutting game!  However, the ultimate win in this game is to stretch staff and facilities to the point where the school provides low quality day care in decrepit warehouse like environments.  This is a miserable loss in terms of adult comfort and student success.

Now let’s look at adult comfort (which too many education leaders mistakenly call morale.  They ARE NOT the same thing).  It is possible to create systems that maximize adult comfort. Hooray, I win the my staff is happy game! However, the ultimate win in this game is to overpay staff to show up and teach whatever they want, whenever they want, anyway they want.  Scores and performance don't matter, because any lack of success is the fault of students, their families, the community, in fact everyone other than the person actually teaching in the classroom.  From a budget standpoint, the taxpayer foots a bill with next to nothing to show for it. This is a miserable loss in terms of budget and student success.

So let’s look at student success.  It is possible to create systems that maximize student opportunity.  Hooray, I win the students success game!  However, the ultimate win in this game means that I have to pay staff fairly and invest in training, tools and facilities.  In the short run, this means that I’m losing the budget game.  But in the long run, schools that improve student outcomes enhance the taxable value of local real estate and create a more skilled workforce that generate higher levels of tax revenue and attract a wider array of businesses.  This is a long-term win.

Also, to win the student success game, in the short-run, adult comfort in negatively impacted.  Staff have to train, plan, adjust, collaborate, reflect, and break a sweat, all day, every day.  In short, they have to work, which is darn near an antonym to comfort. However, when educators see the positive effect of their work on student performance, they become highly satisfied and increasingly motivated. I’ll take that over comfort 10 times out of 10.

All of this to illustrate the following point. If as a leader in education, you are focused on anything other than student success, ultimately you are playing a loser’s game. 

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: LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote); The 2016 Texas Charter School Conference (Multiple Presentations); 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

Rely on People or Rely on Systems

There is no question that talented people are important to the success of an organization.  But beware of the trap of attributing all success to talent and all failure to the lack of talent. Talent can bring great individual success but it doesn’t bring long-term great organizational success.

It is the system that leverages and magnifies talent, that brings great organizational success.  As leaders, we can’t ignore the recruiting and cultivating of talent, but I will argue this is an A- priority.  Our A+ priority is designing, building, and revising a system that prioritizes effort for the purpose of maximizing results.

What is interesting is that the leader who espouses the value of talent, spends more of his time trying to buy and incentivize better staff.  Yet even with this focus, he still ends up looking at the back bumper of the leader who focuses on system design, execution and training.

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: LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote); The 2016 Texas Charter School Conference (Multiple Presentations); 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

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of July 24, 2016

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of July 24, 2016 when they were first posted.  And if you are on Twitter, you might want to check out the Tweeters who made this week’s list.

1. Congratulations to LYSer, Chris Granger! He is the new principal at Sanger HS!! Who will be next? (By @LYSNation)

2. Congratulations to LYSer, Tom Giles! He is the new Principal at Pewitt Junior High School!! Who will be next? (By @LYSNation)

3. Congratulations to LYSer, Jamey Johnson! She is the new Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction in Brenham ISD!! Who'll be next? (By @LYSNation)

4. I have a huge problem with private school educated multi-millionaires demonizing public educators and getting standing ovations. (By @LYSNation)

5. I have reached the firm conclusion that if you are a school leader and you don't attend training with your staff, you're not as good as you believe. (By @LYSNation)

6. What's the best thing to give struggling readers when they've finished a book? Another book. Not a test. Not a slice of pizza. (By @KyleneBeers)

7. "Everything we write is a potential learning experience.  Writing is a systematic process for learning essential meanings." (By @Mr_DTRutan)

8. Success favors a prepared mind! (By @EdieMartin)

9. If your coach is being tough and demanding of you, consider it a gift. They probably see some things in you that you don't see in yourself. (By @CoachMotto)

10. The public strongly oppose cutting education, yet education funding down 17.3% since 2011. (By @LLMcNabb)

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: LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote); The 2016 Texas Charter School Conference (Multiple Presentations); 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

Save the Dates: The TASSP / LYS Leadership Academy

An Event So Nice... We're Doing It Twice!

Open to all educators, from all states.  TASSP membership not required.

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: LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote); The 2016 Texas Charter School Conference (Multiple Presentations); 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

A Reader Asks... Your Personal Mission and Vision

A LYS Teacher asks:

SC,

I have recently started working on a Masters in Education Leadership. One of my assignments was to develop and write my “Vision of Leadership” statement. Which got me wondering, what is yours? And/or do you have an opinion on having a personal “Vision of Leadership?”

SC Response

First, I think that every leader (especially those in public service) needs to know who they are, what they are about and why they do what they do.  This understanding keeps you from going astray. Can this be encompassed in a “Vision Statement?” Maybe for some, for some maybe not.  

I don’t operate under a concrete vision statement, posted on a wall in my office, but there are some overriding themes that drive me, my work, and my teams.  And these overriding themes have done so for going on 25 years now.

1. If not us, then who?  My entire career has been spent working with the underdogs.  At-risk students, at-risk schools, and at-risk districts.  In this pursuit, it is understood that there is no “safety net.”  Instead, WE are the safety net.  Which means that if we don’t step up and do the right thing, put in the extra effort, care about the results, etc., no one else will.  

2. Today’s best is tomorrow’s base line. Meaning that we are always pushing to get better, reflecting on our practice, challenging the status quo and looking for the next mountain.

3. Do what’s right for students and don’t worry about the fall out.  In the vast majority of schools the big people worry a lot about the other big people.  We don’t.  The big people are in schools to maximize student opportunity.  If they are not willing to do so, get new big people (yes, our job is that important and that urgent).  If you get fired for doing right by students (it happens), trust me, the next job will come. Easier and sooner than you expect.

4. The answer is out there. We just have to find it.  There is an answer to how to get schools to operate at maximum effectiveness.  It’s just beyond our grasp… today.  But it we stay focused and keep grinding, we’ll figure it out. And then we’ll share that answer with the profession.  Because if not us, then who?

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: LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote); The 2016 Texas Charter School Conference (Multiple Presentations); 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

A Reader Asks... Reducing the Number of Re-testers

A LYS Reader asks:

SC,

I attended my state’s Principals’ Conference this summer and had the pleasure of attending two of your new presentations.  I have heard you speak several times over the past few years and have slowly introduced your ideas and suggestions them to my staff.  This year we are going to focus on better Fundamental 5 implementation, especially critical in the light of new realities of the Accountability Age.  Our scores have been severely hampered by the sheer number of students that re-test each testing period and we want to do everything possible to get these students to pass and focus on our first time testers.  

Any suggestions or support from LYS would be welcome.  I am also interested in what LYS does or offers schools on an individual basis. 

Thank you.

SC Response

Good question. Here are some of my thoughts.

1.  Re-testers are a big issue at more schools than you can imagine.  But these students aren’t the problem; they are the symptom of a problem or problems.   The re-tester issue did not occur over night, so there is no instantaneous fix, but there are a couple of things that address this in the mid to long term.

            A. Get on Pace: If your students do not see all the content they will be tested on, their performance on STAAR will be significantly hampered.  Which means that pacing is Priority 1 in the STAAR era.  You can probably count the people who understand this on one hand.  (LYS can and does help schools with this.)

            B. Teach Better: The rigor (level of student thinking) required to succeed on the STAAR test exceeds the rigor typically observed in classrooms.  This is not a blanket indictment of teachers. Instead it is a fair analysis of the test.  You will not get the rigor you need by berating, threatening and/or ignoring teachers (practices common in all too many schools).  It is going to take on-going training, cueing, coaching and support.  Which means that for the first time, campus leadership is as on the hook for the quality of instruction as individual teachers. (LYS can and does help schools with this.)

            C. Intervene Quicker: This one ought to be a “no brainer,” but it isn’t.  What this means is if you know you have students showing up on the first day of school all ready behind, start intervening immediately. After school support, before school support, one semester concurrent support classes, etc.  Do anything but wait to intervene... Unlike almost every campus. (LYS can and does help schools with this.)

            D. Red Shirt Your Freshmen: Or as I describe it, play the game to win.  Freshmen do not have to take Algebra 1, Biology and English 1 as freshman.  We just schedule them in those classes because that’s what we have always done. You can swap pre-algebra for Algebra 1 (it would be for local credit, but with the 8 and 9 period day, there are credits to spare). You can swap IPC for Biology. You can swap English 4 for English 1 (though this may not be popular with the English Department). Do this and every student will be better prepared for the STAAR, which means fewer re-testers. (LYS can and does help schools with this.)

            E. Lead Your Feeder Pattern: Once you get your house in order, lead your feeder pattern.  The typical High School cashes the check written by its middle and elementary schools.  You can either accept that, or leverage your budget and position to get them working more aligned with both the district’s scope and sequence and your campus. (LYS can and does help schools with this.)

2. We, LYS (Lead Your School), work with schools and districts across the country.  The level of support varies based on the needs of the client.  Which means that our scope of services spans from 1-day leadership consultation sessions, to embedded teacher training over the course of an entire year.  Topics include scope and sequence implementation, formative classroom observation, common assessment implementation, staff coaching, and improved instructional practices. Probably the best thing to do is give us a call and we can figure out how we can best help you and your team.

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: LYS / TASSP Advanced Leadership Academy (Keynote); The 2016 Texas Charter School Conference (Multiple Presentations); 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