Why Are We Doing This?

I will admit that I probably made some mistakes in my first years of teaching.  I was most likely caught in survival mode at some points, assigning a worksheet because that is what the district curriculum gave me to work with and would be easier to check than an actual assignment.  However, I learned quickly that a worksheet is hardly work at all.  I was asking myself, on too frequent a basis, "Why am I teaching this?"  "When will kids actually use this?"  It was when I wasn't able to rationalize teaching the content that I made the choice to change how and what I was teaching and what I was doing to assess student learning.

Too often, we don't share good information with each other.  It is one of those problems that has emerged from what Mike Schmoker (2006) calls "the buffer."  We isolate ourselves and are not pushed to work collaboratively, mainly because the teaching profession has adopted the point of view that we should just be left alone and allowed to teach.  I have heard some of my favorite teachers offer that perspective, "Why can't they just leave me alone and let me teach? They're never going to see if I am actually doing this in the classroom."  This is what we need to confront.  The culture of isolation in terms of teacher collaboration and the culture of isolation in terms of administrator isolation.

The problem is clear: if teachers are left to always do what they've always done, how do our most ineffective teachers get better?  I'll allow some Madeline Hunter "wait time"...the answer: they don't!  The teacher who has no idea how to create a learning target, how to assess student work, how to provide effective feedback, how to respond to a parent's inquiry...none of these things are improved upon.  The administrator relies on his/her once a year formal observation or walk-through and identifies that there is a problem.  However, five minutes down the hall, another pressing management issue arises and the administrator is immediately side-tracked from focusing on how to assist the teacher.  The teacher continues to teach the same way, the administrator fills out the reporting form, forgetting the issues, and everyone continues on their merry way.  Except who?  The students.  The student has been poorly instructed and we get to the center of what is wrong with schools...bad instruction.

If stellar instruction was our focus and we invested the time, resources, and effort to combat ineffective teaching practices, some of the biggest hurdles in terms of low achievement, student misbehavior, and teacher turnover would begin to evaporate. Until we admit that our school has a problem, we remain ineffective and our attempts to enact a thousand new programs that will cure the problems will do what they have always done: fail.  There is hope in the use of research proven strategies, monitoring and evaluating the learning environment, team planning for common assessments, shared learning goals, and  guiding colleagues toward better instructional practices.  However, we have to be honest and real with some people.  This may involve administrators feeling uncomfortable in a conversation where they bring up a teacher's lack of understanding for how to teach effectively.  You aren't going to come right out and say, "Boy, do you suck at your job. I can't believe we've let you stay and harm kids for this long.  Pack up your things."  You might want to say that but there are plans to help teachers strengthen weak areas and focus on what can be done better. 

To work on improving the instructional environment, the administrator needs to shift from the manager to the instructional leader.  This might not be possible in all districts.  If it is not, it is important to ask a critical question, "Do you want us to really continue graduating students who have no hope of confronting the challenges of their world?"  No superintendent will say, "That's exactly what I want you to do!  Get out there and maintain the status quo!"  Then again, some superintendents don't have to say anything...it is evident in their actions and words.  I am lucky to have a superintendent who stops in and observes instruction...a pleasant change.  I have administrators who understand what is important in schools and know what to do to improve the learning environment.  We can still improve though.  So we don't stop working.

Do yourself and your school a favor, pick up Mike Schmoker's "Results now: How we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning." Read it, talk about it, and most importantly, start focusing on instruction and supervision of instruction.  Teachers need to watch expert teachers.  Administrators need to observe classrooms daily, not always in a formal setting.  We all need to shift how we think about teaching and learning before we can start solving the problems that are roadblocks for our profession.

References

Schmoker, M. J. (2006). Results now: How we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Bond Issues...Keeping the Community Engaged

                Members of the community, and even district employees, have a difficult time understanding school finance and how the operating budget is created and maintained.  It becomes evident that the community should understand school finances and how money is spent, especially in the current economic climate.  This issue gets increasingly hot as an older school building is in need of repair or in need of being replaced and a bond issue is necessary for the building process.    

             Until the community understands the depth of problems faced in an older building, it is highly unlikely that those community members, especially those who may no longer have children attending the school, will see a need for it to be replaced.  Therefore, it is necessary for the school district to create a well developed plan for communicating the needs, costs, and benefits for the greater community if the project were completed.  Without this plan in place, it will be difficult for all community members to find a reason to support the project.

                A number of factors may influence the opinions of the community against the proposal.  Issues such as salaries for teachers and administrators, negative interactions with students from the school, reduction in staff, declining enrollment, political viewpoints, and previous communication/interactions with the school or district are all potential hurdles for the administration and staff to handle in preparation for suggesting a bond issue.  It becomes necessary then to counteract these potential hazards and begin creating a positive, welcoming, and demonstrated concern for the community the school serves.  Still, confusion remains regarding school finance.  This issue will also need to be addressed before a community will willingly raise property taxes or begin paying more in sales tax.

Solutions

                In order to create an environment that supports the school and the needs faced by the district, I recommend the following actions.

                First, demonstrate the need to the community for the intended improvements.  Communicate these needs in as many ways as possible.  Hold open houses for the community where information can be shared; send a newsletter to the community explaining various facets of school funding and finance; call on community leaders to tour the facility when students are there; have students or parents write to the local newspaper explaining how learning is impacted, and utilize local media such as radio and television or the school website. The focus is to garner support through demonstrating the need.  While this is being done, consider opportunities for new community partnerships and the possibility of opening the school to community organizations that could utilize the new school or space.  This should also be done to demonstrate the importance of allowing the school to be a community gathering space.

Second, create a citizen’s advisory group.  This group should be representative of as many demographic groups as possible including variations on age, race, income, and gender throughout the community the school serves.  This group will be instrumental in communicating with the public through surveys, canvassing, and assisting in the creation of recommendations brought before the community.  Though it need not be a large group, it should be clear that there is not a small group of select individuals making all of the decisions.  This group should be as well versed in the issues facing the school as the administration and staff is so it will be important for leaders to provide additional understanding of finance and public relations.  If someone in the group says or does something to upset others in the community, it may not help the intended project come to fruition.         

Third, consider other key factors that might cause the public to vote against the issue.  This is where public input will become increasingly important.  The school should communicate to the community and ask for input on the issue.  Provide opportunities for the community to view potential building locations.  If the community thinks the building will be built in an unsuitable area, they should be allowed to have their voices heard and provide options for consideration.  Demonstrate willingness to increase community usage of the school.  Providing classes in the evenings for adults, recreation programs for the community, and use of school space for community meetings and gatherings may help gain support.  If the school can be seen as a community organization, the community may be supportive of the current needs and opportunities a new building may create.  Also, consider the elderly of the community.  Many of these individuals live on a fixed income.  Therefore it becomes necessary to demonstrate the needs of today’s student and how their support can ensure a bright future for the community.  Even providing discounted admission to athletic or performing arts functions may help the elderly in the community see the school as a living place in need. 

Finally, keep the people involved in the planning and execution of the campaign and process.  If the community feels that the school/district is being open and honest, that will do more for them than if they suspect they are being presented with false information or half-truths.  Through fostering positive communication with the community, the school may see a much better result.

Will everyone be happy and vote for the proposal?  No.  Surely, some will still see the topic as a frill or unnecessary spending.  People are right to have their objections, especially since the school district is using their tax dollars.  However, getting the information to the people and remembering that this project is about the community will be essential.  The community should be viewed as our partner, not just a donor we schmooze when we need some extra cash.  If people feel like they are voting against the community, they may hesitate before they check the “no” box on the ballot. 

Why Relationships Matter

One of the most important elements of being a school administrator or being a professional in a learning community are the relationships with those around you.  Consider the following...how often or to whom do you say "Hello" to in your school?  How many people greet you on a daily basis?  What do your conversations center around? What stories does your school tell? 

I am sure we can all think of a colleague who is somewhat recluse.  I don't have a problem with that.  Some folks prefer to work on their own and have limited interactions with others.  However, as a member of the school community, be aware of these people and make it a point to also seek them out and greet them.  You don't have to go over the top but when people feel welcome and appreciated it can do good things.  Today's SmartBrief on Leadership had an important message...respect matters. 

The blog (http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2011/03/15/respect/) points out seven ways managers can improve relations with their employees.  None of these tactics are new or revolutionary but are important to keep in mind.  Timely and effective feedback, collaboration, affirmation...all of these are necessary for improving working conditions with others.  One of the points that sticks out to me most, at least as an aspiring administrator, is the importance of empowerment. Marzano (2005) identifies this as Resources.  This includes providing the necessary time, resources, training, etc. to assist others in effectively carrying out their jobs. 

Professional development can improve relationships.  When your culture is one of high expectations and the principal consistently monitors and evaluates the life of the school, professional development can be a great tool for initiating and maintaining critical conversations between colleagues.  This isn't saying that we will all agree on everything, but through understanding where we are in agreement and where we are in disharmony, we can begin to work with each other to move toward our common goals. 

Sometimes it is the simple things: recognition for earning advanced degrees; recognizing birthdays; sharing with others when a colleague has attended a conference or presentation that may improve instructional practices; the birth of a child; sending flowers to a staff member when they have experienced the death of a loved one.  The list could go on.  I am sure you do many of these things already. 

Marzano (2005) recommends "being informed about significant personal issues within the lives of staff members; being aware of the personal needs of teachers; acknowledging significant events in the lives of staff members; maintaining personal relationships with teachers" (59). 

So here is my goal: say hello to every staff member in the building at least once a day and when asking "How are you doing" make sure that they know you truly care about how they are. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Resources
Marciano, Paul. (2011) Engaging employees with respect. (http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2011/03/15/respect/) March 15, 2011.

Marzano, R., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. (2005). School leadership that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

If 82% of My Students Failed...

I would do something differently.  That would be my second thought after, "Oh no..."

If my students did not do well on a test or assignment, and 82% of them received a failing grade, you had better believe that I would be changing my strategies, my instructional delivery, and would be making some accommodations to assist my students to do better when we tested again. I would also expect my colleagues, as a community of professionals, to help me get better and do more for the sake of kids.

As an administrator, if my teachers had 82% of students failing, I would be providing all of the support needed to help the teacher address the rate of student achievement, including helping the teacher teach the content or finding someone who could assist the learning community.  No more are the days in which we can dismiss lagging student achievement as "kids being lazy."  What needs to be wrestled with is how we motivate the unmotivated learner.  This takes some work.  We need time to get to know our kids, what they enjoy, and how to make what they are learning apply to what they perceive to be critical for survival. It might be outside of our comfort zone...but we will survive. Teachers and administrators know this.

When it comes to student achievement and accountability, we cannot forget the important role of relationships- parent and community involvement as well as supporting and encouraging teachers.  Connecting with parents and community resources is necessary not only for maintaining good rapport with our shareholders but also for creating some excellent learning opportunities for the students and allowing parents and community to interact within the structure of a school day.  Communicating the successes and challenges of the school as a whole or your classroom is something that we can do for our parents and community shareholders.  Address what is great and going well.  Reflect upon areas for growth and how we can work together or are working to strengthen our instructional program.  What remains important is that the relationship is cared for and given the attention it needs.  Put information about your student achievement data in sports and arts event programs so that as your community pages through to see who is playing first base or singing a solo, they can also see that your 11th Grade reading scores increased to 85% proficiency.  Allow people to interact with the data and provide a summary of what the scores mean.  Keep student achievement at the front of the minds of your community.   

I mention 82% failure rate in light of today's news from Education Secretary Arne Duncan, that this many American schools could be failing as measured by high stakes tests and increasing standards.  So I return to my original thought..."Oh no."  Followed by, "now what?" NCLB has been a difficult dance partner since it became law.  In particular, as I reviewed our district data, I chuckled at the fact that schools are supposed to go from 80% proficient in 2010 to 100% by 2014.  Meanwhile, we have been allowed to improve at small increments every four years from 2002 to 2010.  Apparently something magical is going to happen in the next four years. 

The call for education reform has been loud and growing louder for years. I happen to agree that effective instruction and assessment tools are necessary, along with a rigorous and relevant curriculum. The answer is not to fire the administrators or half of the teachers, or close the school and reopen as a charter.  Those are not solutions.  Those are reactionary band-aids to a serious problem.  We don't need to kick troubled schools while they are down.  Perhaps providing the necessary tools, like funding and resources such as professional development and increased supports for struggling schools from the local, state, and federal level would do more. "We don't have the money" the states will cry.  What else would we expect, especially since NCLB has yet to be properly funded?  Perhaps as administrators, we do more frequent and beneficial observations and provide timely and effective feedback.  Through this action, we are able to identify struggling or ineffective teaching techniques and can provide the assistance these teachers need to improve in their craft. 

Addressing achievement is critical.  There needs to be a real conversation with all sides respectfully participating and being focused around common goals: helping kids learn, achieve, and succeed.   However, passing the blame to teachers and administrators, especially at a time when teachers (and other public employees) are being stripped of bargaining rights and given little respect for their time, talent, and dedication, is unnecessary and counterproductive. 

If you are one of the 82% I guess the sarcastic-optimist in me says, "Hey, at least you aren't alone."  Hopefully you won't be alone as you work to strengthen student achievement and the quality of your instructional program.

Duffy's Classroom: Advocating for Professional Development

Duffy's Classroom: Advocating for Professional Development: "'Why do those teachers need meetings during the school year, they don't work all summer. Can't they meet then?' 'I know. It's ha..."

Advocating for Professional Development

"Why do those teachers need meetings during the school year, they don't work all summer.  Can't they meet then?"
"I know.  It's hard to shuffle the schedule around all the time and get someone to watch (name of child)."

I heard this exchange as I was attempting to find a birthday card recently.  I was in the card aisle at the neighborhood grocery store, last minute of course, before heading to a little get together.  I am rarely good at gifts and I always buy cards last minute.  It gives me a sense of adventure.  I know...living dangerously. 

Let me clarify something for a moment, I don't always eavesdrop.  However, as an educator, it has become somewhat second-nature to listen to the conversations of others and monitor whether or not they are appropriate.  Maybe that is just a lame excuse.  Either way, you do it too. The two women conversing about the dreadful number of in-service days made me forget my initial search for a card and enter in to a monitoring mode.  As I pretended to look at cards, I listened to these parents lament about the uselessness of teacher work days. I could have easily jumped in to the conversation and stuck up for my comrades.  However, I wanted to understand what their particular beef was with professional development.  Then it came to me...
"We never do anything in our meetings.  We meet for a few minutes but then get back to our rooms as fast as we can to catch up on work."

What?!  Have my ears lied to me?  One of these women was also a teacher?!  How could this be?  She doesn't like PD?

Let's be realistic...teachers across the quality spectrum struggle with PD.  When in-service time is used wisely, is designed with the goal of teacher quality and improvement, and inspires the teacher to set new goals and find pathways to achieving said goals, PD is a powerful tool. It is increasingly powerful when teachers have input regarding the structure of the professional learning time and a role in knowledge sharing with their peers. If it is like PD that the card-aisle-lady has experienced, it is easy to view it as useless, time wasting, and leaves teachers wishing they had time to work in their rooms. PD that is just thrown together is similar to the kid who hands in a "midnight special," something they clearly stayed up late working on, because they thought it was due next week, with little to brag about as an end result.

I am lucky to work in a school district that utilizes faculty input, through a leadership team, in developing the scope and sequence of professional learning.  Using your resources, connections, and in-house experts can be the beginning of building a solid, enjoyable, and most importantly, useful learning experience for teachers and staff. Going one step further and creating a Professional Learning Community can be an even more powerful opportunity for educators to collaborate and challenge each other to grow and learn.  However, PLC's, like other PD tasks, will become useless if the time is not used in the best possible way.  If you are an administrator in these settings, providing a focus for the groups, monitoring and evaluating the learning groups effectiveness, and providing opportunities for input will all assist in creating a culture where professional learning is valued and used wisely. 

It may be a great idea as well to share with parents and community members what is done on learning days for staff.  If you have a website, maybe you would like to post pictures or video of these groups in action.  Perhaps you can include a summary of the activities in your weekly newsletter home to parents.  Perhaps through bringing in community agencies to work alongside these learning groups, you will be able to strengthen your relationship with these shareholders and showcase your talented staff.  When parents and community members are in the know about professional learning and its importance to keeping faculty and staff at their best, then everyone wins.  Kids win through teachers who try something new in the classroom.  Teachers win as they collaborate and share knowledge with each other.  Administrators win because they are able to learn alongside their colleagues and see the benefits.  Parents win because their children are learning from the best educators around.  When we are moving together, I doubt we will hear the complaints echoed in the voice of the frazzled parents that I listened to in the card aisle.  Good day!
                

"Do I Have to Sit Here?"

My students are in new seats today.  While I don't like making new seating charts, I do like the opportunities that are created by placing students near peers with whom they rarely associate.  This totally disrupts their sense of normalcy.  Some begin protesting.  Some send a nasty email around hoping that it doesn't reach my computer.  Some sit quietly and wait until the class ends so they can get away from this group of people at their table.  Others don't mind.  They actually like the new seat and are in the spot they have been wanting to sit in for weeks. 

Ok...confession time.  Not all of this happens.  In fact, most of my students shuffle in, see the seating arrangement and inquire as to the whereabouts of their new seat.  They sit down, and after seeing who else is sitting with them, get to work reading their SSR book.  Ahh...I have avoided the questions, "How long do I have to sit here?"  "Why am I in the same spot?"  "Why is she with me?"  I begin the period in peace and as quickly as it has begun, it is over.

Change, whether getting new seats, a new report card system, different gradebook program, or new initiative is interpreted differently by each member of the group.  Often though, when we talk about change in education, big or small, we get some of those reactions that I outlined in the beginning.  We tell ourselves, "Great, another change.  Let's see how long this one lasts."  To an extent, such an approach is understandable.  Change after change has come down the pipeline for reforming schools.  We get another set of acronyms to memorize and as quickly as it comes, it is gone...or at least amended. 

We all know the colleague who will inevitably send the email or start the conversation about what "they" are making "us" do now.  As if we are in a battle against an enemy that we cannot see but we know we must destroy.  If you can't think of the colleague, you are probably the one.  Others will sit by and go through the motions of working with the proposed  change, not committing whole-heartedly, but giving it a shot until the next great thing comes along.  They are most likely more effective than the complainers but less effective than the rock-stars in working with the new change. After all, half-hearted attempts usually get half-hearted results.

What if we could approach the change with the mindset of the final group: the mountain climbers.  Here is the challenge, we don't know everything about it, but we will do our best to reach the top.  Idealistic?  Yes.  Unattainable?  No.  It is all in the approach and leadership that surrounds the change initiative.

Marzano (2005) refers to change as "first-order change and second-order change" (p. 65).  There are certain leadership responsibilities that Marzano identifies that are ordered for first order change and ones that are negatively impacted by second order change.  It is important to keep an eye on the change process and monitor the implementation of the change.  However, the bigger the change, the more attention needs to be paid to how the culture is being impacted.  Through quality communication, as well as involving teachers in providing input and feedback on the change process, the leader keeps the change in the minds of the faculty and staff but also involves the faculty and staff in helpful dialogue to guide decision making.  Our sense of normalcy gets messed up when we change things, big or small.  What one may view as a small change, someone else sees as a wrecking ball.  Keeping the focus on how the culture is impacted and reminding staff of why the change is necessary or useful is key.

Don't let the change process be a slow, painful yanking of a band-aid.  That isn't to say that you should make a whole lot of changes as fast as possible.  That would also be foolish and unmanageable.  Instead, change at the pace necessary to keep people performing at their peak.  Find little moments to celebrate.  Find ways to encourage people.  Be visible as much as possible.  There will be a little pain, perhaps some groaning, and maybe an audible sigh.  Communicate, champion, be flexible, and remember why the change is needed in the first place.  Is it for the betterment of kids? Will it raise achievement for all?  Do others see the need to do something? Good...go for it.

You still will get asked, "How long do we have to sit here?" and "Why are we doing this?"  Bring out the energy and enthusiasm and involve that person in understanding where you (collectively) have been, where you are, and where you are going.

References

Marzano, R., Waters, T. & McNulty, B. (2005). School leadership that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.