One of my worst learning nightmares at Pleasant Valley Elementary School in 1961 was being assigned to the "pewter" reading level due to some of my delayed learning issues, while everyone else was assigned to aqua, gold, platinum. For the rest of that year, I was pewter! So much for the SRA Reading Development Series in those years. When a student is assigned a number or a color, it predestines their life.
Day 3 at ISTE had a wonderful treat, Stephen Covey. How wonderful it was to hear him speak on the 7 habits and how they apply to our schools. Of particular note was his reference that test scores are the worst form of identity theft that exists. Reducing someone to a number that will determine their ability to get ahead in life without taking into consideration their humanity, creativity, and innovative skill sets is something out of a science fiction episode, such as the Twilight Zone.
But, tell that to our elected officials that have created this boondoggle entitled NCLB. They are so sure that testing students will encourage low performing individuals to get ahead, have no idea of the human spirit, and the capabilities of people to learn differently. US Education Secretary Arne Duncan spoke at a conference saying :“I think one of the most insidious things that’s happened in this country over the past couple of decades has been the dumbing down of standards for children. In far too many states, including the state I come from, Illinois, we have been lying to children and lying to families in telling them they are prepared for college and careers when, in fact, they are nowhere near ready.”
I caught this quote from an article by Maureen Downey of the Atlanta Constitution Journal. I had to read it four times and I laughed that it came from none other than our US Secretary of Education, the purveryor of Race to the Top (or as I refer to it, Slip to the Bottom). In one statement he suggests that the standards are dumbed down. Then he proposes to fix that by making every student across the country take more tests, and forcing teachers to teach to the test in order to pass some "standard" determined by the likes of politicos at various levels of society.
So, refer back to Stephen Covey's comment. We dehumanize potential when we assign a number, a score, or an achievement descriptor that does not allow some people to be creative or to get ahead, or as Secretary Duncan describes, "dumb and dumber".
Time to have an alumni meeting with the other "pewter heads" at ISTE!!!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
ISTE Day 2: How Do We Release the Potential?
21st Century School Leadership is an involved and challenging process, and so many of us realize that who are active in the profession. One initiative leads to another challenge, that leads to another failed attempt to break the structural impediments of 19th Century learning. To summarize today's sessions at ISTE2011 I can say the theme of relevance, sustainability, and replicability are necessary considerations for those of us that seek to build these systems.
A reminder, 21st Century best practices includes dynamic leadership, vision, culture of collaboration, an adapted reform process, new approaches to teaching and learning, high quality infrastructure and technology. Systems that instill in students the critical thinking skills that prepare them for college, and the world of work will achieve these rare feats of success. But, in the lyrics of the old children's song they are "petunias in onion patches".
The component structural model of 21st Century learning follows a model such as the following set of components, evidenced in model school districts in Louisiana and New York State:
1. Setting the stage for innovation; creating a dynamic vision with appropriate stakeholders.
2. Leadership; that uses the dynamic vision to to guide decision-making, hiring the right leaders and teachers to fulfill the vision.
3. Teaching and learning; aligning pedagogy with the vision, and reorganizing the physical structure of an older model of learning.
4. Technology implementation; develop a plan for the implementation of technology
5. Professional development; to reinforce training and support for employees
6. Culture; establishing a true environment for collaboration, facilitation, and mentoring
7. Partnerships; external and internal partnerships
8. Replicability; using a within-the-budget mentality to control budget.
9. Sustainability; creating induction programs to ensure the vision continues.
In one interesting session by Kipp Rogers, a MS Principal in Virginia, a wonderful presentation on the world of Web 2.0 activities and tools for school leaders. He is also the author of two books that focus on the use of cell phones, smart phones and other devices in the classroom.
21st Century schools are possible and are very much needed and sought after. Here's hoping that the right people get the message.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Unlocking Our Students Potential
We had an excellent first day of the ISTE 2011 Conference in Philadelphia. The theme of the conference is "Unlocking the Potential", and we heard that echoed in so many ways by the various speakers at the general session. Beginning with host Mario Armstrong who echoed the idea that teachers are actually "secret agents" on a desperate mission to unlock the potential of children against the challenges of the economy, the APPR, NCLB, and our elected leaders!
The current educational system kills the dreams of children. We need to work within the system but to challenge it. The unconventional, can become the conventional. Creativity, innovation and being incredible. Igniting the passion of children and turning on their learning. Education needs an overhaul.
And with that challenge I believe we need to encourage each teacher to accept one new initiative this year and challenge the system.
We need to become fearless as educators, and reclaim our dream. Renew your dream and renew your promise as an inspiring teacher.
The current educational system kills the dreams of children. We need to work within the system but to challenge it. The unconventional, can become the conventional. Creativity, innovation and being incredible. Igniting the passion of children and turning on their learning. Education needs an overhaul.
And with that challenge I believe we need to encourage each teacher to accept one new initiative this year and challenge the system.
We need to become fearless as educators, and reclaim our dream. Renew your dream and renew your promise as an inspiring teacher.
Professional Development for a Superintendent
Superintendents need professional development. As a 21st Century school leader, that is exactly how I am beginning the summer, right after graduation. I am sinking my proverbial professional development molars into the ISTE conference in Philadelphia, PA. It's amazing that more people do not take advantage of going to such a stimulating conference. I hear that only 12,000 people from around the world are here. Well, 12,000 people will be enlightened to learn the newest and greatest ideas on technology, data driven decision making, 1:1 learning system, a keynote by Steven Covey, and another by Johm Medina.
I will be covering the conference for all of my blog fans, so stay in touch and keep the faith.
I will be covering the conference for all of my blog fans, so stay in touch and keep the faith.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Digital Darwinism and My Mother
I have a wonderful mother. She is 85 years young and she has been a widow for over twenty years. Recently, I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with her talking about things, and she surprised me with two startling questions:
What is "Facebook"? and "What does it mean to Twit-ter?"
Now, that may not sound so startling or amazing to some people, but for my mom to ask these questions was quite enlightening. My mom is the kind of person that would only use an automatic dishwasher when people were sick in the house, and she would never entertain the use of a microwave for fear of atomic radiation. So, for her to ask me what these two social media devices were was truly interesting. Her friends at the senior citizen center are all abuzz on using Facebook to stay in touch or connected to their grandchildren and other relatives. After showing my mom the wonders of Facebook and allowing her to see how she could stay in touch through social media with her family she became excited and wanted to have the capability to do the same.
In many ways, this is the perfect example of what has been recently defined as "digital Darwinism". That is when technology evolves faster than the ability of people to stay up with it. The fact that smart phones and tablets are proliferating thoughout the world, and most people still are only working with a desktop computer, is an example of this. There is a commercial for Best Buy that offers to buy back a former version of technology when the newer version comes out, so that people start realizing savings from their investment, if that is possible.
This past budget season we were asked many times by people about iPads being used by our administrators, and was this a good use of resources. I can only comment that upgrading the technology for our employees enhances the work they do and makes the school community more paperless and less dependent on many other traditional forms of resources. Next year, we are working on plans for students in the high school to begin bringing in their personal devices for use in taking notes, working on projects and classroom assignments. Eventually, we hope to stop purchasing the heavy and expensive textbooks in favor of electronic texts and other Internet-based media.
And who knows what the next level of media will be ?
For now, I plan on getting my Mom connected to the World Wide Web, and welcome her to the Global Internet!!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Being a School Leader For All Children
It has been another interesting week for educators in NYS. The Chancellor of the New York City Schools resigned her job after three months. The Commissioner of Education in NYS resigned his job after one year. And, public school leaders around the country are trying to get budgets developed and passed.
Yes, it has been another fun week as a 21st Century School Leader!
The theme of all of these resignations resonates most clearly when Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation and the author of "All Together Now: Creating Middle-Class Schools Through Public School Choice," frames an interesting perspective that has long been used to criticize our public school leaders. He suggests “ it may be time to set aside two prevailing biases in the education reform community: that non-educators with strong management skills should be brought in to fix the “mess” that educators have made; and that the rigor of private sector experience will inevitably trump the skills of those toiling in the public sector.” (Kahlenberg (April 8, 2011). NYTimes). Or how about the following point by Neal McCluskey,associate director of the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute and the author of "Feds in the Classroom: How Big Government Corrupts, Cripples and Compromises American Education." :“There is a huge difference between running a business and running a school district, and it points to what is arguably public schooling’s most crippling flaw: in business, you don’t need public consensus to get things done. In something run by democratic government, you do.” (McCluskey (April 8, 2011) NYTImes).
After a long few months of trying to bridge a previously thought impossible budget gap, reducing teachers, administrators, and reworking collective bargaining agreements, to see these events and read these articles was quite a treat. Business people and higher education types cannot lead any better than those of us that have been managing these situations for quite awhile.
The same can be said about the higher education demogogues that assume posts such as the Commissioner of Education” or “Secretary of Education. In higher education, everything is “pie in the sky” or “ivory tower” goals and objectives, when the current reality of our economic times are derailing these lofty projects, and the children in public schools get punished for these mistakes.
I had one person in particular barrage me with constant email that our teachers make too much money, that the district bargained away all of the money, that we are not taking the conditions of the community into consideration when making decisions, we need to consult with “business types” in the community to do this work, and despite all of our efforts to create balanced budgets, achieve concessions, and renegotiate agreements, it wasn’t good enough. Then, it hit me that people like these critics in our district have never managed a $ 90 million dollar budget in their organizations. They don’t have the number of employees that I have in my district, and they haven’t the slightest experience negotiating a collective bargaining agreement such as the contracts that are under my domain. These self-proclaimed “business” types would be lost in the world of public education.
Unfortunately, as school leaders we need to navigate the waters of irresponsible government behaviors and appointments. We do this by committing to the following:
1) School leaders need to be transparent about their decisions and goals.
2) School leaders need to keep the program intact, but with a balanced budget that supports the district’s ability to maintain faculty and staff, as best as possible.
3) School leaders need to facilitate open and honest relationships with union leaders and employees.
4) School leaders need to listen to the community.
I am sure Ms. Black and Dr. Steiner have excellent track records of accomplishments in their fields of endeavors. Let’s put responsible people with a focus on children in these positions before we lose another child to a government leader’s lofty promises.
What do you think?
Yes, it has been another fun week as a 21st Century School Leader!
The theme of all of these resignations resonates most clearly when Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation and the author of "All Together Now: Creating Middle-Class Schools Through Public School Choice," frames an interesting perspective that has long been used to criticize our public school leaders. He suggests “ it may be time to set aside two prevailing biases in the education reform community: that non-educators with strong management skills should be brought in to fix the “mess” that educators have made; and that the rigor of private sector experience will inevitably trump the skills of those toiling in the public sector.” (Kahlenberg (April 8, 2011). NYTimes). Or how about the following point by Neal McCluskey,associate director of the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute and the author of "Feds in the Classroom: How Big Government Corrupts, Cripples and Compromises American Education." :“There is a huge difference between running a business and running a school district, and it points to what is arguably public schooling’s most crippling flaw: in business, you don’t need public consensus to get things done. In something run by democratic government, you do.” (McCluskey (April 8, 2011) NYTImes).
After a long few months of trying to bridge a previously thought impossible budget gap, reducing teachers, administrators, and reworking collective bargaining agreements, to see these events and read these articles was quite a treat. Business people and higher education types cannot lead any better than those of us that have been managing these situations for quite awhile.
The same can be said about the higher education demogogues that assume posts such as the Commissioner of Education” or “Secretary of Education. In higher education, everything is “pie in the sky” or “ivory tower” goals and objectives, when the current reality of our economic times are derailing these lofty projects, and the children in public schools get punished for these mistakes.
I had one person in particular barrage me with constant email that our teachers make too much money, that the district bargained away all of the money, that we are not taking the conditions of the community into consideration when making decisions, we need to consult with “business types” in the community to do this work, and despite all of our efforts to create balanced budgets, achieve concessions, and renegotiate agreements, it wasn’t good enough. Then, it hit me that people like these critics in our district have never managed a $ 90 million dollar budget in their organizations. They don’t have the number of employees that I have in my district, and they haven’t the slightest experience negotiating a collective bargaining agreement such as the contracts that are under my domain. These self-proclaimed “business” types would be lost in the world of public education.
Unfortunately, as school leaders we need to navigate the waters of irresponsible government behaviors and appointments. We do this by committing to the following:
1) School leaders need to be transparent about their decisions and goals.
2) School leaders need to keep the program intact, but with a balanced budget that supports the district’s ability to maintain faculty and staff, as best as possible.
3) School leaders need to facilitate open and honest relationships with union leaders and employees.
4) School leaders need to listen to the community.
I am sure Ms. Black and Dr. Steiner have excellent track records of accomplishments in their fields of endeavors. Let’s put responsible people with a focus on children in these positions before we lose another child to a government leader’s lofty promises.
What do you think?
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Hippocratic Oath for a School Leader
The Hippocratic Oath is an oath historically taken by doctors swearing to practice medicine ethically. It is widely believed to have been written by Hippocrates, often regarded as the father of western medicine. The Hippocratic Oath (orkos) is one of the most widely known of Greek medical texts. It requires a new physician to swear upon a number of healing gods that he will uphold a number of professional ethical standards. Sounds like something every professional that has something to do for people should take.
Unfortunately, a school leader must make difficult decisions and many times is attacked by many people for these critical points. So, will diverse groups of people respect the job a school leader does, knowing they take an oath such as an "educational Hippocratic Oath?" Probably not. An oath is a personal commitment for excellence, based on ethical guidelines and standards. To be valid, the oath a person takes really only matters to the person taking it, becoming a personal commitment and a guiding light in a perilous journey to guarantee a quality educational experience for each and every child.
Unfortunately, a school leader must make difficult decisions and many times is attacked by many people for these critical points. So, will diverse groups of people respect the job a school leader does, knowing they take an oath such as an "educational Hippocratic Oath?" Probably not. An oath is a personal commitment for excellence, based on ethical guidelines and standards. To be valid, the oath a person takes really only matters to the person taking it, becoming a personal commitment and a guiding light in a perilous journey to guarantee a quality educational experience for each and every child.
Last week was one of the most difficult time periods I have had in my role as a school superintendent. To sum it up, I closed an elementary school due to declining enrollment, proposed a reduction in work force to the tune of
$ 1,000,000, negotiated agreements with all of our bargaining units and district employees to freeze their salaries next year, performed two superintendent hearings with kids from troubled homes, and to top it off I decided to retire.
Over the past few years I learned that no matter what the decision a leader makes, someone gets upset with you, In fact one day half of the people are mad at you, while the other half of the crowd takes the day off and gets upset with you tomorrow! And I am sure no one cares that you took a personal oath to be ethical and guided by high ideals.
But, ethical standards and high ideals are what drives anyone to become a school leader. And, chances are those standards and ideals focus on kids, and the reasons we all work in a school. So, here is my version of what a school leader's Hippocratic oath should be. Let me know what you think:
I swear to fulfill to the best of my ability and judgment this covenant:
I will respect the hard-won leadership gains of those leaders in whose step I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as well as mine to those who follow after me.
I will apply, for the benefit of my employees, community, and society, all measures that are required, avoiding those twin traps of control and absence of leadership.
I will remember that there is art to leadership as well as science, and that compassion, courage, and understanding employees’ ideas may outweigh the logic of student achievement data or strategic growth.
I will not be ashamed to say “ I don’t know,” nor will I fail to call upon experts when their skills are needed for student, employee and organizational success.
I recognize that my experiences create biases that limit my perspective; therefore, I will cultivate a culture of inquiry amongst my peers to invite others to help me see possibilities beyond my viewpoint.
I will respect the needs of my students to grow as human beings, and do what I can to support their development in ways that help them better contribute to the organization and society.
I will respect the privacy of my students, faculty, administrators and support staff.. I will do what I can to support their needs for learning, work and life.
I will respect the need to support the growth and transformation of my school district. Most especially I must tread with care in matters of ethics and integrity. If it is given to me to “save the life” of my school district I must call upon the two and act accordingly with all stakeholders. It may also be within my power to terminate employees; this awesome responsibility must be faced with humanity, humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not put myself before others.
I will prevent “organizational disease” whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to “cures.” I will remember that I remain a member of the school-community and of society, with special obligations to my fellow colleagues, those who report to me as well as those who work and live nearby.
If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest actions and ways of being a school superintendent and may I long experience the joy of being a school leader.
I will respect the hard-won leadership gains of those leaders in whose step I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as well as mine to those who follow after me.
I will apply, for the benefit of my employees, community, and society, all measures that are required, avoiding those twin traps of control and absence of leadership.
I will remember that there is art to leadership as well as science, and that compassion, courage, and understanding employees’ ideas may outweigh the logic of student achievement data or strategic growth.
I will not be ashamed to say “ I don’t know,” nor will I fail to call upon experts when their skills are needed for student, employee and organizational success.
I recognize that my experiences create biases that limit my perspective; therefore, I will cultivate a culture of inquiry amongst my peers to invite others to help me see possibilities beyond my viewpoint.
I will respect the needs of my students to grow as human beings, and do what I can to support their development in ways that help them better contribute to the organization and society.
I will respect the privacy of my students, faculty, administrators and support staff.. I will do what I can to support their needs for learning, work and life.
I will respect the need to support the growth and transformation of my school district. Most especially I must tread with care in matters of ethics and integrity. If it is given to me to “save the life” of my school district I must call upon the two and act accordingly with all stakeholders. It may also be within my power to terminate employees; this awesome responsibility must be faced with humanity, humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not put myself before others.
I will prevent “organizational disease” whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to “cures.” I will remember that I remain a member of the school-community and of society, with special obligations to my fellow colleagues, those who report to me as well as those who work and live nearby.
If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest actions and ways of being a school superintendent and may I long experience the joy of being a school leader.
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