AAA to AA? Grades don't tell the whole story

Everyone loves grades. It's the reason children go to school, isn't it? Here an A, there a B...fall in line and avoid a C. Parents love to know that their off-spring are "A" students, and teachers don't think twice about awarding an A- for a child, for in this day and age teachers and administrators may confront complaints, arguing, clamoring and lawyers. Yes, grades are a wonderful thing, aren't they?

Some places define, redefine, and alibi how their grading system is unique, blended, and eulogized. In one suburban school I worked in the furor of the letter grade concept of A, B, C, D and F needed to be refined and opened larger in range and in scope. They created a grade higher than an A and called it an H that became the coveted prize of the elite, the wanton, and the frustrated that felt the A was too accessible, further confirming the state of classism that exists in our country today.

Unfortunately, the world is abuzz over the US being downgraded from AAA to AA by a private company that makes a living doing this for their jollies. While the world is abuzz today over everything terrible about this economic grading crisis reality does not change...grades do not tell the whole story.

President Obama confirmed this in his morning briefing, that regardless of what this downgrade signifies, the US is a AAA nation that is hardworking, financially sound, founded on values and committed to the highest ideals of freedom, liberty and justice for all.

I wonder if I could use that same logic with parents in NYS today that are clamoring over the release of the ELA and Math results for students in grade 4-8? Let me see:

" Regardless of what these test scores reveal, your child is an important human being that comes to school each day to learn, and to experience all the life has to offer. That your children are wonderfully capable of learning everything and anything that they are willing to do. And, these assessments are nothing more than a snapshot of one day in the life of your child. They do not tell the whole story."

Beautiful speech, but will it convince anyone? Probably not. But, I meant it with as much furor and confidence as the President.

Grades do not tell the whole story.

To Tweet or Not To Tweet.

Jack Dorsey is a person that every 21st Century School Leader should honor and memorialize. Mr. Dorsey created the most important evaluation tool for administrators in evaluating teachers in this 21st Century...Twitter. Specifically, the concept of the 140 character message for use among truck drivers for reporting in to their central dispatcher.

This concept has mushroomed and grown into the most phenomenal social media tool since Facebook, eMail, and the Pony Express. With over 200 million users in 2011 with 1.6 billion search inquiries per day, Twitter is a phenomenon that educators cannot avoid noticing.

Imagine using the twitter tweet of 140 characters as an observation feedback statement, not for publicizing on the Internet!

One of the three most important things we do as educational leaders is to hire, mentor, and tenure the faculty that works with students in our schools. Assuming we have hired the right people for the teaching jobs, the next most crucial step is to mentor the teacher-probies and guide them along the way.

Evaluating teachers requires the paper-laden tome of written formal observations, with all of it's pre-ob, ob, and post-ob symmetry that Madeline Hunter, Charlotte Danielson and Robert Marzano and many others would be proud of. But, I contend that another tool for measuring and assessing teacher effectiveness is the informal observation, or the "drive by" observation as I like to refer to it. It's a great technique for on the spot observation and a look-see of how the teacher really manages the challenge of daily instructional routines.
This is where being able to "tweet" feedback in 140 to 280 character comments might be beneficial for the things going on with the teacher. And if you have ever tried Twitter, than you know the challenge of the 140 character tweet.

I have experimented with this technique this past year as a school superintendent. My goal is to visit faculty at all of our schools at least twice a year, and the "drive by" informal evaluation is a way that I find convenient to stay in touch with the instructional program and to know our faculty.

140 to 280 character comments force evaluators to be succinct, focused and provide feedback that is more direct and more assistive in getting the teacher information. Writing short tweets is a challenge, though. Unless an evaluator develops a style for tweeting feedback that is helpful, it can become most frustrating.
Using the Twitter.com counter will assist your training for the 140 character tweet, while the 280daily.com app will do the same thing with a range of 280 characters.

Here are some samples:

Example #1- 140 Feedback Tweet
This was a very good lesson. The students were motivated and following your instruction. Try varying your questions more. Nice job overall.

Example #2- 280 Feedback Tweet
This was a very good lesson. The students were motivated and following your instruction. Try varying your questions more. Challenge other students with ideas. Careful not to jump too quickly from one idea to the next. Nice job overall. Follow up with me later and we can discuss.

Example #3- 140 Feedback Tweet
Stopped by to see how things were going. I have some concerns about the lesson. Class seems very unfocused. I think we need to talk. Call.

Example #4- 280 Feedback Tweet
Stopped by to see how things were going. I have some concerns about the lesson. Class seems very unfocused. Your plan may be the problem. Activities were not varied enough, or the objective was too vague. Let's get together and discuss this soon. Call me on your free period.

Obviously, the 280 Feedback Tweet allows room to expound, but the direct message it conveys gets to the point and takes the temperature of the classroom situation.

Tweets are also portable and can be emailed to faculty immediately.

Explore the beauty of tweeting and mentoring.

Unleashing the Teachers

" The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been."
    Henry Kissinger


It is impressive to observe the number of people and organizations writing about 21st Century learning. It seems that daily there are more and more programs and ideas being written in a variety of resources and publications. Most recently, in an issue of Smart Brief in Educational Technology (http://www.smartbrief.com/news/edtech?sb_code=rss) there are descriptions and stories about the use of social media in education, tablets in the classroom, or to iPad or not to iPad in PE.

What all this indicates to me is that despite the overwhelming push by the politicos to test, test, test, there are risk takers in education that are continuing the effort to move education forward.  People like Megan Palevich of Chester, PA using voice thread in her classrooms (http://goo.gl/7Vxo8). Or, Southfield Christian School in Michigan putting iPads in the hands of their teachers to enhance instruction (http://goo.gl/sD0PP), or the Bethlehem Central School District in Delmar, NY that gave all of the administrators and supervisors iPads to enhance their work in evaluating and coaching faculty. 


There are many adventurous people in education, and sometimes the most daring and risk taking individuals are the teachers in a classroom that have the best interests and desires for their children to be prepared for the future. So what can school leaders do to encourage teachers to be risk takers:


1) Unleash a vision of curiosity.
    A principal or supervisor must announce a vision to be risk takers. They must take a stand on not being fearful of the political edicts that compartmentalize teaching into a cubicle of isolated learning. They should be encouraging and supporting teachers to venture from these cubicles of isolation.


2) Make professional development accessible to all faculty.
    Regardless of the economic times and lack of budgeted funds, teachers need professional development. They need to connect with ideas and people that have unleashed their curiosity to turn students on to learning.


3)  Connect your faculty to the global network of other teachers.
     When teachers learn to be connected to the global educators network they are more open to learning, attempting and trying new things. 


4) Lastly, be bold and willing to make a difference.


Here's hoping a new school year will bring about new thoughts about 21st Century School Leadership. And as Henry Kissinger reminds us, bring people to a new level of experiences and opportunities by your inspired leadership.

Are We Able to Keep Creativity in the Curriculum?

The Sunday news blogs were rife for the continuing pressures and controversies of state governments slashing funding to public education. As we have inferred in earlier blogs, it is easier to slash education than other pet projects and initiatives that can return votes for our politicians. But in the end, the real danger is seen in how many of our schools are cutting back on programs to provide quality education experiences for our students. After battling another terrible year of budget cuts and reducing the work force in our schools, to hear this frustrates the intentions of all the people actively involved in saving education.

Over the past few months my school district has been engaged in developing a sister-school relationship with a district in China. From our meetings and preliminary contacts and discussions it is apparent the Chinese are interested in how we as Americans educate our children in being creative and innovating. I was taken aback with this inquiry until I discovered that they were earnest in wanting to know what we do to inspire innovation. They feel that the regimented educational structures in China prevent such things from happening more readily.

Considering how this investigation by Chinese educators occurred and placing it in the context of everything happening economically to our schools, I begin to question if  these ideas of creativity and innovation will be lost once our politicians get their way in fermenting a 19^th Century system on our schools of tomorrow. As we gear up our schools to engage more testing and evaluation, the Chinese are letting up on such needs. Is there something odd about this turn of events?

In an excellent opinion piece by Michael Roth in the Huffington Post, he acknowledges the struggle is creating an abyss of opposition against the desires of our founding fathers that sought education as a primary right for each and every person in this country. I believe it is important we uphold those values always:

“As we wrestle with notions of "shared sacrifice" and "living within our means," let us not ignore our responsibility to invest in the future by supporting education. We must not allow our representatives to protect tax breaks for the most advantaged while ignoring our responsibility to give the next generation the education they need. Only education will allow the youngsters …across the country to protect their freedoms while competing in the world. Only by supporting their right to learn, will we have the chance to strengthen our country's economic, political and cultural future. As Jefferson said: "Preach, my dear Sir, a crusade against ignorance; establish and improve the law for educating the common people." "No other sure foundation can be devised for the preservation of freedom and happiness."[1]

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[1] Roth,M. (July 11, 2011). “Preach a Crusade Against Ignorance”—Don’t Sacrifice the Future! Huffington Post.  Retrieved July 18, 2011 at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-roth/preach-a-crusade-against_b_901053.html?ir=Politics.

Reinventing Yourself for an Unknown Future

Here is a great opinion piece by Thomas Friedman, today. A phenomenal read that has potential for how we educate students in 21st Century Schools. http://diigo.com/0if9d

The main issue of this piece instills the idea that people may need to reinvent themselves to take advantage of the future career opportunities that exist. The manner that the government is managing the jobs crisis only points to the lack of clarity from their perspective to view the problem with renewed thinking.

In an earlier blog I wrote this week I spoke about innovating and re-thinking our teaching profession and our schools. As we continue to appease the government's desire to throw education back into the 19th Century assembly lines, we also need to continue the battle to prepare students for that elusive and unknown future, where assembly line thinking will not be the direction.

Creativity, innovation and incredible thinking will need to be encouraged for our students' future. Inspiring them to be connected to the unknown future is something we must not refrain from doing due to the narrow-minded government edicts that win the simple minded over to vote for a politician.

As Mr. Friedman reminds us that the future careers and jobs will be given to "people who not only have the critical thinking skills to do the value-adding jobs that technology can't, but also people who can invent, adapt, and reinvent their jobs every day, in a market that changes faster than ever."1


1. Friedman, B.T.L. 2011. The Start-Up of You. The New York Times, [online] 12 July. Available at: <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/opinion/13friedman.html?partner=rssnyt> [Accessed 16 July 2011].

Light Bulbs that Don't Work...

There's a common story that circulates about "success and failure" regarding Thomas Edison and the discovery of the light bulb. In his words:

..."I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have

succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have

eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will

work." ?Edison.[1]

As we are in the summer months between school years, educators across the global network are probably steeped in all sorts of summer recreation and activities. But, I assume some are actively engaged trying to figure out some new professional development or even are planning for the fall.

Over and over again I hear and read from many leadership gurus that there is a greater demand today for innovation than ever before. Some are even requiring their employees in the private sector to set aside one hour a week to generate new ideas. Todd Henry, creativity and innovation leadership consultant writes in his book, How To Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice: “This is not time to do work. This is time to think about work.”

Our public schools guarantee faculty members the “prep period” or that time to plan, make copies, and prepare for instruction. It’s hard to imagine how a teacher can actually take that small segment of time each week to sit back and reflect or innovate. But, that is the necessity of the work we do. We have to find time to innovate. In fact, if every teacher in a school district took the time to try one new idea from an innovation perspective, how much farther ahead would we be in assisting students to achieve?

The truth is, many teachers do create and innovate on a regular basis. And, as 21^st Century School Leaders we need to encourage and support teachers in their desire to be innovative. It may not always be in the budget, but innovation is a premium we cannot afford to sacrifice if we hire the best and brightest teachers to work in our school districts.

And not every innovative thought works, as we can attest from Thomas Edison’s perspective, but what if one idea leads to another idea that somehow engages children to accomplish and achieve?

Peter Senge (1999) calls that continuous learning in organizations. Planning for time to continuously improve and experiment should be in every school administrators agenda, and hopefully setting the time aside will create more teachers like Thomas Edison!

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[1] Retrieved from the Internet on July 15, 2011 at http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b4edisont.htm

Is it easier to move a cemetery?

We struggle with change in every aspect of school leadership. For the 37 years of my professional life in education I have personally struggled with this, and have often thought to write a book on the topic. But, there is no need for another mindless book, when there are such great thinkers in the world that have been dealing with this dilemma for many years. You see, it is not just school leaders that deal with implementing change, but the concept also runs aground in business and the private sector.

To paraphrase Shakespeare: “To change, or not to change? That is the question.”

After a long career studying this issue and the challenge we all face when we attempt to bring about 21^st Century school communities, “change” takes on a new picture. In an excellent blog by Richard Bevan, adjunct faculty member from the University of Washington, he describes a different point of view worth considering. That is, to implement change, one must consider the impact and supports needed by the employees. [1]

In his post, Bevan outlines the three myths that organizations deal with when managing change. I took the liberty to paraphrase them and frame them with school organizations in mind.

Myth #1: “People have a built-in tendency to resist change.”

“The reality: People resist change that they don’t understand, see as poorly managed or think doesn’t help customers [students or themselves]. Organizations [School Districts] that start with the assumption that change will be resisted might fail to explore what those involved think, feel and need — and can contribute.”[2]

School districts are people organizations, usually in the public eye. With increased accountability and political pressure for more mandates, teachers feel overwhelmed and unable to steer through the myriad number of demands that await them. Initiating a new vision to change a program or move the district in a new direction could grind the educational program to a halt, unless implemented with sensitivity and support from school leaders, first.

Bevan recommends that in order to overcome this myth, leaders should:

·        “Develop a brief summary to drive clarity and consistency.

·        Identify key stakeholders, and conduct an assessment of their concerns, questions and ideas.

·        Support managers [principals and subject supervisors] by providing discussion guides, talking points, frequently asked questions and training.[3]”

Myth #2: “They can make the time to work through this and get it right.”

“The reality: “They” — [principals & subject supervisors], for example — already have a heavy workload. They are being asked to take on another huge set of tasks and challenges, including dealing with questions and concerns from employees and customers [faculty, staff, students and parents.]”[4]

To overcome the myth, school leaders need to be considerate of the middle managers such as building principals and subject supervisors.

·        “Acknowledge the new workload: Adjust priorities, or engage additional resources, such as contractors consultants and temporary transfers.

·        Assess key processes and systems, such as rewards, information technology and accounting, to ensure they align with and support the change.

·        Ensure senior leaders the superintendent & assistant superintendents are visible, involved and remain open to questions, ideas and discussion.[5]”

Myth #3: “If we explain it carefully, everything will fall into place.”

“The reality: Explaining the purpose and the process is certainly an important early step. But sponsors of the change also need to address others’ questions, concerns and alternatives. Effective execution is hard, sustained work. It involves multiple cycles of assessing, adjusting and continuing to course-correct.”[6]

Overcoming this thinking requires principals, supervisors and others engaged and informed through meetings, brainstorming sessions, e-mail bulletins, online forums and webinars. Providing support through a feedback loop that involves interactive and engaging discussions before and during the change process reinforces and supports all of a district leadership team.

There is nothing more painful than suggesting and attempting to implement change in a school.

President Woodrow Wilson once said it was easier to move a cemetery than to change a school curriculum. Hopefully, we will continue to encourage and support our faculty and administrators to be tolerant of people enduring  change.

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[1] R. Bevan. (2011, July 12). Struggling with change? Stop telling and start listening. [Guest Post] Smart Brief on Leadership. Retrieved July 12, 2011 at http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2011/07/12/struggling-with-change-stop-telling-and-start-listening/

[2] Bevan (2011) with text substitutions by Tebbano in brackets

[3] Bevan (2011) with text substitutions by Tebbano in brackets

[4] Bevan (2011) with text substitutions by Tebbano in brackets

[5] Bevan (2011) with text substitutions by Tebbano in brackets

[6] Bevan (2011) with text substitutions by Tebbano in brackets