Atlanta Public Schools and the Kobayashi Maru...The No Win Scenario

For Star Trek enthusiasts across the galaxy, the heralded exploits of Captain James Kirk and the famed Kobayashi Maru simulation is something never to be forgotten. This simulation is the final assessment for a Star Fleet cadet in the command track to become an executive office on a starship in the 23rd century. 

The simulation takes place on a replica of a starship bridge, with the test-taker as captain and other Starfleet members, officers or other cadets, in other key positions. In the scenario of the 2280s, the cadet receives a distress signal stating that the Kobayashi Maru has struck a gravitic mine in the Klingon Neutral Zone and is rapidly losing power, hull integrity and life support. There are no other vessels nearby. The cadet is faced with a decision:

• Attempt to rescue the Kobayashi Maru's crew and passengers, which involves violating the Neutral Zone and potentially provoking the Klingons into hostile action or an all-out war; or
• Abandon the Kobayashi Maru, potentially preventing war but leaving the crew and passengers to die.

Thus the no-win scenario. 

James T. Kirk's back-story defines that he took the test three times while at Starfleet Academy. Before his third attempt, Kirk surreptitiously reprogrammed the simulator so that it was possible to rescue the freighter. This fact finally comes out in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, as Kirk, Saavik and others appear marooned, near death. Saavik's response is, "Then you never faced that situation...faced death." Kirk replies, "I don't believe in the no-win scenario." Despite having cheated, Kirk had been awarded a commendation for "original thinking."

Time warp back to the 21st Century Century, the year 2013, NBC news reports: "A grand jury indicted a former superintendent and more than 30 other educators Friday in one of the nation’s largest cheating scandals that rocked Atlanta’s public schools.

The indictment named the former Superintendent Beverly Hall as well as several high-level administrators, principals and teachers. Hall faces charges including racketeering, false statements and theft. She retired just days before the 2011 probe was released, and has previously denied the allegations.

A state investigation in 2011 found cheating by nearly 180 educators in 44 Atlanta schools. Educators gave answers to students or changed answers on tests after they were turned in, investigators said. "

Seems as though the idea of the no-win scenario is more of a reality than a science fiction TV plot. Cheating is wrong. It is a moral concept drilled into our human fiber since we were young. But, just because that is the case does not mean it is not happening. We are told then by experts that there is bad cheating and good cheating, just as we would assume there are good lies and bad lies. Now we have the no-win scenario, which I feel applies here in Atlanta. 

The Federal government in their meddling in the operations of running education in the US created a mania of testing over instruction at all costs. If your district demonstrates adequate success or improvement in their testing benchmarks, they may qualify for more funding. If not, they will lose funding. In the end the school district would be forced into a Kobayashi Maru scenario tantamount to "Damned if you do, damned if you don't." 

In the Atlanta School System situation, dollars for school funding were on the line. Government leaders and school board members were coercing the administration to improve or else. Administrators pressured faculty and staff to improve or else, and instead of improving something that could not be improved easily, given the socioeconomic issues of the student body and the community, the records were falsified to keep the dollars flowing into the system to prevent people from losing their jobs. Right or wrong? 

It's too easy to condemn the educators who were trying to keep the flow of precious funding from dwindling in their schools. The blame should be on the federal and state governments for creating impossible no-win scenarios that place educators between a rock and a no-win scenario. 

Retired Superintendent Beverly Hall and Retired Captain James T. Kirk were in command situations on their respective ships, so to speak. But, reality dictates that cheating is wrong in any situation. Worse yet, is forcing people into no-win scenarios where they are tempted to subvert the system to begin with. 

Brumback, K. (2013`, April 1). Ex-superintendent indicted in Atlanta school cheating scandal. The Grio. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/jjM1T

Kobayashi Maru. In (2013). Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved f

rom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobayashi_Maru

Weekly Updates for School Leaders, 3/29/2013

Here is a summary of some interesting articles for school leaders. Hope you have a great weekend.



1)    "7 Habits of Highly Effective School Administrators" bit.ly/16amQXO

        An interesting article that promotes the basic patterns of effectiveness for school leaders. A must read.

2)     "What a school designed for your brain might look like"  bit.ly/10Ynwy2

        A 21st Century facility and learning plan that all leaders need to consider.

3)     "10 quotes from people who made a difference"  ow.ly/jpkyd

       Advice from 10 outstanding people whose lives made a difference in the world. Inspiring wisdom for school leaders.

4)     "5 Tools to Help Students Learn"  bit.ly/16akbNZ

5)     "Why we have our best ideas in the shower: The science of creativity"  buff.ly/XJ1j2w

6)     "Are we too busy to imagine"  http://goo.gl/Qk5pn

What We Learn from a Pig

In the television movie, “The Gathering Storm”, about the pre-war years of Winston Churchill, we learn that this once, noble, and dignified future leader of Great Britain, was susceptible to moodiness, anxiety, paranoia, and depression. In a poignant scene in the movie, after being ridiculed for a position he took on the floor of Parliament, he is seen sitting in the barnyard of his rural estate watching an adult pig “wallowing” and eating from a pile of grounded, and rotten apples. The scene itself is curious, but quite descriptive of the mood Churchill is in. He remarks in a calm, and sullen tone, while observing the pig as follows: “Dogs look up to you, cats look down on you, and pigs treat you as equals.” (Ramin, 2002)

There is something poignant and heartfelt about that scene appealing to our blogpost today. We as school leaders, to be effective and impactful on our organizations, must use the example of the pig in creating effective learning organizations. I am not suggesting the imperious, denigrating or disgusting image of a pig, but rather the curiosity, and uninhibited ability to dig in and “wallow”, which implies an attitude of being devoted entirely to something, and taking pleasure in it.

In the Journal of Animal Behavior, researchers document that pigs learn quickly how mirrors work and “will use their understanding of reflected images to scope out their surroundings and find their food.” (Angier, 2009) They use their uncanny ability to sniff, dig, and ply their way around their surroundings to understand and learn from the traits therein. Shouldn’t leaders be doing the same?

For those people who have been following my previous posts, you already know how I feel about the "closet" leaders that hide in their office, behind closed doors, leading from behind a desk. The example of the pig being a creature that “wallows” and is enveloped in a curiosity of learning about its environment is the kind of leader we need to become to make a difference for our school organizations.

Leaders such as former GE CEO Jack Welch have advocated a similar approach to running organizations by suggesting: "You have to wallow in it. Take time to get to know people. Understand where they are coming from, what is important to them. Make sure they are with you." (Comstock, 2013)

Nothing is more frustrating to a school of educators than to know their school superintendent or principal is not visible, among the school and the activities of the culture. The comment that a teacher has never met the superintendent, is a disparaging sentiment that reflects poorly on any leader that seeks to make significant change in their future. 

Leaders have been given a great opportunity to “wallow” in their organization in order to learn from it, understand how it works, appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of the system, and to reflect on a direction that meets the needs of the district and students. Take time from your role to “wallow” and be an active leader of your district.

Angier, N. (2009, November 9). Basics- in pig cognition studies, reflections on parallels with humans. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/science/10angier.html?_r=0

Comstock, B. (2013, February 23). Best advice: What i learned from jack welch hanging up on me. Retrieved from http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130226113021-19748378-best-advice-what-i-learned-from-jack-welch-hanging-up-on-me?trk=mp-details-rc

Ramin, L. (Writer) (2002). The gathering storm [DVD]. Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPqp3ZTmEow&feature=endscreen

Future Without a Vision

It was at an eye doctor’s appointment this week that I gave serious thought to this week’s blog. 

There was a unique poster in the examining room over the doctor’s ophthalmic chair which said:

 “Without vision, you will not know where you are going.”

How true that statement is for school learning organizations. Yet, many districts ramble on 

without a focus or vision to direct and govern overarching programs for school improvement.  

Recently, I reviewed a research study from the Journal of Research on Technology in Education 

and could not help but notice an interesting article on a district designed project to implement a 

technology initiative across the organization.

“The Southern Alberta School District in which this study takes place is both successful and proactive with respect to student achievement and satisfaction levels (students, parents, teachers, and administrators). In 2007 the district started a shared visioning process to restate the district vision for the implementation of technology and to integrate teaching strategies (ie. differentiated instruction and assessment for learning) over a 5-7 year span of time.

The purpose of the study was to implement and measure the impact of a district-led initiative regarding 21st century teaching methods, strategies, and pedagogies. Rather than engage in sporadic professional development, a thoughtful and systematic model was deployed over a 3 year period. Technological upgrading, intensive professional development, and strong leadership were central pathways for teachers to meaningfully adopt the necessary components of 21st century learning instruction.” (Gunn & Hollingsworth, 2013).

This district developed vision for implementing a 21st Century technology model for the organization was based on a plan involving planning and management, instructional support, and emerging and evolving technologies. The constituents of the district all had a part in designing the shared vision addressing those areas, which eventually lead to the onward progress of becoming a 21st century school district. It reflects that understanding that Kouzes and Posner have in describing the role of vision development in organizations, namely that constituents want visions of the future that reflect their own aspirations. They want to hear how their dreams will come true and their hopes will be fulfilled. (Kouzes & Posner, 2007).

The true leader of this type of organization needs to remember the key points for creating this drive for vision;

• View your role as as chief salesperson of the overall vision.
• Be visible and never be too busy with the project to sell the vision.
• Break the project into multiple sequential phases.
• Limit detailed planning to the current phase.
• Establish review committees and hold frequent meetings.
• Remember consensus rules. (Fitzgerald, 2013)

As for the Southern Alberta School District, and what they found in their efforts to work with that type of vision:

“By way of strong leadership and administrative support for 21st Century professional development, teachers within a single district were able to embrace the knowledge, skills, and strategies required for future student success in the 21st Century.” (Gunn & Hollingsworth, 2013).

Fitzgerald, D. (2003). Shared vision: A key to project success. TechRepublic, Retrieved March 25, 2013 from http://www.techrepublic.com/article/shared-vision-a-key-to-project-success/5034758

Gunn, T. M. & Hollingsworth, M. (2013). The implementation and assessment of a shared 21st century learning vision: A district approach. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 45(3), 201-208. Retrieved from iste.org/jrte

Kouzes, J. M. & Posner, B. Z. (2009). To lead, create a shared vision. Harvard Business Review, Retrieved from March 24, 2013 http://hbr.org/2009/01/to-lead-create-a-shared-vision/ar/1

A Tough Day Ahead

It is hard to imagine the grief that is going through the lives of the people of Newtown, CT this morning. It is even harder to imagine losing a child, as young as 5 years old to anything, let alone a gunman's rifle. Yet, those are the questions and the frustrations that will perplex people for a long time. For many Americans it comes on the heels of many similar, violent attacks over the past year.

People will be fighting for gun control, others are crying for mental health control, and everyone will be criticizing the news media for getting many details wrong and sensationalizing the story for viewer attention.

The one thing remains, 27 children and teachers are dead at the hand of a young man that needed help,  and used guns, owned by his mother, who became the first of his victims that Friday morning.

The toughest day for school leaders, everywhere, will be Monday, December 17. How do you walk back into your own school knowing that with the best security systems possible, it will not be enough to protect against this kind of active shooter scenario? What do you say to your faculty, students, and parent community? How do you make it through the day?

So, for those who constantly criticize schools and school leaders, how about cutting them a break for awhile, and be supportive and sympathetic for the job they have to do in not only educating your children, but protecting them, and risking their lives for them.

Smartphones in the Classroom, Part IV

On my soapbox once again encouraging educators to get over the self-induced taboo of having cellphones in the classroom. This is the 21st Century, and every kid in your school has a smartphone device in their possession. Oh yes, there may be a few students that may not, but there are affordable ways to involve all children in using these tools.

In an excellent blogpost by Jennifer Carey, a list of some creative ideas are available for teachers to consider in planning to use smartphones. I expanded the list with others, but would love to hear from other colleagues about their ideas.

1. In Class Polling and Student Surveys
2. Backchanneling classroom conversation
3. Reading handouts and writing short answer quizzes
4. Doing research
5. Text alerts and school announcements
6. Calculator (graphic, scientific, and basic) use
7. Note taking
8. Assignment notebook
9. Geography usage
10. Astronomy 

Take a jump into the future by getting kids to use the tools of today, not yesteryear.

Carey, Jennifer. Powerful Learning Practice, "Some Ideas About Teaching With Smartphones." Last modified 2012. Accessed November 27, 2012. http://plpnetwork.com/2012/11/21/teaching-smartphones/.

Ask People Who Know...the Janitor, the Clerical, Bus Driver, Kitchen Staff

There is a story that circulated around the NASA complex in the early years of the space program that a reporter was snooping around the assembly building at Cape Canaveral in the evening and saw a janitor sweeping the floor and emptying trash from the receptacles. The reporter approached the janitor and asked him what he was doing, to which he replied: "I'm helping to put a man on the moon!"

When I was an undergrad- many years ago- I remember a college professor telling us to be kind to the custodian in your school. That was probably the best advice I ever learned in college, for many times those very staff members were crucial in assisting me in the many instructional projects I presented to children; everything from helping me build props and assemble desks and chairs, to cleaning up the spills- human and otherwise- that spoiled a classroom environment.

When I became a school administrator, I took this advice to heart in understanding the school community, and learning how the system really worked. I will always cherish my first secretary, Linda Zwicklbauer, who was as adept at training administrators as a Marine Corps Drill Instructor, and as compassionate as Mother Theresa in working with the school staff, kids, and families.

The operational staff- made up of custodians, cleaning matrons, kitchen staff, bus drivers, clerical staff, teacher aides, etc. are really the "heart and soul" of your learning community, not just the teachers and administrators. If you want to know the real story behind your organization, ask the staff. Chances are these stalwart members of your school, that keep the system running smoothly for the instructional program to educate children, are the true "unsung heroes" of your district. I would even assume many of these people live in your district and are taxpaying members of your community. That makes them even more important, and even more influential than you may have thought before.

So consider some "truisms" about these unsung heroes:

1)     The operational staff needs professional development, just as much as the faculty and administration. Take the time to provide safety training or participate with your staff in these sessions to understand their roles and responsibilities

2)     The operational responsibilities of staff members are important, and, in some cases, not as easy as one would expect. Custodians are not just cleaning, but maintaining the facilities for overuse. Heating and cooling operations are computerized nowadays and require an understanding of programming and inspecting high-maintenance energy systems. Food service staff have greater scrutiny today with the health laws and regulations that they must conform to. Clerical staff must be able to manage multiple computing platforms, scanners, and copiers, as well as be versed in psychology and counseling when managing the problems of children, parents- and yes- teachers on a daily basis. Teacher aides working with special education children are crucial members of the instructional team and cannot be ignored for the job they do. Bus drivers are the first, friendly face most kids see each morning, and must be trained to manage different weather conditions, transporting the precious cargo of the district.

3)     The operational staff of the school are directly responsible for student achievement. Whether it's maintaining the environment for learning, feeding hungry children and teachers, transporting children safely through perilous weather conditions, possessing a sympathetic ear when a child comes to the office and know of no other place to get help.

4)     Lastly, take time as school leaders to listen to these people. Attend meetings to listen to their concerns, and provide them with a chance to share their feelings and opinions about the school, the kids, the teachers and the community. Make them feel valued by being open to what they are seeing.

There are many members of a school community that make a difference for children. Don't forget the operational staff that make a difference in ways that are largely ignored by many, for they are the lifeblood of the school district.

NEA, "Getting Educated: Custodial and Maintenance Professionals." Accessed November 25, 2012. http://www.nea.org/home/18513.htm.