The Creative Solution for a Rich Education

We have become a "performance-driven" education society. This can be seen by the number of tests, exams, assessments, and portfolio required materials that are gathered in the lifetime of every child entering school. My 11 month old granddaughter will be entering this culture in a few years, and it scares me to think of this beautiful little girl, with the excitement and natural enthusiasm of learning in every step she takes, being sat in a desk and chair taking a fill the dot, scantron test sheet to determine if she will graduate from first grade.

But that is the culture that she will walk into someday, unless changes occur sooner rather than later.

In recent months, we've seen New Jersey Governor Chris Christie embroiled in many issues that threaten his ability to continue serving his great state. Leaving those issues for others to ferret out the truth, I came across an interesting criticism of his education ideas. In an interesting read from the Huffington Post Education blog you will note:  
"He [Christie] assumes, as many school districts and policymakers have long mistakenly held, that more is better -- that more time in school equals more learning. I've found no compelling research that supports the proposition that a longer school day improves educational outcomes. 

Students who are engaged, curious, involved and passionate about what's happening in their classrooms learn more. But keeping today's unengaged, over-tested students in the classroom longer? That won't necessarily fix anything, and it may make the problems New Jersey is facing worse. If we really want to improve education, we need to reinvent the school day before we talk about making it longer.

Where are creativity, innovation and passion supposed to emerge in such a rigid routine? This is not what life looks like in the real world -- only in school.

There is, however, plenty of research that shows what does help our kids in the long run: a rich curriculum that includes arts and physical education, time for play and rest, and adequate sleep, just to name a few. These essential ingredients are too often undervalued by our performance-driven education system

Abeles, V. (2014, January 21). Why Christie's school 'fix' is misguided. Huffington Post Education. [Blog]. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/BCtJJl

Kudos to this writer for saying the obvious. Enriching the curriculum and getting creative with educational experiences. Here's hoping for the future!

High Stakes Accountability or Creatively Inspiring our Students: You Choose

Years ago, as a high school principal, I had a student who was a non-conformist individual, constantly challenging the system, skipping class, and eventually dropping out of school. For all the issues this young student presented to our institution, I always felt he was a gifted person, who displayed his unique learning style in other ways that our school curriculum could not accept. A plan that was developed for him was quite unique and different, holding the promise that maybe we could get him to stay on track, earning his credits and graduating. It involved him being at the high school for morning classes and then going over to the bus garage as an apprentice with the mechanics. It actually turned out to be a wonderful experience, and he worked very hard in the program, until the State told us to discontinue the plan since it would not conform to the standards-based educational plan all students were to follow. In other words, the "cookie cutter mold".

The student eventually dropped out of school, and went to work for his uncle, becoming quite an accomplished auto and diesel mechanic, and he proves the fact that not all students fall into this mold of standardization. His educational performance at our high school contributed to the data that American students are doing poorly on the accountability indexes, but his love of learning and fixing complex engines was successful in spite of the school's best efforts to put him in that cookie mold.

Nichole Greene, President of the Nassau County Music Educators Association in NYS, gave a passionate speech to parents at music festivals, recently, on a similar plight of her son. The focus of her speech was twofold: one as a parent who was told her son would be placed in Academic Intervention Services and removed from participating in band everyday because of his performance on state mandated tests, and two, as a music educator who knows the value of having children participate in music, and arts courses in general. She stated, she is "unaware of any research to support the theory that withdrawing music" or for that matter, any artistic course "would magically improve the math and reading scores for students" not making the established state standards of accountability. "Allowing teachers the license to teach creatively in order to find new ways to reach their students seems to be a much more viable solution."

In many ways, Mrs. Greene makes a very profound statement, that teachers, and schools have been deprived of the "license" to teach creatively. Think about that dramatic comment for a minute and you begin to absorb the enormity of the crisis facing our 21st Century Schools.

Our government leaders over the past 20 years have swallowed- hook, line, and sinker- the assertion that our education system is failing our children. "Policy makers are increasingly turning to evaluation and accountability as ways to improve school performance and accountability."(Harris, Ingle & Rutlelege, 2013) So, in the 1990's interest groups got together to create "standards" for course content areas that specify what children should be learning and the skills they would be able to achieve if taught correctly. The stakes were raised even higher through "No Child Left Behind" and most recently, "Race to the Top" funding. Everyone was searching for a piece of the funding in order to keep their schools functioning. Unfortunately, changes and budgetary accommodations effected the educational program, and now there are more governmental interventions and mandates in our schools than ever before.

Research studies on the topic have not been conclusive that student achievement is rapidly improving. Borman and Kimball (2005) conducted an intensive study analyzing the effectiveness of standards-based teacher evaluation ratings and if they were significant in closing this achievement gap. Their results were mixed, and not conclusive in the slightest. While maintaining and improving goals and standards in educational settings is a helpful strategy, removing students from courses that challenge and intrigue causing inquisitive, creative thinking is something we must not do.

The current trend of high stakes accountability dictating the methods our teachers must use to inspire children is a frightening picture that must be re-thought before we stifle the energetic creativity of children across the country.


Borman, G. D. & Kimball, S.M. (2005). Educational equality:Do teachers with higher-standards based evaluation ratings close the student achievement gap. The Elementary School Journal, 106(1), Retrieved from http://goo.gl/zO7xBY

Deuterman, J. D. (2014, January 19). Long island opt-out info [Facebook]. Retrieved from http://goo.gl/YmwWnt

Harris, D. N., Ingle, W.K., & Rutlelege, S.A. (2013). How teacher evaluation methods matter for accountability: A comparative analysis of teacher effectiveness ratings by principals and teacher value-added measures. American Educational Research Journal, Retrieved from http://goo.gl/7VmUcp

Dr. King not playing nice in the sandbox...

For anyone following the news in New York State this past week, the Commissioner of Education, Dr. John King, apparently had a run-in with opposition, frustration, angst, and the never-ending temper of parents. Under the guise of holding a dialogue with parents, teachers and community leaders to sell  New York State's efforts to push the Common Core Standards, he was thwarted from completing the "dialogue" due to this opposition from the parents, teachers, and community.  For details on the event, and the aftermath of public opinion asking for his resignation, see Diane Ravitch's blog  (Ravitch, 2013). 

I met Dr. King once, when I was superintendent of schools in the district where he lives, and his children do not attend in favor of a Montessori School about 20 miles away. He seems like an affable individual, and well-intentioned, but misinformed on many levels. First, he takes his orders from the Board of Regents, who have been driving this initiative of standards-based education since Richard Mills was Commissioner. Second, his desire to provide a quality education for every child through this standards-based curriculum is driven by textbook corporations, such as Pearson, CTB McGraw, and others, creating a financial windfall for big business rather than the children of the state. Thirdly, his definition of a dialogue with parents is warped when the audience only had a 20 minute window for the conversation and expressing of opinions. Furthermore, "dialogue" implies listening and constructive conversation. Dr. King was not interested in listening to feedback or opinion, and the opposition wasn't either.  Finally, Dr. King is not a school administrator. He is a bright, scholarly, young man that was promoted too "fast and furious" to be a true school administrator, and he never had been in touch with the public schools and the children and parents who send their kids to these institutions.

In a real way, Dr. King does not know how to play nice in the sandbox with his critics. In fact, he is so upset he has taken his toys and stomped back to Albany, NY canceling his scheduled community "dialogue" sessions across the state. A local, Capital Region newspaper sums it up wonderfully, regarding a key education piece that Dr. King may never have been exposed to....the concept of teaching kids about "play.

"Play is how humans learn. Unstructured play is arguably the most important thing human children do- at young ages pretend play teachers them abstract thought. As they grow, play is how they learn to interact with others constructively, solve problems, deal with difficult emotions, and face their fears...The absence of play leads to absence of what many people are calling '21st Century skills'- creative problem solving, group work, taking the initiative." (Axel-Lute, 2013)

That being said,  allow me to opine that there is nothing wrong with unifying the curriculum alignment across content areas, among school districts, and throughout the country. The problem is the call for intense accountability, and the assumption that all students will be attending college. The desire to be positioned globally, as the definition below describes, is arrogant, and foolhardy since it assumes that we were not interested in these things before the common core. Education in this country has a long history of creative invention, initiative, experimentation, student achievement, and great things. Let's not baffle ourselves into believing these things never existed before Dr. King or his predecessor.

So, when you look seriously at the definition espoused by the Common Core Consortium, be cognizant that the best of intentions are insinuated, but balance the vision with practical, and non-threatening procedures that will not frustrate children, parents, and others.

Common Core Mission Statement

"The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. with American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy."(Common Core Mission Statement



Axel-Lute, M. (2013, October 10). Who gets to play?.Metroland, p. 4.

Ravitch, D. (2013, October 14). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://dianeravitch.net/2013/10/14/parent-groups-in-new-york-call-for-commissioner-john-king-to-resign/

Mission statement: Common core. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/

Everything changes, nothing remains the same...

People become seemingly frustrated when they do not understand something. This sentiment usually appears when they are confronted by a threat to their personal or professional hold on life. In the education field, this is a reality that has confronted many students of the 21st century learning movement. There are still teachers that proclaim "What has changed? Why must we acknowledge things are different just because the date has changed?"

As Heraclitus of Ephesus (535 - 475 BCE) stated:
"Everything changes and nothing remains still... and you cannot step twice into the same stream."(Heraclitus, n.d.)

According to the 21stCenturyschools.com, students have changed due to the environment they are in, and the tools and toys they are confronted with. "Today's students, digital natives, were born into a media-saturated world, and their lives are immersed in technologies from cell phones, iPods, handheld gaming devices, PDA's, and laptops they take everywhere, to the computers, TV's and game consoles at home." (21st Century Schools, n.d.).  Confronted with the image of students such as this description, the content and delivery of instruction has remained the same, but the audience has changed. The students are capable of doing more, creating more, synthesizing more, and in many cases they are still being lectured to boredom.

I remember a high school classroom teacher complaining to me that 21st century learning was nothing more than technology, and gimmicks. This teacher totally misses the point, that it is not about the tools, though the tools or technology students have are filled with potential for great learning. It is about teaching style, and delivery of instruction. Sardone and Devlin-Scherer (2010) point out that "attitudes toward technology predict how one will behave with technology." Needless to say, nothing changed in her classes.

According to Kereluik, Mishra, Fahnoe, and Terry (2013), "given the rapid pace of technological change, it seems shortsighted to base the education of the 21st century on the tools available today!"Yesterday, we had tablets and laptops. Today, we have Google Glasses, or smart watch. How will our teachers approach learning with students in possession of all of these changing tools?

21st century learning is not about the tools, but, about creativity, innovation, and collaboration while continuing to cover the major disciplines of instruction. This is the sole argument that many have been trying to impress upon the field, today. We are no longer educating the rank and file for industrial age work. We are required to begin developing the future work force in dealing with a rapidly changing world.

Be a part of the change, or get off the bus.



21st Century Schools (n.d.). What is 21st Century education? Retrieved September 10, 2013 from http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/about.htm

Heraclitus. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraclitus

Kereluik, K., Mishra, P., Fahnoe, C., & Terry, L. (2013). What knowledge is of most worth: Teacher knowledge for 21st century learning. Journal of Teacher Learning in Digital Education, (29)4, 127-140.

Sardone, N. & Devlin-Scherer, R. (2010). Teacher candidate responses to digital games: 21st century skills development. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42(4), 409-425.

To Boldly Go Where Few Have Gone...

It's the beginning of a new school year, and for many teachers and students there is a curious mix of moods, such as apprehension, excitement, and focus, especially as the demand for accountability and core standards reaches a heightened level. No matter what delusions of accountability our elected leaders throw at our schools, and our students, the desire to continue moving our schools, and our students into 21st Century learning is more crucial, now, more than ever. It will take responsible leaders making this jump to hyperspace possible, despite the wreckage and stray asteroids of political criticism and reactive attacks that prevails.

How bold will you be, as a leader in moving your school forward?

In a wonderful research study by Barbara Levin and Lynne Schrum (2013), they remind us that "leadership matters for promoting the integration of technology in schools, and that administrators need to be increasingly involved in technology projects in their schools to model and support their use." I reiterate, school leaders need to walk the walk, and talk the talk of what they expect their school community will become. As a school superintendent I had a wonderful principal who challenged me to model the way for the rest of the school administrators, and start using social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogging. Well, I took up her challenge and found a responsible way to utilize social media as a school leader, encouraging faculty and administrators to do the same.

Levin and Schrum (2013) determined as a result of their research, that leaders of award-winning schools and districts focused their efforts on characteristics of systems leadership required for successful technology integration and leadership: vision, leadership, school culture, technology, planning and support, professional development, curriculum and instructional practices, funding, and partnerships.

Of all of these characteristics, the three that stand out the most are what would be called expectations that come from the role, mannerisms, and actions of the school leader.

Vision: leaders must communicate "a clearly articulated vision" on the use of technology in the schools (Levin and Schrum 2013).

Leadership: leaders need to encourage people "to find their niches and lead from their strengths, working as a team, building teams" to make the work of moving forward viable and owned by the faculty and staff (Levin and Schrum 2013).

School Culture: expect everyone to "plunge right in" the excitement of using and developing technology in the schools (Levin and Schrum 2013).

Regardless of the position and setting, school leadership that challenges and inspires will have a lasting benefit in the future for our students in the future.

Bibliography
Levin, B. B. & Schrum, L. (2013). Using systems thinking to leverage technology for school improvement: Lessons learned from award-winning secondary schools/districts. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 46(1), 28-51.

Quality of Decision-making

The game of life is like the game of poker. You strategize, analyze the odds, match your ability against others in the same arena, make a play and take a chance you made the right decision. It sounds like an oversimplification of a game, but being in a position to lead others requires people to make decisions about themselves, the group and the organization. I had a professor who felt that decision-making and management of issues and scenarios in managing organizations could be compared to the arena of poker (Wiles, 1988).

“Poker theorist David Sklansky once wrote that you should consider yourself a winner as long as you had the higher probability of winning the hand when all the money went into the pot. This attitude is consistent with the underlying mathematical reality of poker, and it can smooth out your emotional reactions to losses and wins. What matters is the quality of your decisions, not the results that come from them.” (Chabris, 2013)

I love that quote: what matters most is the quality of the decisions.

            Think about the number of decisions that are made each day in an educational organization that have an impact on student learning and achievement. You might think that many of those decisions might be insignificant in the bigger scheme of learning, but I would contend that if a school leader is mindful of how that decision will impact one child, greater care and focus might be made to bear in one’s mind. These could be decisions that are seen in class placement, teacher hiring’s and firings, resources, textbooks, technology, health services, cleaning the hallways and the cafeteria, lunch schedules,as well as landscaping and grass cutting on the playground. And, believe it or not, there could be hundreds of others as well.

            A good poker player practices mindfulness activities to prepare his/her decision-making in a game. An excellent school leader practices mindfulness in creating a vibrant and exciting culture that nurtures and supports the education of every child.

            Remember: what matters most is the quality of the decisions.

Chabris, C. (2013, July 26). The science of winning poker. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323610704578625812355516182.html?utm_content=buffer8fcf8&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer

Wiles, D. (1988). Practical politics for school administrators. New York: Allyn & Bacon.

Leading from the front...

In a recent article in Forbes regarding leadership and management, it is curious to note the following excerpt that encapsulates the spirit of this idea. “Managing in any organization is no cakewalk but when you are responsible for the lives of those you lead, you had better do more than manage. You need to lead them. And that starts with your example.” (Baldoni, 2013)

            I am often asked what steps do school leaders need to model this example, and having recently read a wonderful book on the subject I share the steps Morgan & Lynch (2006) describe on this very topic:

1)             Meet and exceed the standards you ask of others- lead from the front.

2)             Make timely decisions- find 80 percent solution

3)             Seek to take responsibility before you begin to place blame

4)             True leaders dedicate themselves to service- take care of those you lead

5)             Think before you act- especially before you overreact

6)             When faced with a crisis- aviate, navigate, communicate

7)             Courage + initiative + perseverance +integrity = success

8)             Don’t cry over something that won’t cry over you

9)             Say you’re sorry only when you’re at fault

10)          Always lead as you are. (Morgan, 2006)

All of these steps are worthwhile to consider in following a revitalized perspective in order to lead others. They should be a guide for leaders to consider in managing the day-to-day cares in nurturing a positive and constructive environment that support the education and instruction of our future.

Baldoni, J. (2013, July 29). Values: Live them and others will follow. Forbes, Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbaldoni/2013/07/29/values-live-them-and-others-will-follow/

Morgan, A. & Lynch, C. (2006). Leading from the front: No excuse leadership tactics for women. (p. 6). New York: McGraw-Hill.