Starting a new school year: lifeless statue or visionary leader

There are so many beautiful works of art that sit in so many museums throughout the world. Some in particular that come to mind are magnificent statuary on display and presented at the Museo Archeologica Nazionale in Naples, Italy. My wife and I visited there two years ago, and were awe struck looking at the lifeless, yet remarkably oversized statues of the Caesars and their compatriots, as well as their enemies, standing or sitting erect looking out into the distance. These statues are a testament of time, history, and the closest images we will ever have of who and what they were without the convenience of photography. But, they are still just statues taking a revered pedestal in a museum.

            Interesting enough the white marble and granite statues seem pretty much all the same. Research from various sources have now determined that at the point of their creation some thousands of years ago, they were actually painted and colorized with pigments to make them look much more lifelike as a memorial testament to who they were and what they did for the civilization of their times. [1]

 

As the picture of Octavius Caesar can testify, colorizing the statue makes him look different. The bust on the right looks regal, resilient, and visionary. The bust on the left looks made-up to be more human. It’s hard to imagine following such a leader like the one on the left, compared to the commanding presence of the figure on the right.

     But, that is how it appears as we look for leadership today. We want the resilient and fearless leaders of marble and stone to pave the way. But, instead, we have these people of human qualities, with flesh and blood. And when you come down to it, leadership is nothing more than just that: human qualities of flesh and blood.  Despite the fact Augustus Caesar may have been a great leader in his day, it matters little to us now. Leaders are people and they deal with the everyday issues of life, as we know them today, and not a thousand years ago.  As David Foster Wallace reminds us: “Real leaders are people who help us overcome the limitations of our own individual laziness and selfishness and weakness and fear and get us to do better, harder things than we can get ourselves to do on our own.”[2]

            So, how can you be a visionary leader for your organization as you begin a new school year. Take some advice from an interesting article I read a few month ago entitled the The 7 Secrets of Inspiring Leaders, by Carmine Gallo[3]:

1)             Ignite your enthusiasm: according to financial guru Suze Ormon, “You cannot inspire unless you inspire yourself.”[4] Struggling with low test scores reported last spring? Ignite passion for the work of being the leader of your school.

2)             Navigate a course of action: vision, sharing it, directing it, and leading others into a process to successfully meet their goals is the purpose of the vision or the course of action.

3)             Sell the benefit: your teachers, students and even their parents are in need of a rationale for making sense of the common core issues of our schools. Make it a goal to incorporate it into your comments, dialogues, and conversations to reinforce the vision.

4)             Paint a picture: the human mind is programmed to see the bigger picture. Sometimes that is accomplished through telling stories, using humor to lighten the load, and finding the group moral to the narrative.

5)             Invite participation: we all lived through “shared decision-making”. Now, invite everyone to participate in working towards the mission and the vision. Invite faculty to drop in regularly to voice their opinions and concerns. Have a weekly coffee hour with parents  so they can do the same. Valued constituents in a school organization want meaning. They need to feel valued as well as their opinions and feedback.

6)             Reinforce optimism: General Colin Powell said it best: “Optimism is a force multiplier”. Find something positive about something that is happening everyday in your schools. Share the excitement.

7)             Encourage potential: In this phase of heightened teacher accountability, and professional learning plans, and the fear of firing people, look for ways to encourage the seminal goodness and earnest potential of each and every faculty and staff member.

There are many things to remember about starting a successful school year. Consider the lifeless statues I mentioned earlier. Being known for greatness is not worth anything after you are gone. Making meaning for the people in your organization is worth everything now.

Have a great school year.

           

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[1] Bier, Sariel. "Iconic Images: What Images Will Change the Way a Person Sees the World after Viewing Them?" Quora.com. August 8, 2014. Accessed August 23, 2014.

2 "A Quote by David Foster Wallace." Goodreads. Accessed August 23, 2014.

[3] Gallo, Carmine. "The 7 Secrets of Inspiring Leaders." Forbes. July 6, 2011. Accessed August 24, 2014.

[4] ibid

Dysfunctional School Boards?

What does it mean, to be dysfunctional? 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines dysfunction:

dys·func·tion

 noun \(ˌ)dis-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən\

: the condition of having poor and unhealthy behaviors and attitudes within a group of people

medical : the state of being unable to function in a normal way

Full Definition of DYSFUNCTION

1

:  impaired or abnormal functioning <gastrointestinaldysfunction>

2

:  abnormal or unhealthy interpersonal behavior or interaction within a group <family dysfunction>

— dys·func·tion·al  adjective

So, when one hears that a Board of Education is "dysfunctional" one must query for deeper context and understanding. 

Recently, in upstate New York, the board of education of a prominent school district accepted the resignation of it's superintendent of schools by a vote of 4 to 3. This act was a mid-year collision of leadership, which, of course, is a serious act that can offer chaotic circumstances.The media and the critics have offered their interpretation of this as a "dysfunctional board of education". I sometimes wonder what Shakespeare would have said about a situation of this kind. Maybe, "dysfunction is in the eye of the beholder?"

Having served as a school superintendent of another prominent school district in New York State, our school board voted 5-2 on closing one of our elementary schools. They were also called dysfunctional. But, I would contend that our board, and the board mentioned above did what they were supposed to do, and that is provide direction, policy leadership and act on program decisions to the best of their ability. A unanimous board decision is a rare act when it comes to providing educational stability and meeting the needs of so many disparate groups of people that make up a school community.

But, still, there are situations where dysfunction occurs, and school leaders need to be proactive in helping and providing context for the members. Activities such as a solid, school board orientation program outlining the responsibilities of school board members in their functions, goes a long way in establishing a constructive working relationship with other members. Establishing the district direction as to vision, mission, objectives, and strategic planning should be the initiative of the school superintendent in conjunction with the members of the Board and the community in establishing the work of moving schools forward.  And, with a continual planning and review process this becomes an important feature in maintaining positive and constructive behaviors and actions for the district.

The Oregon School Boards Association offers: "there is a relationship between misunderstanding one's role and the tendency to find yourself in over your head." And this happens to newly elected school board members who have an agenda that may be contrary to other board members. Consider the "Tea Party" legislators that entered Congress in recent years with an agenda to shake up the government. Right or wrong, it was their commitment to contribute to the legislative process from their beliefs and their constituents. 

Dysfunction is a disease that can destroy the focus of an organization. But, acting from one's beliefs is a commitment to the integrity and purpose of why people run for a school board seat in the first place. It then becomes the commitment of the school leadership to provide guidance and orientation to all board members as to their role and responsibility. 

Here are more recommendations from the Oregon School Boars Association:

• Board members are policy makers for the district, not micromanagers.
• Vision, mission and priorities are the responsibilities of the board of education and the superintendent
• Board members must be prepared for each and every meeting. When everyone is prepared, the entire board acts functionally
• How the Board of Education conducts their business is as important as the business they conduct.
• Presentation, honesty and discussion often leads to consensus, or an understanding of positions when opposition is discovered.
• Asking questions in ok.
• School Board Members are responsible to all the people, but more importantly to all the students.
• Every issue is special.
• Board members are simply citizens until a quorum is called and the meeting is called to order

Oregon School Boards Association, "Is your school board dysfunctional?." Last modified July 28, 2009. Accessed April 7, 2014. http://goo.gl/UAgLqP.

"Dysfunction." Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed April 7, 2014. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dysfunction.

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.