If Not Now, When?

The Worthington Kilbourne High School football coach, Vince Trombetti, invited me to speak to the team before their game Friday night.  As the principal of the high school, I think about leadership constantly.  And, to put it mildly, there are many things to lead in a high school and in a football program.  Coach Trombetti leads a program devoted to the development of young men.  He must lead practices, off-season workouts, team management, a dozen assistant coaches, and the list goes on.  He and I both have a similar need in our positions.  We both need talented leaders.

Coach Trombetti needs his players to step up and lead their peers.  Leaders to get on one another when they are not focused or they may not be hustling from drill to drill.  They need to pick one another up after they are knocked down, both figuratively and literally.  But most importantly, he needs leaders to set the tone from the first whistle.  They need to be mentally and physically prepared for all obstacles and barriers in the way of their success.

Likewise, I need teachers to step up and lead their peers.  Teacher leaders need to provide advice, mentoring, and instructional coaching.  They must set the tone at every meeting, each Monday morning, and in the classroom in front of their students.  They need to pick one another up after a tough day, and like Coach's players, they need to be physically and mentally prepared for all obstacles and barriers in the way of their students' successes.

How do we cultivate a culture that will create a team of leaders?  And, when do we do it?

First, we need to be explicit with those under our leadership.  They need to know the desired outcomes, the work that it will take to get to those outcomes, and we need to stress the importance of leaders stepping up to help carry the load.

Second, we need to meet the leaders at the point of their abilities.  We cannot hope they lead the way we see it.  We need to recognize their abilities and inabilities and help put them in situations in which they can win.  We wouldn't ask someone to speak in front of the staff if they were not ready, but we may work up to that to help develop their leadership.

Finally, we need to give continual feedback.  In football, it happens physically in every drill and down every Friday night.  Coaches follow up with film and give mental feedback after a practice or game.  In education, we need to provide opportunities for teachers to lead and follow up with them after a PD session or department meeting.

When should this happen?  Why not now?

It Starts From Day One

We welcomed 1300 students to Worthington Kilbourne High School last week.  The students were anxious to get to see one another, wear their new clothes, and test out their new school supplies.  What isn't as clear to all of them is the need to start the first day with positive habits.  First impressions are important along with setting an example for participation, promptness, and accountability.  Education is very unique in the sense that everyone gets to start with a clean slate.  Their story hasn't been written this school year and they get to be the authors.  Their habits and behaviors start counting from day one.

How do you ensure the students are getting off to a great start?  Are their things the adults in the building can do to help young adolescents?  Certainly.  Here are a few things the faculty and staff can do to help:

• Provide positive reinforcement from the first day for the small things, like
• Being on time
• Having their materials
• Participating in class
• Turning in their work
• Provide examples and non-examples of expectations, like
• What does academic integrity mean in your school/class
• What does being on time mean in your school/class
• What does collaboration and group work mean in this school/class
• Practice routines, like
• Where and when should assignments be turned in
• How to ensure all voices are heard and respected in this school/class
• What do transitions look like and how long should they take
• How does a student ask for help

We hope you get off to a great start, as well.  Good luck this school year.

Why PD and Diets Fail

Each year districts across the country offer professional development at the beginning of the school year.  Often, the professional presenters and former practitioners come into districts and offer perspectives and strategies to get teachers ready to tackle the year with optimism.  The central administrations put this PD plan in motion towards the end of the previous school year and is likely related to the issues facing the schools, teachers, and students.  Teachers are recharged from their time away while reading books, traveling, and connecting with their families.  Everyone walks into the convocation with excitement and you can feel it.

Similarly, each year many people decide enough is enough and they contemplate a diet to get back into shape and to live a healthier lifestyle.  This is equally met with optimism and a trip to the grocery store to purchase healthy foods and snacks.  Water bottles are chosen over soft drinks and almonds over Almond Joys.

Where does the excitement and optimism go and why don't these things stick for the longterm?  Let me offer perspective.

A good plan, a critical coach, and multiple personal checkpoints are needed to ensure success.  Professional Development can't be thrown out to teachers with a hope that it sticks.  There needs to be expectations for teachers to create plans, opportunities for them to explore these plans, and accountability for the plans to be implemented.  In the case of diets, they work when a person plans.  They make meals ahead of time and have them made days in advance.  Measured and labeled, the containers have exact portions and calories were calculated to keep the individual on track.  The person has a friend, with similar expectations, to keep them accountable.  They share their vulnerable moments and lean on one another when things become difficult.  They ask for advice and they are there to cheer on their accomplishments.  Finally, diets work when there are multiple checkpoints; weighing in, taking measurements, logging food consumption in an app, and tracking progress in the gym.

I offer these 5 suggestions for school leaders when rolling out "one shot" PD to teachers:

1.  Ensure the professional delivering the PD has the credentials and experiences to inspire and motivate your staff.

2.  Ensure the PD is aligned to the goals of the district.  You don't want it to contradict the vision, mission, and goals.

3.  Create a plan for teachers to plan.  Doing this means laying out expectations, opportunities to explore and create the plan, and accountability measures for implementation.

4.  Allow teachers to pick critical friends.  They know who they can rely on to give them honest feedback on the strategies expected to be used.

5.  Take the message the presenter shares during the PD and create 5-6 times throughout the year when you are reminding the staff of the message.  Use district newsletters, Late Start/Waiver days, and email blasts to keep the message at the forefront of the work.

Diets and PD can be successful if we want them to work.  It is up to us to create the conditions to maximize success and to stop relying on hope that it sticks.

The Simplicity of Track Meets

My oldest daughter is a high school freshman and youngest daughter is in 7th grade. Both are track student-athletes and we are into our 3rd year of watching track meets. I am learning more about the structure--although I have to ask my wife to remind me the order of events nearly every meet. Now, I haven't looked up the evolution of the track structure, but I bet it involved coaches getting together and discussing how they can maximize the effectiveness of
their sprinters and distance runners, and everyone in between.

In schools, we do not take this approach. We don't take a simplistic approach to solving our issues and like track, the structure doesn't reasonably change. Bells ring, student move to classes, and 7 hours later the day ends.  Is it because we never have laser-like focus of each of the participants in our schools?  Is it overthinking or not knowing how to simplify the teaching and learning systems? We continually bring in a regional speaker for bullying, a research-based program for literacy, a web-based program to assist with grammar, and yet another computer program for math skills. Mostly, we do this in an effort to close a gap or to meet a district goal. However, the overall effect can never be narrowed to a singular approach because we have changed too many variables.

The track coaches and student-athletes know the structure and know how to warm-up and rest for each event. For example, the distance running events are spaced in such a way that the athlete has enough time to recover before performing in the next event. It is unlikely the student-athlete running the 3200m run is also running in the 100m dash. Like the hamstrings and quadriceps of a runner, the brain is a muscle as well. It can be worked and tested and trained to perform optimally. It also requires rest and oxygen. How do we take the structure of school and marry it with learning--which learning is the running in the track analogy--to maximize the effectiveness of our students?

I give these three suggestions:

1.  Analyze the school day and schedule.

Are core academics spread throughout the day with encore/elective courses in between to support the various types of learning? We wouldn't want our 100m sprinter running the 200m right after his event. Also, look for other ways to ensure the school day/school year is balanced with diverse learning opportunities.

2.  Analyze the school breakfast and lunch programs.

Are students feeding their brain and bodies with well-balanced meals? Don't forget to check the vending options, the school store, and the student always carrying their book bag weighed down with several pounds of candy. I've noticed the options at the concessions at track meets often include more nutritious options than the basketball and football games I've attended.

3.  Review all the initiatives and programs offered to students.

Are the programs redundant or are they asking the brain to work in a manner that doesn't maximize learning?  In other words, are they causing the distance runner to compete in back-to-back events. We shouldn't ask a student to go from English Language Arts to the Scholastic Read 180 program.

Remember, sometimes less means more.

Leader of Leaders

Growing assistant principals or teacher leaders is one of the most important roles of a principal. As the principal of a school, it is impossible to meet the demands of every aspect of the job. To effectively lead a building, the principal must create a team of people to share in the responsibility of the teaching and learning continuum. So, how does a principal become a leader of leaders? Here are some ideas to consider:

1.  Get to know your leaders.

Understanding the staff's personal and professional goals will better equip the principal to position the team member for success. This takes two-way sharing.  Don't expect the person to open up to the principal if the principal hasn't shared personal and professional information with them.  Once the principal knows the strengths and weaknesses of the team members, it is the their responsibility to provide opportunities for reinforcing their strengths and refining their weaknesses.

Example:  Principal Martin scheduled drop-in meetings with every teacher in the 9th grade level. She met them in their classrooms--where they are most comfortable to talk freely and share openly. Martin made note of the pictures they had on their desks and wall space. She asked about the people in the pictures and shared similar experiences of her own. She filed this information away for future use. Additionally, Martin asked the person she was meeting with where they saw themselves in 5 years. Also, she asked them what PD they would like to receive if they could learn anything they wished. She didn't forget to share her aspirations and areas in which she would like to learn more.

2. Provide growth opportunities.

The assistant principals are the doers of the building. They get the work done in order for the mission and vision to be carried out by the principal. The principal must grow these leaders by providing opportunities to stretch their capacity for leadership. Whether it is leading a discussion at a departmental meeting or rolling out the new testing requirements to the staff, the assistant principals must have multiple opportunities to build their confidence. The principal doesn't need to manufacture these opportunities, but they must be willing to relinquish control.

Example:  Assistant Principal Jones is a good building manager. She understands operations, does a better than average job with student discipline, handles parents and the community well, but is still learning how curriculum is used to improve instruction.  Principal Martin knows AP Jones wants to climb the administrative ladder and needs to improve in teaching and learning to meet her goals. Martin decides to put AP Jones in charge of the Social Studies department and to attend all departmental meetings. Martin knows the department is strong and has a very competent departmental lead teacher. This is a way Martin sees Jones learning from an experienced teacher. Martin asks the tandem to share the current work and challenges of the department and possible solutions to remove barriers at the next building leadership team meeting.

3. Grow the team

Inevitably, the leaders will outgrow their roles and move up the ladder.  It is a mistake not expecting this to happen and not making efforts to expand the team of leaders. Every teacher interview, building professional development session, and parent-teacher conference are a few examples of the many opportunities to grow the team. While growing the assistant principals, it is equally important for the principal to be thinking about their successors and have an idea of the people within the ranks which have the abilities to fill the vacancies.

Example:  Principal Martin sees leadership potential for Mr. Blair, his 5th year math teacher. Martin knows the math department chair, Mrs. Pascal is retiring in two years and believes Blair could take that role--or move into administration after a few more years of teaching. Nevertheless, Martin needs to bring Blair onto the team of leaders. When working with his assistant principal and reviewing the master schedule for the upcoming school year, she asks them to include Blair into the planning process. In particular, Martin wants Blair to research and review the various ways to include time for collaboration within the schedule.

These ideas will help the principal flatten the leadership and provide capacity and voice into the decision-making process. To be a leader of leaders, it takes a great deal of effort to grow the people to their potential.

Advance the Ball

In a recent round of golf, I hit some bad shots.  However, I was reminded when hitting a bad shot it was important to advance the ball to ensure the next shot was closer to the bottom of the cup.  Much like golf, school leaders will make some great advances of the school and others not quite meeting the expectations of the leader.  However, it is important these decisions to advance the school are aligned with the goals and mission of the organization.  No matter the golfer's skill level, their decisions are to advance the ball to the green and eventually the cup.  The school leader must do the same and when faed with decisions ensuring the next "shot" doesn't take the school away from the mission.

School leaders are faced with many hazards throughout the school year.  There will be times he/she will find their location to be in a sand trap; it is bound to happen.  Just remember to stay calm, focus on the next decision, and advance the ball forward.

Supporting Economic Mobility

Are we pushing students to graduation without the skills needed to allow for positive economic mobility?

Many of the high schools around the country serving impoverished and/or diverse communities are doing so knowing a student's graduation and earned diploma are fundamental tasks of the high school. Credit recovery programs, both traditional and online, are common entities in these schools. Students feel the academic pressure to earn the credit, sometimes at the expense of learning. Completing the assignments in the credit recovery program is pushed and academic goals of completion are set. Very rarely are learning outcomes the focus of such recovery programs, but does the high school diploma allow students to enter the job market and compete for the companies paying livable wages?

Is the work being done by companies, community colleges, non-profit agencies, and high schools leading to more people earning credentials and training to allow for their earnings to be positively impacted?

Community colleges across the country are designing and supporting students in programs to prepare for jobs and careers with competitive wages. Non-profit agencies, like Goodwill Columbus, support economic mobility by providing training and skill development to those in need and are typically supported by federal and state grants. Companies in certain sectors are working with colleges and high schools to create partnerships to provide the specific training needed within their industry and ensuring jobs on the other end of the programs. Schools are designing pathways stating in 7th grade and students are put on a track to earn jobs and careers soon after graduation high school.

How do we provide an economic pull for students?

The work of the organizations mentioned above is designed to push students through school and provide a meaningful experience. However, the better way to get students through programs and support economic mobility is to pull them through. This is done by guaranteeing how paying jobs on the other end of programs. Nursing is a career where one can serve and give back, but it is also pulling students through programs because of the middle-class wages it offers.  Social work is equally as admirable but doesn't offer the pull a nursing program offers. To see this, look at the difficulty finding a school nurse versus an ER nurse. The hospital pays more, thus creating an economic pull. Can we encourage other business sectors to create this pull? We can and this is how we do it...

1.  Identify the skills needed to succeed in the company/sector. The default of many companies is to list a bachelor's degree as a qualification but without any specifics of how the bachelor's degree provides the assurances the skills have been obtained.

2.  Design high school curriculum and/or courses specific for these companies/sectors. It should include supports for students not making the cut. To ensure economic mobility, some students will need more interventions, encouragement, and multiple opportunities to succeed.

3.  Adapt programming as business needs change. The process must remain fluid and responsive or we will repeat our mistakes and students will lose out because they graduate with specific skills and no jobs because the market has changed.

Don't Take it Personally

Principals (school leaders) can do themselves favors by taking criticism in context.  It comes in two sizes, constructive and crude.  When investing in a school, it is easy to take criticism personally and reacting in a non-constructive manner.  Long days, consistent analysis of procedures, and proper supervision of students, teachers, and activities are aspects all school leaders perform for their community and district.  This investment should matter, but for some it is easy to take shots at the school leader's decisions.  Don't let your commitment to student learning be impacted with this type of criticism.  Your students deserve your unwavering focus on their achievement.  Change the criticism into constructive opportunities, if the nay-sayer allows it.  If not, then the solution isn't a priority for them.

Failures and constructive criticism are opportunities to promote dialogue with your school stakeholders.  Gathering students, teachers, parents, and community leaders to focus on solutions--which again, must align to student success.  Recently, I listened to Angie Adrean, principal at Worthington Kilbourne High School, tackle issues involving negative posts on social media.  The criticism of her students, teachers, and school didn't sit well with her, nor her students.  They met and devised a plan to promote the students and school, and continually monitor social media and educate students to use it positively.

Remember, you cannot fix everything in a year...or five years.  Pick 1-2 goals and focus.  Don't let the clutter and noise keep you from reaching these goals.  To keep yourself accountable, share your goals with your assistant principals, teachers, parents, mentor(s), etc.  It is a healthy practice to know your goals, promote your goals, and keep them centered around your core beliefs.  The armchair quarterback will always second guess your decisions, stay true to your purpose!

Leading Leaders

If the principal is not training a successor, they are doing a disservice to the school and district.  Moreover, he/she is not allowing the assistant principals or teacher leaders to grow and achieve.  Many leaders are called upon to take opportunities causing some of these positions to be short-term (2-3 years) stops for these individuals.  This makes it critically important to train them quickly and shortening the learning curve.  The principal should maximize the effectiveness of their leaders by placing them in areas of strength.  Identification begins in the interview process and should be discussed during the summer leading up to start of school.

Tips to help the principal with training (or learning as an assistant):

1.  The principal should know their professional vision

• This will assist you when planning your team's responsibilities.  Reflect on your strengths and identify your areas of improvement.  Decide if you assistant can fill this gap and be supportive and clear in your expectations.

2.  Equally distribute the difficult work

• It isn't a good idea to take all of the hard items to protect your assistant(s).  It isn't a good idea to give them all of the hard items.  Be fair to yourself and your assistant(s).

3.  Failure is necessary for growth

• Be aware your assistant(s) will fail.  Focus on the intention of the work and only address it if the intention isn't aligned to the mission and vision you set for the school.  If the intentions behind the failure were aligned, recognize this verbally and coach them through the decision-making process.

4.  Check in weekly

• You will check in more frequently than weekly, but it is purposeful and not presumptuous.  Their work is not your work and your work is not their work.  Check in with them to see if you can support them.  Do not use this check in to be critical of them.  The are not purposefully doing it wrong or different, they are doing it the best they know how.  

Spring Break Creates Learning Time

I, like many educators, look for breaks to recharge the batteries and reflect about recent events and decisions.  It is an opportunity to grow and learn without the constraints of the daily operations.  This break allowed me to do two things.  First, I committed to exercising every morning with my wife, Donita.  We went to the gym at 5:30am.  Secondly, this allowed me to listen to various podcasts and TED talks while I exercised.  I cannot describe how great if felt emotionally and physically by mid-week.  Dave Ramsey's EntreLeadership podcasts speak to entrepreneurs and small business owners, but the simplicity of the message easily transferred to education and general leadership.

Here was my podcast menu this past week:

TED Radio Hour - Brand Over Brain
EntreLeadership - Developing Culture, Why Good Leaders Ask Great Questions, How to Make Your Company Healthy and Wealthy, Put Your Strengths to Work, & The Art of Asking

Now, I have several ingredients for finishing the year and I started preparing the recipe for short-term and long-term success.  It is critical everyone in the organization knows the purpose and focus of Groveport Madison High School.  I challenged myself to connect with my leaders within the building.  I plan to informally ask them what they are working on and if I can help them.  From this I will gather information to see if our focus is aligned with our purpose.  Determining if we working on the things that matter and propel us to reach our mission.

This year the theme of most staff meetings and newsletters has included defining our own success.  Declaring our mission and measuring our work towards it.  Our team is committed to designing opportunities at the high school to prepare students for success beyond graduation.  We are creating internship and work study programs, career exploration courses, and courses to assist students with college admissions.  Finally, we are developing a cluster of courses assisting students with interests in law, teaching, nursing, business, IT, and more.  I need to ensure the work in the building is aligned to the these structural changes.

In closing, I aim to refine my work to make it simplistic and use the power of asking questions and forming (or in some cases repairing) relationships to guide our school to a buffet of courses for students to consume.

March Brings Madness

NCAA basketball and K-12 education share a common theme in March.  Collegiate athletes prepare, practice, and perform all season until they turn in their resumes to a committee which determines their fate on selection Sunday.  Schools across Ohio--and the country--prepare their students, give them plenty of opportunities to practice, and hope they perform well on PARCC and AIR assessments.  Both systems are maddening and give plenty of expert analysts and laymen topics to discuss and debate.

Watching the coach, Ron Hunter, of Georgia State embrace his son after the loss to Xavier Saturday was heart wrenching.  These young men came together to give their school and fans something for which to cheer.  And for the Cinderella Story fans, they were willing and ready to jump on the bandwagon.

Students across the state took new and very controversial assessments the last few weeks.  Some parents elected to opt-out of the assessments while some politicians, superintendents, and educational associations had their eyes on schools.  Newspapers and media outlets were chomping at the bit to get the horror stories of school technology and testing coordinators.  The House and Senate certainly isn't quietly waiting for results.  They are creating bills and momentum to change the students are assessed.

As March closes and every school has formed an opinion, one thing is certain.  March Madness is in full swing.  Selecting a flawless bracket is just as unlikely as finding a school district without a strong opinion on assessments.  Our district has MAP (Northwest Evaluation Association), PARCC, AIR, ASVAB, OGT, Encore, ACT, Compass, SAT, and PSAT assessments we give to students.  This doesn't include the SLO (Student Learning Objective) data our teachers are required to capture for part of their yearly evaluation.

We alter schedules, close off use of technology, and displace classes to assess students.  We pull teachers to proctor examinations and fill their positions with substitutes.  We assign hours of pencil sharpening duty to our student office assistants and move pallets of exam booklets from various parts of the building.  Moreover, we ask many people to donate hours outside the work week to coordinate, separate, and collect testing materials.

Whether #14 Georgia State was selected to win the championship or #1 Kentucky, it can be agreed both teams are very successful.  And we cannot discredit the performance by Georgia State, even though they lost in the 3rd round.  Just as our students cannot be discredited on one assessment, they have various opportunities to prove their worth.  It may be their 3.5 GPA or they have 6 varsity letters.  It could be their stellar performance in the musical Wizard of Oz or their Superior rating for marching band.  Look for the great things our students are doing, not the one thing they working to improve.  The madness will change as soon as the goals of these assessments are identified.  I just hope we don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Resilient Leader

As I navigate the evolving role of the principal, it is important to remain resilient.  Criticism, defamation, and destructive forces will accompany any decision, mission, and/or direction.  Boards change, directors change, superintendents and principals change, and so forth, and this change causes both an opportunity for new and refreshing ideas and the uncomfort of changing the course(s).

I know parents, teachers, and administrators want the best for their students and their schools.  Boards want to be proud of the accomplishments and direction of the school community.  Employers and colleges want students ready to solve problems and work in teams.  Are you serving these expectations?  Do you help support ideas in which foster the development of problems solvers, critical thinkers, and collaborators?  These questions must be considered throughout the year.  Furthermore, the essential questions which guide your leadership and decision making should be obvious to the students and staff in your building.  Not because you tell them, but instead because you consistently use them to influence your decisions.

Remain resilient and steadfast to your core beliefs and mission.  Some will try to bring you down.  You are human and the criticism will impact you.  "If you want to walk fast, walk alone.  If you want to walk far, walk with others." - Burkina Faso.  Use the people around you to make sure you are in this for the entire journey.  We need you to lead and we need you to stay.  Be resilient!

Legacy

I never set out to leave a legacy, merely impact people positively each and every day.  Recently, I was asked to reflect on the legacy of my leadership.  Being one to serve others, it is difficult to think of my influence on the people in which I am employed to lead.  I think of the relationships I have with so many people and the structural changes we have made in our organization.  It is through the numerous students I run into years after they graduate I am reminded of my leadership.  Former students reminiscing about great times within the walls of the school and they never fail to ask about their favorite teachers.   I'm always impressed with their level of success and maturity at such young ages.

What will people say of your legacy?  Have you thought about your influence on your organization and the people within?  I know I haven't given it much thought, but I will from this point forward.  It will be my measure to ensure I am serving others.

Pressure Cooker

Lately, many days have felt like being in a pressure cooker.  And more times than not, I feel as if I put myself in the cooker without the aid of anyone else.  Being the principal of a large suburban/urban high school comes with a certain level of political pressure, social concerns, and moral conflicts.  Add these to the daily struggle to make sure every student is given opportunities to grow and learn, and it is easy to see where the stress comes into play.

A few days ago I took a step back and decided I needed to relax.  The rate in which I am pushing myself and others around me isn't good leadership if it is merely pushing.  You have to push with purpose AND support.  Trust me, I am not saying to lower your standards, but instead I suggest that a little patience and a few smiles are needed to get a school to grow and change.  Now, if I can maintain this attitude and not revert back to the pressure cooker, then I think I can make some positive gains with myself and my staff.  After all, it is the people in the classroom that make the biggest difference, and if they are not happy with their jobs, we all lose.

Year One Completed

Finishing the first year at the helm has been a roller coaster ride. Enjoyable, stressful, satisfying, and fun. Learning that not every question needs a response, not every situation is in need of immediate attention, and some people will never be satisfied all have been the valuable gains made by myself and the administrative team.

Getting into administration early seemed to be regrettable. I felt as if I wasn't seasoned enough to handle the various situations which occur, and my inexperience would manifest itself with irrational decisions. However, I found a way to use it to my advantage and turned a seemingly disadvantage into a benefit.

My advice to a first year administrator or first year principal would be:

• Time is precious and your friend. There isn't enough of it, but since time flies be sure to use it when a tough decision is needed. Don't think the answer needs to be immediate. Pause!
• Find a sounding board. Befriend someone and use them to be the pulse of the school. Ask them to take off the friend hat and put on the critical friend hat. They will steer you right.
• Building problems. Most were there well before you and took time to become a problem and will take time to improve. Don't rush a solution, give it time to work and monitor it for effectiveness.
• Find your best programs, classes, etc. When you are down go visit them, it is therapeutic.

Have a restful summer!

Are We Responsible For Grades?

The last few days our administrative team has met with the the 9th grade academy teachers. We discussed the use of intervention, scheduling, and semester grades. Much of the time was spent on the resources that are being allocated to the freshmen, and the expected results.

Grade distributions were given to teachers based on their students' grades, the grade in relation to the team, the grades in relation to the subject area, and the grades in relation to the 9th grade class. Grades are an obvious way to measure the success of a program. It is equivalent to grading the football team based on wins-loses. But, is there such a thing a quality loss? If students continue to fail, but are referred to the office less frequently, then can it be deemed that the 9th grade academy is successful?

Students are not motivated and don't come to school. This is why they fail. However, students are not motivated to do worksheets and listen to talk, and as a result don't come to school. Right? I think our students are smarter now and traditional teaching methods are ineffective. The "I talk and you listen" model cannot hold the attention of a digital native. The are used to watching television, listen to a mp3 player, and posting on facebook all at the same time. What is the value of listening to a lecture, when the topic can be googled in a millisecond? They can search a lesson on YouTube and have it delivered right to their computer.

I don't have all the answers, but I do know that creating one (1) lesson plan for six (6) classes isn't effective. Now, we must create six (6) lesson plan for (1) class in order to ensure that all students are engaged and learning. This puts a lot of pressure on the teacher to be knowledgeable and skillful in content and pedagogy.

January Push

January is bringing a push to help every senior who hasn't passed the state's graduation test. We are pulling schedules to see what classes can be replaced with preparation geared and aligned to the exams. Here is a look at our plan:

Step 1. Identify the senior students that have not passed one portion of the exam.
Step 2. Print their schedules to see if they are already in a course designed to pass the portion they need.
Step 3. Put them in the library for one period working on computer generated test material.

This will ensure that those that are very close to completing the testing requirement of our state will be learning material needed for their success.

Next, we need to identify the seniors that need to pass more than one portion of the exam. Their intervention will be more complex. We will look at their schedules to see if they are in a class that will prepare them for the exam, but we will also look at how close they have come to passing the state exam. This will let us know how intense the intervention will need to be. Will the regular class meet their need, will there need to be computer software that could get them over the hump, or will they need one-to-one instruction?

Finding ways to get the students to pass the exam is not an exact science. It takes ingenuity and creativity to get the desired results.

Merry Christmas!

The holiday break is among us, and as a building administrator work must go on. Well, it isn't much work when everyone is gone. It is time to clean the office, and let the custodians clean the building. I found myself today filing all of the articles, journals, phone logs, meeting notes, discipline files, medical notes, etc. It looks like my desk drawers had babies in the forms of piled high papers.

It is hard to stay on top of all the paper work that an administrator must do. How do you maintain order in a building and cannot maintain order in the office? I go home frustrated that I didn't get done what needed to be done. Only to return the next day to an office that isn't organized to maximize my day. So, I am using the break to create an environment that will keep me in the mindset to perform efficiently and effectively.

That leads to my New Year's resolution.

To keep my office organized--to bad my administrative assistant doesn't know this :). It will be just as much her duty as it is mine.

Here's to your year being great, and the second half of the school year full of professional growth and student achievement!

Structural versus Behavioral Change

I was fortunate enough to be at a conference to hear Dr. Anthony Muhammad speak about school culture. He gave a different look on education that opens your eyes to changes we make. Many are structural changes that are purposed to change adult and child behaviors. Such as, block scheduling, dress code, common planning time, etc. All of these structural changes cannot work if we do not address the behavior of the adults and children.

Block scheduling is suppose to give students and teachers more time on task. The change agents would want the teachers to provide intervention and enrichment during the class period. But, if that is the desired outcome, was it addressed? More often, it is not. We put the structure in place and it doesn't produce the desired outcome.

Dress codes are designed to make the climate of the school more professional. A leadership group in conjunction with the community and board of education come together to make a dress code or uniform code that will increase student achievement. But, if a student is out of code, then we punish them by making them miss educational opportunities by putting them in "In-school suspension." The structure change doesn't match the desired behavioral change.

This could go on and on with examples. So, the next time you want to change a behavior be sure to analyze whether the change will get the desired behavior. Do not be afraid to address the behavior, only then will you become a change agent.

Bond Issue Defeated

The Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) was willing to pay for $70 million (about 43%) of our construction plan. Our voters defeated the issue 55% to 45%. Wednesday, the day after the election, many people were somber. I, for one, fealt like we had a fighting chance to pass the bond. Eddie George, OSU Heisman Trophy winner, came to our district to speak about the possibilities that modern schools could give children. Our administrative staff at the high school alone, donated $350 to the committee and gave numerous hours to help deliver literature.

Maybe we need to take a look at our neighbors. One district had the children line up on both sides of the town's main corridor. They were armed with signs stating what the new dollars would do for them. At least if the voter said no to their issue, they knew who they were saying no to. I think our community is saying no to the teachers, administrators, aides, etc., but they are really saying no to the children with this bond issue.

Two of our schools were built in the late 60's-early 70's with the open floor model. Soon after it was discover that this couldn't function walls were erected. This caused a bad floor plan to become worse. Students must pass through one room in order to get to another. Teachers must exit their room to turn their lights off, which in turn interupts the classroom next door. The airflow is awful, because the duct work was done for the open plan. Due to this, room temperatures are 20 degrees different.

It is not official, but we are putting the bond issue up in May. How do we educate our community differently next time around?