Blog Archive for December, 2009
A Model of Leadership
Several years ago I received a phone call from a new superintendent in a school district just outside of Chicago. The man on the other end of the line was Ed Rafferty. Searching for best practices, he and a team came out to our school in California in search of new, innovative ways to support students. Upon meeting him, I was immediately impressed and inspired by his leadership. Years later, it appears that I was not alone in my assessment.
Two weeks ago Ed Rafferty was named Superintendent of the Year for the state of Illinois. An Educator’s Educator, he has always kept student learning at the core of his leadership. Never one to just go with the flow, Ed has asked the hard questions, made the tough decisions, and in the process turned Schaumburg District 54 into one of the finest school districts in the country. While many feel that the title of Superintendent is enough to garner immediate respect, Ed takes no chances, rolls up his sleeves everyday, and works shoulder to shoulder with a tremendous staff. His humor is infectious and joy for education makes him the model of leadership. Because of this, educators not only want to work for him, they genuinely respect him. As do I. A more deserving individual, I cannot name.
Lean, Mean, Strong: Becoming Educationally Fit
Over the course of the last few weeks, I have taken tremendous joy as our No Excuses University movement has accepted several schools into our network. One newcomer is Travis Middle School in Amarillo Texas. Principal Dr. Dana West leads this school packed with potential. After reading a recent letter from her to the staff, you can see why we are so optimistic about their future.
Dr. West writes:
My favorite TV program is “The Biggest Loser.” I think my fascination with the show is that the people on it are hugely overweight and –by signing up for the show — they commit to stop making excuses. Their focus shifts to getting fit and healthy. Their trainers, Bob and Jillian, aren’t always nice. They push the contestants to work hard and to believe. The best part is – through the tears and effort – each person transforms into someone with confidence… someone better… someone who has a new lease on life.
As Doug Curry and San Jacinto Elementary in AISD will tell you, being a NEU is not an honor or a distinction. It is a declaration. Like the contestants on “The Biggest Loser” we are stepping on the scale and admitting we are not the school we want to be. As we step off the scale, we’ll realize that getting lean will not be easy. We’ll become our own “Bob and Jillian” and push ourselves even when it hurts. And, we’ll understand that, just as there are plenty of people in the world who become healthier through diet and exercise, there are also schools with children who live in poverty and with children who have limited English that excel. We are becoming one of those schools…
Get off the scale, get into your workout clothes…. here’s this week’s challenge:
- Control your curriculum. Lean and mean. Strong.
- Be explicit in teaching/reminding your students about beginning of class procedures. Students should know what to expect and do the second they walk into your classroom everyday. (Include your “I will be able to” charts in your beginning of class routine.)
- Provide ACADEMIC CLOSURE everyday. You dismiss your students; the bell does not. (How about going back to your “I will be able to” chart and checking to see if students have been successful in the day’s expectations?)
- After our holiday break… everyone will have classroom rules posted in their rooms. The first few days after our return, every classroom, every period will include reviews and role plays over classroom rules and expectations.
- Are you ready to teach about the college you adopted for your room?
Dr. Dana West can be contacted at danar.west@amaisd.org
Empower the Disempowered Parents
Parents often take the blame for academic failure, criticized for not being involved, not supporting their children, and not making education a priority. We may as well say, “You, Ms. Parent, don’t love your child enough. You don’t care about his future like you should.”
That’s ludicrous. I’ve met thousands of parents in our city, and they all love their children. They want the best for their “babies,” and they’ll sacrifice to find it. They don’t always know the best ways to help, but they’re willing to learn when we’re willing to teach. The question is whether parents are respected partners, welcome in our schools. Do they receive clear, timely information about their children’s strengths and issues? Do principals and teachers make time for them, and value their input? Are they graciously coached on how to guide their children? If our schools are to work, we must re-empower our disempowered parents. That doesn’t mean having one event, recording 10% participation and then saying they didn’t respond. Rather, we must engage our parents, and grow their participation over time.
At Detroit’s Dove Academy, a tuition-free charter public school, many parents are surprised and relieved when we ask to talk about their child. Communication is frequent, starting with a discussion of their child’s strengths during the first two weeks of school. Parents must sign their child’s planner nightly after reviewing the day’s homework, and many parents and teachers use the planner to write notes back and forth to each other. We have two mandatory conferences each year. While we can’t force anyone to show up, setting the expectation fuels a participation rate greater than 80 percent. Teachers follow up with the remaining families to schedule subsequent meetings. Further, if a child is achieving less than 70% in late January in reading, writing and/or math, the teacher, parent and student plot a detailed Student Improvement Plan together. Everyone walks away knowing what lessons and help will occur in school, parents have strategies for at home, and students know what actions they’ll take. We also started a Parent University last year, with periodic workshops and guest speakers who help parents explore educational, community, and family issues. Last year, we averaged 15 to 20 participants per session. In October this year, we had 30. That’s not enough, but we’ll keep going, and the numbers will grow.
As principal, it’s my job to be available. I’m in the halls, talking with students, parents and teachers. Sometimes I’m down the street, meeting with a homebound parent. Sometimes I’m in the lunchroom, or giving a tour, or on the playground … because that’s where I find the students, parents and staff I serve.
All of us here are mentors, coaches, counselors, and sounding boards. I’ve had parents, frustrated by the same behavior at home that we see in school, ask me for help. That tells me our efforts are working and progress is imminent. It’s rare I find a parent who won’t talk about his child, and rare to find a parent who won’t help create strategies to help her child excel. These parents say our talking and working with them is like a miracle, and they thank us, for caring about their children as much as they do. Don’t blame the parents. Join me. Make no excuses. Accept none either. Respect parents as partners and see what happens.