The Buzz from the Hornet's Nest

Coverting Data Into Information

2012-01-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

This evening's Blog post on data and information will feature several quotes extracted from business books that have made a difference in my leadership career.

We'll look at the goal of converting data into informed instructional decisions - leveraging success with optimal learning experiences in the classroom.

First, from Reinventing Government by David Osborne and Ted Gaebler

The Power of Performance Measurement

* What gets measured gets done

* If you don't measure results, you can't tell success from failure.

* If you can't see success, you can't reward it.

* If you can't reward success, you're probably rewarding failure.

* If you can't see success, you can't learn from it.

* If you can't recognize failure, you can't correct it.

* If you can demonstrate results, you can win public support.

The list of advice provided above by Osborne and Gaebler offers a great starting point and platform for our efforts. Now, let's differentiate between data, which schools have in abundance, and information.

From The Marketing Imagination by Theodore Levitt

"The difference between data and information is that while data are crudely aggregated collections of raw facts, information represents the selective organization and imaginative interpretation of those facts. Information represents the imposition of order, categories, and ideas on the collected data."

We can begin the process of converting data into information by utilizing an expansive view on examining data, as expressed by Roy Rowan in his book, The Intuitive Manager ---

"Kaleidoscopic thinking is the ability to see new patterns in old phenomena. Take the set of existing fragments, twist them, and come up with an exciting new view."

-- rather than employing two ill-fated techniques (below) John Sculley, former CEO of Apple Computer, referenced in his book Odyssey,

"As the great mathematician Leonhard Euler said, "Science is what you do after you guess well."

and "SWAG = Scientific Wild Ass Guess."

Finally, from Shaping the Managerial Mind, by John E. Flaherty, we are cautioned to remember that

"The financial bottom line could be metaphorically compared to a sundial, which reveals the time of day only when the sun shines and gives no information on a cloudy day or at night."

What Is Done With All This Stuff?

2012-01-30T14:41:00.000-08:00

As my mind wanders away from the task of filling small boxes on endless requests for data on various and frequent state education reports, I wonder what it must be like to have the responsibility of compiling and analyzing all of these reports from all of the school districts throughout the state. Once I reflect on that scenario, I return to completing the forms, with sympathy to the individual sequestered in a cubicle in the bowels of the state education building, and feel that I have the better role in this equation. But, the question arises, and echoes with each form I fill out, what do "they" do with all of this data?

Here's a relevant quote from Managing the Non Profit Organization, written by Peter Drucker:
"Most of our current reporting systems don't reveal opportunities, they report problems."

Too often the data reviewed by organizations is more of an autopsy than a diagnosis. While the results of an autopsy shows how someone died it doesn't always or necessarily lead to any specific actions that can be taken to prevent additional deaths. This point is a refrain cited earlier in a Blog post that featured the poem, The Ambulance and the Valley, in which townspeople spend valuable resources on ambulances to pick up all of the people who drive off the cliff overlooking the valley instead of simply investing funds (far less than the money required for ambulances) in making a better fence as a deterrent to further casualties.

Another concern (which was the source of a previous Blog post) is the prospect of schools becoming so overwhelmed with collecting data that they become a DRIP school - Data Rich, Information Poor. In order to leverage success we must be capable of converting data into informed instructional decisions. That means looking for a difference that makes a difference. That begins with making sure that you have identified the right metrics. Peter Senge, author of Schools that Learn, offers the following point to consider:
"We tend to think that we believe what we measure, but it's more likely that we measure what we believe."

Let's return to Drucker's book for another important perspective on the work of schools:

"We need to remind ourselves over and over again that the results of a non-profit institution are always outside the organization, not inside."

Finally, a reference from Passion for Excellence, written by Tom Peters and Nancy Austin:
"The number one sin (in terms of development or change) is the excessive quantification of the imponderable."

Don't Water Your Weeds

2012-01-26T17:57:00.000-08:00

Harvey McKay writes a weekly, nationally syndicated column that is usually found in the business section of the Sunday editions of newspapers. He has also written several best selling books that offer insight accrued from his extensive business experiences. This Blog entry emerges from one of the many quotes I have extracted from his thought provoking essays:

"Don't water your weeds!"

[spoiler alert - there will be some whining in the following paragraphs]

With resources of time, money and material becoming more scarce it seems obvious that we can ill afford to waste any of our valuable assets on issues and items that may inhibit our progress - or worse! Yet, public schools largely continue to water their weeds. I am referring to the tendency to merely sustain traditions, such as the outdated industrial, assembly line model of production relying on outmoded command and control management (not leadership) of an organization that does little from year to year other than change the date of the calendar.

Ah, you think, before asking, "How can you say that when schools boast the latest in technology and the greatest of research based instructional practices?" The retort to that question laments that we woefully under utilize technology while maintaining a relatively unchanged physical environment of school buildings. Too much has been spent on electronic worksheets or newly minted instructional tools that far exceed the staff development reaches of schools to sufficiently train teachers as users capable of harnessing and exploiting the full capacity of the devices. Textbooks still represent the coin of the realm. Learning is still expressed as work measured in the number of words written in an essay or report, or the number of pages read or worksheets completed. Policies confine the breadth of technology (try researching breast cancer for a health class project - most filters prevent the search) or stunt the depth of the impact of technology (what happens to learners from homes without computers or Internet connections during out-of-school hours/days?) when schools limit access to computers to the school day.

Not only are subject matters at the secondary level still quarantined from each other for fear of infection or dilution of academic discipline, but we are still packaging class time in forty or forty-five minute blocks as we did decades ago, despite the exponential growth of advances in science and the incredible events across the globe in social, political and economic arenas.

What are we eliminating if we teach American history today, for instance, in the same block of time that the subject was taught four decades ago? Imagine everything that has occurred in the meantime. I know, I know, what about the recent trend of block scheduling adopted a high schools, you ask? Okay, I'll reply with a question - What about it? Beyond the smoke and mirrors and the fanfare that splashes new paint on an old car, how many schools have worked with teachers to exploit the extended time (the total time for the course remains the same but in ninety minute blocks every other day instead of forty-five minute periods every day) with changes in instructional delivery? Are we merely teaching two different forty-five minute lesson in one single ninety minute block without changing the way we teach? Are the learners any more engaged as active participants? Are the classes any more relevant and meaningful? Has research demonstrated any appreciable differences in achievement? Is it yet another cosmetic alteration that offers a change in style without really precipitating a change in substance?

Regardless of the introduction of innovative teaching techniques, they are still being exercised in the all too familiar "egg crate" buildings with a long hallway separating identically constructed classrooms (or cells) located directly across from each other in two equal rows. Teaching appears as a private act performed in public, as Dan Lortie pointed out thirty-five years ago in his class book, Schoolteacher: a Sociological Study. Whole Language or Phonics, Cooperative Learning or Direct Instruction - it doesn't matter what name you call it, the game is still played in the conventional twenty-five feet by twenty-five feet room with a single teacher interacting with twenty five learners.

We need to plant seeds, not water weeds. This admonition is especially true in states like New York where funding to public schools has been frozen or decreased for three years now while the allowable number of state approved charter schools has been significantly increased. This contradictory pattern, like Dr. Doolittle's famous Push Me - Pull You, the four legged animal with a head on either end of its body, is a ready made recipe for a continued increase in enrollment figures of charter schools operating unfettered of the myriad state mandates and the decrease in public school enrollment at schools struggling to swim against a steady stream of confining regulatory practices. (Did you know there is a curricular requirement that New York public schools teach about the Great Irish Potato Famine of the mid 1800's? - That must be a tribute to a powerful politician of Irish heritage who long ago inserted the regulation into the state education guidelines in exchange for a political favor exchanged with another politician)

I am as guilty as anyone in that we are operating too much like any school of thirty years ago. Rather than point fingers at the bureaucratic imprint of the state education department, or unions, or any other readily available whipping post, I must commit to leadership that reinvents what we do and how we do it - all in support of why we do it. Failing that, I would expect to see our school, and other public schools, suffer from the gradual migration of learners to charter schools that can promise appealing alternatives to "business as usual."

I am gardener of a small patch of land, weary of watering the upturned soil that includes weeds. The faucet has slowed to a trickle and a drought is approaching. Tough choices have to be made about resource allocation.

One, albeit small, adaptation to the changing environment has been our introduction of over one hundred different accredited on-line classes (a process made more challenging by the nuances of requirements imposed by the state education department) for those high school learners willing and anxious to stretch themselves and become better prepared for college. Another attempt to grow and increase our yield has been the decision to focus more sunshine on our plants by expanding the reach of our school to consumers through a variety of social media outlets like facebook, twitter, and a blog.

What else can we do, or should we do at Heatly? We need more Inquiry Based Learning projects that integrate an important repertoire of learning skills with a multidisciplinary approach. We need to expand the school year (summer school or mini instructional camps) and school day (more extracurricular choices outside of the conventional menu of activities of sports, student council, and foreign language clubs). We need a more direct and clear link to the outside through school-to-work internships and college level classes on and/or off campus. We need to reconfigure our teachers and time to the extent possible within state regulations to adapt our responses to the wants and needs and hopes and dreams of our learners. We need to continually look around the corner and over the horizon for opportunities and possibilities if we wish to remain a viable learning enterprise as a small school with BIG ideas.

The Riddle Of Time

2012-01-25T18:04:00.000-08:00

This Blog opens with a riddle from J.R.R. Tolkien:

What is:

This thing that all things devours,
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays kings, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.

The answer = Time.

Time is one element that is surely limited, regardless of how much we need it or how much we value it. No matter who we are and how much we have, time is dispensed equally in that it is offered in the same amount each day to everyone. Yet, how we use it determines much of who we become and how our future unfolds. This is similarly as true of schools as it is for individuals.

The amount of time available to schools is usually governed by negotiated contracts. State guidelines often shape how the time is distributed, per regulations addressing various subject matter. However, there remains some time, albeit a fairly small quantity, that beckons the discretion of the school's policymakers in distributing those valuable remnants.

We have chosen to invest this discretionary time in a manner that would be considered unusual in 2012, and perhaps even blasphemous. At a point when schools are redistributing minutes away from curricula not tested by state assessments and spending it on those learning areas subjected to high stakes testing, we are avoiding that knee-jerk reaction and acting in a way that could be described as counter-intuitive.

We have added daily recess to our elementary school schedule. That's right, we went from not having any recess for our young learners and carved out time for them to experience a recess. We opted to promote opportunities for children to engage in physical and social exercise. Playing and interacting with classmates in a far less structured environment can earn dividends that are at least as valuable as what these same learners would gain if the minutes had been returned to some area of formal study.

I keep reminding myself of reading a study not long ago conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor that cited the number one reason most people lose their jobs results from the inability to work with others (although the current depressed economy might substitute fiscally induced lay-offs as the new top reason). Not lack of competence, but inability to get along with co-workers. This is especially telling when one considers the growing number of workplace environments that require groups of people to collaborate on tasks.

Now, given the reason that people lose their jobs, as stated above, why do we continue to reduce opportunities for socialization of peers at school? That is, recess more closely mimics the reality of socialization than a school orchestrated scenario in which adults closely monitor interactions. Playing games and understanding and observing "rules" of the game, resolving conflicts (was it a fair ball or foul ball?) cooperating, and even competing, are the many attributes that can emerge from typical recess activities.

Beyond recess, we have introduced a twice weekly "Morning Program" on Monday and Friday mornings at the start of school for our elementary level learners. This event is designed to reinforce the hallmarks of a community and nurture the relationships we desire among inhabitants of our school. There are shared rituals (singing happy birthday to those celebrating their birthdays that week; reciting the pledge of allegiance) and reinforced meanings (selecting recipients of "Gotcha" awards that recognize those who demonstrate noteworthy behaviors that promote a positive and constructive school culture,...) that are considered valuable means of shaping the orientation of our school community. Parents are invited and encouraged to attend the program and they are introduced and acknowledged. The Morning Program sacrifices a collective total of about forty minutes per week from the time available for delivering our formal instructional curriculum.

The concerted effort and collaborative decision on the part of our staff to reallocate our time is predicated on values that generate faith in the belief that learners will more likely reach their potential when they feel comfortable, accommodated and socially engaged within their environment. In contrast, too many schools have eliminated recess and Morning Programs in an attempt to raise levels of performance on state tests by spending as much time as possible on test preparation ---- at what expense???

The Debate

2012-01-24T17:18:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not going to Blog about the Republican presidential debates. There are enough pundits critiquing every word uttered and interpreting every meaning possible. Instead, I'm writing about a seed that has been planted in Green Island that has started to sprout and produce.

I stopped by and visited the Debate Club during one of their recent meetings after school. I have been very interested in this group because it has emerged from an initiative generated this year by a couple of our high school learners who sought to expand possibilities at Heatly. Additionally, it exists largely on the generosity of an extraordinary teacher who has volunteered her time to supervise the club and freely provide expertise to participants.

Despite concerns I had that the teacher and learners who started the group might struggle to attract members in a small school where athletics traditionally appeals to and occupies a high percentage of the body of learners, the Debate Club has survived and actually grown. This fact has been rewarding to me as I continue to invest energy and effort in nurturing an organizational culture oriented toward our goal of being a small school with BIG ideas. Expanding programs and opportunities at a time when many schools are retreating from support to extracurriculars is reaffirming. This has been particularly true when one considers that Debate Club are generally not found at an overwhelming number of high schools. In addition, another noteworthy measure of the group's success is the increasing number of females participating in an event traditionally and disproportionately represented by males.

On the day of my surprise visit, the club members were about to begin a "flash debate" in which they had only a mere five minutes to prepare their position on an issue and ready themselves to defend their stance with logic and resolve. The performance of competitors was impressive. I couldn't help but notice that they were routinely exercising skills that would serve them well in the future as adults in virtually any endeavor they might pursue. There was evidence of deductive and inductive reasoning, deft deflections of intellectual thrusts with cognitive counter-attacks, effectively communicated gestures that augmented verbal repartee, well articulated opinions supported by research and references, and the ability to disagree without being disagreeable. This last point differs sharply from the performances of presidential candidates currently involved in far more publicized debates than those at 171 Hudson Avenue in Green Island.

The Debate Club is exactly the type of enterprising activity we need to develop and sustain if Heatly expects to grow and stretch as a learning community. It's my responsibility now to provide the support and the conditions to not only keep the Debate Club operating, but to also have it spawn other clubs designed to involve learners who are not otherwise presently engaged with a school extracurricular program.

Customer Service In School???

2012-01-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

With all of the attention that's recently been devoted to high stakes tests,new learning standards, and complicated teacher evaluation instruments, asignificant contributor to improving performance within schools has beenneglected or shoved aside. What about the condition of the school's social andpsychological environment? What about how people really feel while they inhabitthe building for six or seven hours each school day? Doesn't it stand to reasonthat we all have a better chance of reaching our potential when we are secure,comfortable and accepted? I don't simply refer to our learners but the adultsas well. Think of your own work climate, in whatever field or occupation itmight be.

Take a moment and describe the context of your best day at work - you know,the time that everything was going so well that it didn't feel like workanymore. Did you reach that peak level of performance under near excruciatingpressure exerted from those outside of your field of work? Did you achieve atextraordinary levels as you labored with fewer and fewer resources to supportyour efforts? Did you realize a high rate of success while people openlyquestioned and belittled your commitment? Did you arrive at the height ofachievement alone, or with the help of cooperative colleagues? What factorscontributed to your personal triumph that day at work?

No, I’m not idealistic or naive enough to suggest that if everyone is happyand engulfed in a warm and fuzzy atmosphere that work levels increase. Not atall. But I am confident that research on workplace environments supports thecreation and maintenance of an organizational culture that is respectful,supportive, and constructive.

To that end, I am sharing the summary of a report that appeared in a book thathas influenced my leadership ability Influencer:The Power to Change Anything, by Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan andSwitzer. The authors reference a study conducted to identify behaviors thatincrease customer satisfaction in hospitals. The list that appears below doesnot contain anything that has to be purchased, nor does it require any skillthat must be developed through extensive and expensive staff development. Yet,these behaviors collectively make a difference in satisfied customers(patients). Would anyone disagree that patients are more likely to recoverfaster when they feel satisfied?

Vital Behaviors leading tohigher customer satisfaction in hospitals:

1. Smile,
2. Make eye contact,
3. Identify yourself,
4. Let people know what you're doing, and why,
5. End every interaction by asking, "Is there anything else you need?"

Makes you wonder what impact these same suggestions could evoke if they were sincerely and regularly promoted throughout school.

Feeding Dreams

2012-01-20T14:50:00.000-08:00

Feeding Dreams

This is a copy of a speech I was asked to present to a regional conference of some very important contributors to public schools who too often go unrecognized – food service workers.

"My presentation this evening has been years in the making. It’s a reflection of my own school experiences related to the food service program. These recollections were not difficult to recall because of their impact.

My family was poor. My dad was a troubled war veteran of the Marine Corps wrestling with a variety of inner demons. My mom was worn down and depressed by caring for the many needs of seven kids, all born before she was thirty. Both of my parents quit school in ninth grade and started their litter of kids without anything but slim hopes.

Food was as important to me as it was for anyone. I remember how all of the kids at school used to collect canned goods for the poor for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I remember how ashamed I felt when our principal, Mr. Murray, would come by our tenement apartment later that day and present us with boxes of the canned goods. I remember how ridiculous I felt that first time, because I had even brought in a can of beans or something for the poor, only to find out we were the poor!

Maybe that’s why the subject of food service personnel is so important to me. You see, I received free lunch throughout my school years. It always seemed that the nice ladies who served the food would put an extra scoop of food on my tray. I could tell from their soft and caring smiles, and their sympathetic eyes, that they were mothers and really extended themselves for kids like me. I presumed that they knew about me and my family – either that or they just thought that the extra food might make me grow, since I was always the smallest kid in my grade.

Some of the very best meals I ever had as a child were prepared and served at school, especially those turkey and mashed potato lunches around the holidays. I always ate everything up and couldn’t understand how anyone could throw any of that great food away. Maybe it was because my family regularly dined on the government commodity food we got from the welfare agency. My mom was not creative enough to do much with the white butter, canned stringy turkey, lima beans, rice, powdered milk and powdered eggs, clear Karo syrup and all of the normal things that came in the boxes each month.

I remember that as I grew older and became more conscious of the stigma of being on free lunch, how careful and considerate the cashiers were. They relieved me of some fear and discomfort by hiding my embarrassment and handling my free ticket in a way that the other kids, who could pay in cash, would not see my ticket and ridicule me for being poor. They also seemed to notice whenever I had a haircut or had something to smile about. Their little comments meant a lot to me. These women really took their jobs seriously.

You may have heard of the parable about the three stone cutters, each performing the exact same task. When asked, the first one said he was cutting stone, the second one said he was making a wall, but the third one exclaimed proudly that he was building a cathedral!

My dad was a custodian at the hospital. I can recall one night when he described his job as a “responsibility to provide clean and sterile rooms so the doctors and nurses could operate and do their highly skilled work.” He saw his job as much more than just mopping floors. He made it a calling – just like those women who worked behind the counter at my elementary school and did so much more than simply preparing and serving food. That’s why I suspect these were the same women who brought in the hand-me-down clothes that were given to me by the school nurse and counselor. They always served me a smile with my meals and I wonder if they ever understood how much that meant to me.

Now, as an adult, I aware of the powerful connection food has with people beyond nutrition. Our society emphasizes the social interaction associated with meals, whether it’s just the family sitting around the table at dinner time or a special event or holiday. Food is a reinforcer and it meets more needs than just nourishment of the body.

In addition to these kind and caring ladies, many people helped me along the way as I pursued my dreams – teachers, counselors, and a number of other staff members. I went all the way from the free lunch line in elementary school to the graduation line for those awaiting receipt of their doctorates.

Remember the cliché that the best way to someone’s heart is through their stomachs. Keep that in mind when you serve kids – you’re helping feed dreams!

Thank you and good night."

Can You See It Now?

2012-01-19T15:31:00.000-08:00

This Blog entry evolves from two books written by Marcus Buckingham - First, Break All The Rules (co-authored with Curt Coffman) and The One Thing You Need To Know. They are among the valuable reservoir of resources I have collected over the years in search of ideas and information to leverage success as a school and district leader.
Buckingham contends that the most important element of leadership is the ability to understand and articulate a coherent vision that will enlist, align, and elevate followers in pursuit of shared menaing and common goals.
He uses an example drawn from science to explain the purpose of a vision:

"In 1666 Isaac Newton used a prism to examine the spectrum of colors and realized that the prism had pried apart the white light of sunshine as it hit the prism and refracted the colors to different degrees. He discovered that white light was, in fact, a mixture of all the other colors in the visible spectrum and that the only way to create white light was to draw all of these different colors together into a single beam."

That’s what an effective vision must do; create the white light from all of the different voices and perspectives, thoughts and beliefs of followers. Let's continue with another example extracted from the field of science. A laser beam is concentrated, coordinated beam of light. Effective leaders are capable of developing a coherent, laser-like focus on the vision through persistently evoked words and deeds attentive to the vision. Consistency and integrity are required staples throughout this essential leadership task.

Buckingham turns to anthropology to declare why it's vital to skillfully communicate a vision:

"Anthropologist Donald Brown researched the universals of human nature in his book, Human Universals.

1. Fear of Death – The Need for Security

2. Fear of the Outsider- The Need for Community

3. Fear of the Future – The Need for Clarity

4. Fear of Chaos – The Need for Authority

5. The Fear of Insignificance – The Need for Respect

Although each fear/need is relevant to your efforts at leading, one of them demands your greatest focus.

By far the most effective way to turn fear into confidence is to be clear; to define the future in such vivid terms, through your actions, words, images, pictures, heroes, and scores that we can all see where you are, and thus we, are headed. Clarity is the antidote to anxiety, and therefore clarity is the preoccupation of the effective leader. If you do nothing else as a leader, be clear."

Ask yourself these questions as you exercise any leadership role:

1. What are your core values and beliefs?
2. What are your strengths?
3. Who do you serve?
4. What measures will qualify and quantify your efforts toward fulfilling the vision?
5. What will you do today to promote progress relative to the vision?

The Critical Path

2012-01-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

I think of the lunar exploration flights of the Apollo astronauts when I reflect on our progress at Heatly and monitor our efforts to reach our potential. Imagine lifting off on a round trip of nearly half a million miles! The convergence of danger and desire make for endless possibilities. The threat posed by mistakes was ever-present.

Despite the success of Apollo 11, and the footprints left behind on the moon by Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, there were many perilous moments along the journey. Consider this excerpt regarding course correction from "Peak Performers," by Charles Garfield, as you plan your path to success:

"For example, on the Apollo flight to the moon the ship was off course 90% of the time but they had the control to correct themselves. It was not a perfect path but a CRITICAL path. Peak performers maintain windows of opportunity to keep sight of a critical path. This is aided by being able to see patterns in an ever-changing environment."

Even the most fastidiously planned strategy must be flexible and adaptive enough to accommodate the need for course corrections along the path. Those alterations rely on the ability of the leader to maintain a commitment to the critical path while vigilantly scanning for the obvious and the subtle cues evident in the environment both inside and outside the organization. This responsibility is best served by a kaleidoscope, not by a telescope or microscope. One must be able to discern trends and patterns from among the clutter of data and perceptions that can otherwise confuse and distract followers.

Clearly, throughout the state of New York, countless public school superintendents are now analyzing the state aid to education formula that was released yesterday afternoon following the Governor's budget address. These numbers will have to be incorporated into the direction or path for each district. The data will doubtlessly cause course correction techniques, but we must not lose sight of our mission.

It's time to begin applying the aid amounts to the framework each district has developed as they approach the objective of a budget that will meet the needs of learners and also engender confidence in enough voters to attract a positive and affirming vote on the annual operating budget in May.

Here we go. It's time to blast off!

What's The Difference?

2012-01-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

Given that there has been considerably more conformity on what schools teach and uniformity of how they teach, with a growing imposition of standardized curricula across all districts in a state or even the nation (e.g. Common Core Learning Standards), and the current economic climate that has caused school districts to pare their instructional menus of programs that might otherwise distinguish them from other schools, there is less differentiation among public schools for the consumer (parents). Consequently, this widening difference between public and non-public schools, operating relatively free of externally mandated programs and practices, may actually help competitors of public schools market their programs and further undermine the efforts of public schools to retain their present learner population and attract new customers (learners). This places a premium on accentuating the value added impact of relationships between and among the inhabitants of the school.

Let's turn to Theodore Levitt, author of The Marketing Imagination, for business advice that could be converted for the benefit of public schools.

"The purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer. You provide the customer with what is wanted rather than blindly with what you want to produce.

When the substantive content – the generic product – of competing vendors is scarcely differentiable, sales power migrates to all other differentiating ways in which buyers are likely to be influenced.

The generic core seldom has competitive viability by itself. It must be differentiated from competitive offerings."

Think about the message contained in those sentences. With the structure of schools becoming more alike by the day (with differences virtually limited to the color and number of bricks and mortar) the personality of schools becomes the primary point of differentiation and an opportunity to elude the confines. Fortunately, schools have more influence over their personality than their structure. Now, more than ever, schools must exploit that element in order to flourish in a competitive marketplace. We are in a position to market our diversity of cultures and promote our accessibility and accommodation.

Imagine that you are a visitor to your school. Act like you've never experienced the school - like a parent would who is interested in moving to the school district and seeks information to assist in decision making regarding a relocation.

Check out the school's website. Is it visually appealing, inviting and informative? Does it offer two-way communication? Is it user friendly and easy to navigate? Does it provide access to staff members? Does it link to other supportive and related sites?

Call the school district. Is the voice on the receiving end a real voice or a recorded voice supplying a lengthy list of contacts (with the most important and more frequently used contacts listed last)? How long does it take to reach a "live" person? What kind of music plays in the background while you're on hold? How are you greeted when you do reach a "live" person?

Speak with realtors. Did they include the school in their initial presentation of the house to you? What do they "know" about the school (besides, "It's a good school.")? What inferences can you draw from what they say, or don't say (or their reaction - facial expression) when you first mention the school? Do they have readily available artifacts and resources (school newsletters, school calendars,...) from the school in their office?

Visit the school. Who greets you, and how do they greet you? What's the first thing you see when you enter the school, and how does that reflect on the school (for instance, do you find a display of sports trophies long before you discover academic awards)? Do people - learners and staff - make eye contact with you? How do members of the school community interact with each other during your visit? Are you allowed or encouraged to visit during the school day? Are you invited to visit a classroom in session? What do you see (or not see) on the hallway walls during your visit? Is there an open two-way verbal interaction during the visit or do you feel that you're receiving a canned description of the school? Can you notice any strands or stories emerging from the conversation you've had with the school representative that might indicate a sense of values and beliefs present in the school? Were you introduced to an administrator during the visit? Did anyone give you copies of a recent school newsletter or school calendar or summary of test scores or any other sources of information?

There are many other points of interest and moments of truth that once can acquire as they explore a school. I imagine that school staff members generally take their organizational culture for granted and don't see how it might represent a significant source of differentiation to consumers interested in selecting schools to shape the future of their children. Taking the school's personality for granted does little to help a school distinguish itself and sustain a viable learner population. In summary, I feel that public schools have too long taken the position once held by other professionals, notably doctors and lawyers, who felt that it was unprofessional to "advertise" their business. Why have we waited so long, even after the aforementioned professions, to distinguish our services and market our opportunities?

Regardless of state and federal initiatives, and no matter what new and exciting research based programs and practices are implemented, success in the teaching and learning equation ultimately rests on relationships. And, one can not merely assume that every adult enters the education profession with both a love of children and an understanding of how to nurture and maintain effective interpersonal relationships. Where does that leave schools and classrooms that do not sustain constructive and positive learning environments?

Here's The Pitch

2012-01-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

Years ago Steve Jobs of Apple Computer, approached Pepsico executive John Sculley, attempting to convince him to become CEO at Apple. His plea - "Do you want to sell sugared water the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?" (from Odyssey: Pepsi to Apple - a journey of adventure, ideas, and the future. 1987) Sculley not only accepted, but willingly took a significant pay cut to leave the financially solid Pepsico company for an opportunity with a company that boasted more promise than performance at that point in their organizational history.

Educational leaders need to discover and refine an alluring pitch to attract talented prospective teachers that resonates as powerfully as the clarion issued by Jobs. Teaching is much more than an occupation. Effective teaching is a response to a higher calling. It's an opportunity to make a positive and constructive difference in the lives of others.

When I review the stack of resumes of candidates I am likely to skip over those that merely state their objective as: elementary teacher; secondary math teacher,... Instead, I search for the applicant who really gets it - that teaching is about the responsibility, not the role. Specifically, the candidate who announces their objective in terms like the following - Grow People, or Help others invent the future,..

It's the challenge of school leaders to nurture and sustain that pursuit of dreams and hopes among teachers who want to make a difference.

I'll conclude with a quote from Viktor Frankl, survivor of a Nazi concentration camp and author of Man's Search for Meaning:

"Striving to find a menaing in one's life is the primary motivational force in man."

Looking Forward

2012-01-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

In an earlier Blog entry I mentioned how our school board held a School Board Advance rather than the typical School Board Retreat. I suspect that the agenda for either conference would be similar. It's the subtle difference in language and semantics that suggests a significant distinction in the two events. Perhaps it brings to mind the "glass half full versus the glass half empty" debate on perceptions. At any rate, at that time our district was wrestling with the debilitating designation by the state of being classified as a School In Need of Improvement. Furthermore, the constricting clutches of a steep decline in state aid threatened to suffocate our budget, our programs, and our personnel - all of which put the hopes and dreams of our learners at risk. Oh, and I was in my third month as a new superintendent. Other than that, everything was fine.

In other words, there was no route available for a retreat, no time to delay, no solace in excuses, and no gain in bemoaning our plight. What was done, was done. We could learn from the district's history and use previous selective experiences as a platform for the future, but we could not surrender to the past. We could only look briefly and infrequently at prior events in the same manner that the driver of a car glances occasionally at the rear view mirror as they continue to move forward, Hence, a School Board Advance instead of a School Board Retreat. After all, haven't schools found themselves in a particularly defensive posture for the last few years? Regretfully, too many schools have appeared to reach the point where victimization has become a reluctantly accepted position? Retreating wasn't an option.

Here are two quotes that relate to our position at that time:

First, from Danish Physicist Niels Bohr, "Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forward."

Second, in his book, The Intuitive Manager, author Roy Rowan refers to the following:

"Feedforward" is the term Stanford neurophysiologist Karl Pribram uses to describe those images of achievement that spur us to creative action. A mental image triggers the same neural connections in the autonomic nervous system as an actual experience, and research has shown that the body can't distinguish between the two. That's why a vivid mental picture of ultimate success helps steer an individual intuitively to a desired objective."

A little over a year has passed by since that School Board Advance. The primary outcome was a collective vision of our district as "a small school with BIG ideas." While we have made considerable progress and evidenced the implementation of several BIG ideas, we continue to have areas that warrant attention and improvement. Our District Leadership Team, comprised of learners, parents, and staff members, is involved in ongoing attempts to bridge any gaps between where we are and where we want to be. Our successes have served as sustenance for our efforts toward optimizing the learning environment. Confidence and morale show signs of growth.

Most notable among the achievements has been enriching our curriculum to retain our learner population and attract new learners rather that decreasing its scope and losing more learners to competing private, parochial, and charter schools in the area. Examples of this strategy include our investment in the creation of a new multi-disciplinary high school course on the history and literature of the Hudson River (our school is located on the bank of the river - close enough we experienced some flooding this August) and our engagement with an expansive array of on-line classes that offer elective and advanced classes.

We are no longer burdened by the stigma of the School In Need of Improvement label, having escaped its grasp with improved performance levels. Our enrollment has risen by seven percent. We avoided any staff layoffs in our most recent budget. We are on the threshold of additional advances.

Knowing That vs. Knowing How

2012-01-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

I attended an interesting learning event acknowledging and showcasing the research efforts of sixth graders. Each class selected an important person they wanted to learn about. They were then allowed to organize and present the resulting material in whatever form they desired in meeting the objective of accessing, retrieving and interpreting information.

There were several different elements within this learning process that reveal subtle changes in instructional methods and philosophy. First, the teacher (library media specialist) willingly extended the learners the opportunity to exercise their choice in what they learned. In that manner, she maintained command of the objective and yielded control of the lesson. She empowered learners by enabling them to pursue their unique interests. That can increase relevance, meaning and value among the class. Second, she engaged in interactive dialogues rather than condescending monologues. This technique embraced learners as active participants. Third, the learning activity recognized that the process was at least as (and probably more) important as the product. That is, the skill of managing a reservoir of resources and data is a fluid, life-long skill, whereas the information itself will always be static in scope and variable in significance.

Knowledge is power, and power is the one thing that multiplies when you divide it. Centuries ago in Europe the ability to read was a prized skill among those in power and shared by few outside of religious and political and financial leaders until an incredible innovation around the year 1439. Johannes Gutenberg c. 1398 – February 3, 1468) was a German blacksmith, goldsmith, printer and publisher who introduced modern book printing His invention of mechanical movable type printing started the printing revolution and is widely regarded as the most important event of the modern period. It played a key role in the development of the Renaissance, Reformation, the Age of Enlightenment and the Scientific revolution and laid the material basis for the modern knowledge-based economy and the spread of learning to the masses. (Wikipedia)

More recently, the diffusion of vast arrays of individually managed technology, beginning with the computer and taking many different forms, has further democratized knowledge by significantly increasing nearly instant access to incredible databases and stores of knowledge to users of all ages. Given the relative ease of access, retrieval and storage of an endless stream of information that far exceeds one's ability to "know" it, it makes sense that the process of managing the wealth of knowledge becomes an essential element of school curriculum.

A professor I was privileged to learn from thirty years ago in graduate school, Dr. Isreal Scheffler, espoused on the differences between "knowing that" and "knowing how." Schools must make the transition from an emphasis on knowing that (the capital of Maine, the abbreviation of elements in the periodic table,...) to an emphasis on knowing how (to access, retrieve, store, interpret, present and manage information).

A Tale Of Two Teams

2012-01-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

So begins the Charles Dickens classic novel, The Tale of Two Cities. However, these same words, written in 1859, echo the paths of our varsity basketball teams at Heatly in the 2011/12 campaign. Our girls' squad is undefeated in league competition while our boys' team searches for their initial victory of the season.

The girls' varsity basketball team finds itself in a perplexing circumstance.
The team remains unbeaten in the Central Hudson Valley League. That's great!

But, their average margin of victory in these seven contests has been approximately 38 points, which means that the lopsided outcomes could easily be misconstrued as unmercifully "piling on" their opponents. That's hardly the case, especially since our boys' team has been routinely experiencing losses by many points and our girls could find themselves on the other end of the score in the future. Allow me to offer a perspective rooted in objectivity and sportsmanship and free of boasting and gloating about the triumphs of the girls' team.

The dilemma facing the team and coach evolves from the need to prepare the team for the regional playoffs and the desire to not humiliate the opposition and appear to be poor sports. That is, the goal of the team each year is to extend their season as far as they can - ideally the Section II Championship and beyond. Each regular season contest is a step in that direction, with scores serving as a measuring stick on progress.

The imbalanced nature of the games (in one game the score at halftime was 35-0, and their most recent game saw them shut out the other team for two entire periods) makes it difficult for fans of the other teams to digest. It can be embarrassing for both teams. Whispers of discontent surely make their way around the gymnasium, along with accusations of "rubbing it in." However, I feel the coach has diplomatically orchestrated the players and strategy in an attempt to avoid this from happening. He has inserted reserves early in the game and preached a methodical pace of offense and carefully crafted plays to simultaneously promote execution of fundamentals and prevent running up the score.

Yet, this very restraint also poses a problem for the team and coach. For instance, they must prepare for the playoffs, which mean maximizing effort and exercising certain plans, such as pressing their opponents. How can the team press the opposition when they are so far ahead? If they don't get opportunities to perform this strategy and others now, how will they perform when they face the need to do so during the playoffs? Will the five starters on the team be ready for the playoffs with the necessary "real game" stamina and cohesion when significant leads prompt them to exit the game prematurely and make way for the reserves?

The benefit of these leads allows the team to offer valuable experience that further develops the reserves and helps improve the team in the future. But it does leave the squad in a vexing situation - work toward the goal of a championship without appearing indifferent and disrespectful to their opponents.

Returning to the plight of the boys' basketball team, we are on the right path for success in the future. The team's commitment and effort have not waned despite the mounting losses. Instead, they are gaining much needed experience and developing skills. There are no seniors on the team and the starting back-court consists of two freshmen who improve each game. As long as the team persists in their dedication and keeps their heads up they will mature as a unit and demonstrate far different results next season and beyond. I am as proud of the boys' team for their perseverance and resolve as I am of the girls' team for their unblemished CHVL season.

Student Lobbyist????

2012-01-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

According to the Albany Times Union, Andrew Cuomo announced in his recent State of the State address that he has added another job title and specific area of responsibility to his duties as Governor of New York: "Student Lobbyist."

"The only group without lobbyists are the students. ... This year, the students do have a lobbyist: I'm taking a second job," he said, as the image changed to his office with a "students' lobbyist" sign on the door."

This proclamation is implicitly insulting to anyone with any connection to a learner in school. Such a statement infers that parents do not advocate for their own children in school, that teachers are not acting in the best interests of learners, and apparently nor are the administrators, staff members, board of education members or the general public that votes on the annual budget that supports education. He suggests a mass indifference to the needs of learners and issues involving the education of children in our state.

Instead of drawing attention to himself as the sole lobbyist for learners, perhaps the Governor could inject some much needed leadership and political capital toward efforts to ensure more equity in the distribution of state aid to public schools. Please read the following essay written by Dr. James N. Baldwin, District Superintendent of the Questar III Boces: http://educationspeaks.org/2012/01/pov-no-equity-in-new-york/ . Baldwin raises several critical concerns regarding the manner in which state aid is allocated to schools.

The Cost Of Unfunded State Mandates Of New York Public Schools

2012-01-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

Education reporter, Meaghan Murphy, of the Times Herald Record, provides a summary of the work of several school districts that banded together to examine the financial impact of state mandated policies/practices that are not funded by the state despite being imposed upon school systems. (see link to article below) The group avoided concentrating on low hanging fruit, like the Wicks law, the Taylor amendment and state pensions. Instead they analyzed the effect of the less publicized requirements such as testing, data warehousing, special education legal costs, and transportation of homeless children living outside of the school district's attendance area.

The findings of the cooperative effort of these school districts were dramatic. This is particularly noteworthy during the current depressed economic climate. These measures often escape the notice of the public but certainly exercise a considerable influence on the financial structure of school districts and taxpayers.

Please read the attached article for insight on the plight of schools facing increased mandates while contending with decreased state aid to public education.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110131/NEWS/101310325

Proof Of The Pudding

2012-01-04T17:23:00.000-08:00

Last night's Blog post renewed a plea that school district's define themselves in terms of investments and economic engines. This was not the first time I proposed that there is a significant difference between spending (i.e. merely adding a percentage increase to the annual operating budget equal to the consumer price index, like a blatant yearly tariff to taxpayers, without reference to effectiveness in instructional programming or practices) and strategic investments (i.e. applying funds toward leverage points to make a difference in the future and maximize pursuit of the mission of the system as a return for the fiscal input of taxpayers).

But wait, some may shout, what about taxpayers without kids? What about taxpayers without kids in public schools, who send their kids to private, parochial, or charter schools instead? What about taxpayers with kids who feel they already pay enough taxes? Well, approximately 3/4 of all households in our nation fit into the first two categories - they either have no kids, or have no kids attending public schools. That makes it a daunting challenge to successfully pass school budget votes. That makes it even more imperative that we communicate to all taxpayers a careful explanation of the value generated by investments in public schools.

That's exactly what the Virginia Beach City Public School District did! Today, coincidentally, the national publication, Education Week, presented the findings of a study conducted by economic consultant, Michael L. Walden, Ph.D. on the economic impact of that Virginia school system.

I'll provide a glimpse of the executive summary and follow that with a link to the actual article.

"The Virginia Beach City Public School System has large and significant economic impacts on the economy of the Virginia Beach-Newport News Metropolitan Area. Every $1.00 spent and retained in the regional economy from the school system's operating budget results in total regional spending of $1.53, and every one direct job in the district is associated with another 0.64 jobs in the regional economy. Also, every $1.00 spent and retained from the district's capital budget results in total spending of $1.55. and every $1 million of district capital spending is associated with 12.6 jobs in the region.
More important are the three major outputs of the school system: the economic value of degrees awarded, the future reduction in public costs associated with individuals attaining a high school degree, and the impact on local property values and revenues from the academic performance of the district's students."

Here's the link for the entire report: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/12/07/13econimpact.h31.html?tkn=TRZFU%2B%2B4r0Ffc0cn4iUll8ytAGF2m6X9AhnQ&cmp=clp-edweek

Beneath The Tree

2012-01-03T16:49:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas came and went.

The approach of Christmas was ushered by delicious treats and heartwarming carols, and goodwill and cheer among friends and acquaintances.

But, on that joyous morning, there were no packages of increased state aid or mandate relief beneath the trees of New York superintendents this year. Not even a promise or hope of such presents.

I guess I'll have to adapt as I did many years ago whenever Santa forgot what I had on the top of my wish list. I need to appreciate what I received and make the most of the presents I unwrapped. It could be worse.

That is not exactly the mantra that one desires as a guide into the new year - "It could be worse." However, some people estimate that 99% of us either have already heard that tune in our head, or can expect to listen to it sometime soon. Moaning and groaning about what we don't have can reach the point of whining. Too much complaining, particularly at inappropriate times, can eventually become counter-productive. We need to express our concerns in an objective, articulate style while simultaneously undertaking efforts to discover creative alternatives and new solutions. Clearly, public schools are not alone in suffering from the impact of a depressed economy.

Rather, public schools must position and define themselves as economic engines that represent worthy investments in the future. Contrast that image with the perception that too many people have of schools as institutions with voracious appetites for expenditures fed by a simple formula, repeated each year, of adding a small percentage to the previous budget - without viable plans for new instructional programs or practices to leverage success, or the prospect of a commensurate increase in measurable performance indicators.

It's not fair to invite guilt on the part of taxpayers by pleading for money "for the kids." Schools need to be marketed for the value they add to a community, for the manner in which they help invent the future by promoting possibilities, for the bridges that learning builds from generation to generation, from the past through the present to the future, and for the transformational opportunities available to those who experience education. Education reaches far more than the learners who inhabit a school. Education is a central element in civilization. Thomas Jefferson advised that, "An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people."

It's not what education is, it's what education does! That's why education is worth the investment.

Now, it's our responsibility to explain that in a convincing fashion to a public weary of economic stress...

Soccer Goals And School Goals

2011-12-22T18:33:00.000-08:00

Sports competition yields immediate results. There's no waiting to find out who won and who didn't. The scoreboard provides a public account of the efforts of those participating. Academic progress is measured at a far different pace. The "season" is longer in the classrooms and schools and the outcome may not be realized until long after each learner leaves the school. The results aren't truly known until the graduates depart school and enter the workplace with the expectation of applying the knowledge and skills they acquired in their education.

While we have long been aware of the success our girls varsity soccer team encountered on the playing field, we were only recently notified of the official confirmation of their achievements in the classroom. The members of the squad repeated their performance of last year when they were cited by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association as a Scholar-Athlete Team. This distinction acknowledges that the team's collective grade point average exceeded 90.

Scoring goals on the soccer field and meeting lofty goals in the classroom. That's been a hallmark of this great group of young ladies. They have consistently represented our community with pride and determination. Their experience generates considerable promise and prospect for the future, when they will be tested in the job market.

The Stress Mess

2011-12-20T16:36:00.000-08:00

Our school is in the second year of systematically promoting relationship building between staff members and learners through a mentor program that periodically connects individual staff members with small groups of learners. We had our regular 40 minute mentor meeting today.

There is a curriculum available for staff members to use as an instructional guide throughout these interactions. The curriculum provides topics and activities on a variety of experiences, such as safety, health tips, and much more. The objective isn't solely focused on developing relationships, but also on imparting knowledge as well.

Today's theme was timely and perhaps a reflective of the state of our society in general. The issue was stress. I certainly didn't know or understand the word when I was in elementary school. The world was very different then. I remember bomb drills in third grade when there was a threat of Russian missiles striking the U.S. from Cuba during the famous Cuban Missile Crisis of the Kennedy presidency. That fear aside, I believe that I am not acquiescing to nostalgia when I claim that there were far fewer sources of anxiety and worry back then than there is now.

The shrinking economy has certainly seemed suffocating and produces a sizeable amount of stress to families and, in turn, children. Those learners nearing graduation with hopes for the future face the immense pressure of a challenging job market. Social media, despite offering communication benefits, also allows for some to exploit the technology by expressing vicious vitriol from a distance safe to the bully sender and too close to the receiving victim. There are a myriad number of stressors that litter the path of people. While it's appropriate for the school to discuss stress and its effect and how to deal with it, it's nonetheless a sad commentary on our society that it is a subject that merits consideration for young children.

Here's to a collective New Year's resolution that 2012 will bring hope and good fortune to all.

The Whole Is Greater Than The Sum Of The Parts

2011-12-19T18:38:00.000-08:00

Last Friday marked a day long workshop of our District Leadership Team (DLT). This shared decision making group represents parents, learners, staff and administration. The members served their constituents by expressing interests and discussing issues that impact the learning community.

It's a reaffirming exercise in that each individual can volunteer opinions and suggest ideas designed to advance the progress of the school district. The integration of multiple perspectives lends credence to our efforts at improving Green Island Union Free School District. Perhaps, most importantly, is the vantage point of the high school learners present at the meeting. It's fairly easy for well intentioned adults to act on what they perceive to be meaningful and relevant within the school environment and otherwise presumptuously overlook what really matters to the learners. Losing sight of the orientation of those we serve is a dangerous prospect. That's why it's vital to extend an opportunity for the learners to voice their views on the issues at hand.

We examined the mission of the district to determine whether that remained an appropriate compass. Then we reviewed data previously collected from a survey administered to staff, learners, and parents a few years ago. That offered a baseline to measure any progress since that point. The decision was made to solicit opinions on the school district once again to maintain an awareness of how people feel toward our performance. In preparation for that, we revised survey questions to elicit specific feedback in the form of values and beliefs regarding areas that now warrant closer attention.

The general discussions were beneficial. The various contributions made for a rich exchange of ideas that helped prevent any blind spots for the group. I appreciated the willingness of parents and learners to present their thoughts. As the superintendent of the school district I welcome the active participation of these stakeholder groups. The staff members were respectfully accommodating and did not discount the opinions of constituent groups that are often marginalized in the school improvement process. Together, we will propel the system toward greater achievements. We will meet again on January 10th as we pursue a path of progress..

Will The Grinch Steal The Arts?

2011-12-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

Tonight marked the second of our two Christmas concerts. This well attended event offered children in grades 3-6 an opportunity to showcase their musical skills to an appreciative audience. In addition, evidence of art work created by learners decorated the stage and added to the festivity. Every school traditionally boasts similar programs throughout the country. But how much longer will the arts be featured in our schools?

Fiscal problems continue to negatively impact education. The opposing forces of increased performance expectations and decreased revenues available to support education have often placed the arts programs in the cross-hairs of those thirsting for budget cuts. The state mandated assessments in Reading, Language, and Math prompt schools to disproportionately allocate ever scarce resources of money and time in those areas to prepare learners for the tests. Failure of the schools to meet projected standards of performance in these tested subjects results in public humiliation in the form of headlines broadcasting the school's status as a School In Need of Improvement - or worse.

The absence of statewide tests in the arts renders them less valuable in the minds of too many people. After all, a layperson could conclude that if a subject was truly important then it would be tested. That alone could contribute to a painful misconception among those that impact annual budget approvals.

However, tonight's concert offers several reasons why the arts are a vital part of school and an essential element in the learning dynamic. The experience of performing in public, while it causes anxiety to some, is a great platform upon which one may build self-confidence. Our society leans heavily toward verbal skills as an indicator of success. What better way to develop an orientation toward communicating in public than singing in a group before an audience? The songs in this evening's program involved several from other cultures in other languages. The arts are universal in their appeal across borders and politics. The arts have long served civilization by reflecting, interpreting, and transmitting the history,customs, and beliefs of mankind. The arts represent a significant indicator of our quality of life.

Furthermore, the arts engage learners in creative experiences that promote expanded boundaries of thought. The ability to express oneself in various mediums and explore possibilities through innovation allows us to stretch outside the conventional parameters that confine other learning disciplines. New and puzzling dilemmas are often solved with alternative interventions rather than time honored responses.

Here's an appropriate reference, an excerpt from Why Arts Education is Crucial, and Who's Doing it Best, by Fran Smith.

"Involvement in the arts is associated with gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skill. Arts learning can also improve motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork. A 2005 report by the Rand Corporation about the visual arts argues that the intrinsic pleasures and stimulation of the art experience do more than sweeten an individual's life -- according to the report, they "can connect people more deeply to the world and open them to new ways of seeing," creating the foundation to forge social bonds and community cohesion. And strong arts programming in schools helps close a gap that has left many a child behind: From Mozart for babies to tutus for toddlers to family trips to the museum, the children of affluent, aspiring parents generally get exposed to the arts whether or not public schools provide them. Low-income children, often, do not. "Arts education enables those children from a financially challenged background to have a more level playing field with children who have had those enrichment experiences,'' says Eric Cooper, president and founder of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education.
It has become a mantra in education that No Child Left Behind, with its pressure to raise test scores, has reduced classroom time devoted to the arts (and science, social studies, and everything else besides reading and math). Evidence supports this contention but the reality is more complex. Arts education has been slipping for more than three decades, the result of tight budgets, an ever-growing list of state mandates that have crammed the classroom curriculum, and a public sense that the arts are lovely but not essential."

In conclusion, a narrow emphasis on a limited instructional menu will likely produce narrow minded learners. In the long run, how will that process help us as we encounter unforeseen problems that require solutions unlike those that have worked before?

Forward! Charge!

2011-12-14T19:01:00.000-08:00

Public schools have been much maligned on a conceptual level across all media outlets, with ample displays of charts, facts, and figures painting a grim picture of achievement. In addition, there have been public forums with emotionally charged language decrying the efforts of educators to increase the performance of learners.

Public schools have been subjected to harsh budget cuts sweeping across a land dominated by fiscal retrenchment and recession. Thousands of educators have lost their jobs and class sizes have increased dramatically. Resources have virtually dried up in many schools after already slashing programs and practices.

Public schools have been too quick to retreat and sulk away to a darkened corner to hide and wait out the storms with hopes of sunnier days sometime in the future.

That's not a reaction that is constructive or positive. That's why our Board of Education held a "Board Advance" in August 2010 rather than a "Board Retreat." Haven't we retreated enough in public education? Acting defensively and surrendering to reality will not serve our children and their hopes and dreams. We need to stop focusing on "what is" and start planning "what will or can be."

The purpose of our advance was to review the past, examine data, and invent our future. We needed to develop a commitment to look ahead and adopt a proactive perspective, unfettered by the skepticism and defeatism that has plagued school districts that have accepted limitations resulting from the collision of decreased funding and conventional practices. It's time to discover alternatives and seek creative solutions. Maintaining the same direction when confronted by significant changes doesn't bode well.

For example, we face competition from charter schools, private schools, and parochial schools. Anytime we lose a learner who opts to enroll in one of these schools as opposed to attending Heatly, we lose state aid. In addition, we have to pay for transportation and textbooks to private and parochial schools. Beyond that, we pay tuition to charter schools (approximately $14,000 for each learner). That, on top of declining state aid exacerbates our fiscal problems.

What to do? Improve customer service and show staff members how we are all impacted by a loss in enrollment. A loss of revenue means a loss of jobs.Investing in communication, marketing, and relationship management was a start. Expanding the breadth of our curriculum at the high school level was essential to thwart further abandonment by learners leaving for the enriched course selection unavailable in small schools. Supplementing our regular classes with a menu of on-line learning classes exceeding 100 courses proved to be an alluring opportunity. In fact, we were able to cite this feature as a reason one learner decided to remain at Heatly rather than depart for an alternative placement. That single retention allowed us to save an amount of money nearly equal to the cost of the on-line programming. That's an investment, not an expenditure!

There's more to do - perhaps college courses during high school, maybe a school to work internship program. We're moving ahead, looking around corners and peering over horizons. We're not standing still and our strategy isn't "wait and see."

We'll provide periodic updates in this Blog as we chronicle our progress. Until then, we're working on inventing the future, not predicting it.

SWOT and PEST

2011-12-13T16:11:00.000-08:00

The nature of schools is learning. That focal point drives our purpose and meaning. Budgets represent the means to propel the teaching and learning dynamic. Despite our commitment to instruction, the reality is that money is an absolutely necessary fuel for the engine of education. The process involved at arriving at the budget is the subject of this evening's brief Blog entry.

While the end product of budget deliberations are unyielding numbers born of lengthy analysis and computation, there is so much more that is involved in bringing the total figures to the public for consideration.

John M. Bryson, author of Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, refers to the Harvard Policy Model as a template for developing budgets. There are two different acronyms that form parameters for the discussions that flow during the process.

The first is: SWOT = Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. If the budget is the vehicle by which schools pursue their goals and invent the future, then it's necessary for leaders to start preparing the budget by carefully viewing the realities of the school environment and organization. Before we can extend our horizons and look around corners, we must identify sources of success, deficiencies that may thwart growth and drain resources, possibilities to reach our potential, and hazards that could imperil progress.

Next, we look outside of the school at the PEST = Political, Economic, Social, and Technological issues that impact the school. This observation requires us to evaluate the prospective influence of legislation and policy at the state and federal levels (i.e No Child Left Behind and Race To The Top). We have to be alert for economic forecasts (i.e. the significant effect the stock market has on revenues available to New York state and thus, state aid to schools). Emerging social trends can often reach into the school in terms of community expectations and perceptions that might shape financial decisions on programming and policy. Clearly, the constant advances in technology (computers, data management software systems,...) also must be incorporated into creating the budget.

We will be unwrapping the shape and form of our budget in the coming months, after reviewing all of the factors related to SWOT and PEST. The resulting document will offer the district a platform for building the future and meeting the needs of our learners as they pursue their dreams and hopes.

Twittering Away

2011-12-12T17:38:00.000-08:00

I love to read and write. I have a deep appreciation for the written word. There's beauty in well crafted, lyrical writing that stimulates your thinking. The library has always been a sanctuary for me. Over the years I have collected a personal library of well over 1,000 hardcover books. With all of that in mind, you can imagine how I feel about how our society has evolved (devolved?) into one in which the currency of expression is often spent in bumper sticker philosophies, sound bites, social media posts, and newspapers sporting large headlines, big graphics and small amounts of text.

Are we too busy to invest the time in engaging with books and essays? Have we become afflicted by a waning attention span that precludes us from committing the energy and effort to embrace anything beyond five minutes worth of reading? Is that why a rapidly growing number of people are a twitter about "twitter" expressions that top out at a brief 140 characters?

I have reluctantly opened a twitter account and begun spouting these short statements out into the world well beyond my computer keyboard. It's been a challenge. Brevity has not been a companion of mine but the self-discipline required of condensing thoughts has offered some benefits. It reminds me of the process whereby fractions are methodically reduced to their lowest terms in a process which shrinks the values at each step. The confines of 140 characters has prompted me to carefully examine what I want to convey to others - though I confess to occasionally linking a tweet to a lengthier extension of the point rendered in the actual tweet.

Although the twitter account was started to provide yet another venue for communicating with the public in an expansive strategy that also includes our district website, traditional hard copy newsletters, facebook, a mass "blast" of the School News Notifier that is instantly pushed through lists of email addresses and phones calls, I suspect that I signed on to twitter a bit out of a fear of being perceived as old fashioned. But, I am ~~old~~ experienced - with distant memories of the world before the Internet. I recall mimeograph machine produced newsletters without any color except a purplish blue(Google mimeograph since I imagine that few of you might know what it is); tangled telephone cords of real landlines; and unpacking Radio Shack's TRS 80 computers as well as Commodore VIC 20 computers (with all of 5K of RAM memory).

All of this leaves me in wonder of what the present five year old kindergarten learners will encounter on their journey into the future.

Sorry, there was no way for me to fit this reflection into a mere 140 characters.

You can follow me on twitter - http://twitter.com/mmugits

Service Orientation In Education

2011-12-09T18:29:00.000-08:00

Our school district will soon begin preparations for an operating budget for the 2012/13 school year. Investments will be analyzed and revenue will be examined. The resulting figures will seek a balance between the needs of learners and the financial capacity of taxpayers. The community will consider the merits and value of the subsequent funding strategy at the annual budget vote in May.

We actually work at promoting the budget each and every day of school. It's ultimately about perceptions and beliefs constructed around the ongoing dynamics of interactions between and among members of the school staff and learners, as viewed by voters. People may vote on numbers as a product but budgets pass on relationships as a service. Few people are inspired by graphs and charts. It's the stream of narratives that reflect care, compassion, commitment and constancy of purpose which prompt feelings that really matter.

Think of education and consider how Harry Beckwith, author of Selling the Invisible, points out the significant differences between selling a product and selling a service. At Green Island we focus on selling the service.

Beckwith states:"A product is tangible. You can see it and touch it. A service, by contrast, is intangible. In fact, a service does not even exist when you buy one. A service is a promise. You’re selling the promise that you will do something at a future date. This means that what you are really selling is your honesty.

The products we buy are built miles away by people we have never met. So we rarely take product failures personally. The services we use, by contrast, are usually provided by people we have met or at least spoken to. When that person fails to do what he/she promised, we often take it personally.

In most professional services you are not really selling expertise – because your expertise is assumed, and because your prospects cannot intelligently evaluate your expertise anyway. Instead, you are selling a relationship. And, in most cases, that is where you need the most work. Doctors too often believe that they are selling technical proficiency as the measure of their worth, but patients more often view the relationship side as more critical. How many times have you heard someone describe a doctor with reference to his/her bedside manner as opposed to their perceived technical proficiency?

When many prospects choose a service firm, they are not buying the firm’s credentials. These prospects buy the firms personality. Most people describe their experience of interaction with a service firm on the basis of feelings. Service businesses are about relationships. Relationships are about feelings. In service marketing and selling, the logical reasons you should win the business – your competence, your excellence, your talent, - just pay the entry fees. Winning is a matter of feelings, and feelings are about personalities."

"Above all," Beckwith concludes, "sell hope."

We are presenting a case at the Heatly School that our staff can work cooperatively to advance opportunities for learners and craft the conditions and means for them to pursue their dreams, whatever direction they take. Isn't that what our stakeholders invest in? Not the achievement levels, but what these achievement levels can do. It's not what education "is," it's what education "does." In the end, education is a service, not a product.

Remember: It's About Caring

2011-12-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.
You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just think about them and reflect.
Read the e-mail straight through and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.

These are not second-rate achievers.

They are the best in their fields.

But the applause dies.

Awards tarnish.

Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List two teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier? The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the
most credentials, the most money or the most awards.

They simply are the ones who care the most.

Remember: People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

DRIP, DRIP, DRIP

2011-12-07T15:07:00.000-08:00

The advent of greater and more efficient technology has changed the way in which we interact with data. Let's take a look at what Theodore Levitt said about data in his book, The Marketing Imagination.

"The difference between data and information is that while data are crudely aggregated collections of raw facts, information represents the selective organization and imaginative interpretation of those facts. Information represents the imposition of order, categories, and ideas on the collected data."

We can now easily collect, store, and retrieve incredible amounts of data. Schools are immersed in data. Personal data is acquired upon enrollment. From that point on there is a steady stream flowing from telephone numbers, height and weight, medical reference points, test scores - virtually anything and everything that can possibly be measured. While the continuous improvement in technology places data at our fingertips - it's still data. It's inert and almost useless until and unless it is converted into information that can be strategically applied to make a difference and leverage progress. In other words, schools can suffer from being DRIP: Data Rich, Information Poor.

I recently joined several teachers from Heatly at a regional workshop to learn about taking advantage of the new testing program we have acquired from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). Our school has already experienced the first of three different assessment periods. The first round of tests serve as a baseline, a platform to use to project and measure progress of each individual.

We were able to review test data and begin converting it into information that can be incorporated into instructional strategies. The figures reveal where each learner is on a spectrum of skills within the curriculum. From that point, we can determine what specific skills the learner is now prepared to engage. The information enables teachers to form temporary learning groups predicated on skills rather than the average of their overall achievement.

Too often when learning groups are formed they are ability grouped based on the grade equivalent measure of a subject. For example, two different fifth grade learners may receive the same achievement level on a test in reading. Let's say that they score a 5.6, or 5th grade sixth month. On that basis they would be perceived as similar learners and organized into a group with other learners of approximately the same score. However, when you examine the separate elements that comprise the overall reading test you might discover that one learner was high in comprehension but low in vocabulary, while the other is just the opposite, low in comprehension and high in vocabulary. On the whole, they register identical scores but in reality they have vastly different needs. Furthermore, such grouping is often static rather than dynamic. That is, once they are assigned a group they remain at that level. So, the one who needs help in vocabulary is in the same group with someone who excels in vocabulary.

Skill grouping is predicated on specific skill deficiencies. Learners are arranged and rearranged according to needs, receiving instruction in common areas of need. Once that skill is mastered they exit the group and become assigned to the next skill in the scope and sequence of the curriculum.

This constant diagnosis, prescription, intervention, and assessment represents a complicated juggling act for the teacher. Coordination of the logistics can be taxing, but opportunities for success abound.

In addition, we also obtain projections for progress that are predicated on the achievement levels and skill attainment of the learners resulting from their tests this fall. The projections point toward where the individual is expected to score when they are administered a similar test (the questions are all different) this coming spring. This metric allows us to set goals and monitor progress toward reaching the goals.

Collecting purposeful data and converting it into meaningful strategies that inform instruction will move us away from the paralysis of DRIP, DRIP, DRIP Data Rich, Information Poor.

A Grain Of Sand

2011-12-06T14:50:00.000-08:00

There are various metaphors that seek to describe the impact of teachers. Often, these expressions speak of the ripples that spread from a pebble tossed in the pond, or blossoming flowers, or trees with expansive reach into the sky. However, there are innumerable pebbles and ponds, countless fields of flowers, and many thick forests of trees, while the public considers the ranks of truly great teachers as far less in number, easier to count, and much thinner in breadth.

Actually, remarkable teachers are more numerous than one can calculate. The difference in perception may be attributed to the rather lengthy period of time between the act of teaching and the impact of teaching. That is, we are not likely to experience the effect of the greatly skilled teacher in a sudden and immediate sense, moments after the lesson is finished. Instead, we will more probably realize the benefit when confronted with a challenge or new experience long after the textbooks close and the classroom door is shut. It's when we stretch ourselves in some form or fashion and achieve success that we reflect on the words or acts of a teacher that provided the leverage needed to reach our objectives and solve our problems.

Think of sand. There are untold billions and billions of grains of sand here, there, and virtually everywhere. In fact, there's so much sand we take it for granted and overlook any benefits that might accrue from sand - in a manner much like many people view teachers.

Now think of pearls. Natural pearls, not cultured pearls. These exquisite items are valued for their beauty and may fetch a considerable amount of money. Like most anything else, supply and demand determine pricing. The fewer there is of a product or service, the more it generally costs.

What a contrast, sand and pearls. Sand is ubiquitous, while natural pearls are relatively rare.

Now, let's compare the two with a different perspective. How is a pearl created? "The formation of a natural pearl begins when a foreign substance slips into the oyster between the mantle and the shell, which irritates the mantle. It's kind of like the oyster getting a splinter. The oyster's natural reaction is to cover up that irritant to protect itself. The mantle covers the irritant with layers of the same nacre substance that is used to create the shell. This eventually forms a pearl."
(http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/zoology/marine-life/question630.htm)

That source of the irritation that eventually results in the pearl is often a grain of sand. Substitute the word "teacher" for "leader" in the following quote by Ronald Heifitz and Riley Sinder in The Josey-Bass Reader on Educational Leadership, and you may see the influence of teachers in a much better light. “A leader’s vision is the grain of sand in the oyster, not the pearl.” (Ronald Heifitz and Riley Sinder)

Teachers, though nearly as plentiful as grains of sand, and I suspect viewed by many learners at some point as irritants, provide the stimulation that significantly contributes to producing future successes - we just don't understand the potential impact at the point we receive the service. Each child has the possibility of making a future as valuable as the pearl. It is the child who can make the pearl, it is the teacher who advances the process.

Lesson Plans And Dreams

2011-12-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

Eric Clark, author of The Want Makers, quotes Charles Revlon, founder of Revlon Cosmetics, as saying, “In the laboratory I make cosmetics, in the store I sell dreams.”

David Bangs and Andi Axman, who collaborated on, A Crash Course in Marketing, offer the following perception; "Recognize that people don’t buy products and services. They buy solutions to their problems or seek satisfaction of their wants and needs." Furthermore, the authors continue to explain the difference between product development and consumer motives with the following explanations:

"You don’t buy oil or natural gas – you buy heat;

You don’t buy circus tickets – you buy thrills;

You don’t buy paper – you buy the news;

You don’t buy glasses – you buy vision."

Mike Mugits claims that great teachers think, "When I design the lesson plan I create an instructional path, but when I teach I help learners grow and invent their future."

Dignity For All

2011-12-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

I attended a conference yesterday that focused on the upcoming Dignity for All Students Act. This state legislation, which takes effect on July 1, 2012, is intended to reduce harassment and discrimination through a systemic approach that promotes an understanding of diversity, tolerance, respect, and acceptance.
The legislation (called DASA) protects against all forms of harassment, particularly those based on a student’s actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex.
This challenge grows more difficult each day that students are exposed to the uncivil behaviors evidenced by adults in the form of some radio and TV talk shows that spew anger and hate. It appears that unbridled contempt between adversaries plays out in the media in all too frequent news stories.
The virtual anonymity of social media, emails, texting, and instant messaging has spawned negative exchanges among students that would often not happen in face-to-face interactions. We are experiencing disagreements in school that have been fueled by nasty arguments occurring through social media off school hours and out of school.
Our school will certainly and sincerely address this growing concern, but this is not a problem confined to the educational arena. This sad commentary is ultimately a reflection on our society and we must all contribute to a solution.
Finally, I can't help but see the irony in the fact that well intended bills like DASA are often crafted by some politicians who themselves fall short of setting constructive examples of civility, courtesy, tolerance, and respect. I suspect the upcoming presidential campaign will unfortunately serve as an illustration of this dilemma in action.

Who, What, When And Where Versus How And Why

2011-11-30T17:23:00.000-08:00

Our school has recently been engaged in a number of productive experiences that speak to qualities that contribute to success in virtually any workplace our graduates may encounter in the future. Activities like anti-bullying assemblies, volunteering to serve and clean up at senior citizen dinners, fire safety essays and poster contests... all promote cooperation,commitment, and a sense of community. These experiences offer the participants an opportunity to see why their efforts are important and how they make a difference. Yet, these characteristics are not cultivated in the state mandated assessments that solely cultivate academic progress as a measurement of the success of a school in the state of New York.

I certainly don't question the need to promote academic success and measure achievement. These are accomplishments necessary to encounter future success. However, among the challenges of such tests, and the criticism of these assessments, is the emphasis on answering questions asking - what? That is, there is a tendency to solicit knowledge based largely on recall and comprehension level questions.

Just as teachers are encouraged to stretch learners by advancing up a taxonomy (see Bloom's Taxonomy) that begins with questions requiring knowledge, then comprehension, with application next, followed by analysis, synthesis and finally, evaluation; tests should also engender higher order thinking skills. Paper and pencil, fill in the bubble oriented large scale tests often require responses that are short (true/false or multiple choice) and black and white (universally accepted answers instead of essays that can result in different "correct" answers). This likely precludes the use of many questions that require analysis, synthesis, or evaluation.

In other words, there is a tendency to ask "who, what, when, and where" type questions of the test takers. For example, who was the first European explorer in America? what were the name of his boats? where did he land? and, when did he set sail? Answers to these tests are much easier to assess than answers to questions like, how did he create and sustain his course of direction, or how did he maintain the focus of his crew when dangerously exploring beyond the boundaries of the known world? or, why did he decide to colonize the new world in the manner he chose?

The "what" is fairly easy to see and describe. For example - "this is what I do," or "this is what it is." Just like answering the question, What is the capital of New York? Let's step out of tests for a moment and enter the real everyday world. Let's move away from test questions and examine meaning and purpose.

The future belongs to those people who can consistently extend themselves beyond the obvious "what" and progress toward the "how" and "why."

Harvey McKay pens a weekly syndicated business column that appears in the Albany Times Union. His latest installment was entitled - Why you should ask 'why' to be successful. It's an essay worth reading. He describes the difference in the workplace among people who are limited to knowing what, versus workers who can explain how, and others who can tell why.

McKay begins his summary of the essay with a quote from Diane Ravitch: "The person who knows "how" will always have a job. The person who knows "why" will always be his boss." Finally, he concludes by advising - "It's not enough to know how to do things - you must know why you do them."

How will we ever encourage the acquisition of higher order thinking skills if we are forever expected to prepare learners for state tests that ask who, what, where, and when instead of challenging them to answer the all important how and why?

Searching For Gold

2011-11-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight's Blog post centers on a thought provoking statement that I've discovered during the course of reading books on business and leadership.

It's a quote from Nuts!The Story of Southwest Airlines, co-written by Kevin Freiberg and Jackie Freiberg: "People who work in gold mines will tell you that tons and tons of dirt must be removed before the miners hit a vein of gold. They focus on the search for the gold rather than the dirt."
I believe that this reference offers an interesting suggestion on how we view our goals, objectives and personal visions. It seems that many people are too often distracted or overwhelmed by the dirt and lose sight of the gold. I guess it can be summarized and reduced to a parallel of the old question, "is the glass half empty or half full?"

In this case, you could substitute several different words or terms for "dirt." Think of misrepresented facts, or high volume vitriol that contribute to obscuring what's right, muting optimism, or draining desire. It's not about who is right - it's about what is right.

Public school education is afflicted by the impact of people who choose to maintain a focus on the dirt rather than the pursuit of gold. That's much easier and requires far less energy than removing tons and tons of dirt in the quest for gold. Horrendous headlines and blaring broadcasts spout oft-stated criticism of schools that generally lack sufficiently supported facts.

Meanwhile, dedicated and industrious educators continue to labor at creating and sustaining the efforts that will eventually uncover gold. It's a dirty job.

A Bad Taste

2011-11-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

I can't help but ponder the impact of the various state and federal mandates imposed upon public schools. More is expected of us at a time that less is offered to us in the form of material and monetary resources. The image comes to mind of the "pushmi-pullyu" animal from the story, Dr. Doolittle. The pushmi-pullyu (pronounced "push-me—pull-you") is a "gazelle-unicorn cross" which has two heads (one of each) at opposite ends of its body. When it tries to move, both heads try to go in opposite directions. (Wikipedia)

I will paraphrase an excerpt from the book Making It Happen, by Alan Weiss to explain how this process of mandates ultimately filters down to the individual classroom.

A dog food company launched its new approach to 'lifetime canine nutrition' with great fanfare, using innovative techniques in its promotion, packaging, and dealer incentives. However, after a brief sales surge, the company was horrified to see their market share decline by 15%, with prospects of continued decrease. In an effort to find who to blame the crusty CEO convened a meeting and pursued this question with each of his vice presidents. "All right," he bellowed, "who blew it! Each executive exhibited a great deal of anxiety and sweated as they explained how they used the latest, most sophisticated techniques in customer surveys, packaging displays, rebate offers, dealer discounts, etc...

This did not satisfy the angry CEO. "Well, if everything followed the strategy so precisely," screamed the president, "then why isn't the stuff selling?" Finally, a raised hand appeared at the rear of the room. It belonged to a lowly management trainee. "I think I know what the problem is, sir."

"You do! Well tell me what is it, since all of these highly paid department heads can't seem to explain the reason!"

"The dogs," reported the trainee matter of factly, "just don't like the stuff".

Ah, after all of the regulations from Washington and Albany, the end product eventually produces a poor taste. I believe the process is actually the reason for resistance more than the proposed product. In particular, these requirements may be disdained by those who decry the loss of local control of public education. Boards of education and school leaders are deprived of opportunities to exercise policies and practices preferred by the community they serve - from curriculum to evaluation, from resource allocation to assessment standards.

It just doesn't seem practical to levy uniform requirements across such a disparate array of schools. A plan like this appears to ignore the vast differences inherent in a diverse population across the state with respect to values and beliefs and the ability to generate revenue juxtapositioned with the needs of each community.

There are plenty of examples of two school districts equal in the number of learners they serve yet widely different in the amount of funding available to them to respond to the needs of their learners. Equal in this case is not equitable. The gap between rich and poor schools is widening. The concern is not unlike the issue playing out in headlines across the country whereby a greater share of wealth is distributed a tiny minority of our population.

In sum, there are many schools struggling to meet basic instructional needs while a similar number have the capacity to go well beyond needs and address instructional wants. That scenario leaves a bad taste.

I Am Thankful For ...

2011-11-22T20:01:00.000-08:00

I became an educator because I wanted to make a positive and constructive difference in the lives of others, just like the high school teacher who voluntarily exercised a caring, compassionate intervention at a difficult time in my life. His consideration, sensitivity and responsiveness encouraged me when I felt hopeless and helpless. His guidance leveraged future success. I continue to pursue that goal as a moral compass point that guides me as a school leader during my interactions with learners, staff and parents.

However, an interesting by-product emerged while I invested my energy and effort toward a commitment of making a difference in the lives of others. I discovered that these same people were also making a difference in my life. I derive great satisfaction from my attempts to nurture the dreams and sustain the hope of those I work for. It's an example of reciprocal benefits. By pledging to support others you receive reinforcement from their smiles, their progress, and their personal growth. The process proves to be reaffirming. I have grown from the insight and experiences of others. It's also greatly enriching. Those feelings in turn maintain the momentum that allows me to endure the challenges I face. It is not an easy task. There has been frustration and exasperating circumstances along the path. But that sincere smile, a simple thank you, or a contact years later from someone who has not forgotten your help, all contribute toward replenishing my reservoir.

I am thankful for all of the help I have received as I have endeavored to help others.

Ask yourself this question - "What am I thankful for?" - and reflect on your answer throughout the year, not simply on Thanksgiving Day.

I hope that everyone enjoys a safe and pleasant Thanksgiving.

Calling All Parents

2011-11-21T15:59:00.000-08:00

It's difficult being a parent. The economic climate is anxiety producing. The threat of downsizing and layoffs has bred insecurity in the workplace. Costs are increasing, salary and benefits are stable at best, decreasing at worse. Time is also endangered by a fast paced, stressful daily routine. There doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything that a parent needs or wants to do regarding the tremendous responsibility of helping their children invent and build the future. There's no instructional manual accompanying the birth of a baby.

Monitoring and assisting a child along the path of their education is among the tasks that fall upon a parent. So much to do, so little time to do it. Efficiency can improve effectiveness. That is, if there are just a few things you can direct your attention and time toward in the role of guiding your child through school, then the key leverage points you need to exercise are featured in the article by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman (linked below)

Friedman references a study conducted by the National School Board Association's Center for Public Education. A critical quote from the study - "Parent involvement can take many forms, but only a few of them relate to higher student achievement." The author of the study, Patte Barth, continues by identifying these positive parental actions - "Monitoring homework, making sure children get to school, rewarding their efforts and talking up the idea of going to college. These parent actions are linked to better attendance, grades, test scores, and preparation for college."

Here's the link to the column.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-about-better-parents.html?_r=1&ref=thomaslfriedman

It's important to note Friedman's concluding paragraph:

"To be sure, there is no substitute for a good teacher. There is nothing more valuable than great classroom instruction. But let's stop putting the while burden on teachers. We also need better parents. Better parents can make every teacher more effective."

We held parent and teacher conferences at the elementary school level last week. Report cards will soon be distributed. How would you grade yourself as a parent? Please read and reflect on the column linked in this Blog entry.

I call on the parents of learners in Green Island to accept responsibility for partnering with the school staff to cooperatively construct a better future for our children. I also encourage parents to assist us in the effort by maintaining high standards of performance and accountability for staff and parents regarding achievement.

Going To College

2011-11-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

Mention the word "college" and a typical 9th or 10th grader will either respond by echoing the desire of their parents for them to attend college, or listing their favorite college sports teams.

Unless a learner at that age has parents, older siblings, or relatives who have attended college their view is rather limited and their understanding is abstract. By the time they reach that age level they have doubtlessly been encouraged to go to college innumerable times by various adults. They have a sense that a college education will likely offer the prospects for a higher income than if they terminated their formal education at the conclusion of high school. They have heard or read about Notre Dame football, Duke basketball, and other distinguishing college athletic programs.

However, what do they really know about the college experience that they have been urged to pursue? How many 9th and 10th graders have gone beyond an internet college visit and actually toured a college campus, walked through a dorm, listened to professors, engaged in a question/answer session with college students on admissions procedures and financial aid, participated in a video project in the communications department, or eaten at a college cafeteria? Well, twenty-three of our 9th and 10th graders did exactly that today.

Thanks to a local pastor who also happens to serve as the Director of Community Service at a nearby, private four year college located in Albany, our group can now create their dreams for the future with more concrete and meaningful images based on this excursion. Now they have mental pictures to fuel their personal visions of college. Now they have a better understanding of what they need to do to prepare for college during their remaining two or three years of high school.

It was reassuring to observe how interested and excited the high school learners were throughout the visit. That was our objective. Fill in the blanks by providing an experience to gain insight and whet appetites. Stimulate thoughts and reinforce hopes. Clear up a fuzzy picture. We weren't promoting this particular college and the school's representatives understood that we simply wanted the teenagers to see what a college is like and how it operates. We expect to offer another tour of a different four year college in the capital region later this school year.

Which Way Did They Go?

2011-11-16T16:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's Blog post discussed the dangers of blind obsession in developing and pursuing goals, particularly when the stated goal may not be the "right" goal. Today's Blog entry uses an excerpt from The Eighth Habit, a book by Steven Covey, to examine the need for goal clarity.

The author references a poll of 2,300 employees drawn from a number of companies and industries as a starting point on the importance of relevant goals within a context of shared meanings and the common good. He examines the difference between alignment and compliance, and contrasts the commitment of those who willingly enlist in the quest of a common and understandable goal and those who are merely expected or required to follow the goals of others. Covey explains the level of interest and the rate of commitment by projecting the statistics on an athletic team.

First, the data produced from the research study involving 2,300 workers.

1. Only 37% said they had a clear understanding of what their organization is trying to achieve, and why.

2. Only 20% were enthusiastic about their team’s and organization’s goals.

3. Only 20% said they had a clear “line of sight” between their tasks and their team’s/organization’s goals.

4. Only 15% felt their organization fully enables them to execute key goals.

5. Only 20% fully trusted the organization they work for.

Covey breathes life into the statistics using the following example for illustration:

“If a soccer team had these same scores (rate of interest, trust, and understanding), only 4 of the 11 players on the field would know which goal is theirs. Only 2 of the 11 would care. Only 2 of the 11 would know what position they play and exactly what they are supposed to do. And all but 2 players would, in some way, be competing against their own team members rather than the opponent.”

The findings of this study provide an important message for all organizations, including schools. This is especially true for those organizations that try to "grow" staff members like people grow mushrooms - keep them in the dark and pile fertilizer on them.

Information can be enlightening and empowering. The mission of a school must be credible, believable, and inspiring. Strategic goals should not be secrets developed by a select few people sequestered in a big conference room. Objectives should be relevant and meaningful, collaboratively crafted, discussed publicly, and clearly communicated in varied forms. Encouraging all staff members to become situational leaders lends credence to the saying that, "power is the only thing that multiplies when it is divided." Looking ahead through the telescope of an inspiring vision is critical. You can't move forward if all you're doing is looking behind yourself to cover your rear end. Transparent, transformational, servant leadership can leverage progress through people. Investing in people as human capital is more likely to prompt their enlistment in contributing to goals of the school than coercive, top-down directives that produce compliance at most, resistance at least.

Great Commitment, Wrong Target

2011-11-15T15:21:00.000-08:00

An article in Fast Company, a monthly business magazine, attracted my interest a few years back. The author, Marshall Goldsmith, wrote a brief essay about goal obsession in the August 2004 edition. He discussed a 1973 study conducted at Princeton by researchers Darley and Batson.

“In this widely referenced study, a group of theology students was told that they were to go across campus to deliver a sermon on the topic of the Good Samaritan. As part of the research, some of these students were told that they were late and needed to hurry up. Along their route across campus, Darley and Batson had hired an actor to play the role of a victim who was coughing and suffering.

Ninety percent of the “late” students in Princeton Theology Seminary ignored the needs of the suffering person in their haste to get across campus. As the study reports, ‘Indeed, on several occasions, a seminary student going to give his talk on the parable of the Good Samaritan literally stepped over the victim as he hurried on his way!’

Goldsmith concluded that this was a case of people with goal obsession clouding their judgment. They were well intentioned but committed to the wrong target. I imagine that school improvement is not wanting for either energy and effort. Most schools charge forth with good intentions – but end up shooting at the wrong target. I am worried that the spate of federal and state legislation passed to shape the form and direction of education is narrowing the view of public schools. Add in the enticing financial incentives (i.e the federally sponsored competitive grants available to states through "Race To The Top.") during a time of economic crisis and scarce resources, and you have the potential for a perfect storm that begins with a thick fog enveloping schools and obstructing their vision.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing. The fact that 90% of the theology students who were told they were late simply neglected the person in need along the path to deliver a sermon on the parable of the Good Samaritan reveals the dangers of a goal orientation bordering on fixation. The current attention and demands on state mandated tests and scores threaten to distort priorities and produce a myopic view. Sir George Pickering, English clinical researcher and professor of medicine, once declared, "Not everything that counts, can be counted; not everything that can be counted, counts." That's an important piece of advice for schools to heed as they develop strategic goals that promote success.

When you think of education, what really counts?

Good Is A Perception - Tests Are A Reality

2011-11-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

Let me begin this Blog entry by stating that I do not feel that tests cores alone are sufficient and appropriate measures of the value of a school. There are many additional factors that influence the overall quality of any school. However, this Blog post will reflect on one such metric used by the state and reported by the local media, and use it as a platform for discussion.

The Albany Times Union just reported on the release of the most recent data evolving from the annual state mandated assessments of learners. Interestingly, the headline proclaimed, "Rules net 'good' schools."

As superintendent of a school district that had been acknowledged as a school that qualified for the burdensome and embarrassing label of a SINI school prior to my arrival (School In Need of Improvement) I found it alarming that the newspaper now appears disturbed that school districts perceived as "good" have schools within their systems that display under performing levels of achievement. It's as if the media's concern about performance levels is now heightened because the reach of the state's ability to designate schools for poor test scores has extended into the suburbs.

The State Department of Education presented a list that showed 1,325 of the 4,685 public schools across the Empire State are now considered Schools In Need of Improvement - SINI schools. Despite the inclusion of more affluent suburban schools perceived and assumed as "good" according to the newspaper, Green Island Union Free School District is not on the list of under performing schools that now includes over one fourth of all of the schools in the state.

Although I find it a bit disconcerting that there is something implicit in the headline "New rules net 'good' schools," which infers that perhaps the new rules are to blame for the incongruous juxtaposition of 'good schools' and a negative designation by the state department of education. It sounds like the heresy that leaves good schools exposed on a list of shame. The newspaper lists several schools in the capital district region - many from suburban districts that had been, up until now, immune from the fears and anxieties that constantly shadow the less affluent and financially challenged schools.

Nearly all of the area schools identified in the news article were cited for deficient scores among subgroups comprising the general population of learners. It means at least one subgroup (i.e. gender, special education learners, race,...) failed to meet adequate yearly progress levels. While that may statistically be less significant than if the entire learner population was under performing, it does reveal the underbelly of a school that might otherwise have been free of the scar in the past. Not that long ago, schools were usually assessed by the general public on the bottom line of percentage of high school graduates, percentage of graduates attending college, scores on Regents exams and other statewide tests. In schools that have small numbers of racial minorities, special needs learners, or economically disadvantaged learners (as measured by the percentage of children eligible for the federally sponsored free and reduced meal program) it was possible for these low numbers in subgroups to be statistically overwhelmed and obscured by the sheer numbers of white, non-special needs, and economically advantaged learners in the school who were meeting academic expectations.

Now however, a school is evaluated on all of its component parts and subsequently held accountable for all learners. So, no matter how well the largest group of learners perform on the tests, the school may not escape the clutches of the state department of education if a single identified group falls short of making appropriate rates of progress. For example, even if 95% of the learner population reach a perfect score on the state test the school may still be considered a School In Need of Improvement as long as a single group (i.e. racial minorities) representing 5% of the learners does not meet adequate standards of performance. And that's how it should be. I think that there have been districts throughout the country that overlooked the achievement gap among learners as long as the overall scores of the school were acceptable. There are legions of 'good' schools born when the success of the majority masked the deficiencies of the minority.

We can't tolerate any child left behind, and we certainly can't exclude an identifiable group of learners from moving forward. I believe all children are entitled to a free and equal education, with equal defined in the form of opportunity. We can't guarantee that everyone will achieve at the same level, but we should assure everyone of the opportunities and conditions that promote success. If we continually experience insufficient levels of achievement among the economically disadvantaged, the special needs learners, or racial minorities our society will eventually suffer from the accumulated deficit emerging from disparity and inequity.

The Heatly instructional team pursued a goal of reducing the deficit among subgroups within the learner population and the data from the most recent state tests indicates evidence of progress as the performance between males and females narrowed, as did the gap between those eligible for free/reduced lunch and those not eligible. Special needs learners also achieved at higher rates of success. The benefit of this focus on specific subgroups is that the same techniques and practices designed and delivered to improve the performance of the subgroup usually precipitates an increase in the instructional skills of the teacher for all learners.

Tell Me A Story

2011-11-11T07:03:00.000-08:00

We often think of fiction when someone refers to a story. The term conjures up memories of myths, legends, and fables, or bed-time stories, or your uncle's long-winded tall tales he will share once again this Thanksgiving to a captive audience around the table.

However, story telling served as the primary means of transmitting information for the majority of the years that actually span the history of our civilization. When you examine our human time-line you will discover that written communication is a relatively recent concept, and shared widely among the populace only after Gutenberg created the printing press in 1450.

Written communication, in the form of an alphabet, was virtually absent among the varied groups of indigenous people of North America. Verbal narratives were used to pass morals, traditions, values, and beliefs from one generation to another and another and... Stories represented the strand that linked and sustained cultures. Look how long Aesop's fables were repeated and repeated before becoming enshrined in print and widely distributed.

It's interesting to note that despite the proliferation of technological forms of collecting, storing, retrieving and transferring information that threatens to almost eliminate personal exchanges of communication, story telling still matters. Here's an excerpt from Encouraging the Heart, by James Kouzes and Barry Posner that illustrates the point.

"Stanford University organizational sociologists Joanne Martin and Melanie Powers studied the impact of stories on students enrolled in a Masters of Business Administration program, an often numbers-driven, highly competitive, skeptical audience. Martin and Powers compared the persuasiveness of four methods of convincing the students that a particular company truly practiced a policy of avoiding layoffs. In one situation, Martin and Powers used only a story to persuade people. In the second, they presented statistical data that showed that the company had significantly less involuntary turnover than its competitors. In the third, they used the statistics and the story. In the fourth, they used a straightforward policy statement made by the executive of the company.
The students in the groups that were given only the story believed the claim about the policy more than any of the other groups and remembered it better several months later when tested." (p. 101)

Later, in the same book, the authors report that, "Research clearly demonstrates that information is more quickly and accurately remembered when it is first presented in the form of an example or story." (p. 102)

What's the point I wish to make in this Blog entry?

Even with the continuous introduction of incredibly sophisticated technology that delivers information at lightning speeds, and the tremendous pressure teachers face from ever increasing demands that compress the time they have to present information - story-telling still matters, regardless of the time required to convey the story, or the lack of flash and splash that might accompany the story. Let's not lose sight of this very important element of our culture and the abundant research that supports the use of story-telling.

That's the end of my story today.

Building The Future

2011-11-08T16:44:00.000-08:00

Staff development days are rare opportunities for all staff members to invest common time toward pursuing collective goals of the school district. Generally, people don't seem to comprehend why schools have these Superintendent Conference Days or staff training sessions. The activities appear to be misunderstood by much of the public as unnecessary events that cause childcare problems for learners displaced from the school to accommodate the need for staff members to receive information and instruction attendant to promoting professional growth.

Who would think it wise to seek medical help from a physician who hasn't maintained his/her knowledge or skill based on the latest research and techniques? Why would we accept anything less from the school staff members who are responsible for our children? I'm not aware of any company that expects their workers to receive specific and necessary job related training outside of their normal work hours without compensation. Yet, public schools routinely have to defend their practice of providing growth opportunities to employees during normal work hours.

There was a great deal accomplished at today's staff development. Most notably, there were presentations on the Common Core Learning Standards newly adopted by the state of New York, as well as the Measures of Academic Progress assessments introduced at school by the Northwest Evaluation Association. The combination of these two factors will positively impact the learning program at Heatly.

Perhaps the best summary of the experience of sustaining our pursuit of progress and improvement while simultaneously integrating new programs and practices is represented in the brief video provided in the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3hge6Bx-4w

Fast Food vs. Slow Food. Fast Education vs. Slow Education

2011-11-07T17:55:00.000-08:00

I've been working on my weight with a heightened degree of resolve recently. It seems that I've gradually gained weight while I either lost focus or looked the other way. Perhaps I allowed time constraints to lead me toward the convenience of "fast food" more than I should have. Maybe it was the perception that it might also be less expensive too. At any rate, I made a conscious effort to address my concern by examining what I eat in terms of content, how often I eat in terms of intent, and the quantity that I eat in terms of extent. That's it - content, intent, and extent. I've lost twelve pounds since August 1st.

Along the way I also paid more attention to the origin of the food I consume. In this case, I became a frequent visitor to the Troy Farmer's Market each Saturday morning. This weekly event offered an opportunity to support local farmers by purchasing food grown in the area. Organic foods began to represent a higher percentage of my diet.

Now, I'm not here to preach to you about your weight, or promote what you should eat or avoid. Instead, I want you to consider the slow food movement versus fast foods as a parallel to a similar contrast in education. Let me explain by first displaying the definition of the slow food movement as related in Wikipedia, along with an explanation of fast food from the same source:

Slow Food is an international movement founded by Carlo Petreni in 1986. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem. It was the first established part of the broader Slow movement. The movement has since expanded globally to over 100,000 members in 132 countries. Its goals of sustainable foods and promotion of local small businesses are paralleled by a political agenda directed against globalization of agricultural products.

Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away.

Now that you've been able to compare the two terms you can more easily apply them to two very different forms of education. I contend that the steady stream of state and federal mandates (No Child Left Behind is a perfect example) have left schools across the nation more homogeneous. These mandates likewise present a curriculum of conformity that is already prepared and preheated and served in a packaged form. This process of imposition creates a uniform taste of standardization that lacks the nuances of regional interests and flavors and virtually eliminates unique differences that emerge from variations in farming techniques, climate adaptations, ecological characteristics and seeds. The consumer grabs a package from a fast food place that all look the same no matter what state they're in, and taste the same no matter what state they're in, and provided by people in the same uniform no matter what state they're in. Uniqueness is sacrificed for regulatory requirements that insure commonality. This results in fast education.

Slow education, on the other hand, allows each farmer and cook to adapt their element in the overall process to meet the desires of those consumers they serve. Local beliefs and values are central to this process. Differences matter and unique properties are respected. Taste is paramount and reflects the peculiarities of different regions and locales. Care and time are both considered viable investments that contribute to something flavorful worth waiting for and enjoying.The relationship between the farmer, the cook, and the consumer is valuable and personal in slow food, and so it should be with slow education.

What's happened to local input that evolves from the interests, values, and beliefs of a community? As we standardize and nationalize our educational systems we lose intimate involvement and direct accountability. Who selects and plants the seeds? Who nurtures the growth? Where's the connection and pride in providing a service to others in the community? Where's the nutrition in all this?

Working Together

2011-11-03T20:28:00.000-07:00

As stressors of various types and forms confront us on a daily basis we must understand the benefit of collaboration and cooperation as a viable means of thwarting threats.

Here's a very brief and entertaining video designed by a Belgian advertising firm that demonstrates the impact a collective and concerted effort can have in response to a menacing danger that imperils a group.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEGkrOtzqWo&noredirect=1

Facilitator Of Growth

2011-11-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

I have always appreciated irony. Here's a definition extracted from dictionary.com:

noun, plural -nies.

the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.

Literature.

a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated.

(especially in contemporary writing) a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., especially as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.

an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.

Now, a personal example of irony.

I have served in a number of different leadership positions over the years. During that time I have been involved with innumerable tasks, requiring me to exercise a wide variety of skills addressing countless issues that produced such an expansive array of responsibilities that it was difficult to explain everything underneath the simple title of "principal." There are certainly times when it would appear that I was a jack-of-all trades and master of none.

I was invited to present a convocation address and act as a week-long visiting lecturer at a university out west. Soon after, I was contacted by the president of the student senate (the sponsoring agency of the school) for an interview to provide information for purposes of generating advance publicity. In the course of responding to the inquiries about my work it became apparent that my role extended well beyond one that could be summarized by a traditional title. It was a pleasant and accommodating conversation that increased my enthusiasm for the trip and the unfolding experience.

The time came to fly to Utah and go to work. I had invested a lot of time in preparing my speech for the 1,000 people expected to attend the convocation series. I had also devoted a considerable amount of energy and effort in the information I planned to deliver in the week of lectures and the additional role of consulting on a proposed partnership between the university and the local public school system. The flight itself was uneventful but the scenery available to those flying over the Great Plains and the Rockies was fantastic. The views acted to ward off some of the mounting anxiety related to the expectations I held for the presentation.

Soon after I arrived at the university I noticed posters on poles and doors all over the campus advertising my speech. There was a picture of me and a brief professional biography. All well and good. But then I read the title listed below the photograph identifying Michael Mugits, not as a principal, or school leader, or educator, but Facilitator of Growth. I was immediately impressed with the moniker since my primary responsibility is directed at growing people of all ages and all stages by extending their reach toward their potential. It was more fitting in many respects than simply using the traditional and formal title attached to my office door - principal.

Nonetheless, you can imagine the explaining I felt compelled to provide following the introduction that the Dean of the College of Education gave me prior to my appearance on stage. Here I was, Facilitator of Growth, standing before the audience at a mere five feet five inches tall... Had I truly been a facilitator of growth I believe I would have been six feet two inches. Actually, that contrast allowed me to begin my speech with a humorous exchange and led to a productive presentation that I was very proud of and it seemed to elicit great appreciation by those in attendance.

The Question Why

2011-11-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine anyone dreaming of becoming a teacher at a time when public schools are eliminating teaching positions in the wake of severe budget reductions? At a time when educators everywhere are operating under scrutiny due to perceptions of not meeting ever more demanding performance levels?

Can you imagine the emotional and psychological devastation that you would feel if your father was murdered in a senseless tragedy?

How about this to further complicate the scenario. Can you imagine leaving medical school to enroll in a college program to become a teacher? That's right, leave a path to a profession that promises much more financial compensation and security to enter a profession of fiscal uncertainty and insecurity.

Puzzled as to why a person would pursue the situation explained in the preceding paragraphs?

Click on the link below and read/listen to the story on the National Public Radio website about a Nigerian who left medical school to become a teacher after his father was murdered in Chicago by hopeless and helpless teens.
http://www.npr.org/2011/10/30/141779097/from-pre-med-to-teacher-a-new-kind-of-healing

Answering the question, Why? is often much more difficult for people than responding to questions that begin with, What, Who, When, and Where. The Why question usually requires one to reach deep down inside for an answer that is often more personal and reflective of values and beliefs than replies to questions that begin with different prompts.

For instance, in the book, Made to Stick, by Dan and Chip Heath, the authors refer to an Algebra teacher who responds to the inevitable question generated by a learner who is skeptical of the relevance of a particular subject - "Why do we need to study Algebra?"

Here's the response:

"Most teachers usually reply that Algebra provides procedures for manipulating symbols to allow for the understanding of the world around us, or more simply, you need it to get your diploma,… Dean Sherman, a high school Algebra teacher responds – “You will never use Algebra. Think of weight lifting. People don’t lift weights to be prepared should, one day someone knock them over on the street and lay a barbell across their chests. You lift weights so you can knock over a defensive lineman, or carry your groceries, or lift your grandchildren without being sore the next day. You do math exercises so you can be a better lawyer, doctor, architect, prison warden, or parent. Math is mental weight training."

Framing an objective in a meaningful manner, and introducing the objective with value and relevance to the lives of those we teach is a vital strategic leverage point. Dean Sherman, the teacher in the example above, understands that. If the learners (of all ages and stages in life) don't perceive a connection between what they're expected to learn and their daily lives and projected futures, then they are less likely to invest the time, energy, and effort necessary to meet with success in attaining the objective.

I suspect the same also holds true for each of us when we select a field of work for our careers. I didn't choose to become an educator to make money. I had a stronger interest in making a difference rather than making dollars. I followed a path created by desire not default, by opportunity not convenience.Teachers who consistently meet with success and leave their learners with lasting memories more often than not enter the profession with the goal of making a positive and constructive difference in the lives of others. The young man in the NPR story certainly qualifies in that respect. Instead of devolving in an emotionally downward spiral following the senseless murder of his father, he sought to act in a manner that would help reduce the conditions and context of those who might otherwise pursue a life of crime borne of desperation, helplessness and hopelessness. I can't imagine a better example of a noble enlistment in a morally uplifting cause. Our society needs more people to answer the call for the right reasons and meet the needs of others through teaching in the right way.

OH WOW.

2011-10-31T17:03:00.000-07:00

A titan of technology and one of the most influential individuals of the last 100 years was lost last week when Apple Computer co-founder, creator, and great thinker Steve Jobs passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. Jobs exerted a tremendous influence throughout the globe with his innovations and design, beginning with his efforts that led to a vital tipping point in democratizing knowledge to the masses through the development of his first personal computer. That computer eventually spawned a new niche and expansive market in an industry that made it possible for people the world over to access computer technology. From that platform, the stage was set for the I-Pod and then the I-Pad and many other ideas and opportunities in between.

His sister just published a moving and poignant essay, a eulogy, in which she offers her perspective on her brother and shares his final words.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/opinion/mona-simpsons-eulogy-for-steve-jobs.html?emc=eta1

Imagine, after a life which many would envy and only dream about, producing accomplishments too long to list and generating profits too much to count, his final thoughts were not on inventions, money, or materials but rather the loving relationship he had with those at his bedside - his wife, children, and sisters. Looking at them one last time and uttering, "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow."

Tomorrow marks the start of another month. November. Thanksgiving will soon approach. How thankful we could each be if we are able to develop and sustain the wonder and beauty of interactions with others that would leave us with those parting words as a grateful good-bye to those that matter most.

My favorite author, Robert Fulghum, whom I have frequently referenced throughout the history of this Blog, crafted a book of thoughtful, compassionate and humorous essays entitled, What On Earth Have I Done?
http://robertfulghum.com/index.php/fulghumweb/booksentry/what_on_earth_have_i_done/

Fulghum took a phrase that his mother would use as a retort when incredulously confronted by something he had done as a child that confounded logic and rational thought, ("What on earth have you done?") and challenged himself as an older man to reflect on his life and answer that very question. What had he done with his life? Fulghum then encouraged each reader of the book to take stock of what they had in fact done in their life.

How will you be remembered? How will your obituary summarize your life? What will your personal balance sheet reveal? And, in light of the final words of Steve Jobs; What will prompt you to exclaim, "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow."

Now, ask yourself what you plan to do today and tomorrow and in all the tomorrows that follow, to write the "Oh wow" ending to your story. Examine your values and beliefs. Orient your direction and select your path into the future. Ask yourself if you are consistently contributing to making a positive and constructive difference in the lives of others.

I Wonder...

2011-10-29T11:18:00.000-07:00

"I wonder...," is a statement that should resonate throughout every school. The phrase echoes an oft quoted declaration regarding education being a window rather than a mirror. Teaching and learning should encourage expanded views and perspectives, new vistas and unimagined possibilities.

Yesterday I attended a conference on Inquiry Based Learning held at Hudson Valley Community College. A small contingent of our teachers was invited to deliver a presentation offering an example of this learning strategy. The aim of the approach is to engender active, engaged participation among all class members as they research answers to essential questions formed around a general objective. In this manner, each individual learner is able to pursue a specific area of interest to them rather than join together with their peers and plod along on a path not of their choice. Don't misunderstand; this isn't a "do your own thing" project. Instead, the teacher establishes the parameters of expectations and standards of performance involved with an objective embedded within the curriculum. The difference is that the individuals can elect which path they take toward attaining that goal. That is, the ends of the lesson, or command and direction, are cast by the teacher as leader. Then, the teacher relinquishes control and becomes a resourceful facilitator. The teacher enables the learner to determine how they wish to research the subject and what medium of technology to employ as tool. The key leverage point is that the learner chooses what issue or subject to examine. This decision allows the individual to assert their interests in a certain area and likely raises the motivation and relevance for the task.

The Heatly School was one of several schools featured in sharing their examples of this practice. The three representatives proved to be skilled in coordinating and presenting the project. They were excellent representatives of our district.

The framework of the conference aroused a concern about the bigger picture, if you will. This teaching and learning strategy by itself clearly appears practical and productive. However, like almost any new idea or practice, no matter how well intentioned and supported by research, Inquiry Based Learning is a single element that must adapt and survive along with other ideas in a complex environment in which many elements compete for scarce resources of time, value, space, money, and, most importantly - institutional accommodation.

Let's imagine an individual teacher, well trained in the technique. It's surely possible that the teacher can successfully implement the strategy within his/her own classroom. The extent of assimilation is impacted to varying degrees by whether the overall school environment or culture will host the practice. Let me explain further.

"I wonder...," tends to be the starting point for Inquiry Based Learning." But, even if each and every instructor harbors a deep interest in Inquiry Based Learning, if they themselves exist and work in a school culture in which they are not encouraged to "wonder," then their efforts may be muted and dulled to an extent. Organizational culture, best and most easily defined as, "the way we do things around here" (from Terry Deal in his classic, Corporate Culture) then it may be foolhardy for school leaders to expect teachers to engage in Inquiry when the teachers are not so unfettered and able to indulge in Inquiry as professionals. It would be like the classic disconnect of the days when a college professor would "lecture" to an entire class of fifty would be teachers on the virtues and values of individualized instruction. The irony is not lost on others. Similarly, years ago in response to an invitation from the New York State Department of Education to author an essay on the benefits of Cooperative Learning as an instructional practice, I prepared a paper on the subject that was published in The Possibilities Catalog (1992). In that work I explained the dissonance that emerges when school leaders unilaterally direct a teaching staff to use Cooperative Learning. Telling professionals what to do, absent a dialogue and social-psychological support hardly qualifies itself as an example of cooperation.

Noted expert on the principalship, Dr. Roland Barth, once cautioned leaders - "Don't lead where you won't go." In other words, leaders have to walk the talk. Don't direct people to cooperate if their work climate is not cooperative. Don't expect Inquiry Based Learning to be used effectively if the school culture does not advocate and support inquiry among the staff - as in inquiring why we do this, or why we do that. The atmosphere of the school has to encourage and allow people to question practices, people, and programs.

Wonderful schools are often tagged with that term as a result of high performance standards on state tests. That's fine and well deserved. But, I believe schools should be "wonderfull" as in full of wonder - a learning environment that promotes inquiry and permits individuals, young and old, to pursue universally and institutionally accepted goals (the curriculum, Common Core Learning Standards, expected achievement levels,...) within established parameters while following a pace and orientation reflective of their ability and interest - like the way Inquiry Based Learning is designed to be exercised in a classroom.

I wonder.... how many school leaders understand, or even care, about the potential obstacle they might place in the path of change and success with the dissonance and philosophical incongruity that arise between what they say and what they do? I'm sure that I've been guilty of violating this credo over the years. I trust that such lapses have been through unknowing omission rather than conscious commission. I expect to be called out for any such infraction because it damages my integrity as a leader and undermines my capacity to lead effectively.

You're Sitting On Your Ticket!

2011-10-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

Robert Fulghum is one of my favorite authors. He has written a number of books, chief among them, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, that offer insightful perspectives on normal experiences. His wry comments prove to be thought provoking and affirming. One such personal essay reflected on an experience Fulghum had while sitting at an airport terminal waiting to board a plane. As he sat there he noticed a young woman slowly grow agitated and distraught while pouring through her purse and other belongings. She suddenly stopped what she was doing and eventually erupted in tears. He went over to her to offer help and discovered that she had misplaced her airline ticket and boarding pass. In between sobs of anguish she exclaimed that she had searched everywhere for no avail. She was hopeless and helpless. Fulghum encouraged her to get up and go get a drink of water to refresh herself and calm down. As she rose from the seat and stood up, Fulghum solved her problem. She had been sitting on her ticket all the while she was crying and rummaging through her purse and carry-on case.

Fulghum used this personal experience to create a "moral to the story." He suggested that too many of us sit and complain about things and about where we're going in life when the solutions to our worries often start with getting up off our backsides and looking where we haven't looked, or thinking about what we haven't already thought.

I will now volunteer an embarrassing admission of similar proportions to the lady at the airport. I have been struggling for a while this evening in search of something worth writing and sharing with others via this Blog. I started down several different paths and soon realized I didn't enjoy the view or wouldn't like where it all ended. I was frustrated. At that point, my wife pointed out that our furnace was apparently not working and the temperature in the house was now 62 degrees. We recently bought a charming but old Dutch colonial house. We have never lived in a house that heats with radiators. I was quickly confounded by all the switches, knobs, and gauges and surrendered to my ignorance lest I make things worse with a miscalculating adjustment. Brenda called the company that services the furnace while I retreated to the office to wrestle with the keyboard with hope of finding an essay or observation to share. That's when I experienced that epiphany of realizing I was virtually sitting on the ticket to my destination and the substance of today's Blog entry.

I reflected on the number of times each day and each week that I encounter information or policies calling out for higher performance levels on newly constructed assessments, and the hue and cry of the new Common Core Learning Standards - both echoing earlier clarions for the "all Regents diploma" and ultimately designed to elevate achievement and graduation rates. One of the rebuttals to these pleas for universally raising the bar has come from those who question why everyone must take all Regents classes and exams and subsequently attend college and beyond. Is this really considered necessary if you desire to follow a parent's footsteps in a business, like a young man wishing to sustain his father's farming business or auto body shop? Must you acquire a Regents diploma if you have long wanted to assume a full time role in the family bakery or landscaping company?

Here I am, sitting comfortably in my chair typing in my home office where the diploma I received for my doctorate hangs on the wall next to me, and I am awaiting the arrival of a well trained and experienced furnace repairman, who likely has not received a college education, to arrive and solve our problem before the house becomes even colder. His service charge will not pale in comparison to bills many college graduates would tender for work they performed in their field of employment. That reminded me of the expert mechanics who fix and maintain my car, the skilled painters, the efficient plumbers, and the many other occupations and trades that are vital to sustain our daily life and do not require a college diploma.

I'm not indicting or devaluing a college education at all. I just question the need for a swelling and sweeping call to arms in the form of requiring everyone to accept the challenge of attaining a particular and ordained level of higher education. It seems like an awkward imposition of values and beliefs foisted upon the populace. Certainly, a high school diploma should represent a minimum and realistic benchmark in our society, but there are many interesting and attractive occupations that provide more than adequate compensation for people who have acquired specific skill sets and experience without earning a college diploma.
.
*****
I am returning to the keyboard after our rescue by the repairman. Now that I have received the bill for the furnace repair, I can unequivocally assert that the position of furnace repairman is well rewarded despite the absence of a need for a college diploma.

There, I discovered something to write about when I got up off my seat!

40 Years On a School Board

2011-10-27T03:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's Blog entry shared a news article expressing concern about the infusion of over $600,000 in a city-wide school board election campaign in Denver, Colorado. The story cast a bright light on the hidden potential for outside interest groups to forcefully and dramatically intervene in a local forum, distorting issues and overwhelming people who actually live and vote in the district. Today's Blog offers a far different perspective. It focuses on the dedication of an individual pledged to make a viable and lasting difference in his community by respecting and reflecting the interests and principles collectively embodied in the populace. And he was repeatedly elected to his post without any advertisement or fanfare, without any campaign funds, but rather on the basis and promise of his reassuring smile, warm handshake, and disarming personality.

Forty years serving as an elected official on a school board of education. Sounds like a sentence in prison, doesn't it? This is especially impressive when you consider all of the meetings, all of the workshops, and all of the public forums were attended without any financial compensation. More accurately it reveals a tremendous dedication to a community and a willingness to contribute energy and effort in the best interests of others.

I am privileged to have a friend who has devoted himself to building the future of thousands of people over his forty plus years as a school board member, first at the school district level and later (and currently) at the regional level at a BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services). There is no better definition of a public servant than what this man has demonstrated in his capacity as a school board member.

Last evening my wife and I attended a reunion of sorts involving an expansive group of people who had participated in a long-running cultural exchange program between schools representing a small town in upstate New York and a similarly sized village in Bavaria, Germany. We were pleased to renew our friendship and accept an offer to be his guest for dinner. As always, he demonstrated a cordial and accommodating attitude and extended care and compassion in his words and deeds.

Throughout his tenure on the two different boards of education he has been fully vested in forging pathways to success for learners of all ages and all stages. There were difficult decisions over the years where interests of various parties competed for scarce resources and conflicted over values and beliefs - but there were also significant advances in collaborating with diverse constituent groups toward common goals. There were financial constraints that limited possibilities and brought people and programs to the depths of despair - but there were also opportunities and possibilities born of hard work and sweat. There were both tragedies and triumphs. The full spectrum of emotions and experiences were evidenced through the years, and he could be counted on as a dependable and reliant stalwart of the public good no matter the circumstances.

After working with a number of different school boards over my many years as a school leader I remain in awe of this person. He has distinguished himself through his resilience and conviction, his sacrifice and success. He has been committed to making a difference in the lives of others - for over forty years. His legacy is assured and it will be extended and enriched by the benefits realized by those impacted by the many decisions he made as a school board member.

Too many communities show too little understanding and appreciation for the contributions of their fellow residents who willingly assume the responsibilities of acting voluntarily as stewards of the welfare and future of the community. Our society needs more people who will step up and serve others by making a difference and sustaining hope for the future - not for fame and money, but for altruistic reasons and noble purposes.

A $600,000 School Board Election (Not Here In Green Island)

2011-10-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

What elected office can be more low key than a seat on the local school board? After all, there's no need for a robust and expensive campaign chock full of pricey ads in all forms of the media. No lengthy political campaigns and debates. And, if you win - there are long hours of work, sleepless nights spent worrying about how to balance the needs of learners and the interests of taxpayers during economic decline, little appreciation for your efforts, and countless meetings, phone calls, and emails - all for no pay!.

Then why are more than $600,000 dollars involved in a school board race in Denver, Colorado. Okay, it's a big city, but still... In a twist of the oft quoted "Think globally, act locally," this school board race is a clear example of national interests and the motives of profit oriented businesses from outside of the Denver and the state of Colorado jumping in with mountains of money to influence a city school board election with the intent of advancing their own causes.

Read on -

http://www.thenation.com/blog/164122/big-money-bad-media-secret-agendas-welcome-americas-wildest-school-board-race

After I read this I found myself thinking about some of the strands of concerns expressed by those people involved in the Occupy Wall Street protests. Among the many issues associated with this movement appears to be a contention that corporations are exerting a disproportionately high amount of influence in social and political policy and receiving inordinate benefits as a result. I don't really know, nor do I have the facts. But, operating on the premise that perception is one's reality, it does seem like this contentious school board race in Denver (see article above) has reached well beyond the limits of the local community.

School boards are among the last bastions of local control, a forum where residents can discuss matters of importance to their community and its future. The long reach of both state and federal department's of education grows each year and approaches a level of suffocation, particularly when the local school districts must contend with unfunded mandates that may not be philosophically consistent with the value and beliefs of a community and beyond the capacity of the district to financially support the mandates. This slow form of strangulation is exacerbated when corporations, outside lobbyists, and political groups external to the district enter the fray because school board candidates, at least in Colorado, do not have to operate under a cap on campaign donations like those donating to political office.

This article presents a scary view of the future unless policies are developed and enacted that seek to limit outside interests from swallowing up the "conversation and discussions" of local residents with personal and financial investments in their school district.

Running From The Bear

2011-10-24T16:25:00.000-07:00

It seems that two friends were out camping up in the Adirondacks. One morning as they sat and relaxed over their first cup of coffee they heard a great commotion in the brush not far from their campsite. They were startled, having just been aroused from sleep and not yet fully dressed. It soon became obvious that the noise that shattered their peaceful morning was a bear approaching them with a quickening pace. As one man was overcome by anxiety and fear he noticed his friend calmly putting his shoes on. He couldn't believe the lack of fear and response from his camping partner. "Why are you wasting your time putting your shoes on? You're not going to outrun that bear!" he exclaimed. At that point the other man casually informed him, "I don't have to outrun the bear," he said as he looked at his barefoot colleague, "I just have to outrun you."

Morbid humor? Perhaps. However, this story came to mind as I thought of our future school budget. It might surprise you that so soon after we began the school year we're already developing a framework for financial projections on a budget that will be in place for July 1, 2012 and end on June 30, 2013 - a full year and a half from now!

The impending and imposing tax LEVY cap (not the often mentioned misnomer of a 2% tax cap) sets some rather firm parameters for planning a budget. Given the expected costs of utilities, materials and supplies, and the calculated expenditures for people and programs, at a time when the national, state, and regional economy is still gripped by restraint and uncertainty, public schools are in a vise that grows tighter each month. With limits on the ability to generate revenue from taxes, reductions in financial aid from the state, more and more unfunded state mandates, and increases in costs, it's only a matter of time until a school district becomes bankrupt. It's more a case of when, not if.

Small school districts like Green Island suffer more from the impact of the variables noted in the preceding paragraph than their counterparts in the suburbs. Oh sure, all schools will experience cuts and each one will be painful. But, it's a matter of degrees of pain and tolerance. For instance, Syosset (in Suffolk County on Long Island) had to make dramatic decreases in programming due to the loss of state aid. Yes, they actually had to reduce the number of foreign languages they offer in kindergarten!!

Here's a New York Times article contrasting the effect of state aid cuts on two very different school districts, the aforementioned Syosset and Ilion (in the Mohawk Valley). Check for yourself on the lack of equity in this scenario. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/27/opinion/27sun1.html?pagewanted=all

If our school system went broke I suspect that someone in Albany would simply dismiss it with a call to merge with another adjacent district. What's one less school district when there are approximately 700 in the state? Besides, it's a tiny district.

Sadly ( and a bit morbid as well) our best hope (and I'm sure we're not alone in this reasoning) may be to acknowledge that we can't outrun the bear (the state aids cuts from above) but we may survive by outrunning other schools who fall victim to the cuts and declare an equivalent form of bankruptcy. Maybe then the state will do something - like enact the court approved equitable distribution of funds that resulted from the successful litigation by the group, Campaign For Fiscal Equity http://www.cfequity.org/home.php. CFE sued on behalf of children throughout the state who were not receiving the free and fair education accorded to them by virtue of the state constitution. The lawsuit stemmed from the New York Adequacy Study http://www.cfequity.org/static_pages/pdfs/costingoutfinalppt.pdf.
I am supportive of the effort of the CFE, not only because I represent a district that would truly benefit if financial aid from the state was distributed equitably according to need and ability to pay, but also because I was among the small group of educators who assisted in examining the determination of what constitutes equity in school funding formulas.

I wouldn't want any school district to "go out of business" for lack of funding the necessities and meeting state mandates, but I'm afraid it will take a dramatic outcome like that to provoke decision makers to comply with the court ruling and help schools in need.

Huh???

2011-10-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

Spoiler alert! A commonly held myth is exposed in an article found on the front page of the Albany Times Union last Sunday.

You don't have to look very far for a newspaper or website splashing the latest criticism of schools and their poor performance. Everyone knows that our public schools are inadequate. Oops! Here's an interesting article (click on the link below) highlighting the rather significant progress made in Kindergarten education over the last couple of decades. How can that be? How can we simultaneously publicize that present day Kindergarten learners routinely leave their first year of schooling with the ability to read books while also holding onto contentions that schools are not preparing learners for success. Huh???

http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=16192624

While we're talking about Kindergarten (I must admit a bias - I am married to a long time Kindergarten teacher) let's look at a recent article from the New York Times for a research based perspective on the tremendous value of early intervention programs designed to close the achievement gap that is typically discovered in later years within schools that lack the resources and supportive programs (click on the link below)

r=2&hp http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/20/opinion/occupy-the-classroom.html?_r=2&hp

Maybe we need to think again about that old adage - "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure."

Moreless

2011-10-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

The ever-tightening economy has provoked changes of necessity in the educational arena regarding programs, practices, and personnel. It feels like what I would imagine a victim of a boa constrictor experiences - a slow, gripping suffocation. This fiscal crisis has caused many problems. Yet, the mess has prompted me to coin a new word. It's a word of the times. I want to debut the word "moreless." Sometime in the far off future this word will pass inspection of spell check after it enters the lexicon through inclusion in the dictionary.

Moreless has a dual definition. It combines two words that are often used in the same sentence when people announce another economic downsizing of staff, as in "We have to find a way to do more with less." Hence the compound word, moreless. Also, this new word can describe the feeling people usually have when their department or organization is victimized by a downsizing that leaves fewer people shouldering larger burdens. That is, moreless joins the vocabulary associated with hopeless and helpless.

Expecting someone to do more with less is as futile as the clarion to work harder and longer. On the contrary, I believe the challenge is working differently. The need is to work more creatively. People are generally encouraged to work smarter in the face of adversity. Think about that for a moment. It implies that the person wasn't working very smart to begin with. That's a bit condescending.

Rather, consider working with more imagination. I'll retrieve two of my favorite and oft cited quotes. First, from Alan Kay, formerly of Apple Computer: "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." Second, from John Sculley, also a former Apple employee: "The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious."

Examine the risk for a hidden opportunity. Instead of adopting a vision up close through a microscope or in the great distance via a telescope, we must look at everything through a kaleidoscope of ever-changing patterns and possibilities. That's a better descriptor of the world we live in now. Conquering our pressing problems likely requires solutions that have not yet been discovered. This task will test our ability to step outside of the conventional and rational and welcome untested ideas on faith and conviction. That's how discoveries have been made throughout our history.

Let's go imagine our future possibilities...

Can You Hear Me Now?

2011-10-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

We've all heard that Verizon commercial over and over. Instant communication virtually anywhere in the world is widespread among cell phone and Internet access computer users. I could even phone my son in Mongolia (serving in the Peace Corps) right now.

The clutter and "noise" of so many far reaching forms of communication makes it difficult to get your message across if you are a business. (Heatly is a business. All schools are. Schools are often the largest employer in many towns, with the biggest budget...) I've read that between innumerable radio stations, hundreds of television stations, myriad print periodicals, and an unlimited amount of news oriented websites, businesses are compelled to expand the breadth and increase the frequency of their commercials/messages far more than they had been accustomed to in years past. Schools are no different.

Long gone is the school that relies solely on printed newsletters stuffed in backpacks to share news and information between school and home. Schools not only need to adopt more and different streams of communication to insure that they reach the desired audience, but the audience has understandably widened as well. Roughly 1/4 of all of the adults in a community have children attending public schools. Either they do not have children, have children who aren't school age, or send their children to private or parochial schools (or home school them). That means that the majority of people who are eligible to vote on a school budget are not directly affiliated with the school. If schools expect these people to exercise informed choices during the budget vote then it is imperative that schools reach out to the whole community.

We offer a traditional print newsletter that is sent out four times each school year. This allows us to convey information through a hard copy. We often supplement these quarterly notices with additional printed notes whenever necessary to inform the community.

We maintain a district sponsored website that is user friendly and accessible, with many links to important resources. In fact, we are continually adding articles on school finance issues and information related to the new cap on TAX APPROVED LEVY (not tax rate!!!). You can find all sorts of interesting stories and reports about our school district. There are links to a variety of other sources you may find interesting.

We provide a quick broadcast of significant news through our School News Notifier system that instantly sends information on school closings and other timely and urgent matters to the email addresses and cell phones of those who have signed up for the free service.

We now have a Facebook account featuring the school district. This site is frequently updated and provides pictures of different school related events.

In addition, I have started a twitter account that enables me to volunteer quick and short messages and updates.

Finally, I try to write an entry post on this Blog on a regular basis throughout the school year. This opportunity gives me a chance to extend information, opinions, and observations in greater depth than normal communication pieces.

This all adds up to the question posed in the title of this Blog entry -

Can you hear me now?

AYP APPR RTTT NCLB < BWRCATK

2011-10-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

If you can decipher the first four acronyms across the title of this Blog entry you are either an educator or you have too much time on your hands and you need to discover a new hobby. If you can decode the fifth acronym then you need to immediately contact your local school board member, legislative representative, and U.S Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to let them in on its meaning.

I'll begin by explaining the meaning of the first four, and conclude by emphasizing the last acronym.

According to Wikipedia, AYP or Adequate Yearly Progress, "is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized tests."

The New York State United Teachers organization refers to the state education law when it describes APPR: "Section 100.2 of the Commissioner’s Regulations regarding the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) requires school districts and BOCES to annually evaluate the performance of probationary and tenured teachers providing instructional and pupil personnel services. The procedures for evaluating teachers are a mandatory subject of collective bargaining. This bulletin includes amendments to Section 100.2 of the Regulations to conform with Chapter 57 of the Laws of 2007 (CR 100.2(o)(2)(iii)2(b)(vi))."

The U.S. Department of Education explains the program they have sponsored - RTTT:
"Race To The Top is designed to advance reforms around four specific areas:

Awards in Race to the Top will go to states (New York was declared a recipient of this award last year) that are leading the way with ambitious yet achievable plans for implementing coherent, compelling, and comprehensive education reform. Race to the Top winners will help trail-blaze effective reforms and provide examples for States and local school districts throughout the country to follow as they too are hard at work on reforms that can transform our schools for decades to come."

Those programs and their acronyms are well thought out and research based with the best of intentions. We will accommodate the state and federal regulations and mandates that drive these imposed changes. But, let's not lose sight of the most important program, BWRCATK. I'll provide the meaning of his acronym.

But What Really Counts Are The Kids

Success starts and ends with the dynamic relationship between and among the people within a school. The people, big and tall, young and old, that live there. Relationships matter, so do hopes and dreams. Regardless of the programs and acronyms, the foundation of sustainable achievement rests upon trust, communication, mutual respect, care and compassion. It's difficult to imagine anyone focusing on success until they feel safe and treated with dignity.

While we may be overwhelmed by forced changes and surrounded by programs and acronyms, it's critical that we not lose sight of what really matters.

NCLB and FPLA

2011-10-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

The federal initiative, NCLB: No Child Left Behind was cast upon public schools across the nation in 2001 with great fanfare and good reason. The intent of the legislation was to ensure that every child at least become proficient at competency levels considered at the minimum standard necessary to be a successful and productive citizen. The goal was that 100% of children would reach these standards of performance by 2014. It was designed to provoke reform and improvement in public school education.

Complicating this equation of increasing achievement levels was the brutal impact of an economic recession that deprived public schools of significant amounts of revenue they had historically received from their respective state departments of education through taxes. The reality of a constricting economy choking schools of resources at a time they were facing ever increasing expectations and outcomes throttled the efforts of many a school district. Yet, we advance stridently in spite of the impending obstacle.

The pinch between doing far more with far less has prompted me to suggest that schools develop legislation in response. The initiative would be referred to as FPLA: Few Politicians Looking Ahead. This act would expose the shortsighted vision of politicians who imagine that we can move forward as a nation while repeatedly reducing the funding available to schools. In New York, this means revealing the hypocrisy of politicians who clamor for more and more cuts in state aid to public schools while simultaneously maintaining tax loopholes for millionaires. The revenue that could be gained by repealing the clause protecting millionaires from paying their fair share of taxes actually exceeds the amount of money schools were deprived of in state aid last year. People and programs have been eliminated from schools across the state. Reserve accounts of schools have been drastically decreased to thwart additional lay-offs. For most school districts, there are no more areas to cut without negatively impacting instruction at dangerous levels at exactly the same time that policy makers have increased the expectations and performance standards of educators and learners.

Education has long been viewed as an economic engine in this country. Our nation's future is dependent on the ability of schools to generate the creative and productive human capital. Our knowledge based economy requires progressive technology and stimulating innovations to sustain our competitive edge in the world arena. How can we nurture the intellectual growth when we have been starved for resources?

Maybe it's time we raise expectations and standards of our politicians? How about developing a report card on politicians that would publicly record their performance? How about firing them if they don't meet these increased standards? I submit that the overwhelming rate of re-election of office incumbents, a virtual absence of campaign finance laws, a growing body of lobbyists exerting too much influence, and political gerrymandering, combine to make a mockery of the notion that "we can vote them out" if they're not effective. As a result, many of the politicians who loudly decry tenure in effect enjoy similar job protection. Maybe it's time we demand cuts among the staff members supporting our legislators and require them to do more with less. Have the salaries and benefits of our legislators been reduced? Have their pensions been decreased? Are they experiencing the pain that their legislation (or, in some cases inaction caused by partisan fueled gridlock) has inflicted on so many? How and when did politicians secure immunity from the excruciating economic wounds so many people are enduring? Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo criticized schools for having what he called bloated levels of administration yet I suspect that if you examine the number of staff members supporting the Governor of New York in 2011 with the number of staff members who supported the Governor of New York in 1951, or 1961, or 1971... you would discover significant growth over the years - likely for the same reasons that the ranks of school leaders have grown during that same time frame - increased regulations, requirements, expectations, responsibilities...

Sydney J. Harris declared that, "The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows." I understand that perspective. You want learners to expand their vision and their boundaries as they acquire more knowledge and gain new ideas. However, the education of a politician might be better served by reversing that quote. Perhaps our representatives should stop looking out of windows and take a close look in the mirror.

No Child Left Behind - or - Few Politician Looking Ahead? Which way are we going?

VHS Rewind - Virtual High School Revisited

2011-10-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

Our school has now experienced one month of Virtual High School learning opportunities. Today, the local newspaper, The Troy Record, presented a print article featuring the program.

Thirteen high school learners have been able to access previously unavailable courses and exercise their interest to expand learning possibilities. These classes assist each learner in creating a more robust transcript as they prepare to pursue a seat in the college of their choice and the first step in seeking a preferred career. The courses range from anatomy and physiology to computer assisted drafting and design, from oceanography to a sophisticated math and computer class and Advanced Placement Economics: micro and macro.

Beyond the obvious goal of delivering a broader menu of instructional choices for learners with the appetite to enrich their background and project their future, is the secondary goal of stretching the boundaries of our learners. Green Island is a very small school district in a very small community. While the demographics of the village have slowly changed over the last decade, the local community does not reflect the population at large. Many of these thirteen learners are engaged in classes with other high school learners from a variety of states, and even a few different countries. That experience can become an opportunity for growth on a social level.

One of our teachers is also teaching an on-line class with our service vendor, Virtual High School. His class roster is dotted with four Chinese learners who attend a private boarding school in Connecticut as well as a learner from America who attends school in Seoul, Korea. That certainly affords the teacher with both a challenge and a new experience.

I will provide periodic updates on our progress with the VHS on-line program. We will soon be hosting our benefactor for lunch and the chance to visit with participating learners who will share their perceptions on the on-line class experience. We are grateful for the generosity of the individual who funded the opportunity. The sponsor does not live in Green Island. His motive was to invest in ideas that plant seeds for future success. His action reflects the work of an educational venture capitalist supporting a school that seeks to be a "small school with BIG ideas."

I trust that our efforts will reinforce his decision to invest in our learning community. I am confident that our learners are growing from the opportunity.

Growing With NWEA

2011-10-07T16:36:00.000-07:00

We have decided to engage the services of the non-profit organization, Northwest Evaluation Association, to provide assessments that measure the growth in achievement among individual learners. The three tests that will be administered (fall, winter, and spring) will afford us with specific data that we will be able to convert into informed decisions that drive subsequent instruction. These tests are simply referred to as growth models in that they measure and monitor progress from point to point.

Let me explain the primary difference between these tests and the state mandated exams that learners across New York State encounter each spring - as it relates to the teacher evaluation component of the Annual Professional Performance Review. The state tests produce an outcome in the form of a static reference point. For example, each child receives a score from 1-4 (3 and 4 are required for mastery) on the basis of a scaled score rendered by the number of correct answers. For purposes of evaluating the teacher, the teacher is thus measured by the percentage of learners reaching a 3 or 4 on the test.

However, this format does not measure the full impact of the teacher. Let's take a very bright learner who arrives in 4th grade with the capability of taking the test on the first day of school and receiving a 3 or 4 on the exam. They are already at the desired level but sit through the class acquiring seat time until the tests arrive and they pass it. According to the child's 3 or 4 on the test the teacher is perceived as effective - and if enough learners receive a 3 or 4 then the teacher may be considered highly effective. Yet, the teacher really didn't necessarily influence the performance level of that particular very bright child.

On the other hand, let's look at a another 4th grade teacher who welcomes someone into the class who is an underperforming learner - someone who receive a 1 on that same test if it was given on the first day of school. The teacher consistently exercises strategic instructional practices that leverage success and at the end of the year when the state tests are administered, the child receives a 3 or 4 on the test.

Are these two teachers, who produced the same performance outcomes on the same assessment instrument, equal in the impact they had on the learners cited in our example? This example raises at least one criticism of the manner in which the state tests are employed in making important decision on evaluating teachers.

The growth model of tests determines the starting point for each individual upon taking their first test (in the fall) and uses that as a baseline for instruction. Specific data is generated for each learner and demonstrates where they are on a continuum of skills, with instructional prescriptions emerging from the results in the form of what skills must be addressed next to mitigate deficiencies. This process is repeated at the next testing interval (in the winter), providing the teacher with meaningful and relevant information on progress. Finally, the third test, given in the spring, will yield data that can then be measured against the individual's original starting point to determine the extent of growth evidenced by the learner and orchestrated by the teacher. That comparison more accurately reveals the degree and impact of the teacher's intervention techniques than the use of a single data point arrived at from an end of year test that lacks any baseline but the score from the year before (which is difficult when the state changes cut scores that differentiate between 3's and 4's).

We feel that both learner and teacher will likely benefit more from the use of the growth model test pattern because it uses three different data collection points and allows the teacher to utilize the information produced in this year long progress monitoring cycle to inform instructional decisions.

Lottery Winners and Losers - The Perfect Storm

2011-10-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

Who hasn't dreamed of becoming rich? I'm sure that most of us have spent time imagining what we'd do if we ever became rich? College savings for the kids (or paying off their college loans), a new house, new cars, new wardrobe, vacations, travel,...

It happens - like the phrase made famous by the New York State lottery advertisements - "You never know!" That's true. You never know. There are a lot of things you never know. Take, for instance, the impact that a small fortune of lottery winnings might have on your local school district in New York. It produces the "perfect storm" in Green Island - a very small school district with a resident winning a very large amount of lottery money.

Let me explain that the revenue generated by lottery sales does benefit public school education - however, the state subsequently reduced state aid to school districts at nearly the same amount as they provided in lottery funds, so it basically became a wash financially.

Now, let me explain in simplistic terms some of the major factors used by the state to determine the amount of financial aid to distribute to individual school districts across New York. This formula uses the aggregate income of a school district (extracted from data reported when you file your state income taxes and list the school district identifying code) and the wealth of the same district (as measured in aggregate property value) to arrive at a CWR rating for the school district. There are other nuances that enter into the equation (weighted student values based on needs) but these two elements are the primary leverage points. The state computes the CWR: Combined Wealth Ratio of each school district. The average for the state is 1.0. Green Island's most recent CWR is .62, which indicates we are below average in wealth. Some school districts downstate in Westchester County and parts of Long Island have CWR's above 5.0 (five times higher than the average!!) The actual computation performed by the state is very complex (see italicized paragraph below for the definition right out of the glossary of the New York State Education Department)

The Combined Wealth Ratio (CWR) compares district wealth to the State average wealth, which is defined as 1.0. A district with a CWR of less than 1.0 has wealth below the State average. Conversely, a district with a CWR of more than 1.0 has wealth above the State average. The CWR is calculated as follows: (0.5 multiplied by the Pupil Wealth Ratio) + (0.5 multiplied by the Alternate Pupil Wealth Ratio). The Pupil Wealth Ratio is equal to Selected Full Value of property divided by a weighted pupil count. The Selected Full Value of property is the lesser of (1) 1994 full value of property or (2) 117 percent of the average of the 1993 and 1994 full values. The Alternate Pupil Wealth Ratio is equal to the 1994 Adjusted Gross Income of a district divided by a weighted pupil count. The weighted pupil count is based on the adjusted average daily attendance of K-12 pupils resident in the district plus weightings for pupils with special educational needs, pupils with disabilities, and secondary school pupils; half-day kindergarten pupils are weighted at 0.5.

Had enough? Does that paragraph read like a test question on the Scholastic Aptitude Test?

I'm not presenting this information to bore you (now you have a sliver of insight into the exciting world of school superintendents). I hope that you have read this far and not moved on because this Blog entry has a potentially significant point for the taxpayers of Green Island. Check the tremendous news expressed in an excerpt of a news article announcing the winners of the Mega Millions Jackpot last March.

Seven state employee Mega Million winners of $319 million jackpot to be announced

BY KATIE NELSON

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Lottery officials will unveil on Thursday the seven state workers who won the Mega Millions jackpot worth $319 million.
They work for the New York State Homes and Community Renewal information services division, a source told the Daily News. They haven't reported for work since winning Friday night, but they haven't resigned either, another source said.

One of those winners is a resident of Green Island. I'm happy for the lucky person.

That means his income for the year (the winners all decided to accept a lump sum payment rather than having the prize money spread out over the years in the form of annuities) was astronomical by standards of you and I. The last data I reviewed regarding the aggregate income for residents of the small village of Green Island, New York revealed a total of approximately 42,000,000 dollars. The pay-out for the lottery winner from Green Island represents a significant percentage of that total before taxes were taken out from his winnings. That means that his winnings will eventually, when the state computes a later edition of the CWR formula, greatly distort the wealth of the village. That is, when lumped in with the incomes of everyone else, his winnings will raise the average income for Green Island many times over even though the incomes for all other residents have not likely grown beyond inflation. We currently have 43% of our learners eligible by federal standards to receive free or reduced lunches and we expect that even after the lottery winnings we will have the same 43% qualify free/reduced lunch. The winner's fortune does not change the demographics of our village. In other words, the vast increase in wealth of the district for one year will likely place our CWR far above the current .62 level. This will place our community on the levels of affluent suburbs (where less than 10% of children are eligible for free and reduced lunch). We are worlds apart from these schools but will be considered, for one year at least, their equal financially. That comparison does not begin to address the differences between our district and affluent districts but it could alter our state aid, thereby reducing our funding from the state and adding even more pressure on the community to generate the revenue necessary to adequately support the school system.

Families in wealthy districts are more likely to afford the support (tutors, materials and technology, enrichment programs out of school, educationally related travel [museums, historical venues, new experiences with customs and cultures,...] and other means of assisting the overall education of a child than families in districts with below average Combined Wealth Ratio indicators under 1.0, like Green Island.

I have contacted our local representatives in the Senate and the Assembly, as well as raising the concern with members of the finance department with the New York State Education Department. The impact will probably not be felt in the immediate future due to lag time in calculating state aid formulas. Also, the fact that state aid to education has been frozen may mitigate the impact to a degree.

You never know...

APPR May Lead Some Superintendents To AARP

2011-10-04T16:28:00.000-07:00

The relentless demands and challenges of the state mandated APPR: Annual Professional Performance Review, has prompted some superintendents to think about the benefits of AARP: American Association of Retired People. Why might so many of the superintendents who sported puzzled and frustrated expressions at a conference examining APPR possibly indulge in flights of fantasy involving retirement?

I recently attended the Fall Conference of the New York State Council of School Superintendents held in Saratoga Springs, NY. It was an enriching experience for me and an opportunity to gain valuable information and insight on the many complex issues that confront school system leaders. Among the topics that attracted large audiences were sessions devoted to the work-in-progress referred to as APPR.

Let me start with a declaration. I am very supportive of the intent and direction of the APPR. The planned product is noteworthy in many respects. While I understand and applaud certain elements of the decree, I am uncomfortable with the manner in which it has unfolded. It's the process leading to implementation that is disturbing. In fact, due to the intervention of the New York State United Teachers' organization in the form of an injunction, and the subsequent threat of an appeal by the New York State Education Department, the process governing the implementation of the APPR is not entirely clear at this point in time. The state department of education may appeal the ruling and thereby subject the APPR to additional twists and turns.

The original accord that produced the APPR may very likely have been propelled by a desire (and dire need) for the state to attract the federal funds that were offered as the prize for those states competing in the Race To The Top tourney. New York was ultimately selected for a share of the jackpot money on the basis of a point system that rewarded those states that met criteria which included, among other components, higher standards and more meaningful evaluation systems for teachers and principals. The bounty was in the form of $700,000,000. Half of this money now funds much of the state education department efforts in curriculum and training, while the remaining portion was distributed to school districts across the state - principally the "Big 5" districts of Yonkers, New York City, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. Green Island will receive about $3,800 each year for four years.

While the expectations shaping the intent of the APPR may be appropriate, the rate of change is suspect and has seemingly outstripped the capacity and practicality of school districts to successfully assimilate the education law. For example, how does one account for a teacher who is absent for an extended period of time during the year for a maternity leave? Do you deduct the percentage of time absent from teaching from the performance of the learners or do you extract the individual scores on test items that were taught during her absence? You can't very well attribute the impact of a substitute toward the evaluation of the teacher when the potential consequences are so significant. What about elective classes and the many other subjects that presently lack a state generated assessment or any comparable exam? What assurances are there that the state will manufacture an assessment that reflects growth and attempts to create associations between teacher influence on individual learners as opposed to current achievement tests that measure endpoint performance levels without respect to the level at which the learner was performing at the first day of school? There are some learners who are capable of taking a state Regents exam after one month of school and passing the test. So, they acquire seat time and endure the remaining part of the year and pass the exam when administered in June and that teacher is considered a success. Conversely, there are teachers who manifest Herculean efforts and engage a child in active learning and stimulate more than a year's academic growth but, because the child began the year well below grade level their final exam score still falls short of grade level and the teacher is considered less than effective. (Note: a future Blog will explain our adoption of the Northwest Evaluation Association's growth model of assessments this year in Heatly to employ data to better inform our instructional decisions and design) What teachers will lunge at the chance to teach the neediest, underperforming learners if the price they pay for their valor is the threat of being labeled as underperforming teachers?

There is also a requirement for training the administrators who will be responsible for evaluating teachers. They must be certified in this endeavor beyond the professional certification they already posses as a precondition for the administrative job they currently have. Training costs both time and money. In addition, several of the state approved evaluation instruments designed to assess teachers and principals have price tags that accompany their adoption by districts. There may also be a fee for training staff members above the cost for the assessment tool. These are financial obligations borne by districts at a time when budgets have been reduced for the last few years. The APPR is another unfunded state mandate that burdens local school districts.

On top of all this, many of the elements that comprise the APPR are subject to bargaining between the school districts and their respective teacher and principal unions. This process is not one that can be effectively conducted in short order. Nor does it appear that districts and unions have demonstrated expediency in resolving the matter. Lingering in the minds of parties to this process may a sense trepidation or "wait and see" - the question of whether there will be more changes forthcoming that will alter the APPR and undermine what's been done.

I'm not calling for the elimination of APPR or promoting a stalling tactic either. I do believe that the major thrust of the law is well intended. However, if it is as crucial as the proponents of the law claim, then let's take a step back and make sure we have the conditions and support necessary for successful implementation. Better a little late but right, than quick and discordant.

Ruthless Bully Pulpits and Anti-Bullying Month

2011-10-03T17:56:00.000-07:00

Politicians tossing scorching sound bites like lethal darts on the national stage and talk show hosts shouting caustic vitriol into microphones take note - today is the first day of National Anti-Bullying Month for schools across the country.

Think about that conceptual juxtaposition for a moment.

This morning the Green Island learning community acknowledged the arrival of National Anti-Bullying Month by assembling in a sea of blue with clothing of that color signifying support for awareness programs preventing intimidation and harassment. Mayor Ellen McNulty-Ryan, and executive assistant and Albany County legislator Sean Ward, joined us in the ceremony and reinforced efforts to eliminate bullying.

Later, once I settled in at home and perused the several news sources that serve to inform me each day, I found it difficult to scan the pages without discovering some reference to blatantly polarizing and blasphemous barbs exchanged between politicians on either side of the aisle anxious to grab the attention and vote of the public. With so many different types of news sources in the 24/7 world we live in now it has become so difficult for one to be "heard" amid all the "noise and clutter" that those seeking voter support stretch to outrageous levels to distinguish themselves from competitors. Then there are the talk show hosts/political entertainers who sink to such ever lower and increasingly uncivil depths that their relentless shock has come to desensitize the audience and serve more to sell merchandise and slogans than ideas. Theirs is a quest for fame and self-promotion. The name-calling and bullying - shouting over each other and using increasingly toxic language - hardly represent appropriate role models for our children. Sadly, the advent of National Anti-Bullying Month did not render even a pause in the verbal wars that fill the airwaves, the newsprint, and Internet sites even though perhaps all of the aforementioned politicians/talk show hosts have subscribed to and supported legislation outlawing bullying (apparently in schools - not government buildings or the television or radio studio).

But in Green Island and countless other schools throughout the country we were resolute in encouraging and teaching children to exercise respectful choices, agreeing to disagree, and working together to create and sustain a safe and orderly environment. Sometimes I think a good old fashioned Kindergarten teacher needs to seize the microphone at the next congressional debate/political talk show and admonish the adults for forcing a lose-lose gridlock in Washington by bullying each other without compromise and acting like unsupervised kids quarreling on the playground. They all need to flip their cards and stay after school!

Open House Opened Up

2011-09-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

The attendance of parents at this year's series of Open House events at The Heatly School increased by approximately 50% compared to figures from last year. That difference can be viewed as an indicator of progress toward a goal of constructing a bridge between home and school in an effort to engage parents as partners in education.

Hopefully, the upsurge in parents visiting the school can be attributed to renewed interest in the people, programs, and practices that have evolved over the last year. Maybe the higher numbers reflect higher levels of support and commitment. Maybe television programs on those nights were just unappealing or re-runs. More than likely it was a combination of the above AND because of the staff members who went the extra mile and personally called parents and extended invitations to attend Open House. The refreshments were well received (I volunteered to taste test several cookies to make sure they were good enough for the public - it's a sacrifice I make for the good of the school!!) The door prizes didn't hurt either. Nor did the form and direction of the opening remarks and presentation by the building administrators. Not only was there a clear focus but the set-up in the gymnasium was much more welcoming and conducive to an accommodating spirit.

Hopefully, we can take advantage of the momentum fueled by the success of Open House this year and build a platform for future interactions by nurturing the relationship with parents. Maintaining a bridge between home and school constructed on communication, mutual respect, and trust is critical. We have expanded our formal communication apparatus to include our quarterly newsletters in print, a continuously updated district website, School News Notifier, Facebook, this daily Blog, and now - Twitter. Together they represent a comprehensive system for reaching out to parents to bring them into the school.

Digging Education

2011-09-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

Imagine closing school for two days on short notice so learners in 7th to 12th grade could assist in the harvest of the potato crop. That's what the learners of that age range were expected to do when the Governor of the Tov Aimag (state) in Mongolia declared a potato emergency approximately two weeks ago. Talk about community service!

The school where my son teaches English as a Peace Corps volunteer was empty of secondary level learners as a result of that decree. The climate of Mongolia provides a very short growing season and the potato is a staple of the Mongolian diet. Most of the crops are tubers or root vegetables like carrots and turnips. The threat of impending cold weather prompted the action. In retrospect, it proved to be a wise decision since it snowed four inches last night in Bayanchanmandi, the small village of 2,500 where my son lives as the only American in town.

His Facebook posts and emails serve to remind me how fortunate we are. There is a sharp contrast between his own educational experience as a young learner in America and that of the children he serves in Mongolia. There are so many opportunities and experiences we take for granted - and often whine about when things don't go exactly to our liking. There are no buses transporting children to school. Many of the 700 learners walk to and from school in distances measured in miles (the mercury dips well below zero there during a winter that far exceeds ours in length). That certainly reflects a desire to learn. The conditions at the school built by the Soviets a few decades ago, (outhouses, lack of equipment and technology) pale in comparison to typical public school in our country.

Yet attendance and commitment is high among the learners. The behavior of learners toward staff members is respectful and supportive. My son reports that the learners in his classes are eager and enthusiastic to study English. Their clothes and expressions reveal the influence of our culture stretching deep into rural Asia. The learners appear to clearly understand that education offers the potential for social and economic mobility and a brighter future. There does not seem to be a prevailing sense of entitlement and school is not viewed as something one must endure. Instead the learners perceive education as a privilege and opportunity.

They don't just dig potatoes, they dig education too.

So...What Do We Do? (a follow-up)

2011-09-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

Last night's Blog post entry lamented the lethargic pace and misdirected path of reforming public schools in America.

Not one to be content merely with raising concerns, I will offer proposed solutions. These suggestions are fueled by my professional experience and greatly influenced by the thought provoking words of Mary Cullinane, Director of Innovation, US Partners of Learning of the Microsoft Corporation, who delivered the closing remarks at the Fall Institute of the New York State Council of School Superintendents.

1. Move from a static, predetermined, outdated and not entirely relevant curriculum to an engaging, timely, dynamic, and fluid scope and sequence of skills and knowledge.

2. Use readily available data to personalize the path of instruction for each learner. Exploit technology to collect, store, and retrieve data with efficiency and effectiveness to tailor the rate of coverage to the individual. This represents a move from differentiate instruction, which tends to sort learners into temporary skill/work groups, to an individualized course of instruction.

3. If we adopt and sustain personalized instructional paths then the next obstacle is the archaic model of 180 days per year from September to June school calendar that recognizes seat time more than it reflects a commitment to continuous progress. Time is the currency of learning metrics.

4. Mary Cullinane referred to her personal experience as a former high school History teacher responsible for teaching a class on current events - while required to use a school adopted textbook that was three years old! Content is not static, learning is not experienced in isolation whereby subject matters do not interact. That is, disciplines are interconnected and knowledge is organic and constantly growing. Reliance on textbooks, even those less than three years old, still falls short of constructing a relevant and meaningful context in a world which is dominated by 24 hour 7 day a week access to information.

5. Along with the confines of a 180 day school year that stretches from September through June, we also experience the restriction of a methodical and predictable plodding from one grade level to another. This point is clearly related to the issue of seat time. Learning needs to become more mobile. Progress should be measured in mastery of curriculum free of the bounds of time. We have learners who could conceivably take the state regents exam on the first day of school and pass the test - yet they must endure the required seat time accumulated over the 180 days of school rather than submit evidence of mastery and move forward in the curriculum.

6. One of the more interesting points I extracted from the presentation by the Microsoft representative yesterday regarded the subject of video games. Certainly, this is a subject Microsoft is well versed in. The average failure rate in video games has been pegged at 80%. That is staggering, yet gamers play on. How long would a learner in a classroom sustain their interest and commitment if they encountered a similar 80% rate of failure????

Consider the context of video games. The player selects one that is interesting. The game level at first is fairly easy and gradually becomes more complex and difficult. There's immediate feedback and consequences for choices and decisions made by the player. The learning is mobile in the sense that the player selects his/her personal environment in which to play. The player progresses at his/her own pace. Finally, there are built in rewards for accomplishments - chiefly advancing to an even more daunting performance level of the game.

The challenge for the school is to replicate as many of these conditions as possible to promote the success of the individual.

Something to think about as we explore our future.

Tried And Tried And Tried ...And Tired!

2011-09-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

“Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.”

Albert Einstein

I believe there are few people who are not critical of some aspect of public school education. I say this despite many years of data collected through the annual Gallup Poll that reveals over and over that the public is more than satisfied with their local school (usually grading the school with a "B" rating) than they are of public schools across the nation (usually grading other schools with a "C" rating, or lower).

Given the overall perception that public schools are under-performing and not meeting potential - what can be done, by whom, when, and where? Missing from the equation in this series of questions is the "why" of education reform. Among the primary stumbling blocks in education reform efforts is the fact that most of us have experienced 13 years of public school. That lengthy experience leaves us a victim of a combination of familiarity and nostalgia (selective retention) that prevents us from imagining and exploring alternative perspectives.

Someone once claimed that if parents and teachers were given the chance to change education they would simply reinvent the school they attended. It often appears that those who have their hands on the levers that influence schools arrived at that status through success in schools and would therefore feel far less inclined to alter the orientation of schools than those who have been victimized by the shortcomings of the traditional educational paradigm.

Why else have we clung to a long outdated agrarian based school calendar formed so farm families can help with the crops? Why are we teaching American History in high school in the same forty minute blocks of time that we did fifty years ago - before the JFK and MLK and RFK assassinations, Viet Nam war, the Nixon resignation, Moon landing, civil rights marches, Gulf wars, 9-11, recession,...? How can we spend the same amount of time studying Science when the field of Science doubles in content every four or five years?

I listened to a very informative presentation this morning delivered by an education specialist with Microsoft. She likened our national efforts at reforming education to the same well intentioned but deceptive practice that many people indulge when deciding to lose weight. They join a gym after an earnest New year's resolution, pay monthly fees, buy new work-out clothes, attend classes regularly - then erratically, then infrequently, and then they lose interest and resolve.... and nothing changes. We have experienced an illusion of action and a facade of commitment. The structure changes, but the system remains the same.

In education we conjure up new acronyms (RTTT; APPR; RtI; CCC...) and create "innovative programs" in a rather elaborate sleight of hand but as long as the calendar and clock remain the same, as long as teachers work privately in cubicles shared with 25 learners, as long as ill conceived mandates and confining policies and misdirected accountability shackle innovation, as long as content and coverage rule over relevance and rigor, as long as success is measured in seat-time as one plods patiently through school grade by grade - not much will change.

We need a revolution of liberating ideas and opportunities not a lethargic evolution of tired practices and programs. Where is the free enterprise and market-place of ideas necessary to stimulate an otherwise over-regulated industry of teaching and learning? Why the clamor on the national level for freeing businesses of restrictive bureaucratic red-tape to spur the economy while vigorously clamping down on the creativity and experimentation needed to provoke genuine innovation in education? How can you speak of job creation and economic engines without talking about education?

“Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.”

Albert Einstein

Schools Versus Prisons

2011-09-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

The title of this Blog entry might strike the reader as an odd combination of institutions. I have to admit, for me it has a bit of a humorous ring to it, but the subject is poignant and thought provoking.

First, I'll dispense with the humor. I attended Jefferson Elementary School in Rotterdam, New York many years ago. At that time the school was divided into two separate buildings across the street from each other. Fifth and sixth grades occupied the older brick building, sans gymnasium or cafeteria, so we had to walk across the road for physical education and lunch. Not long after I graduated from high school, the district sold the old building and it was converted into the Rotterdam Police Department and Jail. Years later, on a trip back east from our home in Texas, I toured my hometown with my son and daughter. Along the way I pointed to the Police Station/Jail and explained how I spent two years in that building. Their silence indicated that they were a little puzzled about my past - until I gave them the history of the building as my former elementary school.

Now the serious part. I have been attending the convention of the New York State Council of School Superintendents. This morning's featured speaker was Dr. John King, the Commissioner of Education for the State of New York. He presented updated information on the many different challenges facing school districts across the state. As he provided the rather grim juxtaposition of higher standards at a time when resources have become scarce during economic decline, he shared a story attributed to a principal in Michigan. King reported that the principal had apparently sent a personal letter to the governor of Michigan requesting that the state executive declare the principal's school to be a prison.

That's right; the principal wanted the school to be designated as a prison! The administrator's reasoning was sound, but tongue in cheek. His plea stated that his school receives $10,000 in state aid for each learner while the state spends $40,000 each year for each prisoner. He added that the prisoners receive free and full health care, immediate access to health care, and three square meals each day - all benefits that elude most of the learners attending the school where the principal serves as leader.

Yes, he was being sarcastic and displaying a heavy dose of irony - but the contrast in support is both startling and thought provoking. Among the most significant common denominator among prisoners in penal systems throughout the country is the lack of education. Spending $40,000 per prisoner and $10,000 per learner certainly appears to be a case of a pound of cure instead of an ounce of prevention. Investing in education is clearly not a panacea, but the return on investment is far greater than the expense of maintaining an expansive and growing prison population.

Think about it...

Just Say Thanks!

2011-09-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

I am making a request. Actually, I'm asking you to do two things. Three, really.

First, please read the article I have copied and pasted from a National Public Radio news feature that was aired on the radio today.

Second, listen to the audio of the article explaining the National Teacher Initiative.
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=140773185&m=140783768

Third, I want you to reflect on your own experience as a learner and identify a teacher who made a positive and constructive influence on your life. Then, use available Internet search engines and the like to seek out that teacher and find a way to contact that teacher to thank him or her.

Neurosurgeon Gives Thanks To His Science Teacher

by NPR Staff

Enlarge StoryCorps After a patient told neurosurgeon Lee Buono to thank the teacher who inspired him, he called up Al Siedlecki.

StoryCorps

After a patient told neurosurgeon Lee Buono to thank the teacher who inspired him, he called up Al Siedlecki.

September 25, 2011

As a middle-school student in the '80s, Lee Buono stayed after school one day to remove the brain and spinal cord from a frog. He did such a good job that his science teacher told him he might be a neurosurgeon someday.
That's exactly what Buono did.

StoryCorps

The National Teachers Initiative is a project of StoryCorps, the American oral history project. Each month this school year, Weekend Edition Sunday will celebrate stories of public school teachers across the country.

Years later, a patient with a tumor came to see Buono. The growth was benign, but interfered with the patient's speech. "He can get some words out," Buono recalls, "but it's almost unintelligible. It's almost like someone's sewing your mouth closed."
"I'm talking to his wife, and we tried to lighten up the situation," he continues. "They started asking me about myself." They asked Buono who inspired him to become a surgeon, and he told them about his old teacher, Al Siedlecki, back at Medford Memorial Middle School in Medford, N.J.
Surgery was a success. The patient's powers of speech returned. "He's just excited and happy and crying and wanted to just hug me," Buono says. "You make sure you call that teacher," the patient said. "You make sure you thank him."
So Buono did.
"I picked the phone up and you go, 'Hey, it's Lee Buono,'" Siedlecki says to his former student. "'Lee, what's goin' on man? I haven't heard from you since you were in high school,'" he said.
"'I want to thank you,'" Buono replied.
"I was flabbergasted," Siedlecki says. "I said, 'Of all the people in your entire career, you want to thank me?'
"It was the same feeling I had when ... when my kids were born," Siedlecki says. "I started to cry. It made me feel really important that I had that influence on you."
Lately, Siedlecki admits, "I almost am afraid to say that I'm a teacher to some people."
Not anymore, he tells Buono, "because you called me. I'm a teacher, and I'm going to help as many people as I can to find their passion too."
Audio produced for Weekend Edition by Brian Reed.

In Between Here and There

2011-09-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

Manhattan, Kansas is located approximately 1,300 miles west of Green Island, New York. Camerino, Italy is situated nearly 4,400 miles east of Green Island, New York. From Manhattan, Kansas to Camerino, Italy is almost 5,700 miles. Those two endpoints represent the farthest distance traveled by learners who enrolled in our school district during the summer break. We have two sisters from Kansas and a foreign exchange student from Italy joining us in Green Island.
Our enrollment has increased slightly compared to last year after accounting for those who have become residents of the village and those who have relocated from Green Island. We have added 18 learners at the elementary level and 9 at the secondary level. We welcome the newest members of our learning community and pledge ourselves to successfully assimilate them into the school culture.
In addition to the distance that separates these learners, there are differences as well. That can also be said about any group of learners in any classroom. General ability levels range across a spectrum in any classroom. A typical fourth grade room, for instance, may have any many different skill levels as children. Even if two members of the class tested out at the same Reading level, there would still be variance in performance levels among the many specific skills that comprise the subject of Reading. One learner may be high in comprehension and low in vocabulary, while the other may score at opposite levels - leaving them with very similar overall achievement levels.

Appropriately attending to the unique and individual needs of all learners in a class requires a teacher to be adept at diagnosing skill levels and subsequently prescribing instructional strategies designed to extend the child's learning. Flexible, skill oriented grouping that adapts to the content and coverage of concepts in the curriculum, where configurations of learners are periodically adjusted based on teaching the specific skill to learners deficient at that particular skill, and enables teachers to better accommodate the different learners that compose the class. Using data to inform instructional decisions, agility in planning lessons, versatility in delivering alternative instructional methods, and adaptability in organizing for instruction represent key attributes necessary for differentiating instruction and accommodating all learners within a class.

This challenge places the teacher in a role similar to that of an orchestra conductor. The conductor is responsible for working with many different musicians and instruments, from tuba to piccolo, and exercising the perception and insight to know how and when each instrument can contribute to the piece of music without disrupting their colleagues. Harmony results from the effective and efficient coordination of varying skills among the many different members of the orchestra. It's certainly not an easy task. However, respecting and accommodating different learners - whether stretching to reach all achievement levels, or stretching to incorporate children from thousands of miles away - is the basis for operating an organizational culture based on relationships.

Dollars Or Differences

2011-09-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

I encountered a bit of serendipity when I discovered a quote of interest as I was searching for another quote from the same person, former television anchorman Tom Brokaw. His words grabbed hold of me and reaffirmed my decision to enter the career of public school leadership. Brokaw said, "It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference."

I am one of seven offspring born to a family headed by two adults who chose to end their formal education after tenth grade. The absence of high school diplomas severely limited the opportunity for my parents to provide the means to support such a large brood. Growing up impoverished could understandably have served as the impetus to lunge forward at any and every chance to make as much money as possible to render poverty a distant memory.

My oldest sister and I both followed our goals and chased our dreams by making the commitment of effort and energy necessary to meet admissions guidelines for college. She earned the distinction of a National Merit Scholarship and the expansive possibilities that await someone of that academic status. I experienced good fortune in school and, together with my ability on the soccer field, was invited to attend a long list of colleges. Each of us was in a position to select from a vast menu of prospective futures. Her talents in science, particularly for a female at that point in time, presented a financially rewarding career in a wide open field - science research, chemical engineering, medicine, university level teaching,... My interest in the social sciences prompted admission counselors and advisers to recommend law, government, foreign service, political science public policy, and other areas as a potential landing zone for a profession.

While both of us were confronted by rather lucrative possibilities, neither of us wavered from our decisions to invest ourselves in the education arena. After all, we arrived at that point in college where we had enticing and financially rewarding careers at our calling because we were recipients and beneficiaries of caring teachers who extended us empathy, understanding and encouragement - beyond their capacity to impart valuable knowledge and skills. Collectively, those staff members fed our dreams and supported out hopes. They were among the few who looked beyond the reality of problems slowly suffocating our family, and the confining stereotypes cast upon us by other staff members, and instead perceived the possibilities and opportunities that could unfold through our potential.

So, the decision to enter teaching was not a difficult choice or a regretful option. We wanted to serve as bridges for others who grew up like us - kids who were frustrated, inhibited by low expectations, and otherwise resigned to suffer within the firm grasp of hopelessness and helplessness. In short, we were far more compelled to make a difference than make a dollar.

We have both been rewarded over and over in untold sums of satisfaction and priceless amounts of personal pride. Neither of us would ever imagine going back in time and altering our path.

In the grips of the present economic crisis that plagues our region, state, and country it would be plausible for current graduates to follow the money to jobs presenting high salaries and substantial benefits. But, in my opinion, if we are to relieve ourselves as a nation of the burden of problems that now appear so overwhelming, the solutions will more likely be created by people who are determined to make a difference than by those who are primarily motivated by making money. I recognize I may be simplistic and I'm not inviting a lengthy debate on the long list of other factors that brought us to the brink of disaster, but think about it - wasn't the "me first" personal greed that inflated Wall Street coffers (and individual wallets) and the "hollow house built of cards" real estate boom and the insatiable "right now" consumer appetite for instant credit beyond our means - the fuel that greatly contributed to the present crisis?

Dollars or Difference?

Apart And Together

2011-09-16T07:26:00.000-07:00

I normally do not generate Blog post entries during the school day. There's very little uninterrupted time available to sit down and contemplate a subject or issue during a typical school day full of people and activities. However, I made the time this morning when two separate incidents occurred within a couple of hours of each other that produced an epiphany of sorts - and the decision to make the time to sequester myself in the office to create this Blog entry.

Early this morning, while I was watching television and using exercise equipment at home, there was a commercial touting the benefits of wireless service in your home. This feature enables family members to access cable TV and the Internet from any area of the house. There was an image of dad watching football on cable in the living room, mom shopping on-line via the Internet in another room, and kids in their respective bedrooms playing video games or listening to music. There are clearly advantages to having connections like that throughout the home so everyone has access to information and entertainment, but the images reminded me of how inviting it can be for each individual in a family to retreat to separate rooms and, even though they may enjoy their experiences, live separate lives.

We now have a menu of over 100 television channels; the means of electronically connecting with virtually anyone anywhere via email, Skype or cell phone; selecting merchandise from thousands of options at huge food markets and mega malls; and many, many other opportunities to exercise choices. The focus on individual choices (it echoes the Burger King commercial - "Have it your way!") may at some point promote independence and empowerment, but it also can also serve as a barrier as well.

Former television newscaster Tom Brokaw once reflected poignantly on the impact of technology. I will paraphrase his message. "We now have the means of instantly connecting to people half way around the world, but many of us know little about the people around our neighborhood."

Those words remained with me as I drove to school. It was an amazing coincidence to find that today's schedule at school included a "Morning Program" for the elementary grades. This is a new opportunity at school this year. The elementary staff developed an activity to offer at the start of the day on Mondays and Fridays to focus attention on togetherness and community. Parents and community members are invited in as all of the elementary learners assemble in the gymnasium to recite the pledge of allegiance, hear announcements, acknowledge birthdays, share good news, learn about the day's weather, and experience time together.

I inserted myself into the program during announcements and spoke of the effect the wireless commercial had on me. Then, as I looked around the gymnasium at all of the elementary learners and a number of parents who invested their time in attending the event, I reiterated the importance of the Morning Program and the need to share information and work together. It was a great opportunity to contrast the wireless commercial and the real need we all have to foster a sense of community. I ended by suggesting that many of the problems that plague our world can only be successfully addressed by people banding together and cooperatively creating solutions.

In fact, the National Department of Labor once asserted that the number one reason that people lose their jobs (outside of a terrible and depressing economy) is the "inability to get along with others." There is no better reason to justify our Morning Program at a time when too many schools hold out hope that the most effective method of improving achievement levels is to spend every available minute of the school day with learners devoted to preparing for tests. The Heatly School is preparing children for tests - but more than academic tests - we are preparing them for a world beset by issues that require social skills, cooperation and creativity to find fair and equitable solutions.

Superintendent Version 2.0

2011-09-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

The start of my second school year as superintendent of the Green Island Union Free School District sure feels different than that initial day in the role twelve months ago. I am now familiar with the myriad amount of state reports and other responsibilities of the office that had previously been unknown to me, despite the many years I had worked as a building principal with superintendents. That beneath the surface list of duties proved to be full of surprises!

I also have a far better understanding of the nuances of the organizational culture - the "way we do things around here." That knowledge, together with the relationships that I've formed in the last year, will offer valuable assistance as I enter the second year of service.

I am convinced that our school district can sustain improvement and subsequently stretch our performance levels with the people we have on staff. Increasing achievement is not a matter of hiring new staff members or purchasing new materials as much as it is about framing a new attitude in the district. That path begins with clarity regarding our mission and a guiding vision. Our direction cannot be vague. Words and terms like - most, maybe, try, the best we can,... restrict possibilities rather than facilitate progress. Some is not a number, soon is not a time. We have to pledge ourselves to preparing all graduates for college, career, and citizenship. We have to commit to that target each and every day leading up to graduation.

The vehicle for pursuing our mission rests on our fidelity to the 6 C's we addressed when the staff met on the day before school opened: Clarity; Communication; Collaboration; Commitment; Compassion; and Consistency.

The learners looked a little taller and a little older as they walked up the sidewalk on opening day. I was informed by one 7th grader that I looked a bit older but not an inch taller (Oh well). They represented all ages, sizes, shapes, and colors. The common denominator among them is that their faces are a reminder of our purpose. There is an individual story behind each expression. We should not do anything that robs any of them of their hopes and dreams. We must extend respect and dignity for all; stimulate a desire to learn relevant knowledge, skills, and work habits; provide meaningful and timely feedback on their learning experiences; expend as much energy and effort as we expect them to exercise; and successfully assimilate them into a community of learners.

That's what we need to do. Now, here's what I believe that I need to do as an individual.

I must work with our school board of education to reach a fair and equitable accord with each of our bargaining units in a manner that supports a collaborative school culture and appropriately balances compensation with the resources of the community.

I must orchestrate our resources to effectively and efficiently promote higher levels of performance by:

1. fostering dreams and sustaining hope for all members of our learning community.
2. simultaneously promoting organizational goals of the district and individual goals of staff members - permitting each individual to exploit unique skills and professional discretion, while remaining oriented to the overarching goals of the district.
3. incorporating a new assessment program called NWEA (developed by the Northwest Education Association) that is a growth oriented adaptive assessment for learners in Kindergarten through 10th grade, administered three times each year in Math, Language, and Reading, that identifies individual instructional levels and skill bands that inform the instructional decision of our teachers.
4. ensuring that our staff has the conditions, training, and support necessary to meet the demanding challenges of state learning standards.
5. examining possibilities before they become obvious or necessary - explore the creation of a school-to-work internship program that presents real life work experiences for our seniors as they begin the transition from school to careers and colleges; evaluate the prospects of providing college level classes in our high school beyond the existing foreign language oriented University in the Classroom program; determine if our master schedule can be adapted to allow seniors the opportunity to attend local college classes in the afternoon hours of the normal school schedule; and finally, make every effort to look "around corners and over horizons" for experiences that could benefit our learners.
6. successfully integrating various state mandates such as the APPR (Annual Professional Performance Review) in a process that does not distract us from our pursuit of the district's mission.

I need to provide and preserve a bridge between the school district and the community by:

1. promoting constructive interactions between the school district and our community.
2. regularly communicating our work and progress to those outside of our school.
3. making a convincing case that we are an investment worthy of the financial resources of our taxpayers.

September Reboot

2011-09-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

One of the really refreshing aspects of working in public school education is the calendar. I don't mean having the summer off for a vacation because I have worked year round as a school administrator for 35 years now. No, what I am referring to is the fact that our school calendar has a definite beginning as well as a defined end point. There's a clear start and a definite end to the year as opposed to many private sector work roles in organizations where the weeks follow each other continuously in an endless flow only interrupted when a worker goes on vacation. Those calendars are never ending.

In contrast, the rhythm of working from a universal start (although the "back to school sales" seem to arrive earlier each summer) and common winter holiday vacations, a shared February break and a traditional Spring break, all the way through to those hot days approaching the end of June combine to create a familiar cadence. This means that every September births a new beginning and all of the hope and optimism that emerges from a fresh start. It's the promise and prospect of starting anew that offers me inspiration and optimism. Another year, another opportunity, another group of wide-eyed five year old children populating Kindergarten class with all of the future about to unfold with every turn of the calendar. The imagination can run wild in an attempt to think of what intriguing possibilities await these little boys and girls when they grow up in a world that experiences change at an accelerated pace with astounding innovations.

We will be working diligently to invent our own future at the Heatly School, for every learner, one day at a time.

Here We Go - A Summary of the Opening Day Speech To The Staff

2011-09-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Staff Members,

Here’s a written summary of the presentation delivered Tuesday as a welcoming address.

The exercise involving the sand and rocks was intended to explain how difficult it can be to effectively engage with the essential leverage points in an organization when it is distracted by issues that are important but not urgent, and issues that are urgent but not important. The theme is related to the subject of our last session together in June – The Valley and the Ambulance – which expressed the potential waste of time and resources spent on responding to a problem with treatments by calling forth ambulances instead of initiating preventative measures like building a fence that prevents people from going over the cliff in the first place. It’s a matter of focus and strategy.

Each of the six rocks used in the demonstration represented a critical - urgent and important - focal point for us as we move forward.

1. Clarity: Defining our meaning and purpose is a necessary first step in promoting success. Our mission is, “Every student will graduate prepared for college, career and citizenship.” Central to that pursuit is the path of fostering dreams and sustaining hope.
2. Communication: Communication often connects people in the same way that mortar links bricks to form a firm foundation to support structures. Communication between and among stakeholders is critical to success in any human service enterprise. If we do not communicate with parents we are not valuing their contribution as a partner in education. We need to make regular, accurate, and timely use of EdLine as a vehicle to offer progress oriented data to parents. We need to make Open House a profitable experience by articulating the goals, expectations, and opportunities for our area of responsibility. This will allow parents to better understand and support our efforts. We must also recognize that academic success is dependent on communication between staff members if we expect to have an operational curriculum with effective scope, sequence, and integration for our curriculum.
3. Collaboration: Collaboration emerges from communication. In order to cooperate we must be able to interact constructively with each other. Our mission must be clear to form common goals and shared meaning. The sand we used in our demonstration with the rocks is a substance that slips through your hands with ease yet, when packed together inside a bag sand is strong enough to prevent flood waters from pouring inside the building and damaging the school. People banding together can project the same effect – strength and resolve.
4. Compassion: Teaching and learning is inherently an intensive human dynamic. As such, relationships usually form the fulcrum point separating success and failure. While we can “know” a learner on the basis of objective data and measurements, we really don’t “know” the individual until we care about them and imagine walking in their shoes for a while. Empathy and understanding are related to the degree of genuine interest we extend to others. We should always treat our learners as we would want our own sons and daughters to be treated. Why should our expectations be any different? The Golden Rule comes to mind.
5. Commitment: We are all, directly or indirectly, experiencing the frustration borne of political gridlock in Washington D.C. The virtual refusal of either party to extend accommodations has ground progress and solutions to a halt. No one really wins in an environment where parties are fundamentally retrenched and inflexible. There is a strong possibility that everyone loses when people become more vested in their side “winning” than in arriving at an elegant solution of mutual benefit and best alternatives. Regardless of what our individual roles are here, we must all pledge ourselves to creating and sustaining a positive learning community that fosters dreams and sustains hope.
6. Consistency: The conceptual distance between what we say and what we do is very revealing to others. Longfellow’s famous quote applies – “What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary.” Our policies and practices must be consistent in operation. While differentiated instruction that accommodates learner variability is an appropriate response to the needs of learners, variance between teachers in classrooms responsible for the same learners (policies on homework, grading,…) can lead to confusion and frustration among learners struggling to meet guidelines that differ from class to class.

The state’s education law embedded in the APPR regulations has taken the high stakes pressure that has hovered over the learners and plunked it down on the desks of the teachers as well. If nothing else, we can now feel the impact from a different perspective regarding assessment, weights of measurement, and the potential consequences of not meeting rigid requirements.

We have evidenced measures of Adequate Yearly Progress at all areas. That’s a significant improvement from being designated as a School In Need of Improvement. By incorporating the 6 C’s referenced above in the operation of our school, and by adopting a position of being pro-active instead of defensive and reactive (i.e. the Valley and the Ambulance) we can remain a small school with BIG ideas and meet with increased performance levels.

Thanks,

Mike

Supporting Your School - A New Definition, A New Standard

2011-09-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

School spirit can be measured in many different forms. Usually, when one thinks about school spirit they conjure up images of enthusiastic teens cheering on sports teams, displaying pride in their school, supporting various school events and generally spreading good will among members of the school community. However, several teenagers at the Heatly School have redefined the term and established new standards of performance levels associated with demonstrating a genuine investment in their school that goes well beyond cheering and celebrating activities.

The following high school learners generously contributed their energy and effort toward sandbagging the school on August 28th during the recent flood of the Hudson River in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

Adriana Brown
Chiars Fedeli (a foreign exchange student from Italy who arrive only two days before the flood)
Melissa Heffern
Laura Strizzi
Elijah Legault
Nate Miller
Brittany Charette
David Gagne

They gave new meaning to the term "preparing for the opening day of school." I want to extend my personal thanks to these fine young men and women who exhibited extraordinary commitment to their school! Their sense of duty and achievement does not end at helping to preserve the school. They are all active and productive participants in school activities. I am proud to serve as their superintendent.

Here's a link to a Wall Street Journal article on the community effort. The reporter's family is from Troy and they somehow learned about our plight and contacted their son who reached us for a news story.
http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/08/30/entire-town-drafted-to-defend-against-surging-waters/

I apologize if I have missed any other students who were engaged in this special project. The people assembled arrived out of the blue by word of mouth or Facebook postings. The urgency of the work prevented me from taking an opportunity to make an accurate accounting of all workers. People simply showed up, asked how they could assist, rolled up their sleeves, grabbed shovels and bags and went to work. This collectively genuine act of civic responsibility and community dedication reminds me of the definition I once heard of character - "true character is revealed by what you do and how you act when nobody is looking." Once pizza was consumed after finishing the work, people departed as casually as they had arrived. They just pitched in and did was needed to be done and went off without fanfare.

Thank you!!

Rain, Rain Go Away!

2011-09-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

A steady rain was not enough to dampen the spirits of the 320 learners as they made their way along the sidewalk and up the steps of the school this morning to start another school calendar. It was either their enthusiasm that fended off the effect of the rain, or the fact that today's downpour paled in comparison to what we experienced ten days ago when flood waters of the Hudson threatened the school. I guess we are all getting used to the rain. Oh well.

Speaking of the Hudson River, Heatly is beginning a new course in the high school this year. The subject of the new curriculum is a comprehensive examination of the Hudson River from a broad perspective that embraces the history, geography, transportation, commerce, literature, science and politics of this famous American tributary. Since Heatly is located along the edge of the river it seems appropriate that we use it as the basis of a new elective course that will serve to expand learning opportunities in our high school. The class can be selected as either a History or an English credit because the units of study will provide learning experiences in both domains.

Naturally, when we decided to bring the river into the classroom we only intended to do so on a conceptual and intellectual level, although the river itself nearly entered the building on a very real level a week and a half ago. We want the class to offer an up close, in depth look at the importance of the river, without the river pouring in their classroom.

The addition of this class is another step toward increasing instructional experiences for our learners in an effort to provide them a more robust curriculum that will better prepare them for the future. We have also added on-line classes from a menu of over 100 different high school courses. In this manner we hope to strengthen the ability of our graduates to compete for a seat in the college of their choice. Our goal is to become more competitive with other schools in the region. This year we will explore the possibility of presenting a school-to-work internship program for 2012-13 as well as college level classes in high school. Despite being a small school we maintain BIG ideas for the future.

First Day of School - In Mongolia

2011-09-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

As we near the first day of another school year in Green Island, I thought I'd share a picture of young learners awaiting the opening of the school doors on their first day of school in Mongolia. My son is a Peace Corps volunteer who has been assigned to a two year long position teaching English to learners and staff at a school of 700 in a small village in Mongolia. I really like the expression on the little boy in the foreground. His outfit is formal, his look reflects a mixture of anxious anticipation.

Our first day will be markedly different. There, the first day resembles a field day atmosphere involving wrestling for the boys and archery for the girls. In Green Island, the only wrestling will be between learners and their new schedules.

I am hoping that our school will be able and interested in becoming a partner with this school is an electronic exchange that could offer cultural experiences between the two groups. We have been using Skype to communicate with our son and will explore the opportunity to use that form of communication to connect interested parties within the two schools.

Sandbagging

2011-09-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

I'd like to start off this year's Blog with a post acknowledging the fantastic community-wide effort undertaken by countless volunteers last Sunday afternoon/evening to defend the school building from the flood waters of the Hudson River that runs along the school property. It's a tribute to the dedicated residents of all ages who combined to produce a protective barrier that prevented damage to the school.

If you looked up the term “sandbagging” in Wikipedia you will find numerous definitions, all of which are negative in connotation.

Sandbagging may refer to:

· Deceiving someone by pretending to be weak.

· Sandbagging (racing) a driver deliberately drag races or qualifies slower than what the car can actually perform

· Sandbagging (budgeting), a manager deliberately overstates financial requirements with the intent of coming in under-budget, thus being praised.

· Sandbagging (golfing), a player deliberately plays poorly until establishing a handicap and then raises his money bets, using the established handicap to unfairly win

However, I can assure you that the sandbagging efforts of the many volunteers that assembled at a moment’s notice in the rear of our school building on Sunday afternoon and evening were valiant and productive. Upwards of 75 people formed a spontaneous work group that shoveled sand, bagged it, tied the bags, and placed the bags over tarps located at strategic points in an effort to ward off the very real threat of the raging flood waters of the Hudson River. The volunteers worked with members of the local Department of Public Works and our custodial staff to defend the school from potential floodwaters. There were people of all ages joined together in support of the community and school. At one point, as I filled another bag of sand, I noticed it was being held by our newest student, Chiara Fedeli, a foreign exchange student who had just arrived from Italy two days before the flood.

Everything happened so quickly and with such urgency that I did not make a list of all of the volunteers. For that, I apologize because all of my fellow sandbaggers deserve a great thank you well beyond the 100 slices of pizza that was consumed once we finished the project.

Despite the parking lot being covered by over a foot of water on Monday, the only entry of water into the school was limited to seepage beneath rear doors and exterior vents. That was subsequently cleaned up by our hard working custodians - Anthony Lazzaro, Joe Simpson, Jason Sedgwick and Dan Brannigan. They put in long hours both Sunday and Monday battling the prospects of a flooded building. We are now ready for the opening of school.

I would like to thank Mayor Ellen McNulty-Ryan, Sean Ward, Mike McNulty, and the DPW crew for coordinating the response as well as their significant contributions of information, time and energy. Finally, I want to especially thank Bill DeCianni, who not only generously provided his time as a volunteer but also personally brought materials and supplies that were essential to the prevention efforts.

This is an important reminder of the impact that can be generated by a group of dedicated individuals acting as a team. It is also a tremendous reflection of commitment and support that is genuinely appreciated by members of our school community.

Sincerely,

Dr. Michael Mugits, Superintendent

A Picture Or A Movie?

2011-07-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

We've all heard the adage - "A picture is worth a 1,000 words." That may be true. But, if a single picture is worth 1,000 words then 180 pictures would be worth 180,000 words. I realize that 180,000 words can be overwhelming, and perhaps even unnecessary. But, wouldn't you agree that you are likely to obtain a far better grasp and context of a subject if you had 180,000 words rather than 1,000?

Let me get to the point I want to offer in this Blog entry. New York state is about to embark on a system of evaluating teachers and principals that attributes 40% of the individual's overall rating to the test performance of the learners of whom they are responsible. The test used for determining this assessment is the state mandated and state produced test assigned to a particular grade and/or subject. For instance, the state Math test administered in 4th grade. These tests are designed to measure the performance of learners against the state's learning standards for respective grade levels or subject areas - i.e. the high school Regents exam in Algebra.

All told, the tests employed as decision points in evaluating the teachers and principals (the evaluation of principals encompasses test score results from all of the grades within the school of their responsibility) are single administrations. That is, each test may consume an hour or two, depending on the grade and subject. That makes it a data point extracted from a single day instead of data collected over the 180 days of a school year. In that small amount of time, the performance of the learners will collectively factor into 40% of the overall determination of the evaluation status of the teacher and principal associated with the test takers.

That represents a single picture - a snapshot. This is very different than a movie that uses countless frames of pictures to create and express a story. A single picture does not reveal the full plot, the back-story, the character development, the foreshadowing, the motives, and many other elements that combine to offer a complete story. So it is with the APPR (Annual Professional Performance Review) that the state is prepared to embark upon this coming September. It should be noted that NYSUT, (New York State United Teachers) the largest teachers union in the state, recently filed a court order seeking an injunction to prevent the implementation of the legislated measure. That legal intervention places training exercises for evaluators in limbo this summer as people are left to wonder what we will be doing, when we will be doing it, and how we will be doing it. There has not really been a question of why we are doing it - teachers and principals alike accept and expect yearly evaluations. They have reason to also assume that the process of evaluation is research based, credible, and performed with integrity. Furthermore, the process should be one that provides skill specific feedback, appropriate and supportive resources intended to buttress any areas of deficiency, and sufficient time to generate and demonstrate the improvement necessary to realize effective standards of performance.

Florida will also be unveiling a similar evaluation system for the upcoming school year. In that system, the tests taken by learners will account for 50% of the teacher's evaluation. Here's what one of the teachers said about the new evaluation program in Florida:

Beth Weatherstone, president of the Indian River County Education Association and an algebra teacher , said test scores making up such a large portion of the evaluation is a concern.

"It's one test on one day of (students') life and is 50 percent of my evaluation," Weatherstone said. "There are factors that affect students that have nothing to do with my classroom."

I suspect that her remarks will be echoed throughout the Empire State as we move forward in implementing the newly adopted evaluation system here (assuming the legal wrangling is resolved in time).

Stay tuned....

The Difference A Year Makes

2011-06-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

Last year at this time I was winding down a twenty year career as an elementary principal in Schuylerville, New York and preparing to assume responsibility for leading the Green Island Union Free School District. I was experiencing a great deal of work and more than a little bit of conflicting emotions during the transition.

A year later finds me on my feet after looking, listening, and learning about the multiple dimensions of the school system. I am in a much better position to assert leadership designed to leverage success. Twelve months ago, there was so much information coming at me all at once that I likened it to drinking water from a fire hose. Now, I can devote more energy and effort at reviewing our people, our policies and our practices with an eye on how we can effectively coordinate the three areas to promote improvement.

I'm excited about our prospects despite the issues that will confront us as we move forward. The recently passed 2% property tax cap will pose a significant hurdle if it constrains our possibilities by restricting finances. More than ever before, as funding shrinks, we must expand our support among community members and taxpayers. The only way to exceed the cap, and I suspect the increases in pension costs and health care expenses will prompt us to creep beyond the cap, will be to acquire at least a 60% approval among voters for our budget. Our performance must rise to increase the confidence and perceptions people have regarding our operation and if we expect to secure an appropriate budget. Efficiency and effectiveness will help gain the public trust and investment.

In addition, the Annual Professional Performance Review that was modified and expanded in the last month represents another obstacle. The proper implementation of the components of the APPR requires significant training. There are more questions than answers emerging from the state's recent intervention. I believe the state is moving too fast (the impact of political pressure and misplaced rhetoric) and has advanced beyond the ability of the state education department to develop and articulate some of the elements of the code. That leaves school districts everywhere groping for assistance in addressing issues (i.e. what are the assessments necessary to use in measuring teacher performance in those grades and subjects that currently lack state-wide tests?).

Finally, not only has the state education department leaped ahead like an anxious army that has outstripped its supply lines ($$$$) and risks becoming vulnerable, but the tax cap constricts school systems precisely at the point in time when they are contending with Race To The Top mandates and APPR.

There's a considerable amount of work ahead.... but this summer allows the time to prepare for the challenges.

A New Orientation

2011-06-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

After spending the school year looking, listening, and learning about the school environment and organizational culture, I am now in a position whereby I can more confidently lead the school district. Observing the social, political, and instructional landscape of the system equips me with the insight that can enable me to leverage change and pursue improvement efforts beyond merely intervening in urgent situations. I will spend time over the summer to develop plans to implement more concerted strategic efforts directed at addressing weaknesses, exposing flawed practices and unwritten policies, and enhancing existing strengths.

The starting point for this venture was shared yesterday at our final staff meeting of the school year. I wanted to stimulate thought, challenge current perspectives, and subsequently change our orientation. The main objective of the meeting was reinforced by a poem written by Joseph Malins, in 1895. The poem was enriched and brought to life through a skillful narration featured in a youtube video. The message is crucial to our need to adopt a more efficient and effective platform for our school operation for the upcoming school year.

'Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,
Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;
But over its terrible edge there had slipped
A duke and full many a peasant.
So the people said something would have to be done,
But their projects did not at all tally;
Some said, "Put a fence 'round the edge of the cliff,"
Some, "An ambulance down in the valley."

But the cry for the ambulance carried the day,
For it spread through the neighboring city;
A fence may be useful or not, it is true,
But each heart became full of pity
For those who slipped over the dangerous cliff;
And the dwellers in highway and alley
Gave pounds and gave pence, not to put up a fence,
But an ambulance down in the valley.

"For the cliff is all right, if you're careful," they said,
"And, if folks even slip and are dropping,
It isn't the slipping that hurts them so much
As the shock down below when they're stopping."
So day after day, as these mishaps occurred,
Quick forth would those rescuers sally
To pick up the victims who fell off the cliff,
With their ambulance down in the valley.

Then an old sage remarked: "It's a marvel to me
That people give far more attention
To repairing results than to stopping the cause,
When they'd much better aim at prevention.
Let us stop at its source all this mischief," cried he,
"Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally;
If the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense
With the ambulance down in the valley."

"Oh he's a fanatic," the others rejoined,
"Dispense with the ambulance? Never!
He'd dispense with all charities, too, if he could;
No! No! We'll support them forever.
Aren't we picking up folks just as fast as they fall?
And shall this man dictate to us? Shall he?
Why should people of sense stop to put up a fence,
While the ambulance works in the valley?"

But the sensible few, who are practical too,
Will not bear with such nonsense much longer;
They believe that prevention is better than cure,
And their party will soon be the stronger.
Encourage them then, with your purse, voice, and pen,
And while other philanthropists dally,
They will scorn all pretense, and put up a stout fence
On the cliff that hangs over the valley.

Better guide well the young than reclaim them when old,
For the voice of true wisdom is calling.
"To rescue the fallen is good, but 'tis best
To prevent other people from falling."
Better close up the source of temptation and crime
Than deliver from dungeon or galley;
Better put a strong fence 'round the top of the cliff
Than an ambulance down in the valley.

-- Joseph Malins (1895)

In A Fog

2011-06-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

"Bert and I" are the comic creations of storytellers Rob Bryan and the late Marshall Dodge, both of Maine. They spun humorous tales associated with the peculiar thoughts and arcane behaviors of the native inhabitants of Down East Maine.

One such story involves two lobstermen who were out plying their trade when a fog as thick as pea soup rolled in and engulfed their small boat. Since the two operated their business on a shoe-string they didn't have the money needed to purchase radar or a fathometer that could safely guide them through the foggy conditions.

Instead, they resorted to Yankee ingenuity as a means of navigating through the thick gray blanket that surrounded the boat. Bert trudged up to the bow of the vessel lugging a heavy sack of potatoes while his work-mate stayed at the helm of the boat manning the controls. Bert reached in and grabbed a couple of spuds, stood steadfast on the bow, peered straight ahead and began throwing potatoes, one at a time, out ahead of the boat as far as he could possible heave. Then, he paused, cupped his hand to an ear and listened carefully. If he heard a splash he directed his partner to maintain the current course. If he didn't hear a splash he quickly yelled to his shipmate to veer the boat sharply to the left or right in hopes of avoiding whatever object, perhaps another boat or a rocky shoreline, that the potato had struck.

While the method that Bert and his partner used in the fog may have been inexpensive, it was hardly reliable and accurate. The sharp turn to either left or right also depended on a quick "best guess" as to what alternative to pursue when confronted with an unknown obstacle. That's not a particularly effective strategy either.

In terms of organizations, like schools, the mission of the organization serves as the navigational tool that allows the company to continue on their course, make decisions with reference to the course, and prioritize strategies on the basis of alignment with the mission. A mission crafted with clarity enables employees to have an important reference point to guide their behavior and their actions so they don't suffer from the ambiguity and mystery of foggy conditions that prevent them from understanding where they are and where they are going. Too many schools lack an inspiring mission that provides direction for their efforts. As a result, they are reliant upon the leader to show them the way. If the company is in a 'fog' and disoriented they are dependent upon their leader's ability to 'throw potatoes.' That's not a recipe for effectiveness.

I played baseball and enjoyed success as a pitcher, but I wouldn't want a school district to rely solely on my ability and arm strength to toss a potato into the fog to plot our course of action and where we might go as an organization in the future.

I have experienced some instances of patchy fog during my first year as a superintendent here in Green Island. There have been times when it was difficult to see very far ahead, or identify other objects in the area. That is a natural consequence of being new to a system and unfamiliar with practices and policies, especially those that are unwritten and based on replicating traditional rituals. I have felt like I was throwing a potato here and there. But, now that a year has transpired and I have a clearer view of the environment, I feel confident that I can express our mission in terms that will lead to focused action designed to successfully pursue our goals and sustain a course toward meeting our collective potential. That path will promote opportunities for our graduates to be prepared for college, career, and citizenship.

I will unveil the specifics of that strategy to our staff on the final day of school - this Friday, June 24th - and convey it in a Blog entry soon thereafter. I want staff members to have the summer to digest the message and create opportunities to actively contribute toward the mission in new and different ways.

Looking Back

2011-06-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today marked the beginning of the end. The first day of the last week of school. It's time to reflect on the year.

A great deal has happened since I started work in Green Island on July 1, 2010. The map I had created to guide me on the journey did not use the typical compass points of North, East, South, and West but rather Look, Listen, Learn, and Lead. I had examined all of the publicly available data (attendance figures, test scores, survey results, budget...) on the school district before I expressed an interest in the position so I was acquainted with enough of what needed to be done to have some platform for action. However, I resisted, as much as possible, the urge to jump in and initiate wholesale changes. I believed it would be more beneficial in the long run if I waited patiently and gained a better perspective on people, programs, and practices before trying to "fix" things. That stance certainly did not prevent me from responding to issues that warranted immediate attention. I did precipitate changes when and where I felt it was necessary to intervene. But, by and large, I collected information and opinions by observing and the organizational culture and experiencing the school environment. Leadership could be wielded more effectively once I earned political capital, established credibility, and demonstrated integrity. That would take time and require looking, listening, and learning.

If there was one focal point within my personal vision for the school district that distinguished itself from other issues and needs, it was the perception that the school community was under-performing due to a lack of clarity, common goals, and shared meanings among the staff and learners. This is to say, I suspected that the human resources necessary for success were already present within the school, but that these resources were not developed to their capacity. I accepted responsibility for maximizing our collective potential through efforts to empower others - not by giving them anything in particular, but by not taking anything from them. Perhaps better explanation of this concept and belief can be found by the following story of a famous Italian artist...

When asked how he could so miraculously carve warm, emotion laden human forms from cold, lifeless marble, Micheangelo Buonarroti responded that he never carved anything "in" marble. Rather, he revealed, his technique was to merely "chip away" the excess marble from the form already within the marble, so it could be free. His task was to liberate the form "from" the marble, not to carve his abstract concepts into it.

Time will tell what impact, if any, I've made on the school district this first year as superintendent. But I will measure my progress relative to advances in liberating the potential from the people on staff instead of gauging success by means of confining mandates and imposing constrictions. Once we reach a point where staff members can confidently exercise their professional development, skills, and training, we will encounter expanded opportunities for achievement and increased possibilities for success.

The Buzz from the Hornet's Nest

Coverting Data Into Information

What Is Done With All This Stuff?

Don't Water Your Weeds

The Riddle Of Time

The Debate

Customer Service In School???

Feeding Dreams

Can You See It Now?

The Critical Path

What's The Difference?

Here's The Pitch

Looking Forward

Knowing That vs. Knowing How

A Tale Of Two Teams

Student Lobbyist????

The Cost Of Unfunded State Mandates Of New York Public Schools

Proof Of The Pudding

Beneath The Tree

Soccer Goals And School Goals

The Stress Mess

The Whole Is Greater Than The Sum Of The Parts

Will The Grinch Steal The Arts?

Forward! Charge!

SWOT and PEST

Twittering Away

Service Orientation In Education

Remember: It's About Caring

DRIP, DRIP, DRIP

A Grain Of Sand

Lesson Plans And Dreams

Dignity For All

Who, What, When And Where Versus How And Why

Searching For Gold

A Bad Taste

I Am Thankful For ...

Calling All Parents

Going To College

Which Way Did They Go?

Great Commitment, Wrong Target

Good Is A Perception - Tests Are A Reality

Tell Me A Story

Building The Future

Fast Food vs. Slow Food. Fast Education vs. Slow Education

Working Together

Facilitator Of Growth

i·ro·ny

The Question Why

OH WOW.

I Wonder...

You're Sitting On Your Ticket!

40 Years On a School Board

A $600,000 School Board Election (Not Here In Green Island)

Running From The Bear

Huh???

Moreless

Can You Hear Me Now?

AYP APPR RTTT NCLB < BWRCATK

NCLB and FPLA

VHS Rewind - Virtual High School Revisited

Growing With NWEA

Lottery Winners and Losers - The Perfect Storm

APPR May Lead Some Superintendents To AARP

Ruthless Bully Pulpits and Anti-Bullying Month

Open House Opened Up

Digging Education

So...What Do We Do? (a follow-up)

Tried And Tried And Tried ...And Tired!

“Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.”

“Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.”

Schools Versus Prisons

Just Say Thanks!

I am making a request. Actually, I'm asking you to do two things. Three, really.

Neurosurgeon Gives Thanks To His Science Teacher

In Between Here and There

Dollars Or Differences

Apart And Together

Superintendent Version 2.0

September Reboot

Here We Go - A Summary of the Opening Day Speech To The Staff