School Leadership

Another semester is coming to a close and it marks the half-way point of my final year at PCHS. As I watch my department members hectically grading essays and projects I am again reminded that with all the changes in education we are essentially staying the same. CCSS are bringing major changes to the way we teach and assess but the model we work within remains the same.

The time has come for open discussion of what works and what doesn't in our school. Do we really need to begin school in mid-August and end in May or early June? Must we have nine week grading periods with exams worth 25% of the grade? Should final exams be punishment based (failing a quarter, missing 4 days or more, tardies to class)? Where does a school begin to change? How is a climate of openness and trust developed?

1. Communicate a vision for school purpose that is not verbose but is a short, to the point statement that clearly explains why we are here. Evaluate and repeat often. Call attention to those activities which are supporting the vision and privately move to change those that aren't. This will probably mean an intense discussion of 'leadership' and all the wide variety of styles. What type of leadership is needed for PCHS?
2. Create a climate of openness. This is not just for teachers and staff but also for students, parents and community leaders. Leadership teams should be seeking newer, cheaper, and better ways to educate. This team should never use the word "can't." Seeking "how" should be there goal.  This team should not be afraid of allowing all stakeholders to see the good, the bad and the down right ugly. Educate them and seek their counsel. A concluding reference to leadership must be added; nothing happens without strong, confident leaders who can glean the best kernels and create a proposal.
3. Evaluate all functions of the school to insure the systems are working properly and supporting the school vision. This means all extra-curricular programs need to be looked at in terms of meeting the school vision. Drop those that don't meet the vision and add those that would. This means all school attendance data must be taken into account; all referrals must be tracked and categorized by type, location, time and those involved. This means a clear decision must be communicated on the importance of meeting learning goals vs. graduation rate. This means (redundancy intended) making sure the curriculum clearly supports the vision and is constantly undergoing revisions as necessary skills change. This means a commitment to programs that cost money, don't have large enrollments, that do prepare students for jobs that require skills but not a college degree. This means making the school a safe place for everyone and having a safe place for those whose clear intent is disrupt the learning environment for others to take classes.

This is a beginning, now, let the discussion begin.......................

Process

My wife returned from a short term mission trip to an African nation recovering from a 20 year civil war. Her observations were very interesting and, I think, meaningful for most Americans. A number of years ago research connected reading problems children who either never crawled before walking or who didn't crawl for long before walking. There is a process of development that most of us must follow to get the best return. How does this connect with an African nation?

The nation in question had nearly all infrastructure destroyed during the lengthy war. As the country works its way out those many years of darkness a problem has developed. Young people want jobs but they want jobs that don't exist yet, white collar jobs that pay well. They don't want jobs that are desperately needed, blue collar, trades, agriculture, and construction jobs. These jobs require hard work, these are the jobs that were, for many years, the backbone of America. They produce people who know the meaning of hard work and that work produced pride in a job well done. It was visible, a road resurfaced, a house built, a field producing food, plumbing that works perfectly and electricity throughout the house. Dreams of a better future for children were based in an economy of blue collar jobs that brought in money so the next generation could possibly get a better education and move to a job that wasn't based in the back-breaking world of construction or agriculture.

The country in question loses too many young adults to the city where there are no jobs so they join the ever growing ranks of unemployed who demand more and more from a government that hasn't the resources to support them. It was obvious to an outsider that these young adults could find work in agriculture or construction but these are hard, hot and dangerous jobs. They prefer unemployment to working at something they don't enjoy. To change this mindset is the problem at hand. All those difficult, dirty, and dangerous jobs are the crawling that must take place before walking. It pays dividends down the road.

Embedded Leadership

I've "tweeted" about embedded leadership and on my bike ride to school reflected about this concept. Time to take a risk and put some things on paper in case a wanderer finds this post.

Embedded leadership is school instructional leaders who are not totally removed from the classroom as part of their administrative responsibilities. In my case, a department chair, who has a strong voice in hiring, evaluating, recommending continued employment, budgets, teaching schedules, and still teaches two classes out of a six period day. I supervise fourteen teachers. Every decision made, every new program, every new initiative, curriculum revision, has impact upon me as a teacher. My frustrations over imposed programs, new technology that doesn't work, new technology that wasn't researched, increased requirements for teaching test prep, it all impacts me. I think long and hard before asking my department members to do something new. You know that student who just doesn't respond to anything you try, I can relate, I have one. You know that technology a teacher doesn't have time to use (twitter or g+), I find time and share it.

I'm not sure how long schools have used the present administrative model but the time has come for a real hard look at full time administrators who are out of the classroom for life. As administrators are getting younger and younger with fewer classroom years we need to, at least, think about a term of service outside the classroom. A person wants to be an administrator, fine, but you serve in that role for a set number of years and then back to classroom for at least four years and then you can apply for an administrative role again. Would this create some scheduling issues, yes. What if the administrator couldn't find a teaching job? Good question, this would need to be explored. But we need to have a discussion. The skills that make you a good administrator at age 28 are not the skills that make you a good administrator at age 48. No matter your professional development you forget what it is like spend your day with students. A periodic return to the classroom for an extended period of time will recharge the system and you might find teaching far more rewarding than your previous position. More thoughts coming............

Frustration

This image may not make much sense to those who stumble across my ramblings (think about what a hinge does). I have been involved in teacher evaluation training using the "Danielson" model, watching video, taking notes, doing practice evaluations, all trying to get ready for the Module 2 exam. While watching my "practice" video this morning I came across a new message, "ajax error." I had typed in most of my comments from the fourteen minute practice video but on the second to last comment (I type them on another computer while watching the video on full screen. I then retype them into the program where I score the teacher.) I got the statement, "ajax error." The program would not accept my comment so I tried deleting a few words and typing again which worked! I was typing my final comment when "ajax error" popped up again so I tried the same method.....kicked out of the program losing all previously entered material. This would not have been so aggravating (I'm lying.) if I had not just watched a practice video where there was a split screen camera view with one camera (right side) constantly in motion until my head was about to explode. I understand that consistency in evaluation is a good goal, I understand there are flaws in our current education model and I would like to be part of the solution, is this really the best Illinois could do?
There may have been federal money dangling and we are broke but do you throw together a product and rush it out, demand we complete it by September 1 just to get dollars? Yes, no matter how that flies in the face of sound education practice.

Charlotte Danielson developed a wonderful reflective model to "enhance" teaching skills. Teachers and administrators could work together, record lessons, discuss what each person observes, note the strengths and weaknesses and then create a plan for improving instruction. Isn't that our goal? Don't most teachers want to improve their instruction? I have heard Danielson present and I can't believe this is what she wanted done. As I watched one practice video and typed my notes, made my evaluation, I was marked down because I didn't hear a clear lesson objective and the "expert" did. I went back watched the video again, nope, not there, it must be earlier in the video but it is not in clip shown to us.

I will persevere, I will watch all the videos (except the "ajax error) and will get through this. I am concerned about the future of education in America.

The Journey

This has been an odd year. It started with planning a mission trip to Brasil which led to a trip to Missouri to pick up music instruments. Then the two weeks in Brasil followed by a few days in Wisconsin to unwind. This led to beginning my "Danielson" evaluation training for the upcoming school year. That was often an exercise in frustration which led to another short trip to Michigan to "unwind" again.

 

I now find myself behind in the video watching process for evaluation training which starts the stress building. I have school meetings this coming week. I had thought that my evaluation training might lead to some hourly consulting work with area school districts who don't have enough administrative staff to carry out the burden imposed by the new process. In interesting discussions with principals I follow on Twitter, there is a common thread, they don't believe anyone is going to want that neutral outsider coming into their school to evaluate staff. They said too much is at stake for the principal (their job, raises, etc) for a third party who has no stake in their school to evaluate staff. Inter-rater reliability? So much for an honest effort to improve education. I truly believe the new process will be effective for a few years until administrators figure out how to manipulate the data to their advantage.

On a brighter note, I have been reading Values, on Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street by Jim Wallis. The introduction contains Gandhi's Seven Deadly Social Sins and are worth repeating here:

1. Politics without principle

2. Wealth without work

3. Commerce without morality

4. Pleasure without morality

5. Education without character

6. Science without humanity

7. Worship without sacrifice

As you scan the newspaper on your electronic device or in print format please refer to these and see how many appear each day in the newspaper. I will write more on this book as time allows.

Thoreau

I need my "Thoreau" time. No contact by any technology at all. We just got four days of that special time. Books, The Word, my U.S. History materials, a lake, cool days and nights. As you can see our campsite was right beside a small part of Clear Lake. It appears serene and quiet but from 8:00 a.m. until 8 p.m. it is a constant buzz of boat motors towing all sorts of people on all sorts of objects. Still, it was fun to get away and watch families enjoying their lives. I do wonder if/where their "Thoreau" time occurs. Everyone needs time away from the fast pace of life. We don't need to replace a fast paced life with a fast paced break. The boaters, it was fast paced, attempting to squeeze every ounce of time on the lake. No time to sit and talk, relax, walk, watch, be still, be quiet..........as John Wayne said in The Cowboys, "We're burning daylight." What a motto for most of the lives in the 21st century.

Vicki and I have returned from our fifth trip to Altamira, Para, Brasil. This trip was very different from our previous work-centered travels. We focused on introducing our fellow traveler to the various mission projects of the Xingu Mission. We also spent our first week of the trip on the Xingu River. Four church services in five days with time spent daily in devotions, reflection, swimming, fishing and generally enjoying creation.
We traveled the river with a team from Ohio, Angie and the entire Simon family. Angie is a dear friend from an earlier trip who has actually been in Brasil the past six months teaching English at CDR and helping teach the Simon children. While we were there Angie was offered and accepted a job at Cedarville U. as a R.D. starting August 1. She will need prayer relocating in such a short time.
My image is a typical Xingu River sunset. It is simply hard to put into words the peace and calm of river travel. When visiting villages I am impressed with the joy expressed by the people when daily life is so difficult when compared with my relatively easy life. I will continue to post some images and reflections in the days ahead and try harder to keep the blog more current.

Moraine View State Park

Spent last night at Moraine View, beautiful evening for a campfire. Only two others camping and we were able to be several hundred yards away. Saw six deer, read, ate junk food and slept in. The Hawk camper has been great, bed is comfortable (36 years of tent camping anything off the ground is probably great), and our small heater makes the interior toasty. Good chance to read and relax.

Timing

Those familiar with Vicki and I know that since 2004 Brasil has been near and dear to our hearts. Four short-term trips have changed our view of life and the Christian walk forever. We have been planning a return since about this time last year and as of a few minutes ago that trip was confirmed. Tickets were purchased for a trip later this year. What I find amazing is that we have always had to fly all the way south to Rio or Sao Paulo and then back north to Belem and on to Altamira. I had been watching prices for the last three or four months and there was a cheap flight that went through Manaus! Peoria to Chicago, Chicago to Miami, Miami to Manaus and Manaus to Belem with no flight longer than 5.5 hours! That is truly a blessing. Today, all the flights out of Peoria to Manaus were gone AND the price of a ticket was up. Semi-beat, I started looking at the flights to Rio and Sao Paulo and felt myself needing a nap. Bloomington. What? Bloomington. I had just read a newspaper article where the writer was complaining about prices out of Peoria always being higher than prices out of Bloomington. Tried it, boom! There was the very same flight I had been watching earlier except now flying Bloomington to Chicago instead of Peoria to Chicago the trip was $60 per ticket less. God is good. Now, I only have to worry about going through customs in a city (Manaus) where I have never traveled. Time for a new adventure.

Time, Part II

It has been quite some time since my last post. How do you summarize life and change in a brief time? Lists!

1. Decision to "retire" in June 2013. This will be the subject of some future posts. My priorities are very different from those in charge.
2. Bought an old truck and a slide in the bed camper. Thirty-six years of tent travel with Vicki have come to an end.
3. Attended the Virtual Schools Symposium in November. WOW!
4. Blackboard is unable to recover my on-line class that was accidentally deleted even though a back-up of the class was created according to their instructions.
5. Currently planning for a return trip to Brasil in June (Vicki and I).
6. Vicki is planning a trip to Liberia (check out some options for training teachers) in October.
7. Searching for a host for Moodle. see #1, I didn't say I didn't enjoy teaching, would love to develop on-line World History and U.S. History classes for Missionary students and Home School students. More later.
8. ASCD conference in Philadelphia in March! Our arrival allows me to do some history site visits on Friday, pictures for use in class next year. Registered to hear Charlotte Danielson (teacher reflection and evaluation)
9. Planning for best use of education skills in retirement. Currently getting ready to send final paperwork to Oregon for certification. Would love to assist a district starting a virtual school.