The Passion and Caring of Today’s Youth

I had the privilege this week to emcee the Wayne Houston Memorial Speech Meet in Surrey. On stage with thirteen teenagers, I got to listen to their short and powerful speeches. So often we hear about teens but to rarely do we pause to hear from them. What I heard on stage was person after person sending messages that they care about the earth, their community, each other, and the future. They are deeply connected through social media, they are proud of their diverse heritage. They are smart, articulate and they don’t pull any punches when they tell adults just what they see. In honour of their speeches, I asked one young man if I may share his speech to  give people a taste of what today’s youth think and feel. It’s just one example, but it was typical of the types of things we heard on that night. The post below is from one of the junior competitors, Amolak Singh from Semiahmoo Secondary. I thank Amolak and his family for allowing me to share his story.

Hello, my name is Amolak Singh.  I am 15 years old, and yet I feel much older.  This summer, my parents let me have a facebook account and I just completely lost my innocence.   Life was so simple before – With my iphone 3GS  I used to spend long hours texting my friends about the latest episodes of Prison Break or download movies onto my IPAD, or better yet play online games with kids around the world, killing hundreds of bad guys with deadly explosive weapons in 3d.

But this summer my happy innocence came to an end when my Dad sent me a friend request and I accepted.    And so just as I was uploading vacation pictures of myself bodysurfing, I got the request.  My Dad was inviting me to join a facebook group on helping child beggars in India.   I ignored the requests for several days, after all I was very busy – I had just upgraded my cell phone to the new iphone 4 and I had apps I needed to download, but finally, I joined. 

I read my first post because the picture intrigued me – it was of a small, really skinny child, with an amputated leg.  I thought the child was doing the posting, but it was a post by a teacher travelling in Mumbai, India, telling about the group of beggar children that sleep on the streets behind her hotel and constantly follow tourists with their pleas for money. 
She was talking about how she had been there for five days and each day had resisted giving any money to them, despite the helpless little children following her everywhere, despite seeing their mutilated bodies and the hunger in their eyes, despite seeing them curled tight into little balls, hugging the alley walls at night as flys and mosquitoes feasted on their scrawny frames. 
 
You see she knew that the children never got to keep any of the money, that the children were owned by organised gangs who had first either bought or stolen the children while very young, then mutilated them to make them appear even more pathetic and now preyed on their earnings from begging.  Giving the beggars money did not help them at all. Everyday, just to keep her sanity, she was posting a new picture every hour of a new child beggar on the group wall for the duration of her 2 week vacation.  Well, I was instantly trapped – I read all her posts from the start of her vacation – I stared into the eyes of each haunting picture, and my heart sank so low, at the magnitude of it all.  

 
Another post linked to a video of children not barely 12 years old working in a sweat shop embroidering clothes with their tiny nimble fingers, pulling needle and thread in and out of the silk material bound for happier, luckier people to dress themselves. 
And yet another post brought before my eyes the gruesome fate of starving children, just skin and bones, dying daily of starvation in the Horn of Africa.  Just one post from one facebook friend led me to countless others, interconnecting me to people around the world – people with information to share about the world we live and the plight of the billions who will never be as lucky as I am, here in Canada.

Now there was no going back to my happy innocence  – to that state of blissful ignorance when I knew nothing of starving millions.  Once informed, it haunts you and you can not become un-informed, no matter how much you may want to.
So I have come to question everything -  how can millions be starving to death while we waste  so much food and spend billions of dollars on useless trivial material nick nacks that we later just throw out . 

I have realized that social media is a powerful tool that in some countries has helped revolutions to happen.  As the children of the information age where the tiniest detail of suffering anywhere is  just a mouse click away, we do not have the luxury of pleading ignorance or innocence. We should not just sit back and use this technology for trivial fun, like I used to but instead become active.

American author, James Baldwin, said it perfectly.
People who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own destruction, and anyone who insists on remaining in a state of innocence long after that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster.

Size and Complexity – Challenges in Each Setting

Big schools, small schools, big districts, small districts, urban settings and rural settings – what are the challenges of scale and what leadership skills does it take to be successful in any setting?

People often discuss the challenges and complexity of leadership no matter how big or small the context. My best lesson on the issue of “scale” was given to me by the principal of a small elementary school years ago. Louise Jovanovic, now retired was a wonderful colleague. At the time we spoke, she was principal at Durrance Elementary which, if I recall had about 6 staff.  I was also a principal of a school which had about 120 staff and we were talking about the similarities and differences that principals face no matter what the size of their school. Her point of view forever changed my thoughts about the challenges that those in small schools face and over time I have seen those challenges also reflected in small and rural districts compared to those large and urban.

At the time of our conversation, Louise and I were talking about the ability to influence staff and have a school move along in pursuit of a particular direction. We talked of the difference between large and small staffs and how resistance to change unfolds in places with different scale. For her, the impact of having only one staff member in opposition to a particular initiative was simply monumental compared to what I may face with even a dozen staff members who also may not be in support. She talked of the absolutely critical network of close relationships that exist in small schools and it seemed like those who lead in such places would have to be so careful, inclusive and encouraging in their directions and to always tap into the particular needs and beliefs of all staff. In a larger school with over 100 staff, being in touch with every single person’s needs and beliefs is far more difficult to do but, with a bulk of staff moving forward, the momentum of such a large group of people often created such an initiative, that it was difficult to stop. Those who were not on-side or unsure often were caught up in the initiative or, at the very least, content to let their colleagues move on. The leadership task was to pay attention to those less satisfied, to listen to their concerns, adjust where able and always to include, but having a couple of staff members in opposition to a particular direction was not a show-stopper by any regard. For Louise, having one or two staff members in opposition represented a significant part of her staff.

The other day, I was fortunate to have a chance to talk to superintendents from around the province. Once again, the issue of the differences that leaders face regardless of size and scale of organization came to mind.  Just as when I was with Louise, I was reminded just how the challenges in small and rural districts are in many ways so extremely challenging compared to the things we tackle in large urban districts. Urban districts may take some things for granted like transportation, proximity to services, reasonable weather, access to staff, resources and relative ease of contact and communications. These are challenges that rural and remote areas face every day in such a different way than we do in a metropolitan area. In addition, those in rural settings are often “living in the fish bowl” and not only do people watch what you do in public life, they watch in private life as well as some towns are only so big. The local school principal is well known by almost everyone. In BC, we have some schools on small islands and for those who live and work on these island schools the spotlight can be always on regardless of where you are.

I am not suggesting that anyone can do any job, any time regardless of context and scale. What I am suggesting is that we should pay more attention to the complexity of issues that rural and small schools face and the intricate leadership that it takes to be successful in such a setting. That does not mean that I would take the principal of a highly successful elementary school of 50 students and plunk them down in a struggling secondary school of 2000 students. I do believe that would just set someone up for failure. But…when the principal of 50 speaks, I am just saying that what they bring to the leadership table should not be discounted.

As I’ve often quoted Ursula Franklin, schools are more like organisms than they are mechanisms. Schools live and breathe based on the network of relationships and interactions that emerge within. Whether big or small, urban or rural, the ability to navigate, communicate, listen and respond in settings is about the human condition, it is not about how big a place is. In my district, we have over 9000 staff. There is no doubt that communication with that size is a huge issue compared to communication with 500. We cannot easily pull all teachers together for a talk, it just doesn’t work that way. However, in smaller places, not only is it possible to meet with all teaching staff, it is routinely done. The ability to establish personal connections and relationships in larger places is much more difficult and your communication has to be so clear, concise and consistent because you don’t get many opportunities to speak to everyone. In smaller places, you can revisit, connect, clarify, meet and discuss. These are advantages that big places just can’t realize.

While leadership differences in dealing with scale are obvious, the similarities remain. The leadership journey is about influence and influence is realized by connecting and communicating. So the next time you consider a team to pull together or there are voices in the room around a particular issue, pay attention to what everyone brings to the table. Whether from small, large, rural or urban, everyone has something unique to offer. Sometimes in education we get inside our own bubble and don’t listen to what those who are outside our sector have to say or we don’t fully appreciate the perspective brought by those in completely different educational contexts. Even better, suggest that your principal of your largest secondary school spend a day in a tiny elementary and vice-versa. These learning exchanges can be a great learning experience both ways.

One of my favourite anecdotes is about a secondary principal who, in a time of need, was placed in an elementary school on virtually no notice. The need was urgent and this was the best solution at hand. On the principal’s first day, the school’s kindergarten teacher was ill and, as happens in rural areas, no replacement was available. With no prep at all and thrown into teaching kindergarten for a full day with zero experience at that level, that secondary leader learned more about valuing kindergarten in an hour than a whole graduate course could have taught. The irony, of course, is the real teachers and mentors that day were just 5 years old. As we know so well, we all are on the learning journey any given day and no matter how small some people may seem, the leadership advice they bring can be large indeed.

Articles for further interest:

• Sustainable Leadership in Small Rural Schools: Selected Australian Vignettes
• Rural School Leadership for Collaborative Community Development
• The Small Rural School Principalship: Key Challenges and Cross-School Responses

Leadership, Management and Ambiguity

When the topic of leadership versus management comes up, it is always with a bit of disdain for the tasks of management reflected against the more lofty aspirations of leadership. School administrators, when asked, will normally state that they wish they spent more time on leadership and less on management. In a recent workshop, there was again a chance to think about the leadership/management paradigm and the topic of leading in times of ambiguity came into the fray. It was upon further reflection that it occurred to me of a new way to think about leadership and management and it was through the lens of how we tackle times of ambiguity as opposed to times of clarity. Is management what you do when you are faced with a certain task and goal as opposed to leadership which is what is needed when you are less certain of the path and the outcome?

In the past, when thinking of leadership and management, I have always been of the belief that being a good manager is absolutely essential. Management is complicated work that requires excellent organizational and communications skills. Taking care of the myriad of routine tasks required to operate a school is part of the daily task of administration. Handling the management of a school is the very basics of school-based administration. The way in which one generates trust, respect and confidence in leadership in the early days of school-based admin is through how the routine tasks of management are completed. As people within the organization watch how management is undertaken, these tasks develop relationships and inspire confidence in the leadership skills for more difficult and complex tasks that require deep collaboration and skilled navigation. The very way in which these management tasks are undertaken demonstrates leadership capabilities. Co-workers and colleagues need to have confidence that the basics can be done before they are likely to follow you down the path of a difficult process of organizational change. Management is important, complex work but on the spectrum of skills, it doesn’t require the broader skills of challenging leadership.

Ronald Heifetz and Martin Linsky’s work on adaptive leadership describes adaptive leadership as what needs to occur when an existing skillset will not be sufficient to tackle a task at hand. In the blurry line between management and leadership, adaptive leadership is at the extreme of complexity. Not only may the task be unclear, but it is acknowledged that those who will tackle the task do so knowing that they have yet to develop an adequate skillset to address the issue at hand. When trying to discuss what adaptive leadership was to someone, I suggested that putting in place full day kindergarten in British Columbia was largely a management task. We know what kindergarten looks like, many people had experiences with full day programs and so it was a complicated but doable management task. Leadership of change at the school level played a key role, but we were well able to implement this initiative. If we were to expand now to implementing a full day program for 4 year olds, or 3 year olds, then, in my humble opinion, that moves to an adaptive leadership task. Our educators and schools while skilled people in all regards, lack the experience and skillset to simply launch into implementing such a set of programs. This does not mean that it can’t be done, nor does it mean that the skillsets can’t be gained, it simply means that in our current structures and mindsets, we have never tackled such a task. New learning would have to occur and mindsets would have to shift in the very way in which we envision elementary school if we were to expand to providing programs to 4 and 3 year olds.

This blog entry has simply been to suggest another way to think of the management/leadership paradigm. Perhaps management is what we do when we have complex and multifaceted tasks but largely we know what to do and the outcomes are fairly certain. When faced with complexity that includes ambiguous direction, uncertain outcomes and multiple variables, then the tasks may shift to the leadership paradigm when clearly collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, and effective communication are the only paths through the murky forest of possibilities.

Finally, keeping with the overall philosophy of the blog and the avatar of praxis, leadership and management are Yin-Yang. Every significant management task requires a bit of leadership and every complex leadership task has to be well managed. While there never will be a complete separation, hopefully throwing in the topic of ambiguity and uncertainty has helped to shed a bit of light on the ongoing debate of where management ends and leadership begins.

Guest Post – Grade 9 student on Take Our Kids to Work

Each year, school districts and employers across Canada support an event called Take Our Kids to Work Day. Initiated by The Learning Partnership, this event falls on the first Wednesday of November.

The event is an opportunity for grade 9 students to spend a day in the workplace of parents, friends or relatives. It is an opportunity for students to develop an appreciation of their parents’ career roles, to understand the skills necessary to work in a variety of occupations and to consider the wide range of careers possible as they visit worksites.

In Surrey we hosted a group of students at the District Education Centre. When I first heard that they were coming,  I put myself on the list to spend lunch with the students and also made an offer to one student to do a guest writeup for my blog so others could hear about the students’ day and experiences. I was thrilled to get the time with the students and welcomed the blog opportunity as a way to share the stories.

It was a great day, I enjoyed it very much and here is the writeup done by one of our students, Ethan Carlson.

          Today I spent the day at my mother’s workplace, SD36 Board Office for Grade 9 “Take Your Kids To Work Day”. I was shocked to discover that my mother is not the Superintendent of Schools like she told me. I also learned my mother has a secret stash of junk food she has never told us about. I took a tour with six other grade nines around the school district building which is so large it holds a college, Surrey College and a school, Surrey Connect, for students from kindergarten to grade twelve. I even had an opportunity to get a free haircut by some student hairdressers but unfortunately my mother had just massacred my hair on Monday. Talk about timing!

          Surrey School District is the largest school district in British Columbia with 70 000 students;  however, I was disappointed to find out each student is only worth $8 200. I thought we were worth more than that! The School District is also the largest employer in Surrey with about 9 300 employees. Surrey Schools has over 1,000 Teachers On Call; on the day we visited, 410 TOCs were out on the job. We had lunch with the Deputy Superintendent, Dr. Tinney, who knows a lot. Obviously, that must be a requirement for being a Deputy Superintendent in Surrey!

          We as students usually only see school board employees like teachers, principals, secretaries, custodians and childcare workers; however, at the Surrey School Board Office there’s a whole army of individuals working behind the school scenes. I highly recommend going to Surrey School District Board Office for “Take Your Kid To Work Day” because there are so many career opportunities all in one building and furthermore, the district did a fantastic job in hosting us.

I want to thank Ethan for his straight from the heart post. It certainly gives the flavour of what was a whirlwind day thanks to great organzation by staff and the many hosts. The students had a very full day and saw everything from Human Resources to Finance, Planning, Student Services and Curriculum. For my time, I enjoyed talking with them  about the impact of social media and technology on the classroom. I know we’ll certanly look forward to next year when I think at lunch we’ll ask the students to help us build a school!

DBA – Death by Acronym

A while ago I wrote a post titled “Nothing you say matters if people can’t understand you.” Recently, we were talking with a group of parents and I was reminded of how easily those in education jump at acronyms and often this leaves those to whom you are speaking simply in the dark. So this post is a reflection on all the acronyms we use and a reminder to just speak plainly with no jargon when talking to parents or others who don’t live in our daily world.  All that education jargon doesn’t help convey the meaning of the real message.

We had a good DPAC meeting last week where we presented on the BCedPlan. After the meeting I met a couple of ABA parents who had questions. I reminded them that in November, there is a joint BCSTA, BCSSA, BCASBO, BCPVPA, FNESC, MoE, and BCCPAC pro-d meeting. I don’t think that the ABCDE are co-sponsors of the event but I believe the event will also be the BCSSA’s AGM.

BCPSEA and the BCTF both commented recently on the LIF monies districts have received from the MoE. Many districts will hire ESL support, LST’s,  OW’s, ICSSW’s, EA’s or SEA’s and we make sure that the focus is on students with an IEP, some who may need an SLP or OT. In our district, we met with CUPE and the STA to debrief the process.  With LIF, we think our SER will be down.

September was the end of student enrolment for funding. Likely some will be talking of the recent comments by FISA about enrolment. Speaking of enrolment and FISA, FTE versus HC is always critical in September. We need to make sure there is no GAAP as we head to spring and the time for FSA. We were watching the number of IDS courses but not so concerned about CAPP. 

At our recent NID, teachers had Pro-D events on Web 2.0 technologies supported, of course, by PLN. There were no workshops on BCeSIS. There was, however, a workshop on EBS. Another workshop that would be helpful is for educators to understand FOIPPA and all the info that is held by a PEN. Perhaps if we did that on a NID, it wouldn’t require as may TOC’s.

Ok, enough. All of the above tongue in cheek of course.

So the next time you are talking to a parent, a community member, or even an educator from another jurisdiction please remember that acronyms that fall so easily off of our tongues do not mean anything to those who aren’t “in the system.” If want people to truly understand what we say, we need to take the time to communicate the full message.

After all, DBA can come as easily as ABC if you don’t watch your P’s and Q’s.

September Stories – Education in B.C.

The office staff greeted me warmly as I entered the school. It was lunchtime. Kids were everywhere on this hot September day. After introducing myself, the admin assistant told me that I would likely find the principal on the upper field supervising students and I headed that way. As I wandered to the top field, a child in tears was coming down the hill. He was very young, kindergarten I guessed as he stopped in front of me to seek assistance. Something had happened, he wasn’t injured but he was upset. I felt rather helpless standing there with this weeping young child at my feet. Keenly aware that I was an “outsider” I looked around for a helping adult. Coming my way, only a few short steps from me was a young staff member who saw the situation and arriving at my side she knelt at his feet. She asked him what was wrong, comforted him and they began to move inside. She said thank you to me for helping and she was off. I knew the boy would be well cared for.  This was the start of a reminder for me of how great and caring our schools are. In this post, I devote a few stories to the beginning of school this year and what these stories tells us about the quality of our schools and those who work within.

I walked up the hill glancing back to see if the boy had stopped crying. He already looked better and I felt more at ease knowing that he was in good hands. As I got to the top of the hill, a gravel soccer field was before me. It hadn’t rained for quite a while and grey dust filled the air as groups of children moved to and fro on the field in search of the ball. What was immediately obvious was that this was not eleven a side soccer. This was a game for all comers regardless of age or ability and a great time was being had by all. Children of all sizes and shapes were laughing, running, and chasing the ball in the mid-day heat. Teams on each side were so large it was impossible to count. Through the dust, on the far end of the field, I saw a man in an orange safety vest. Whistle in his mouth, blowing from time to time, he called out the names of children, guided them in their play and watched with interest. It was the principal, I realized and I went to say hi and to chat, carefully dodging running children on the way. After a short talk, I left him to his most important task which was supervision of this large group and to let the play continue.

I headed down the hill toward my car. I began reflecting on all the schools I had visited in September. While not having visited all 125 of our schools, I was now well over 30. The stories I heard and the sites I saw showed me a system that is welcoming, focused, open, and inclusive. It left me with so much hope and simply reaffirmed all that I know about schools in BC. Some of what I saw:

• The Special Education Assistant who stopped me to introduce herself and to tell me about her startup and the joys of watching children progress. From tiny steps to giant leaps, the joy with which she told the story showed me how much care our adults have for those with whom they work.
• The group of 42 teachers, administrators and district staff who spent the afternoon talking about how we can work together to ensure that our district commitments are focused on the needs of teachers and schools. Their level of engagement in the task and their resolve for improvement was palpable.
• The principal who with his fellow administrators spent the better part of the morning doing a barbeque for students to welcome them to the year and to support them in their journey ahead. It was more than the gesture, it was the open commitment to the well-being of students and working to ensure that they connected to their school.
• The four boys, who leaving their school at the end of the day stopped, opened the door for me and welcomed me to their school as they headed out. Smiles, a warm greeting and truly pride in welcoming me to their site.
• The office staffs who in the opening weeks managed to deal with the pace and frenzy of competing demands from parents, students, staff and the public, yet in each and every case welcomed me to the school, clarified who I was, what I wanted and pointed me in the right direction.
• The PAC at one school who ran their local fun fair that night. Reaching out to the community, engaging parents, students and staff all in the interest of building community and yes, raising funds for a specific school need.

These are only a few of the many stories I could share. The essence of this post was that I was so struck by the quality, care and integrity of our programs and sites that I felt compelled to write.

So if you want to know about the quality of education in BC, it’s easy. Visit your neighbourhood school. There you will likely find the same caring teachers, support staff, administrators, students and parents that I see every day.

Education in B.C., it’s something of which we can all be proud.

Does Technology Make a Difference?

This summer I had someone ask me to convince them that technology is making a difference in the quality of education for our children. They wanted to know how we were accountable for our investments in technology and, in particular, computers. In essence, were we getting good “bang for our buck” so to speak. During the discussion, I said to them that I wasn’t sure this was the right question. We talked more but over the summer I thought a lot about that question and it helped me probe my own beliefs about why I would say it’s the wrong question. I thought I would take the time to blog about the topic as a way to delve more into the subject of the role of technology in our schools.

I believe that the origins of the question – how do we know that technology is making a difference? – came out of the times when these devices were relatively new and were indeed costly. Network infrastructures, internet access, the cost of hardware and software purchase, installation and support were all were huge cost items and were fairly new to districts. At the time, as teachers and schools we were inundated with questions about the use of computers, the relevance, the cost, and the future. Computers remain a major cost for districts but they are not new anymore, they are simply part of business. The explosion of technology’s impact on society over the past 30 years has seen devices move from a tool to be “like the air we breathe” – they are everywhere and more than ever becoming an essential part of life.

With that context, the question that has always been there is how do we evaluate the quality of our learning environments and the quality of our schools? The fact that technology is part of those environments in support of learning does not necessarily mean that we should single it out as an isolated entity for evaluation on its impact on learning. Twenty years ago when it was new – yes. Today – I’m not sure. The reason I say this is that I feel it distracts us from the main question which has been unyielding – how do we create engaging and supportive learning environments for our students?

For those who still want to ask about technology because of its cost – I think about the costs incurred by districts in learning resources in any given year. As a secondary principal – we spent about $40,000 a year on textbooks. Every year, we had to deal with loss/damage in the range of about $5000. I don’t think this was highly unusual. I never once had someone phone me or inquire whether textbooks were making a difference in education and the quality of student engagement. In British Columbia, no doubt we spend tens of millions of dollars in a year on learning resources. That’s a big number by anyone’s books (no pun intended). When I was a principal, and as a district leader, there were few questions about whether some specific items in that list of learning resources were having a positive impact on learning. But there were always questions about how we provide tools and resources that teachers need to engage students in learning.

Over the years, in times of declining enrolment, I have been a part of many conversations about school organizations and structures and what makes an effective school. Many people want to point to some specific configuration or structure as being more effective than another. The reality of the research is that if you want to find an article that says that something makes a difference – you can easily do that. You can also find contrary articles that say the opposite. In the world of school structures, we know that there is a substantial body of research that tells you what makes an engaging school, but that research doesn’t dictate a structure, it dictates qualities the of these cultures of excellence.

The research on learning is solid – we know that the biggest difference maker is the teacher. I have no doubt that the role of the teacher is changing dramatically because of technology. That change is about providing students with access to content in ways that link to life outside of school. If we want to evaluate whether or not technology is making a difference, I still think that question should be embedded in the larger question of how we create rich and engaging learning environments for children. However we go about creating those rich environments, I know that is money well spent when students are engaged and the learning is relevant to them in their lives not only now, but in the years to come.

From the current reality to a future vision – The BC Education Plan

Each year, the BC Superintendents’ Association has an annual Summer Academy where we consider educational issues in the province and network about our varying district needs and directions.

On one of the days, we looked at the direction for curriculum in the province under the BC Education Plan and we worked in groups giving feedback on the proposed direction. At our table, we talked about possible starting points as a district. We talked about various options and one possible starting point as a district was for us to first come together to reaffirm what we believe about where we are and where we need to be. A group conversation about “From a current reality…to…a future vision.”

As a district and with our administrators and teachers, if we really tease out these desired future visions, the conversations can lead us to what this future vision really looks like in a classroom and how to address those challenges and opportunities inherent in the BC Education Plan.

As an example, such discussions about current reality to future vision might look like the text below. We didn’t, at our table, have much time to flesh this out in depth, but the discussion explored options for the coming journey. I thought that it was worthy of a blog posting just to share some thinking that we had.

Our theoretical understandings and beliefs

FROM…An complex(dense) curriculum that promotes the overly prescriptive industrial revolution model of education…TO…an enabling broad-strokes curriculum that has the flexibility to allow teachers to explore their own individual strengths and the passion of their students.

FROM…Text-based linear resources that serve to reaffirm and prescribe a set “path” along the curriculum path…TO…multimedia learning resources and information in a variety of forms that support the exploration (by teacher and learners) of multiple pathways of learning within a broader context of enduring understandings or ways of knowing.

FROM…Reporting to parents in discreet segments that break learning into measurable units…TO…sharing demonstrations of processes and competencies that show the growth of the learner and that provide confidence to the parents about the quality of learning in the classroom and the progress of the child.

FROM…a curriculum framework that is based upon learning consisting of a set of disconnected parts (subjects) that do not form a whole…TO…core competencies that transcend subject areas but are at the heart of being an educated person and participating in a healthy society and democracy.

Then…From theory To practice

We talked about the next layers of conversations. If one possible starting place is to reaffirm our current reality and our desired future direction in curriculum, then we need to have similar conversations about our current reality and desired future in instruction, assessment, evaluation, and reporting to name a few more areas central to our ongoing daily work. These are huge areas and the proposed changes are significant.

If we are to help the plan become a reality, that journey begins with a conversation. We talked about how those conversations really need to begin with the Why of the proposed changes and then lead to the How of making the changes happen.

The intent of this post is just to sow the seeds of conversations ahead. In my experience, when you begin looking at system-wide change, that beginning starts from the common ground on which people stand.  When you take the time to have these conversations, there often are substantial shared understandings between all those who have taught children through to adults. The difficult procss of change is taking those common understandings through to a practical reality of how those beliefs unfold in classrooms on a daily basis. In the end, it still is that interface between teachers and students that is the gold in any educational system as we have been reminded so many times.

I look forward to the discussions ahead.

Living in the Midst of Greatness – Daily Life in Our Schools

When I turned on the TV yesterday there was Canada playing Brazil in World League men’s volleyball. Brazil, a perennial world power and current world number one and Canada, with Fred Winters and Josh Howatson of Victoria playing starring roles. Time flashed back to the days of high school volleyball in Victoria and Claremont vs. Oak Bay. I was reminded not just of the roles that coaches played in the lives of these “kids” but how our lives as teachers and administrators are richer for having spent time with these young adults.

As a secondary teacher and principal, I spent a lot of time in the hallways with students. Some of the students I came to know went on to play major league baseball, some went on to careers in the arts, some became Rhodes Scholars and some represented Canada on the world stage. When I watched Ryan Cochrane touch the wall to win bronze for Canada at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, I wasn’t really watching one of the greatest swimmers in the world, I was watching the 15 year old boy that I once championed in an awards committee so he could be recognized for his talent.

What a gift we are given when we spend our days in the midst of so much potential. It is a joy simply to watch these young adults grow. Regardless of who they were at the time, they needed guidance, sometimes correction and sometimes just to sit back and admire. We knew they had great potential and if there was frustration at times, it was only because we wanted the very best out of all of them.

Greatness, however, isn’t always the captain of the volleyball or basketball team. It isn’t always the Olympic star or the one who captures the world stage. There are many champions in our midst and, of all the students I ever knew, it was those who overcame great odds to simply graduate or survive their life circumstances who captured my heart, my gratitude, and my respect. They were (and are) the ones that I know were well served in public education and while I’m not sure I’ll see them on national TV, I know that they went on to live very successful lives and to make a solid contribution to society.

Our schools are full of greatness as we know. It walks the halls in the form of athletes, academic stars, artists, and sometimes, as those students for whom just coming to school and furthering their education is a major accomplishment. The students within our walls enrich our lives in so many ways. Primarily, the joy comes by simply watching these young adults succeed now or in the future.

I sat on the edge of the couch at match point. All afternoon, I had been watching Captain Fred, Setter Josh and a 6’ 10” monster named Gavin Schmitt who pounded 33 points home for Canada in the match. In the end, when Brazil hit the ball long and Canada won I was so proud. I was proud for these students that I knew and for all those with whom we share our lives.

Not many people in society can say that they regularly “hang out” with Hollywood stars, professional athletes, Olympic medalists, Rhodes Scholars, or world famous artists. Want to do this in your life? It’s rather easy.  Simply travel on down to your local public high school. They’re in there somewhere. Likely they’re a little concerned about their peer group, working at their courses like everyone and perhaps they’ve had a tiff once and a while with mom and dad. They’re just a bunch of “kids” but watch out, they’re going to change the world.

You just watch.

Judgement or Talent – Harry Potter and Leadership

“It is our choices Harry that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.“

Albus Dumbledore

Very often in my career I have been in situations where I watch normally talented and capable people make decisions that leave me wondering what went wrong. Often, it isn’t a matter of talent or skill, it’s professional judgement. I was reminded of this again watching Harry Potter this past weekend. It truly does not matter if you have all the talent in the world, if you lack the judgement of what to do and when to do it, you will be lost. So how will you know when you’ve made an error in judgement? How can we continue to support people so that such errors or lapses are minimized?

Leaders on all sides know that we have significant succession/talent promotion issues. A key factor in the health of our organizations is how we nurture, grow and sustain the talent of our staff whether they are classroom leaders, school leaders, or district leaders. What advice can we give on how to support those around us so that they can grow, feel fulfilled in their daily work, and continue to contribute to the organization? How do we help cultivate not only talented leaders, but those who make critical professional judgements that are sound and enacted with grace?

Here are some thoughts and some things we’ve put in place in Vancouver to support school-based leaders who are trying to seek higher positions. Regardless of this context, I feel that the advice below is sound in a variety of situations whether it’s nurturing district leaders or supporting teachers or other staff every day:

1)      Get to know the people with whom you work.

• You cannot possibly support, nurture and promote talent development if you don’t know those with whom you are working. If you value those who you wish to support, then you need to make an effort to connect with them.
• One simple example we’ve used in Vancouver is a vice-principal seminar series. This is a four part dinner series through the year where we provide case-study examples to current vice-principals, provide tools to debrief/analyze situations, and then sit with them and problem solve. The real goal – getting to know our VP’s – they are our next principals. A simple structure, a simple goal – meeting our VP’s, listening to them think, interact and learn. It’s been a great start.

2)      Give constructive and precise feedback.

• Meeting with people and telling them to “just keep doing what you’re doing” and their time will come for a promotion is not really supporting anyone. It leaves the candidates feeling uncertain of why they were not selected for a job (if just off an interview) or it gives the impression that their time will indeed come when, in my experience, “just keep doing what you’re doing” rarely ends up in success the next time around.
• Recently, we have changed our interview debriefing processes to provide more precise feedback. Honestly, I have to say that this has been hard in some cases. Some candidates have heard tough messages. I try to live the philosophy that you have to care enough to confront. Not confront as in seeking conflict but confront the reality of what can be said about you. I believe that people are worthy of the truth and somehow you have to find a way to tell them honestly the areas in need of support/attention so that they can improve. When you tell someone what they need to improve, be precise, tell them exactly the behaviours or skills you would like to see improved, give them an example and then ask them if they understand. At first when things like this are shared, you have to spend the time to ensure they take a moment to let emotion get out of the way, then they can truly listen to the meaning behind your words. Let them defend, let them second guess you, they are working through it. They may need time to hear things that are points of significant improvement. If you care enough, you’ll find the way to deliver the message in a supportive way.

3)      Ask questions when you see/hear judgements that cause you concern

• Sometimes, when you hear things said or see things done that you don’t agree with or you don’t feel fit with the organization’s beliefs, then you simply don’t say anything. Perhaps you question to judgement of someone in an action or comment. You let it “slide by” and wonder quietly about it yourself. Perhaps you “tuck this away” for a later date to consider in another context. A suggestion here is that when someone says or does something that doesn’t sit right with you – ask them about it. Sometimes the comment or action is taken out of context, not fully explained or there is another reason. But taking the time to challenge things that seem to be poor in judgment is not only the right thing to do; it is ultimately supportive of individuals.
• There is also another reason to question and clarify – what if they’re right – and you are not? While we all would probably like to know we’re always right – not likely. When you challenge someone else’s view of the world to clarify, justify, elaborate, then truly you have an opportunity to share, clarify, and justify your own views. I am not suggesting this is an argument or debate opportunity – I am suggesting it’s about listening, sharing, and clarifying. If someone’s comment or judgement isn’t in line with what you expect or what you believe as an organization and if they are not called on it in some way – how are they to know that what they said or did isn’t exactly right? People aren’t mind readers, they need to know when something isn’t right. These questions and quiet challenges to understand more can truly be done in a way that doesn’t put anyone on the spot. It can be done professionally and as support. You do it when the timing is right. You use your judgement. You come from a place of caring.

I started this thread on professional judgement and its importance. As a leader yourself, you use judgement on a daily basis and hopefully you use it to get to know the people with whom you work, given them constructive feedback on their skills, talents and abilities and you let them know when something isn’t just right.

As I’ve stated before, schools are more like organisms than they are mechanisms. They need care and attention, a little light and nourishment from time to time. Using your own professional judgement and support, you can help people within an organization feel supported and encouraged. Being a critical friend to those with whom we work is of central importance to organizational growth. Spend a moment a day helping others improve. Get to know your staff, give feedback that is precise and also don’t be afraid to question people on behaviours/comments that just don’t seem right. In the end, it really is about supporting those with whom we work and the organization that we serve. If we all want public education to flourish, that begins with getting the most out of all of us within.

Just like Dumbledore said, while we may all like to believe that talent is everything, the reality is that all the talent in the world won’t get you out of a mess if your judgement isn’t sound. Sound judgement takes practice, it takes critical friends, and it takes the ability to learn from mistakes.

It’s really just Praxis – a philosphy in action.