What are we willing to lose in order to change a child's life?→

Isabel Bozada-Jones, writing for EdSurge:

"If we are going to truly transform and improve education, all administrators, policymakers and leaders must let old practices die and imagine something better."

To create a climate and culture where “old practices” are replaced with “something better,” we must first provide school leaders with frameworks that openly acknowledge and tackle power dynamics within school systems that could hinder innovation.

Professional development, teacher mentor programs, student leadership initiatives, parent organizations, and community events all hold the potential for transformative change. However, these opportunities are rarely realized because school leaders often lack the necessary resources, training, or support to effectively confront power dynamics and promote innovation within their buildings.

Regarding Bozada-Jones' article, the question is: How can policymakers, business leaders, and district administrators collaborate to create frameworks and a community culture that empowers school leaders to envision innovative solutions instead of relying on outdated practices while acknowledging the existing power dynamics that cannot be overlooked?

Student Thinking vs. Student Engagement→

If I were developing a school leadership curriculum for new principals, this article in ASCD, by Jim Heal and Bryan Goodwin, would be required reading for the first day.

But there's another form of engagement that's all too common in many classrooms that cuts against these definitions: the illusion of engagement. Students may appear engaged—creating ornate dioramas, glitzy posters, exploding volcanos, or other "busy" projects, for example—but ultimately, they do very little actual learning or thinking about their learning.

Deep learning occurs when students are given the opportunity to answer authentic, challenging, and thought-provoking questions, and are invited to share their thought processes aloud. However, this kind of teaching is not easy. It requires content knowledge, skill, and flexibility to adapt to students' needs, as well as a significant amount of tenacity to resist students' attempts to do the minimum amount of work required for a passing grade.

Principals have a critical role to play in building a professional culture that promotes collaboration and problem-solving among teachers, while also keeping expectations for students and staff high. This is essential for creating an environment that supports teachers in their efforts to promote deep learning and meaningful engagement among their students.

Prioritizing Change in Schools→

Doug Reeves and Robert Eaker writing for ASCD on what needs to change when leading change:

"Leaders must stop waiting for buy-in and giving resisters veto power over essential changes that will have lifetime impacts on students."

Acknowledging and addressing the concerns of those who resist change is crucial, but it's equally important to keep the bigger picture in mind. The primary goal of any school should be to provide the best possible education to students. Therefore, changes that can improve student learning should not be compromised because of resistance from a few individuals.

"Leaders need to take decisive action and say without equivocation, 'This is what we will accomplish in the next 100 days.'"

It’s easy to get bogged down in planning and discussions, but at some point, leaders need to take action. When it comes to implementing change in schools, this is especially important, as every day without making progress is a day when students are not receiving the education they deserve.

"Initiative fatigue, combined with poorly communicated changes, insufficient support, and unnecessary complexity, undermines even the most logically sound change efforts."

Implementing change in schools is no easy feat. It requires effort, resources, and a willingness to step outside one's comfort zone. However, when making particularly challenging changes, the difficulty level only increases. It can be tempting to focus on implementing easy changes first, but this approach can quickly lead to an overwhelming number of initiatives.

As leaders, we must prioritize changes and focus on those that will significantly impact student learning. This requires careful consideration and a deep understanding of our students' needs. We must be willing to tackle the hard stuff head-on, even if it means facing resistance or discomfort.

Open Your Door→

I love this entire article by Jennifer Gonzalez, but her closing paragraph jumped out at me:

Ours is a delicate, nuanced art, and though books and workshops offer all kinds of interesting ideas for how we can improve that art, the resources that lie behind every door in your school can offer something even richer, if you’re brave enough to let each other in.

It’s often too easy to rely on the county, call in a consultant, or “do a book study” for teacher professional development. In nearly all cases, the most effective way for teachers to grow is from each other. That’s impossible without the support, systems, and structures that create the culture for peer collaboration and feedback—as leaders, building that culture is our top priority.