About seven years ago we realized that at Oakland Christian School, good aesthetics of a school were beyond important…they were an imperative. Here’s a link to a video of our interior work on our building at the Auburn Hills Campus.
OK...time to brag a little. Over the weekend, The Oakland Press, wrote an article about a program that Oakland Christian School has implemented. It is called TLC, or The Learning Center and has provided our school with an incredible new way to reach students.
To be honest, it's not really all that new. But what's new is the idea that we, as a school can be flexible and work where the student is instead of making the student come to us. Obviously, the public school system has been working with special education students for decades and has the means to do so. But this isn't about that. TLC is about providing flexibility for all students: you need a quiet place to take a test, try TLC; you need some additional tutoring, check out TLC; what about newer methods of organization...TLC.
What makes me the most proud about the success of The Learning Center is that with all of the cuts local districts have to make, we are making the individualized instruction of students a priority. And as long as I am leading , that will be our goal.
It's the biggest stage in sports. With an average viewership of more than 100 million people, the Super Bowl is "the place" for advertisers and marketers to try to tell a story in 30 seconds, and then sell a product. In fact, the one thing typically talked about more than the game is the commercials shown during each break (there are more than 48 minutes of commercials).
There may be a new animal introduced to connect with a product (Monster.com) or an additional baby or two (or five) trading stocks. There may be a young son who says to his mom's potential suitor, "Keep your hands off my momma and your hands off my Doritos."
Whatever the commercial and whatever the product being sold, the image being displayed on television is one that communicates a certain experience. The commercial may not be founded in reality (most just try to get the "buzz" going), but the point is to make you think your life will be different if you buy this product.
I hear that a lot when new bond hearings come up and local schools talk about all the new and innovative ideas that can become realities if this new tax is passed. "If we could just generate a new source of revenue, then our students will finally be able to receive the education they deserve," goes the mantra.
A local PR campaign will ensue trying to convince the public that the schools have to have this money and that the experience of the students and of the community will now be different.
But the problem with this scenario (it exists all of the time) is that the results do not always match what was promoted. "Teachers will teach differently" ....really? How? "Our new computers will change the way students learn"...again, really? Please tell me how?
The issue isn't the basis behind the idea of needing additional funding for new programs and ideas. That part is fine. What's not fine is when consumers (in the case of general advertising) and local constituents are sold on an idea of improvement, but instead see a result of mediocrity.
For solid results to occur in a PR campaign, the picture being painted must match the behavior being presented. It's what brings people back to Walt Disney World all of the time. The picture painted is of an amazing experience from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave. That picture is amazing, but people won't return just for the picture. The behavior has to match the picture, then people are sold.
I get frustrated when I see local school districts beg the public for more dollars only to see teachers stage "walk-outs" when paycuts need to be introduced. The public, having been sold on the picture that more money would equal bigger and better results, now sees a behavior that is child-like at best. I'm not against unions, but come on, don't walk out on students.
Schools will change when leaders adopt a Super Bowl sized idea. Link the picture with the behavior. If we communicate professionalism, then let's see it. If we say innovation, bring it on! If student-centered learning is the direction we are heading, then let the students do it!!
Whatever idea is being painted as a picture of success, work to link the behavior to that picture. And just like a good Super Bowl ad, it may have them coming back for more.
The iPad — the newest creation from Steve Jobs and the Apple crew — debuted this past week with all the fanfare and publicity that a politician could only dream of. And it looks pretty cool.
The iPad isn't a phone or a laptop; it's a third device that can be used to send e-mails, go online and read books and magazines. I'm not sure if it is a necessary device or just something that would be really neat to have. Sitting on your couch or in your favorite chair, you pull out the iPad and just do whatever it is you do with the iPad.
Will the iPad be something that changes the way we work, play and get our information? Or will this new endeavor just be another thing we buy that will collect dust? That's the thing with new stuff: We never know what the outcome will be.
I think about that with education as well. There's always something new that educational researchers are coming up with to "help" the classroom. From new theories to new practices, the educational landscape is full of ideas (open classroom and centurion style come to mind) that were good titles for seminars, but were not able to be sustained..
For innovative educational leaders, there is some level of risk taking in implementing new concepts. For those of us who are always thinking about improvement, it's hard to sit still. In fact, it's impossible!
Right now, I truly believe in the disruptive classroom model penned by Clayton Christensen, and that's why I had a video created to articulate an approach I would like to take. I believe in student-centered education, but how do I know it's not a fad that will pass with time or be replaced with something newer?
The reality is, I don't know. However, there a three things I can use to give myself some comfort and reliance as I lead a school and students into a new direction.
1. Data — What does the research say about how students are developing? Has time shown these developments to be a good indicator of things to come. Data driven decision making isn't a new concept, but it can get muddied in too many committees. If the data is good, there may be something to go on.
2. Trends — I differentiate the term "trend" from the term "fad." I define trend as the overall landscape in which an industry is moving. For example, students are now living in social media ... it's an additional bedroom to the physical one they have. Because of this movement of an entire demographic (as well as baby-boomers), the space in which people live their live and communicate has shifted. That trend is one that can be used to forecast future developments.
3. Instinct — Now it's hard sometimes to tell the difference between instinct and heartburn. However, innovative leaders just have a feeling in their gut that this approach will be good for kids. It's a risk, but one worth taking.
It's hard to distinguish a fad from a great idea. That's why there has to be some level of trust involved. For the millions of people that follow Apple's every move, there's a belief that whatever the Apple Creators put out there, it will be good for the people.
For educational leaders, we must do the same. When a new idea comes our way, have we put the people, or in our case, students, at the top of the priority list. If we are making changes because of what is best for students, it's probably hard to go wrong. Put kids first, let the fads pass by and at the end of the day, kids win.
Now that 2010 is well underway, it’s probably too late to make predictions about anything. Therefore, I’ll use some things that other people have said and see what we can do with it.
A couple of recent blogs have been written about the web, what it will look like and the increasing use of media with kids. Ben Parr, from Mashable wrote a piece entitled “What the Web of Tomorrow Will Look Like.” The post describes four trends to watch for with the web: anytime access, mobile usage due to an increase in wi-fi hotspots, video content (youtube, hulu, vimeo, etc.) and social media. Can’t you still remember the early days of the Internet and those first few emails you sent? Things have moved fast in a relatively short period of time. Technology has changed much of what we do and how we live. Did you ever think people would be interested in what you had to say in just 140 spaces (thanks Twitter)?
Well, we’ve come along way with technology and one of the biggest areas in which there seems to be accepted movement, is with the amount of time kids spend with digital media. I remember hearing about how often kids watched television and what was going to happen to our brains. I was told to not sit too close to the TV, just in case (just in case of what…Rudy Huxtable was going to come through the set and bring me into the family?). But now, although the time spent with media, has increased, there doesn’t seem to be the same outrage of a few years back.
Mitch Joel, profiled a piece from USA Todaythat looked at how much time kids are engaged with media. Here are some of the facts:
Kids spend 53 hours a week with electronic media.
That is 7 hours and 38 minutes per day.
Surprisingly, this is only 79 minutes more than ten years ago.
The biggest drop has been kids reading newspaper and magazines.
Kids reading books remains stagnant – meaning, they’re reading as many books as they used to.
Cellphone ownership has increased from 39% (in 2004) to 66%.
20% of kids’ media comes via mobile devices.
Do the above results surprise you? Do they shock you? I am still a proponent of kids playing outside and am thankful my kids want to be running around outdoors from Spring to Fall. But the time they spend with the television or with supervised Internet time, seems to be a development opportunity I didn’t have.
As I look at my children (7 years and 2 1/2 years old), I try and think of the digital world in which they will grow and how that will impact education. The four and a half years between my two kids seems like a digital Grand Canyon. For my oldest, he is comfortable with Skyping on the laptop. But for my youngest, she will be as comfortable with a mobile device and the video opportunities that will come with it. Think about the learning opportunities that will be available for this generation? It could be revolutionary.
But will we be ready? Will teachers and school leaders have the ability to be in front of the knowledge curve or will we be running to catch up with our students? Is it possible that the time pre-schoolers have spent watching the channels devoted to their development like Noggin and Sprout was actually a good thing? Is it possible, that maybe, just maybe, I should have placed my children really close to the TV (don’t get carried away Speck:).
The future…endless opportunities to connect, teach and learn.
Every time I make a trip to Washington, D.C., a journey to the Lincoln Memorial is on the agenda. I'll climb the steps and go over to the great statue of President Lincoln and give thanks. I'll give thanks for a leader who stood for change, despite a country that was falling a part around him. I'll be thankful for a leader who met the highest challenge with courage and faced the steepest odds with the deepest of convictions
After I spend time with Lincoln, I'll walk back down the steps to spend time with King. I'll stand on the spot where one of the most famous 20th century speeches was delivered. I'll look out over the reflecting pool and imagine what it was like that day in 1963. The day when a man stood before the world and dreamed...dreamed of a better place for people...dreamed of a better place for his children...dreamed of a better place for his country.
It seems an appropriate time to continue a dream that involves our children. This is my dream;
Children are our greatest gift and we have a responsibility to their future. We have a responsibility to guide them, protect them and provide an environment that encourages learning. Learning that is centered around the needs of students. Students no longer live in a world where they have to wait for knowledge to come to them. The days of the teacher being the possessor of knowledge and bestowing that knowledge to the child is coming to an end. It's coming to an end because students are no longer going to wait for the teacher.
I dream of a day where schools are created in a way where education meets students where they are. I dream of a day where curriculum is designed based on what is best for students. I dream of a day where the needs of students are placed before union dues and contract needs. I dream of a day when students have the ability to learn in real-time achieving real-time results. I dream of a day when students have a say in the design and development of curriculum based on their needs and not those of publishing companies. I dream of a day when students, no matter how they learn are viewed as students.
I believe that"dream" will one day exist. There are too many educational leaders who feel them same way. They have the student's need at the center of their desire. It's a dream we can all achieve. One step at a time, one victory at a time, one child at a time.
Boy, have I had a busy week! Meetings and meetings…different discussions lasting longer than I thought they would. Getting home every night and falling asleep immediately. Whooh…it’s been busy.
But then I turn on the news and see an entire country in ruins. To witness what has happened in Haiti softens even the hardest of hearts. The destruction, hurt and pain seems unimaginable. Fathers searching for lost children and mothers mourning their loss. A government in complete shambles and a nation of people wondering if they are even a nation anymore.
I don’t want this to come across as if I am late to the party of anything, but has anyone picked up on the power of social media? Obviously, I’m joking around because we all know we have entered an environment that for some younger generations, is normal…for older generations is becoming a new-found freedom as they re-connect with people. But a couple of recent experiences I have had now give me a new and fresh understanding on how important the power of connection is.
Over the Christmas break, I spent a lot of time reading different blogs and listening to various podcast from leaders in social media concepts. Scott Monty, Global Digital & Multimedia Communications Manager for Ford Motor Company is credited with being one of the initiators of the some the social media market that exists (the phrase Tweetup comes from Scott). Well, I read of a lot of Scott’s stuff and followed many of his links to find out what he is interested in. I thought I would email him about what he knows about education social media and what is out there. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a response. The guy has to be very busy appearing on theFox Business Network and other media channels as well as running social media for Ford. Why would he respond to a K-12 Superintendent?
Whether I though he would respond or not became irrelevant after he sent me a reply to my email. He said it was great to make a local connection (we live probably within an hour of each other) and that although he was real familiar with education social media, directed me to a few links. To me, that was huge!! So huge that if I was in the market for a new car, I would start with Ford. His taking the time to connect with me was a really big deal (thanks Scott…maybe that mentality is one of the reasons that Ford’s auto sales were up 33% in December).
Another connection experience I had was with Mitch Joel. Mitch is another author and digital marketing specialist who I have read a lot lately. His blog posts and podcasts are extremely interesting and helpful. through Linked In, I asked a friend of mine who was connected to Mitch, to make a connection. Within a day, Mitch got back to me, connected with me and offered a nice personal note. Again, this is a big deal for me. These people are considered experts in what they do and certainly have more things to do than find links for me to read or write me nice notes…or isn’t this part of the success they are having. Taking time to connect.
These examples come at a perfect time: the beginning of 2010 with all types of resolutions on our plates. My resolution: take time to connect. Respond to emails from concerned families at my school. Respond to phone calls that need to addressing. Look for new ways to connect with people who wouldn’t expect the leader of the school to be involved with (i.e., pre-school classes, art classes, etc.). That re-investment into “people connection” and relationship building, may go along way to improving the climate of your school.
Without even knowing me, Scott and Mitch took time to connect. What a great example! Plus, when I someday buy my new Ford automobile, I can use their cool Sync technology and pipe in Mitch’s podcasts. What a great day that will be:)
I'm not sure anyone loves to fail, but those of us in leadership can take it as a personal affront to what we are trying to accomplish if there are setbacks. For me (this is a personal confession), I hate it. Absolutely hate FAILING!!! Is it just my ego? Do I need to practice a little humility every now and then? Well, that's probably somewhat true, but the reason I hate to fail, especially in the realm of educational leadership is that there is so much at stake...the future of kids.
We here politicians talk all of the time about "this is the time" and "we can't fail" and all of this fake outrage that is on our televisions 24/7. The problem that I believe for many leaders, especially those in Washington is the disconnect between what is and what is not achieved.
We see it in our buildings every day. Students desiring to achieve at a certain level, but coming up short. Parents trying to figure out how to be parents and feeling as if they are failing as a mom or dad. Leaders, striving for excellence but hitting road block after road block. It can be discouraging.
But here is how I am and have decided to deal with failure (or at least my definition of failure).
1. Learn - There is a reason that my project or idea didn't succeed. So what can I do differently the next time to make it happen? Who can I get involved to make it happen? How can I delegate to someone who might be stronger than me in getting this accomplished? Someone said it, "if I'm not learning, I'm not living."
2. Be Humble - Those of us in leadership learn to have a thick skin. Certainly not everyone will agree with our point of view and it isn't supposed to work that way. We lead, because there are some gifts and talents we might possess that encourage others to follow. But that cannot morph into an arrogant mindset that never allows for failure. Not getting something you want isn't always a bad thing. There is a time for everything and maybe this wasn't your time.
3. Don't Give Up - I recently was told "no" concerning a project I have been working on for two years. In fact, the "no" comment has been said multiple times. But I believe that students may benefit from the idea and project, therefore I will continue to seek funding and assistance no matter how many "no's" I receive.
Failure isn't fun, but it is relative. We have a lot of great kids in our schools everyday. They count on us to show them how to succeed, but how to also get back up after a setback. That may be the best Christmas gift we can give them.
I was in high school when it happened and can hardly believe it has been 20 years. The Fall of the Berlin Wall. As a kid growing up in middle Tennessee, I didn't have a lot of contact with anyone from a Communist country, I just remember hearing they were "bad." The freedoms we experiences in the U.S. were pipe dreams to those living under Communist rule. I cheered loudly when Rocky Balboa beat the Russian in Rocky IV (still the greatest workout soundtrack ever).
But I remember seeing those people atop the Berlin Wall. I remember the smiles and the absolute euphoria being experienced by people who never thought that day would come. I remember that once the first wave of people starting going through the gate, things would change. In fact, a tidal wave of people and emotions started pouring through. The old ways were gone. It was now up to a new generation of people to experience life and freedom in ways only imagined in their dreams.
I sometimes feel we are standing on the wrong side of the education wall. A wall too big to climb over and even if you did, you would be shot with tired, old ideas and traditions that no longer are relevant to today's student. But I do have hope and I do have drive and perseverance. Looking back at some old video clips from the fall of the Berlin Wall, that's what I see most. People who had tried for years and years to claim a new way of living finally seeing the reward. For educational leaders trying to break down the "education system" wall, we cannot give up. Perseverance must win out. Because the reward of seeing kids learn in a way that makes sense to them will be a great victory. The reward of seeing a tidal wave of innovative schools and student centered approaches will be priceless.
These are some of the ways of thinking we are bringing to Oakland Christian School. Approaches to learning that center around each individual student. We are just in the beginning stages, but I believe we are on our way to a philosophy that promotes individual learning in the traditional classroom. So I say this to the system and ask that you join me, "Mr. Education System, tear down this wall!"
There was a lot of angst and hysteria in the last week aboutPresident Obama's speech to students on Tuesday. It has been interesting to hear the different reasons and, to a degree, I can understand skepticism. We live in a politically charged environment unlike the time President Reagan and the first President Bush spoke to students while in school. In today's immediate news cycle and instant sharing of news — both good and bad — any speech to students would probably get some attention. But this speech — one about goals, objectives, achieving success and washing your hands (a pretty sterile subject for anyone, whether democrat or republican) — drew the hottest fire of about any speech the president has given.
It's not the fact that the president was speaking to students that surprises me. It's not the fact that conservatives were upset that the president was taking the opportunity to speak to students on the traditional first day of school. (I'm a Christian conservative and I get the fact that we are supposed to disagree with the opposition party, but this was a little on the ridiculous side.) And it's not the fact that some parents were upset. What I realized was that one of the reasons why so many parents were upset, is the fact that they have lost trust in the educational system. The fact that many parents were willing to keep their children home if the school showed the presidential address illustrates something frightening: Parents no longer trust the educational system that they grew up in. Teacher unions have placed such an emphasis on their needs and wants, that many parents do not trust teachers to be able to provide discernment to their children. To me, that is the story of this entire episode. A system, that has been broken for years, now makes it impossible for the president of the United States to speak to students.
This entire event could have been a great teachable moment. We should ask the students, "Why do you believe this speech caused such a stir?" Let's get the students back into the debate. In fact, let's have the students debate, discuss and learn. For there to be real education reform, the trust between the schools and the family unit needs to return. Parents have to be able to trust their local school, whether public or private, to look after the best interests of students, not adults. For trust to return and real reform to happen within the system, education needs to be given back to students, parents and teachers who are student centered and not contract driven.
The president can give as many speeches as he wants. He has that privilege, and I don't blame him for espousing the virtues of hard work. But until adults start to act like grown-ups and make student-centered decisions, we'll keep having ridiculous discussions about whether or not the president of the United States can talk to kids. While we are wasting time in that discussion, another graduating class will come through just as distrusting as the one before.
Leaders are always looking for a new model— a new approach to advancing a mission and vision of an organization. Many of us go to the leadership section in our local bookstore on a regular basis, anticipating new arrivals. We go to conferences and listen, take notes and dream of ways to implement new approaches with hopes that we will be received with open hearts and minds. The thing with new ideas is that it's kind of like buying a new treadmill. The treadmill doesn't work unless you plug it in and use it. I think leadership ideas and models are similar: We buy the books, listen to the material and realize, "This is going to be way too hard."
I've been involved with three different turnaround opportunities within K-12 schools. Some of the problems were financial, some were leadership and all were an overall decline in the quality of the school. But what I learned is that whether you are trying to come out of a crisis or continuing to lead at the highest level, there are some basic foundational approaches that can really be helpful. Before I list these out, I want all of you to know that I am not egotistical enough to develop a model around my last name — it just happened, I promise! :)
Simplify: Those who are leading should never try and be overcomplicated in what they are saying to their followers. Leaders can have the greatest charts, diagrams and spreadsheets in their office, but once in public, make it simple for everyone to understand. Church leader Andy Stanley says, "I cannot promise 100% certainty, but I can promise 100% clarity." Make it simple. Start with the vision of the organization and take people there. From that point, you can walk them backward, but make it simple.
Participation: Leaders can't do it by themselves, but depending on what is happening within the organization, followers may not want to be involved. I often hear from parents who complain about the school not wanting parental involvement. I can imagine that is true. As much as we hear about having parents and families involved with schools, not many school leaders want to see that actually happen. That's crazy! Get your parents and families involved. Have your faculty and staff involved in volunteering (can the unions really object to that?).
Empowerment: For me, empowerment means to begin growing and developing leaders within your school or organization. It costs schools and districts a lot of money to search for and train outside leaders. They need additional time to get to know the lay of the land. Leaders, find other leaders within the organization and begin to give these folks opportunities to grow, make mistakes and lead. It will be one of the best things a leader will do.
Celebrate successes — all of them, small ones, medium size, big, state-championship size. Whatever good is coming out of your organization, talk about it and talk about it loudly. This one is easy for me. I was voted "Most School Spirit" in high school and I tend to be a little biased for the school I lead. It doesn't take much for me to want to talk about my school, its vision and its long-term goals. I also love to celebrate with my faculty and staff about the successes that happen on a daily basis: a student who finally gets that math concept or an essay winner in the middle school. These are fun things to talk about and great things to motivate your employees.
Keep on going!! The turnaround process can be a long and weary road. But simplicity and clarity, participation from staff and stakeholders, growth of upcoming leaders and celebration of victories along the way makes it easier to keep going. Once the momentum train gets out of the station, you stay on and keep riding. The leader keeps being simple and clear. The leader keeps asking for participation and involvement. The leader keeps growing leaders. The leader keeps celebrating, cheering and motivating. The leader keeps on keeping on!
Those who find themselves in leadership, especially K-12 leadership, have a great job — maybe the greatest job. We get to work with kids and families. We get to be along side of great teachers and staff who devote their lives to kids. Let's raise our standards in leadership and see what happens. It might just be a spectacular result.
Students in K-12 education are experiencing a wide range of individualized opportunities within their day: Facebook pages, iPhone applications and Twitter accounts are allowing students to engage in new and different ways. However, the K-12 educational environment is far from individualized.
A typical class may have 25 students in the room, all with individualized needs. However, the system in which schools operate tends to move students through in a factory approach. Regardless of whether or not the student is proficient in the unit or chapter studied, the class will move on. The class has to move on because the teacher knows there is only so much time in a day, month, marking period and year. The teacher knows they have to cover “x” amount per day because of the standardized tests in the near future.
The problem with the above model is that individual learning styles are typically not accounted for. Auditory, kinesthetic and visual learners will have to quickly adapt if they are to catch up. With 25 different learners in a room, that equals 25 distinct students with 25 individual learning styles. Generally, teachers are not equipped with the skills to identify and teach individual students. Barriers such as the following make it difficult to address each student:
Time and resources
Teacher training
Ability to identify learning styles of students
Communication of learning styles to all student stakeholders
Education of parents and students
What if a model was developed that addressed the above barriers and re-established (maybe established for the first time) a school environment that was student centered? This model would teach veteran teachers about methods that were relevant to today's student. Anyone who has been through a teacher education program jokes about the old audio/visual class in which the professor (who hadn't been a classroom teacher for 30 years) showed how to use a film strip machine — and we had to demonstrate it! These classes, by the way, were still taught long after film strip machines weren't made anymore, making them irrelevant. Students want relevance, and I believe teachers do as well. A veteran teacher of 25 years recently said to me, "I want to get better. I want to try new ways of reaching kids, but I don't know how." Now that's an attitude I can work with — someone willing and ready.
But it also starts at our teacher education programs. To really shift a paradigm in teaching, a shift needs to happen on college campuses. I'm all for scholarship and academic integrity within the collegiate ranks. However, it's the job of a college to prepare students who are ready for the industries in which they have chosen. The preparation should be relevant to the student, the profession and the technology. Teacher colleges could greatly assist in breaking down the above barriers by focusing on three things:
Integrating online learning within the traditional brick and mortar classroom.
Training teachers to become facilitators versus a traditional stand-in-front figure.
Encourage teachers and students to become contributors in the curriculum process by providing a place to provide user-generated content.
A real shift in theory and practice could happen if there was an alignment between teacher colleges and K-12 institutions where prospective teachers could regularly use the theories and methods taught in the college classroom and have those directly applied in an aligned K-12 classroom. This has been tried in sporadic areas, but a purposeful approach to this might be the shift that is needed. There is going to be a movement one of these days. The question is, are you going to be moving as well?
The night couldn't have been better. The mid-summer classic was classic once again as the American League All-Stars beat the National League All-Stars in the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The stars from both leagues were in St. Louis — the young guys who can hit the ball 500+ feet (as Prince Fielder did in the Home Run Derby) and some of the veterans, such as Tim Wakefield who, at 42, was the oldest player to make an All-Star team. The night began by honoring all-stars from communities around the country for various activities and programs that have been started. Then some of St. Louis' favorite players were honored, with the culmination of Stan "The Man" Musial receiving a standing ovation. He handed the ceremonial first pitch baseball to President Barack Obama who was able to get the ball close to the plate. It was an all-star evening all the way around.
I know we give an unequal amount of publicity and attention to professional athletes — I know that! I realize that we glorify the wrong priorities and reward the wrong behavior when it comes to professional sports. This week's blog isn't really about sports or priorities, but it is about performance. The guys who play in the All-Star Game are baseball's finest pitchers, hitters and overall players. They have worked on their craft and perfected it, but these baseball players aren't content with just being good for now. They continue to work and improve. Last year isn't good enough. It's not good enough for the fans, the organization or the player. There has to be constant improvement ... constant moving forward.
This isn't just a model for professional sports. Other professions assume the same model in some manner. You have to get better or the competition will leave you behind. But do we have the same need in education? Is there a need to get better? For private schools, the need is more apparent because they live and die based on enrollment and tuition dollars. If they are not good as a school, families will leave. But what about in public education? Have families settled for school environments that accept mediocrity? Have school leaders given up on change because of teacher contracts that tie the hands of administrators? If this is the case, there will never be an all-star game in education. But I'm not convinced it has to be this way. Over the next couple of blogs, I am going to take a look at the barriers, as well as the possible ways we can overcome these barriers within our schools. But it is going to take some work. These baseball players did not become all-stars purely because of their talent. They worked, changed things, practiced and improved. When obstacles got in the way, they didn't blame other people or make excuses. They worked hard and overcame the barriers. That mentality is all-star like and that is where we are headed in education.
Well, what does that mean? Does the actual school need to improve ... like the building, parking lot, sprinkler system? What needs improvement?
Test scores, someone screams. Teachers, another one shouts. Students, they need to dress better, a third bellows.
It is possible all of the above could use some sort of improvement. The aesthetics of a building need to be kept up or the pride in the facility will leave. It is also fait to look at test scores to find gaps within curriculum or to measure achievement standards. And yes, I do believe students should look presentable at school (my opinion :) ). But what about leadership ... where do they come in? And what could they do?
Hopefully, that’s what we are here for. Oakland Christian School is working to connect authentic leadership and education together in order to create a Christian school that exemplifies excellence in all areas.
The iPad — the newest creation from Steve Jobs and the Apple crew — debuted this past week with all the fanfare and publicity that a politician could only dream of. And it looks pretty cool.