“The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.” Robert Kennedy

Tuesday night our nation heard our president deliver the State of the Union address. Among the many things he said, he spoke directly to Anson County. He said,

“Think about it. Over the next 10 years, nearly half of all new jobs will require education that goes beyond a high school education. And yet, as many as a quarter of our students aren’t even finishing high school. The quality of our math and science education lags behind many other nations. America has fallen to ninth in the proportion of young people with a college degree. And so the question is whether all of us –- as citizens, and as parents –- are willing to do what’s necessary to give every child a chance to succeed.

That responsibility begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities. It’s family that first instills the love of learning in a child. Only parents can make sure the TV is turned off and homework gets done. We need to teach our kids that it’s not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair. We need to teach them that success is not a function of fame or PR, but of hard work and discipline.

Our schools share this responsibility. When a child walks into a classroom, it should be a place of high expectations and high performance. But too many schools don’t meet this test. That’s why instead of just pouring money into a system that’s not working, we launched a competition called Race to the Top. To all 50 states, we said, “If you show us the most innovative plans to improve teacher quality and student achievement, we’ll show you the money.”

President Obama went on to provide examples of where, what, why, and how we can improve our education – the public education system.

He stated:

“If we take these steps -– if we raise expectations for every child, and give them the best possible chance at an education, from the day they are born until the last job they take –- we will reach the goal that I set two years ago: By the end of the decade, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.”

The challenge for each of us is to accept that we must now, more than ever focus on those things we control. We must stop dwelling on those factors that we have little or no control. We must be proactive not reactive.

To that end, our human capital development initiative centers on those factors that we the educators, the educational leaders control. As a reminder – we control if the intended curriculum is the taught curriculum; we control the instructional strategy to deliver the curriculum; and we control the learning environment.

The learning environment is controlled by the articulation, reinforcement, and consistent as well as constant practice of learning as well as behavioral expectations. There is no magic, mystery to these three areas. It is simply what effective teachers do. Underpinning the thinking and behavior is an acute awareness and understanding of the role a teacher plays in the life of a learner.

The President was correct Tuesday night when he gave voice to yet another wave of teacher bashing.

Yes, it has become clear that ineffective and underperforming educators must be addressed. The first step however is not to simply “fire” them. This is why we have made capacity building the centerpiece of our Human Capital Development initiative. If our staff, all staff embrace the initiative as it is intended, all staff will find value, utility, and import. Those deemed or perceived to be ineffective or underperforming will experience unprecedented access, opportunity, and feedback. If, and at such time, that a person has not improved then we owe them, our students, our staff, and our community appropriate action to remove that person from a classroom or in the case of administration, removal from leadership.

As the President said, “Here in America, it’s time we treated the people who educate our children with … respect. We want to reward good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones.”

"Making different is making the difference"

With mixed emotions economic realities emerge across our state and nation. As debate, discourse, and dialogue run from the surreal to the sublime, we wait for the “next” of what will certainly be more drama especially as local and state economies continue to labor without discernable improvement. This time, however, there truly is a wolf. As realities become clear, public education will be different. It is unavoidable.

Though we have been “without” for sometime, the revenue shortfalls will without hesitation impact learning, improvement, and achievement. Our staffing plan is considerably lean. Years of declining resources caused in part by the inability to shift from historically stable and predictable economic engines to the demands, desires, and expectations of global competitiveness has taken its’ toll on the school system.

Some long to return to a time in history where at best was perceived to be better but in reality was only different. We cannot, must not dwell on the past. Rather, this is the time to be optimistic, visionary, and proactive. Huh?

Surrounded by pessimists, human magnets for unhappiness if you will, educators must be the first to optimistically embrace a confident uncertainty. We know that education will be impacted by the economy now and the foreseeable future, it will be different. The real question and challenge for each of us is how will we react to the “different”? Will we play the victim or will we rise above our circumstances and proactively influence making the “different”?

Every day educators in our school system are asked to make that moment, that period, that morning, that assignment, that learning “different” to impact lives. Making “different” is making the difference! We must not forget however our classrooms, schools, or school systems are impacted by fiscal realities that we make the difference in the lives of our students, our colleagues, and our community.

I have longed believed that we are dream makers, vision builders, and promise keepers. Yes, educators carry a tremendous weight on our shoulders but why shouldn’t we – we chose this work. We chose a confident uncertainty when we said, “yes” to working with young people.

To that end, I ask that each of us constantly and consistently remind one another that this work, the work of making a difference in the lives of others, requires a mindset of optimism not pessimism, vision not memories, and proactive versus reactive thinking, words, and action. We must now more than ever stand on the shoulders of courageous, and committed giants that made enduring differences irrespective of the circumstances, challenges or obstacles they faced. It is our time to lead with these same convictions. Imagine if you will what our community, state, and nation would see if we defined the “different”.

A lesson from our recent past should serve as a powerful example of what happens when we let others define “different”. Does the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act resonate? Arguably the right intentions, NCLB caused great harm. The greatest of which may be the public’s perceptions of educators. We were on the wrong side of the fence. Rather than embracing NCLB and working to “right it” – we fought it. We complained, whined, and argued against it all the while alienating many of our strongest supporters - parents, community and even policy makers.

Hindsight being 20/20 we should have behaved differently and seen NCLB as an opportunity to do what we always knew to be ethically and morally right – educating all students to high standards. Alas, we may have a do over.

We can be confident that over the next six to nine months policy makers will make fiscal decisions that sacrifice educators and public education on the altar of the expedient and convenient. Yet, we have an opportunity to act differently. To do so begins with optimism, vision, and pro-acting. Economics aside, we have within our power and control enough of the variables to ensure unprecedented difference in our teaching and our student’s learning – each learner.

The choice is ours!

"Willing to give Account"

How willing have educators been to give account for their actions? This question among several being asked by policy makers I believe is an attempt to understand why, for the most part, educational reform has failed to realize promised results. What continues to trouble policy makers in my humble opinion teeters on the obvious – you can’t force change not enduring change that is.

We have lived the impact and effect of a mindset based on the “outside –in” construct of behavior change. This construct holds that behavior will change based on the perceived or real fear of the severity of punishment including ridicule, threat, embarrassment, and guilt as integral levers. The results of this mindset have deepened distrust, animosity, and resentment. Further still, it has stifled creativity, innovation, and imagination. Yet, policy makers want, as it appears from national discourse, to continue on this path of destruction.

I listened to the former Chancellor of Education for the District of Columbia expound on the idea that maybe, just maybe we should focus on what’s best for children. There’s a novel idea – children at the center of reform. Call me cynical, but I doubt the agenda of policy makers are in the least interested in what is best for children. Rather, the reform initiatives of the past 10 years have focused on sanctions and consequences at the expense of children given that most, if not all reform has targeted adults.

Certainly the prevailing thought is to make adults change so that students change. This unidirectional thinking has served to achieve mixed results at best. Absent from most dialogue on change are the motivation factors for change. We know that enduring change comes from a “want to” not “have to” mindset. Let’s be fair, there are situations where a “have to” precedes a “want to”. However, without a shift the change is seldom enduring, long lasting.

The landscape is replete with examples of good intentions but failed results.

A good friend of mine smoked for years and was confronted with literally a life decision. If you continue to smoke then … if you quit, then …

When asked his decision, the response came “I choose life so I quit”.

Good intentions! Absolutely!

Highly motivated to quit. Without a doubt!

Lasted a couple of months and slowly but steadily started smoking again.

The issue wasn’t sincerity or desire. It wasn’t about addiction either.

The change was not “inside – out”. It wasn’t internalized. It didn’t become a “want to” irrespective of the consequences real or potential.

When accountability was defined by test results, the inability to systematically raise test results in light of pockets of success, created the need to have a “fall guy”. Someone had to take the blame. At the end of the day, someone must “own” both failed learning as well as the failure to learn.

The emerging shift from “highly qualified” to “effective” reveals a slight deviation in policy. A degree, certification, or longevity though meeting qualifications is far from proof of effect. The failure to employ laser focus strategies to build capacity that result in effect is akin to yelling at a runner that is behind in a race to run faster – run harder.

Absent skill building, new knowledge sets, and experience, little or no capacity for effectiveness will be realized. The acquiring of skill, knowledge, and experience to produce results – enduring results comes from a “want to” not a “have to” mindset. Simply, wanting to learn is an “inside out” proposition.

If you pay close attention to the rhetoric at both the national and state level, you unpack quickly the underpinning mindset and subsequent actions remain based on a belief that educators can make students learn. Administrators can make teachers effective. School Boards can make administrators effective and etc.

If we don’t fundamentally embrace a “want to” versus a “have to” mindset creating new behavior that in turn creates different results – we will continue to receive the criticism, condemnation, and judgment of those that believe we can force learning.

Just curious, how has that worked for us so far?

"Human Capital Development"

Race to the Top funding is providing a powerful opportunity for the Anson County Schools to invest in our staff, their learning, their skill and knowledge development, and overall capacity and competence in curriculum, instruction, and assessment strategies to ensure student performance and achievement results “catch up” or “pass” state or federal expectations.

This comes at a time when professional development is under unprecedented attack for little or no effect on results – improved teaching and learning. Reports question the import and utility of professional development. In one report professional development is summed as “meaningless”. This extreme conclusion is based, in part, on the limitation of what defines professional development as well as the lack of authentic metrics to measure desired or expected outcomes.

The phrase professional development is tossed around flippantly and with myriad underpinning assumptions and expectations. In many cases, the purpose, object, and desired outcome of professional development are well intended. However, the term and its’ processes, practices, formats, methodology, timing, and etc. are in themselves problematic.

Arguably, the term, professional development itself conjures a vast range of emotions, responses, and reactions.

Unfortunately, professional development in most cases fails to take into account what we know about adult learning theory. A quick look at adult learning theory reveals the reasons most adults engage in learning experiences. More often or not it is to create change - change in (a) skills, (b) behavior, (c) knowledge level, or (d) attitudes about their work, their effect (Adult Education Centre, 2005).

The degree of motivation, the amount of previous experience, the level of engagement in the learning process, as well as how the learning is applied are each central to adult learning – much if not all of these has been violated in one form or another.

Each adult brings to a learning experience preconceived thoughts and feelings that are influenced by each of these factors – motivation, prior experience, and engagement.

I have for several years purposely used professional learning and growth to portray a different construct. I think “learning and growth” captures the essence of what individuals experience in their respective professions. Professionals irrespective of title, degree, or standing continually advance their skill and knowledge sets. They constantly use their experiences to motivate, filter, guide, reinforce, evaluate, discover, make sense, risk, stretch, change, and transform their competencies and capacities.

The term human capital is firmly established in the private sector and is slowly morphing into the public sector. Employees and their respective skills, knowledge, and experience are akin to capital essential to the growth of business. Human capital development therefore, is the investment in employees to grow their skills and knowledge sets providing new experiences to better, more efficiently and effectively produce desired and expected results.

It is becoming clearer that no single effort can compare to the power and leverage of human capital development. Yet, the word development connotes something less than positive or inviting. We need a different term or expression to convey the power of learning – adult learning. We need to think about this. Any suggestions? For the time being, we are focused on human capital development.

At its core, human capital development must be about building capacity for learning and growth. The imperative therefore is the purposeful, intentional, and deliberate attention to the specific components of adult learning.

Capacity building requires an awareness of current reality. Current reality includes the good, bad, and ugly. It is acknowledging the limitations of skills, knowledge, and experience – not as declarative judgments or conclusions of a person – their character – their person. It should be no surprise that condemnation limits or completely compromises adult learning.

We must build capacity for learning through frank, candid conversations about our current reality with the best hopes that adult learning brings about change – in attitude, skill, behavior, knowledge, and effect.