"With the full knowledge ..."

The beginning of the instructional year is exciting for learner, parent, and staff. Though it may seem routine for seasoned staff, the start of school is nonetheless full of best hopes, intentions, and expectations.

Yet, this beginning is different.

It must be different!

How so?

We start this year with the full knowledge, disclosure that at each grade level as well as each subject area there are students starting not ready (see Convocation presentation for specific data).

In fact, we know specifically each student’s literacy level, proficiently level, and academic performance level.

This knowledge has the potential to be “the” game changer.

It can and it will, if we take this information and knowledge and apply it.

We must make sense and therefore make actionable this knowledge from day one through designing instruction to meet the needs of each learner by knowing each learner not assuming their chronological age is commensurate with their acquisition of requisite skill, knowledge, and learning experience.

With the full knowledge of skill, knowledge, and experience deficits as well as strengths, we can with unprecedented focus, intent, and application ensure each learner makes no less than a years’ growth this year. In some instances, we will see learners far exceeding a years’ growth.

In fact, with the tools we have available, any student not beginning grade level ready should within the first 9 no less than 18 weeks achieve substantial growth in literacy and mathematics.

We know how to do this!

We must now do it!

We also start this year with the full knowledge, disclosure that our leadership must focus on providing specific instructional feedback, input, guidance, and critique of effective practice or lack of for each teacher.

In concert, each building administrator must ensure in their daily practice to monitor and assist each staff in the implementation of effective instructional practice through specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and timely feedback.

Anything less will provide ineffective information that will not, cannot improve practice.

We start this year with the full knowledge, disclosure that central office leadership must also “bring their A game” with respect to support to building leadership and classroom practice.

Central office must practice in earnest the leadership necessary to coach, guide, facilitate, problem solve, remove barriers, and the ultimate –communicate in more effective and efficient ways to ensure all staff develop the capacities necessary for each staff to do the work of teaching and learning at unprecedented levels.

We begin this year with the full knowledge, disclosure that what we have been doing has not, to date, produced the results that give evidence worthy of our mission – our calling.

Suffice; to make this year a good year, a great year we must focus on what we control not what we don’t control.

We need to rise above our circumstances to embrace, if you will, the three variables we control –the intended curriculum being the taught curriculum, choosing and implementing effective instructional practice, and ensuring the learning environment is safe and orderly through constant communication of expectations and consistently following through.

As I shared at Convocation, we do not and cannot control several variables that once were believed to be determinants of a learner’s level of learning and success. We know now more than ever, those variables DON’T determine and are not insurmountable. It is our response to these variables that matter – not determine if a learner meets or exceeds standards.

Again, if we focus on the variables we influence and control, we will be successful in our efforts. This is not to say it will be easy. On the contrary, this is challenging, difficult given for the most part we have tended to let what we don’t control dominate our thinking as well as become obstacles interfering with the deep work of teaching and learning.

With the full knowledge that our staff have permission to focus on what they do, in fact control, we will see breakthrough results – performance by both learners and staff.

This is what must be different this year!

We know how to do this.

We must now do it with unprecedented commitment, focus, and implementation.

"What got us 'here' is not going to get us 'there'!

Hard to believe that 17 August 2011 is soon upon us. As we prepare to greet all staff in preparation for the beginning of the instructional year for learners in Pre-Kindergarten through Super Seniors at Early College, we must set our minds eye on the work that matters most – the work of equipping each learner with the habits of learning.

I did not say prepare our learners for End of Grade, End of Course, or Elements assessments.

No, taking tests is not the means or ends of teaching and learning. Rather the habits of learning – the enduring habits of learning – each learner learning to use their mind well must be the aim. Along the way, learners will learn different content, subject matter, skills, and applications of, for and by learning.

Yet, we cannot deceive ourselves into believing that what we have always done will suffice. If we were to simply revert back to what we have always done we will with little hesitation get what we have always gotten.

The practices, behaviors, routines, and thinking of the past got us into hole – a deep hole.

These same practices, behaviors, routines, and thinking resulted in the Anson County Schools being labeled consistently and persistently low performing.

Query therefore, why would we continue with those practices, behaviors, routines, and thinking?

We know that its illogical as well as irrational to consider holding on to something that isn’t working, isn’t successful, isn’t effective, isn’t efficient.

Yet, it is conceivable that staff in spite of best intentions will revert to failed practices, behaviors, routines, and thinking.

Why?

First and foremost we know from human learning theory that we have a propensity to do what we know or can easily do.

Learning to do something new is difficult.

Would you accept that it takes more effort to unlearn something rather that learning something new?

To assist all of us with new learning, leadership has been studying the research on addiction. Yes, you read that correctly addiction.

At first read, most think of addiction with respect to a substance albeit physical, emotional or psychological addiction. These have not been our focus. Rather, from the addiction research we find insight to what is needed to break an addiction or habit and the importance of forming, developing new habits and routines. With little exception, addiction research relies heavily on thinking or the mindset of the addict. New thinking and new behaviors reinforced consistently and constantly with great intensity over a period of time is central.

Assisting in developing new patterns of thinking accompanied by new behaviors is an over simplistic portrayal of how addictions are overcome. Yet, we see that if we individually and collectively form new thinking and new patterns of behavior with consistent and constant reinforcement and monitoring we can build the capacity and momentum to breakthrough.

Simply, the practices, behaviors, routines, and thinking that got us here will not be the ones that get us there.

This brings me to where is “there”?

“There” is not nirvana.

“There” is not a pithy or trite statement.

“There” is not a test score.

Rather, “there” is each learner demonstrating that they have in fact learned how to learn, learned to how to decide, and learned how to relate.

“There” is each learner with the skills, knowledge, and experience to make and have choices about life’s four major roles – self, family, community, and worker.

We cannot spend time, energy, and effort attempting to convince staff that what got us here will not get us there – that time has passed.

We are done with rational and theory building. Now is the time for application – deep implementation of effective practice.

I am expecting leadership to step up their monitoring, measurement, and feedback to staff about implementation of effective practice. Never has been clearer what we need to do.

We must now do it –

“There “ depends upon it.