“Familiar or Not … we have to complete what we started”

Have you started on a journey knowing full well that you have never been there before? You know nothing what to expect when you get there let alone what to expect along the way.

I recall vividly preparing, packing, and setting out to drive from Washington State to Connecticut. We planned our route; estimating daily travel, stops, hotels, sites and places to visit, and an arrival time 3000 plus miles away.

As the journey unfolded there were roads we had driven before but for the most part, the highways, freeways, turnpikes, interstates, state, or city roads were unfamiliar.

We could calculate miles and speed to estimate and adjust time for delays, unscheduled stops, meals, rest stops, and refueling. Yet, each mile, each road, and each stop were new experiences though we were familiar with traveling we were experiencing the unfamiliar.

Presently, we are experiencing a similar journey – familiar but unfamiliar.

Others have driven the route we drove to Connecticut. I am not sure if their trip originated from the same place or their stops were at the same places or they drove the same speed, same vehicles, and etc.

The route was similar but not identical.

The journey was familiar but equally unfamiliar. So it is with our present situation.

Others have begun the journey of school and school system transformation. Some have succeeded most have not. The journey may be similar; familiar but is not and cannot be identical.

No two schools or school systems are the same. The culture of each school and school system is unique just as the students, parents, staff, and communities in which these schools and school systems exist.

The planned route of transformation is well intentioned but cannot possibly take into account all the nuances or uniqueness of each school and school system. As such, two factors are critical – deep implementation and monitoring.

As our cross county journey unfolded, we monitored frequently the implementation of our plan. Making the necessary adjustments along the way. In a like manner, we must monitor in an unprecedented manner the implementation of our transformation plan.

Presently, we are at a critical point in our transformation plan. Though we have been hard at work for several years in building both infrastructure and capacity building we are nonetheless in the early phases of our plan.

Though it may seem to some that we should be further along; they could be right if the work of transformation was as easy and simple as following a generic theoretical construct. The problem with this thinking is that transformation is neither easy nor simple.

Yet, it is equally not as difficult as some would make it.

Transformation is dynamic, fluid, and multifaceted. Arguably, transformation is complex. The factors and variables driving as well as resisting transformation are within our control.

This is by far the most challenging aspect of transformation – understanding and accepting that we control through our choices, decisions the implementation of “effective”, results producing strategies – practices and programs.

Transformation or the lack of is all about our choices – our decisions.

The driving forces for transformation are far greater than any resisting force especially in light of that most if not all resisting forces are merely personal preference, convenience, or fear-based.

Yes, fear-based.

We all fear being incompetent or unsuccessful in change. Yet, in learning something new we are all incompetent until we learn and practice the new skill or program.

Intellectually we understand the incompetent – competent tension. But it is not the intellectual understanding that get’s in the way. Rather, the emotional side of incompetency prevents the intellectual understanding from championing the day.

In our heart of hearts, mind of minds, and soul of souls we understand this. Yet despite of understanding this tension, we easily give in to the emotional.

Thus, the challenge of leadership is awareness and understanding the incompetent-competent tension. Often leadership underestimates the one and over estimates the other. Hence our efforts to build capacity through human capital development are necessary to ensure that reluctance is not confused with resistance.

Familiar or not, we must nevertheless complete what we have started.

No excuses!

Anson County Schools: "Within our Control"

Anson County Schools: "Within our Control": The work we are currently engaged is a mighty work. We have several barriers, obstacles if you will to overcome. However, ...

"Within our Control"

The work we are currently engaged is a mighty work. We have several barriers, obstacles if you will to overcome. However, our current practice suggests that we still don’t accept that much of what needs to happen for us to become a high performing school system is within our control.

The belief and subsequent practice of dwelling on those factors, variables that we exert little or no influence are tantamount to insanity.

We must focus on those factors where we have control or influence significantly.

As I have written previously – these variables are not a mystery or unidentifiable.

In fact, they are in their simplicity often overlooked or minimized.

First and foremost, we control instruction. Underpinning instruction is lesson design. Though fundamental, we still don’t have a critical mass of our educators that daily plan and design rigorous, challenging, meaningful, relevant, and engaging learning.

To plan effectively requires a deep awareness and understanding of the curriculum. Our curriculum is currently defined and determined by North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS), CTE Blueprints, or Occupational Course of Study. Common Core State Standards and Essential Standards will replace the NCSCOS.

Suffice; our teachers and administrations must know the standards.

Many of our staff have worked diligently to “unpack” the standards into workable, daily components. These components are called Pacing Guides. The Pacing Guides are influenced as well as complimented by the Total Instructional Alignment (TIA) documents that include the standard, essential vocabulary, task analysis, and assessment prompts. The TIA documents along with the Pacing Guides are available online and are therefore easily accessible.

Our staff, all staff therefore has the curriculum readily available to inform daily planning of instruction. Teetering on the obvious, every day our students should experience thoughtful, well-developed and well-intentioned learning activities aligned to state standards. Anything less is a deliberate choice not to engage students in learning.

Though I desire different, our administrators must check, assess daily whether or not each teacher has planned rigorous, challenging, meaningful, relevant, and engaging learning. I am holding administrators accountable as they in turn are holding their staff accountable.

Again, this is within our control - total control.

Changes in state law effective 1 July 2011 ups the anti if you will for effective lesson design and application. Any staff found through observation and evaluation not proficient in this area will be subject to dismissal irrespective of past evaluations or years of service.

This sounds and feels heavy handed.

It is!

There is no room for excuse.

This is a legal requirement that is completely and unwavering within the control of each educator. By the by, any principal found through observation and evaluation not proficient in fulfilling their responsibility, accountability, and authority for staff demonstrating proficiency or beyond will be subject to dismissal irrespective of past evaluations or years of service.

This sounds and feels heavy handed.

It is!

There is no room for excuse.

The expectations, requirements, and now statute are clear. The ultimate measurement of effective lesson planning and application is student learning, performance and achievement.

At the end of the day, we are and will be held accountable for what was within our control. It would seem that instruction including lesson design is a no brainer.

Do we believe it?

At this point, I am beyond believing it.

“Do it” is a more appropriate sentiment.

We simply must do it - effective instruction beginning with rigorous, challenging, meaningful, relevant, and engaging lesson design.

It is imperative that all staff invest time in the reflection, review and planning of lessons congruent with standards, TIA documents, Pacing Guides, and data that informs what students already know and are able to do.

These are indeed within our control.

Anson County Schools: "The work or lack of ..."

Anson County Schools: "The work or lack of ...": We need to focus on the strategic work of the Annual Planning Table as well as those areas identified as Opportunities for I...

"The work or lack of ..."

We need to focus on the strategic work of the Annual Planning Table as well as those areas identified as Opportunities for Improvement in the Annual Organizational Assessment (OA).

We need to at all cost of time, energy, and effort implement the strategies, action steps, and targets in place to ensure this work is accomplished.

To that end, I am providing, again, the strategic work emergent from the OA and Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA) with explicit timelines for completion.

Much of this work involves planning. Planning takes dedicated, concentrated time. In concert, much of this work is initially individual then collaborative. It should go without saying that this is critical, essential to providing direction, guidance, and leadership for this work to integrate fully into the system.

Without system integration we will not move forward. We have relied too heavily on individual performance or lack of, individual capacity of lack of, skill, knowledge, and experience or lack of.

Now more than ever, it should be clear that without the synergy of all our effort we fail. Moreover, the students and staff fail by our inability to lead – this is not acceptable.

We have labored to bring focus, direction, and “do ability” to educating all students to high standards. Our shortcomings to date have been almost entirely reflective of our leadership in the area of implementation or lack of.

Without implementation, deep implementation our plan, practices, and programs have yielded inconsistent results. Although inconsistent, we have achieved more than previously thought possible. Imagine, if you can, where we could be, would be, or should be with deep implementation.

Therefore, the time has come, the time is now to exercise leadership – effective leadership to ensure our plan is implemented deeply, effective practice is implemented deeply, and results producing programs are deeply implemented.

Implementation requires unprecedented monitoring. It requires focus, intentionality, and above else sacrifice – the sacrifice of self, ego, pride, credit, and role.

Our roles, titles, and status mean little if the system does not improve. Do we understand this individually as well as corporately?

The days of internal comparisons are over. It does not matter if one or more schools out perform other schools in our school system. The metric for comparison has moved far beyond our system.

Our performance is no longer measured locally. Our students are measured against other systems similar or dissimilar across the state. This is as it should be. For, our students will compete against their peers across the state for college entrance, scholarships, military service, and employment.

In fact, our students are competing presently not only across North Carolina but the nation. In some cases they are competing internationally.

Therefore, the adult performance is no longer being judged at the local level. Our performance, yours and mine are being assessed by results not intentions. If our effect as measured by student performance does not improve to ensure our students do, in fact, compete we will be replaced – not the students, the adults!

Implementation is not as complex as some make it to be. The sooner we accept that implementation is all about the choices we make the sooner we will embrace accountability for our performance.

I was reminded the other day that before we put the Algebra initiative in at Anson Middle School, the highest percent of 8^th graders exiting having passed the high school End of Course exam was 11%. Do you know that last year over 50% of the 8^th graders exited with high school Algebra credit?

This is but one example of improvement – but one example of “do ability”.

I am far from satisfied with 50%. However, we must stay the course. It is not unreasonable to achieve 75-80% success in Algebra this year at AMS. Fundamentally, it will come down to the choices that we the adults make.

"Fix the System, First!"

When the Anson County schools began in earnest the journey of continuous improvement the need to focus on fixing the system rather than fixing people was introduced. Now, nearly four years later, it is time to remind us that staff, all staff “do things” (their work) in ways that make sense to them – not necessarily the most effective and efficient way. Another way of thinking about this is that staff, all staff perform their work within the parameters that the system allows.

So, if a staff is performing a process, procedure in a manner that is not effective or efficient the response is not “what is wrong with that person?” Rather, the response needs to be “what is it about the system that allows, causes the person to do it that way?”

We have way too many people being thrown, dragged under the proverbial bus because the system is not at a point where corrective action let alone preventive action is the norm. We are still blaming people rather than inefficient and ineffective processes or procedures.

What part of continuous improvement is not continuous?

Corrective action is one very important step towards continuous improvement because it mitigates the practice of blaming, judging, or condemning people. Corrective action requests are objective not subjective. They are a sincere attempt to correct inefficiencies and ineffectiveness through improving the way we do our work.

There are assumptions underpinning corrective action. The first is that no one comes to work to do his or her worse work – to be ineffective and inefficient. The second assumption is that each of us wants to be competent as well as effective in our work. The third assumption is that we probably know more than we think about being effective and efficient but have not been empowered to correct it.

I can recall a situation in a different district where teachers were furious at our facilities and grounds maintenance staff for mowing during the instructional day. Teachers were livid and rightfully so. The grounds crew had no idea of how angry the teachers were. The teachers went to their principals and communicated their frustration about the weekly disruptions to teaching and learning. The principals called the maintenance director and really let him have it about how upset the teachers were, the students were and for added insult how upset the parents were. The maintenance director called me and vented about how hard he and his staff work to maintain the grounds and how rude the principals were. A big mess!

I had just about everyone upset – mad at each other – blaming each other – questioning integrity, character, commitment, and work ethic.

What was the real issue?

Mowing during the instructional day!

I met with the grounds crew. I asked, “Do you like everyone being mad at you?” In Homer Simpson fashion, “dah” – NO!

They talked; I listened.

After they communicated their frustration I asked, “What do you see as a solution?

It got really quiet – uncomfortably quiet.

And then, one staff said, “We’ve talked about this before and our solution was to change our mowing schedule to afterschool and Saturday.” They went on to say, “There is more than mowing we need and want to do.”

I asked, “Why not change the schedule?”

They said, “We didn’t know we could?”

I asked them to provide me a schedule of what this could look like.

The result, looking back, was so simple. The grounds crew wanted to do great work. They had a great deal of pride in their work and wanted the schools to look their best. They ended up modifying their work schedule so they could not only mow but also do whole lot more when students and staff were not in session.

The solution if you will was not only simple but powerful.

In fact, the grounds crew became more committed to the work – they were empowered to solve what they knew was a problem all along. They would go on to identify and correct several other ineffective and inefficient practices in their department.

Staff were happy. Principals were happy. The Director was happy. The grounds crew was happy! I was happy!

The grounds crew was only doing what the system permitted. Once we got past the “feelings” to focus on the problem and possible solutions – the blaming stopped.

The point? – fix the system.

This is the intent of corrective action – we must use it to make improvement continuous.