"Reproducing Dysfunctional"

“Sometimes we don’t know what we want until someone shows us the possibilities”. Seeing possibilities requires in many respects a willingness to “look” through different lenses, new eyes if you will. In much of what we have initiated over the past four and half years has required different. We have in so many ways implemented programming and practices that produce results – different results. Yet, we have endured reluctance and resistance to “different”.

Underpinning different has been coupling the “all means all” mission with whatever it takes. The “whatever it takes” mindset is what differentiates successful implementation, fidelity if you will, from the inconsistent, underperforming, and disappointing results to date.

The other night I fielded questions from community members about Make Your Day. Woven into the questions were misconceptions about the program, misuses or misapplications of the program components, or blatant, willful refusal to implement the program protocols. As I stated clearly, the program works. Where it isn’t producing the desired and expected results, one only needs to look at the adults not the students. We continually suffer the consequences of decisions, choices by adults.

Why do they make these choices?

Let me quickly say that it is not my intention to throw our teachers or our administrators under the proverbial “bus”. Rather, my intention is to emphatically state that the choices, the decisions for whatever the reason not to implement the program as designed, as trained, as expected is just that, a choice with serious and significant consequences.

I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that in a “big” way, those staff albeit teachers and administrators that embraced Make Your Day with the whatever it takes mindset and the possibilities of different eyesight are responsible for reducing suspensions from over 7,000 (2007) to less than 1000 (2011). They are also responsible for the highest number of students proficient (2011) in our history. Imagine if you can what our system would look like if every staff …

A factor in the success of MYD as well as other programs has been leadership by both principals and teachers to not let the existing culture manipulate new programs and practices. That is, the power of the existing culture – the culture in place to exert its’ influence, its’ restrictions, its’ beliefs, its’ limitations on different explains why in many classrooms there has been a decision not to change.

A dysfunctional culture has amazing power to reproduce itself in spite of best intentions. It is why the adage the “more things change the more they stay the same” is more true than not.

We must have permission to change the culture. The whatever it takes and possibilities of different cannot and will not bring about the enduring change without permission.

The dysfunctions of culture are not insurmountable but they are formable. Often we attack the symptoms not the root cause of cultural dysfunction. In schools this explains why it is so easy and acceptable to point to students – their lack of discipline, lack of motivation, lack of interest, lack of engagement, lack of … and the list goes on as to why students are not learning to the expectations we desire. It is also why parents are singled out as not caring, not supportive, not involved, not interested in the success of their child. It is why the community is blamed for not supporting schools. It is why teachers, principals, and administrators are at fault.

Dysfunction was not birthed yesterday, five years ago, 20 years ago and so on. Rather, dysfunction began as soon as the first finger was pointed shifting ownership, casting upon someone else the responsibility as the explanation as to why this or that occurred. It is the culture of dysfunction that permits such finger pointing, lack of responsibility, accountability, and authority to address root cause.

Dysfunction is why many communities have more memories of the past than dreams of the future.

Alas, I know our work is only as good as our accepting and embracing accountability as defined by:

“An attitude of continually asking “what else can I do to rise above my circumstances and achieve the results I desire?” It is the process of “seeing it, owning it, solving it, and doing it.” It requires a level of ownership that includes making, keeping, and proactively answering for personal commitments. It is a perspective that embraces both current and future efforts rather than reactive and historical explanations”

(Connors, Smith & Hickman, 1994; page 65).

This is far from a new thought, new theme, or new revelation about accountability. However, at such time that each individual and our community embraces whatever it takes and the possibilities of different we may in earnest live this definition of accountability.