“The Certainty of Uncertainties”

I was finally able to finish what I started two weekend’s ago with respect to the first wave of leaf raking or more aptly put, leaf blowing.  Staff know that when the leaves fall, they endure the aftermath of hours of “think” time.  My thoughts have been consumed with the events of the past two weeks including the copper theft, employee issues, election results, presentations, and the challenges of continuing to improve all manner of individual and organization performance.

What can only by summarized as the certainty of uncertainties the days, weeks, months, and years ahead are uncertain.  Therefore all that is certain about tomorrow is uncertainty.  Uncertainty will create anxiety, confusion, conflict, as well as doubt. Uncertainty can be used as an excuse for inaction, slippage, or incapacitating behaviors. Uncertainty can also take us down paths that in normal times we would never entertain going. In some cases uncertainty will keep us longer than we planned to stay and cost us more that we were willing to pay.

Hence it is critical that we do not wavier from what we do know.  That is, we know we can and must do better.  Arguably, getting and therefore being better has not been easy or quick.  It has consumed a great deal of energy, time, and effort.  No one believed that overnight we would become a high performing school system.  In spite of the challenges we are close, so close to breaking through.  If the past five years are any indication (I believe they are) our plan is working.

The Strategic Commitments embody the direction, the plan, and the factors that must be achieved to realize success for each student.  Four words summarize the commitments – focus, alignment, and continuous improvement.  Woven into the fabric of each of our commitments are transparency, individual and organizational accountability, and evidence – evidence of performance improvement.

The commitments however are only as effective as we the adults choose them to be.  The power of the uncertainties of tomorrow are also only as controlling as we the adults choose or allow them to be.  We do not have to let circumstances dictate, control, or in any way determine our destiny.  This may be easier said than done.

The accomplishments to date are not universally known nor accepted.  In addition all who do know them have not embraced them wholeheartedly.  We still have doubt within our schools let alone our community.  We still have way too much complaining, criticizing, and cynicism about our staff, our students, our parents, and our leadership from both within and external to our organization.

The results to date are because of focus, alignment and continuous improvement.  Moreover, underpinning our work to date has been a shift in thinking followed by the shifting of practice.

In the middle of such change it is easy to miss how significant the change really is. The following comment was made after I shared several of the data points illuminating our progress over the past five years, “I didn’t know how much we’ve improved”. 

Though not entirely unexpected it was nonetheless illuminating of the need to increase awareness of the results our students and staff have achieved.  Each of us has the responsibility to communicate what is good, what is true, and what is right about our system.

I am confident that we can minimize the uncertainties of tomorrow by raising awareness and understanding of what has and continues to be our path of improvement.

If not careful we may easily slip back into previously unproductive, ineffective, and inefficient practices.  Hence, we must relentlessly pursue our plan – the plan of continuous improvement.

Any slippage in our individual or organizational performance can be attributed legitimately to the ratcheting up of the demands of deeper, more robust instruction driven by the new standards.  Without question or hesitation, the new standards require different instruction. 

The call to shift instruction will not become a reality for all until the results of the new assessments occur.  Sadly, the epiphany that the new standards demand different instruction will come at the expense of students.

Though much work has been done to build capacity in staff in the awareness and understanding of what the new standards demand in both teaching and learning, I believe there remains a contrarian attitude – an attitude that works against the very change we must become.

Thus, we must communicate loudly the success to date but equally communicate that we cannot for a second let up on our pursuit of improving continuously – stay the course irrespective of the uncertainties.