Brush Yourself Off and Keep Going

Remember a time when you worked really hard?  Did you go all out, do everything that you could do? Did you come early, stay late, accomplish something amazing, and then…. no one noticed?  Unfortunately, I think this happens every day in a Title 1 school somewhere.  Teachers and principals at schools impacted by poverty arguably work ten times harder to overcome obstacles and achieve results for their students compared to many other schools with different socioeconomic statistics.  And unfortunately, their work and achievements can disappear into the ‘Twilight Zone’ of No Child Left Behind, Steps of Improvement, compliance reporting, poverty, and high mobility.  I myself have had my proud moments of “Wow, did anyone else see that?!”  And then I realize that if anyone did see, they didn’t say anything.  Let me take this moment to acknowledge that it is an awful feeling when this happens.  You feel like you are completely on your own and that you don’t have any support from anyone.  But somehow, perhaps through pure stubbornness, you brush yourself off and keep going.  You persevere.  Do you know who does know how you feel?  Do you know who has also felt like no one is on their side, but brushes themselves off and perseveres despite the odds?  Many of the students in our Title 1 schools.  What if each one of us took the time to nominate one of the people who dedicate themselves to working in the most challenging schools and positions, or to acknowledge them in a special way?  How would this extra encouragement spill over onto the students in these schools?  Please visit http://www.k12.wa.us/EducationAwards/default.aspx  to learn about Education Awards and also specific awards for Title 1 schools.

Why It Really Matters

In the Clover Park School District last week, the main reader board at the district office proudly displayed an announcement about teachers who have earned National Board Certification.  We need to do more to appreciate the teachers and principals who devote their time, attention, and patience to our kids every day.  When I tell a principal that I think they deserve an award, I sincerely and truly mean it.  There is no award too big or generous for dedicated principals and teachers.  I wonder how much of a difference it might make if we took a moment each day to remember a teacher who made a difference for us?  A teacher who took the time to reach out to that rough kid that didn’t fit in?  Teachers are second only to my mom in terms of what I owe to them.  There was Mrs. Liner, my first grade teacher who put up with the surveys that I insisted on giving to each student in the class as I tried to figure out why I was the only one who knew that Santa Claus was just for fun.  In third grade, Mrs. Pearson gave me individualized math assignments and saved me from horrid boredom.  In tenth grade, Mr. Brown noticed that I had lost my Geometry protractor and gave me a new one.  These are only minor examples of a teacher doing something to encourage me.  I remember them still.  And why does it matter?  Because in a Title 1 school, these small acts can make the difference between a child who falls through the cracks, and one who goes on to excel. 

What if a poor girl came to school from a farm way out in the country (the boonies)?  Her parents can’t come to school to help and don’t have time to help her at home.  She has a lot of siblings so that’s not a big surprise.  She never has new clothes or the money to pay for her ticket for class field trips.  She’s a free lunch kid who might get on your nerves because she asks tons of questions and always needs something to do.  Yes, the story includes one of her parents eventually dying from an illness.  How will this story end?  Will we have high expectations for her?  Will she drop out of school?  Or will she go on to earn straight A’ in college and a masters degree? Are we supporting our teachers and principals so that they will be ready for her?  I hope so because that little girl was me.  Thank you Mrs. Liner, Mrs. Pearson, and Mr. Brown!  (I miss you every day mom.)

Stay tuned for information about awards that Title 1 schools can apply for.  They deserve all the awards they can get!

P.S. I spent several weeks debating on whether or not to share a personal story like this.  I came to the decision that sharing our stories about why we are passionate about our work can help all of us to become more dedicated and focused in our efforts to improve student achievement. 

Update on School Improvement Superstars Summit

I am really excited for the School Improvement Superstars Summit on March 11^th.   Talented and amazing people are scheduled to present.  It is shaping up to be a truly worthwhile event!

Our Keynote speaker is the 2010 Milken Educator Award Winner, Kelly Aramaki.  The breakout sessions planned so far include:

·       We Made AYP!  A Title 1 Success Story from Dr. Norma Zavala, principal of Concord International Elementary School

·       Transformation and Reinvention:  One School's Journey, presented by Vicki Sacco, principal of West Seattle Elementary School

·       English Language Learners: Strategies that work, presented by Martin O’Callaghan, principal of Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center

·       The Seattle Family Engagement Team: This team received a national award from John Hopkins University, Bernardo Ruiz, Manager

·       Unheard Voices:  The Native American Achievement Gap presented by Arlie Neskahi, manager of Indian Education for Seattle Schools

·       I'll Take the Combo Please:  Combining school improvement plans and schoolwide plans, presented by Rachel Osborn

·       Let's Chat: Small group discussion sessions for problem solving and collaboration with your colleagues, facilitated by Rachel Osborn

·       Providers, Invoices, and Learning Plans...Oh My! Learn how to design a more efficient SES program (one of many small group discussion topics)

·       Got Data? Use AYP, Safe Harbor, Uniform Bar, Steps of Improvement to plan and target instruction  

·       Paperwork Panic? Forms, Checklists, and other record keeping ideas for Title 1 compliance

I will post additional updates about the Summit as they become available.  Please share this information with your colleagues!

A New Year's Resolution to Focus on What Works

Happy New Year!  I have been reading inspirational stories about schools from around the country that are succeeding in their work with historically low achieving schools.  I hope you will visit http://neapriorityschools.org and be inspired yourself.  In our work, there is much talk about what does not work, and what we should not or cannot do.  What would happen if we each resolved to focus on what DOES work, to collaborate and share ideas with our colleagues in an ongoing, intentional manner?  How would our day to day perspectives change?  Could our work become even more efficient, impacting larger numbers of students in a significant way?  Here are a few of my goals for the New Year: 

Focus on what works.  Do not dwell on what does not.

Collaborate.  Intentionally.  Continually.  Purposefully.

As I come across articles, ideas, and websites that are relevant to our work, and am adding links to the Summit website, and talking about them on this blog.  I am also using the Summit web site to share examples of successful Professional Development sessions that I have done, as well as other artifacts I have created or used in my work to increase compliance and efficiency.

I sincerely look forward to seeing you at the Summit on March 11^th. 

Happy New Year once again!

Nothing more worthwhile than fighting for children

I read a great article today in the December 13, 2010 issue of Newsweek.  Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of the D.C. public school system wrote a very candid article about her achievements and challenges in turning around a chronically low performing district.  It was refreshing to read that she initially told her future boss that he wouldn't want to hire her because she would do what was right for the city's children, that it would upset the status quo, and she would become a political problem.  I am glad he hired her anyway, because during her tenure, D.C. went from being the worst performing on the NAEP exam, to leading the nation in gains in 4th and 8th grade reading and math.  For the first time in 41 years, the trend of declining enrollment reversed as families began choosing D.C. public schools again.  She also writes in an honest and straightforward manner about things she could have done differently during her tenure.  This is a woman who believes in doing what is right for our kids, and is willing to do what it takes to get it done.  She states that when working for change, we cannot shy away from conflict.  Ms. Rhee left her post in D.C. voluntarily and has founded StudentsFirst (http://www.studentsfirst.org/ ).  The home page of the website reads:

"The movement begins with you. To truly transform education in America, to create a system that puts students’ needs first, we need parents, teachers, administrators, politicians, and citizens from across the country to come together, recognize the problems in our system, and have the guts to overcome them."

 This is a non-partisan organization that has unlimited potential to initiate and sustain long term change in our schools.  I hope that you will visit this website.  This is really exciting stuff!

http://www.studentsfirst.org/

Excelling and Succeeding Against the Odds

Recently, I spent the weekend out of town with my family.  We returned on a cold December Sunday evening to discover that the furnace had been off all weekend, and our house was freezing.  It was a fairly easy fix for us.  Within a few hours, our house was back up to temperature.  But as I sat freezing, waiting for the house to heat up, I thought about students who are homeless, or whose family is unable to pay the heating bill.  These students will come to our schools with a need to learn and achieve at the same level as more affluent peers.  Those of us committed to the improvement and achievement of students in Title 1 schools have embraced a challenging endeavor.  Homelessness and poverty, language and cultural barriers, federally mandated sanctions, budgeting and reporting requirements, and compliance reviews are some things that our to-do lists have in common.  With a myriad of demands from so many different areas, collaboration and networking could easily be pushed to the back burner or removed from our list completely.  We look at the demands of our workload and conclude that we simply do not have time.  I would urge each of you to preserve time for collaboration and networking.  The ideas that we share, the information that we learn, and the momentum that we initiate, when we come together as a group of professionals dedicated to school improvement has the potential to transform education in our state.  None of us can accomplish everything by ourselves, but we have unlimited potential to initiate change as a united and collaborative group.  I very much look forward to our Summit on March 11th.

Happy Holidays.

Why do I Stay?

Our jobs are challenging.  Most of our students live in poverty and many of them do not speak English.  We work hard to provide them with a quality education and at times it seems that the law and the media take note of everything except the progress that is made each day in thousands of classrooms.  Those of  you who attended the 2010 Summit heard me ask the question, "Why do I stay?"  It is worth repeating here.  I stay because I believe in what we do each day, and I take it personally when I see federal dollars used in ways that are not the most beneficial for our students.  When a federal law requires that millions of dollars be spent on interventions that are not supported by data, all of us need to stay and work together for changes.  Until NCLB is amended, it is what we have.  Instead of leaving, let's collaborate to find the most beneficial and efficient uses of the federal law and dollars that we have.  That is why I stay.