TL;DR: High-performing schools use the talents, strengths, and knowledge of their staff to continue to improve and grow. Progress should be monitored with various scoreboards to see if the efforts for improvement are effective. High-performing schools embrace a mindset that focuses on what could or should be different, rather than hoping for improved outcomes. There are two types of schools. School … Read More
Aspiring Leaders Activate!
TL;DR: Reflect on the upcoming school year to determine your goals. Share those goals with others to gain their support and collaborate on ways you could gain experience over the course of the year. Consider volunteering your time toward providing support to others. “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. … Read More
Outward Focused Leadership
TL;DR: It is common for educators in newly appointed leadership roles to share more about them than learn about the people they serve. They typically have an “Inward Focus.” As classroom teachers, the beginning of the school year tends to focus on students. They typically have an “Outward Focus.” Educators transitioning from teaching to administration should apply the same leadership … Read More
Agile Leadership During A Storm
TL;DR: Agile school leaders designing plans with multiple contingency plans and keep the end in mind. Seek clarity in the storm and in your plans to communicate with the public. Embrace complexity and allow cognitive elasticity to support team decisions, rather than relying on traditional approaches and what worked in the past. “This is about identifying the direction you and the … Read More
Great Leaders Know When to Get Off Their Soapbox
TL;DR: We all have a soapbox. It may be more important to get off the soapbox than to constantly stand on the soapbox and announce our good intentions. The “Knowing-Doing Gap” is created when school staff know the jargon, but fail to change their practice. Eduspeak is one of the main barriers to supporting more students and transforming teaching and … Read More