“Not Skipping a Beat ”

Change is, again, in full motion – as if it ever stopped!

Leveraging what has been accomplished striving for both fidelity and efficacy of programs, practices, and people must continue in a relentless, uncompromising, and unapologetic manner. 

There can be “no skipping a beat”.

In every effort to ensure that the work – the difficult work of transformation requires leadership.  Our principals and central office leadership last week individually and collectively reviewed and reflected upon 1) what they have learned, 2) what they have accomplished, 3) where we expected to be, and 4) what implications exist for their leadership and continuing and completing the work started.

The results of the Midyear Advance can best be summarized by the word “yes”!

Our leadership has learned much over the past five and half years.  Our staff have accomplished much as well. 

Key, teetering on the obvious, is staying the course.  Leadership at the classroom, building, and central office will continue to be critical in the weeks and months ahead – especially as transition will inevitably have some bumps.  My best hopes are leadership at all levels knows what to do – they do! 

The vision is clear. 

The mission is clear. 

The map is also clear. 

Irrespective of who is carrying the “flag”, the work must continue.  The implementation of new standards and new assessments will only increase in intensity.  The demands for different instruction will intensify as well.  The use of supplemental instructional programming will shift from lab-based to individual mobile devices where each teacher will have greater impact and accountability for the fidelity of programs.  Suffice it to say, the speed of change will continue to accelerate.

Human capital development has for the most part been central to advancing teaching and learning improvement.  This must continue.  The investment into our staff has been unprecedented.  Utilizing the Race to the Top funding along with School Improvement Grant funding, the implementation of four Learning Development Centers with dedicated coordinators has provided development, training, learning, and growth for each staff.

In a like manner, the work with Discovery Education has provided and will continue to provide staff with the skills, knowledge, and experience to effectively integrate digital tools, content, and etc. with confidence and competence.

Our digital integration initiative is also something that must continue.  We have experienced a learning revolution as our students have embraced and engaged with technology in ways we never thought possible.  As I mentioned, lab-based learning is antiquated.  We must not give in to what is easy to do.  Rather, hybrid-learning environments aligned better with the new standards and new assessments.  The access and ability to demonstrate learning via digital tools will replace technology tools of the past century.  Please don’t get me wrong, there is a place for labs but not as they were once envisioned or used.

Over the past five years I have written often about “different”.  To do different has required thinking differently.  I have asked folks to think differently about results – expected and desired.  In doing so, we have been challenged to examine “how” we do our work.  Much has and will continue to be discussed about “how” to achieve different results.

People will debate, question, and offer judgments about intentions.  Yet, at the end of the day you can’t argue the results.  However, to ensure the results are enduring there must be dialogue and decisions about “what” we want and “why” we want it.  The anchor document Strategic Commitments articulates the “what”.  The “All Means All” vision embodies the “why”.  Soon, every classroom and every office will have a revised copy of the commitments. We want everyone to know “what” we are committed to accomplishing.

This is as it should be!  There should be no mystery as to what we are striving to accomplish and what this looks like when it is complete.

I would be remiss if I didn’t include in what will be the second to last Weekly from my office, my sincerest appreciation and gratitude to those who labor day in and day out on behalf of children – this means each of our staff irrespective of their role.  Each staff contributes in significant ways in the development, nurturing, caring, safety, and learning of each learner.  Way too often, we forget to say “thank you” for a job well done – keep it up!