Is Your School in a Bad Mood?

We have entered the time of year, when the “eternal optimism” we provide as leaders can begin to wane. We have the delightful Kansas winter to deal with, numerous activities to attend, or in some cases reschedule due to “road conditions’. Indoor recess becomes the norm not the exception and leaders soon have a true understanding of the term “stir crazy”. To add complexity to our profession this is also the time when some factions of the legislature or public accuse public educators of not doing an effective job with students.




These are the times when we have to reflect on our actions as a leader and how they impact the “mood” of our schools. In reading a recent article in Educational Leadership, Moran & Moran compared an organization's morale to a mood. They went on to define that moods are a result of intense feelings or situations. There are some insights to be learned here, think about the “intense” events that make up a “normal” day in the lives of our students and staff, now compound that by the implementation of new curriculum, evaluation systems, and likely a technology initiative or two. It is no wonder our “mood” is suffering.


The reality is that being a teacher and/or educational leader is hard work, and when the intense feelings or situations begin to mount against us we begin to feel overwhelmed or discouraged with our situation. Adding the sum total of the complexities and relationships across the organization, the mood can become less than ideal. When we conduct leadership training we spend a great deal of time discussing how to create a purposeful community, where everyone is united and focused on a common mission and vision. That mission helps us determine how, and why we do the work. McREL’s Balanced Leadership often refers to “outcomes that matter to all” and “agreed upon processes”. This uniting process starts with leaders looking in the mirror and seeing an honest reflection. Do we find ourselves using our leadership skills to help our stakeholders see the bigger picture, and are we helping them connect their daily work to our overarching purpose? As leaders we often get lost in the implementation of change X and forget to see the bigger picture, and forget that any change is really a changing of people’s behaviors. Changing people’s behaviors is not a linear process or even a step-by-step process. Changing behavior more closely resembles an IEP, where each person needs different supports and solutions. If their needs are not being met, they will ultimately impact the organization’s mood. So as a leader ask this simple question, how am I impacting the mood of my organization?


The following are some key points to keep in mind as we begin to address the broad needs of our staff as they go about their daily work:

• Understand that you set the tone as the leader; your words and more importantly your deeds portray your sense of calm, and direction, or stress, and disarray. 

• Communication is a two-part activity, speaking and listening. Take a minute and truly listen to what your staff is saying, then tailor your response to resonate with their current set of needs. 

• Continue to paint the picture. Humans are very visual, and when people can “see” the plan, or feel the end results, they can begin to understand how to align their work to get there. 

• We all like to succeed from time to time. Think about ways as a leader that you can support individuals so that they may experience success within their day, or with the change they are trying to figure out. 

We often tell boards how much we value and appreciate their service and commitment to public education. As an educational leader, never pass up an opportunity to remind your staff how much you value their commitment to the most important profession….education. Nothing impacts moods or morale more than finding value in serving kids. 

New Year, New Challenges

New Year, New Challenges, Same Foundation

As we move into the new year public education will be faced with a new set of challenges. So much to do...so little time.

As many of you know KASB has sister organizations around the nation. Many school districts across the country are dealing with the very same issues even if they are 200 hundred or 2000 miles away. The California School Boards Association recently shared a Top 10 list for new board members that we thought might be worth sharing with Kansas Leaders.

1. Think kids! 
2. Work as a team, speak with one voice 
3. Keep confidential matter confidential 
4. Maintain the big picture view 
5. Listen, learn and ask questions 
6. Understand and stay with your role 
7. Respect the past and work toward the future 
8. Abide by Policy 
9. Accept that change takes time and planning 
10. Advocate, advocate, advocate! 

We have discussed some of these topics in earlier blogs but several of these topics really need to be repeated for all board members on a regular basis.

Think kids
The motivation to run for the local school board is very personal. Countless reasons move people to serve in this important leadership role but none of them are more important than the kids. Our success as a community, state, and nation will be determined by the level of education we provide future generations.

Marian Wright Edelman (1939-)stated, “Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.” No matter how difficult the situation if we always find a way to keep students first boards will make the best decision possible.

Work as a team.
I know many board members around the state have listened to KASB leadership services teach about teamwork and boardmanship, some might say that is one of Leadership Services “core values”. We know that at times that message may get old but great boards really are “great teams”. Until each board member puts the goals of the district above their own personal goals the board will struggle. Boards must strive to find common ground and work together to accomplish district goals and improve student success.

Keep Confidential Matters Confidential
Transparency and open board meetings are critical to develop trust within the district and community. But as you know, some topics require confidentiality. Kansas law allows for board members to enter into executive session for eight different reasons. The eight reasons for an executive session include; 1) Personnel matters, 2) consultation with an attorney, 3) negotiations, 4) confidential data of a business, 5) matters affecting a student, 6) acquisition of property, 7) security, and 8) inextricably intertwined subjects. A board member must be cognizant that executive session conversations are confidential. Keeping confidential information confidential is the “law,” and is an important component of being an effective board member.

Maintain the Big Picture View
Does your local Board of Education have district goals established? District goals allow all members of the board of education and the superintendent to move in the same direction. Your goals must be the “Big Picture View.” A district with effective goals will keep moving in a positive direction. Goals provide the roadmap to meet your district’s aspirations and fosters continuous improvement... A “Big Picture View” keeps you at the 10,000 foot level so that you can see the whole district and not get caught up in the day to day operations of which you rely on capable district and building level administrators.

Listen, Learn and ask questions

The management guru Peter Drucker indicated, “The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.” As leaders we often find ourselves discussing important topics and ideas. If we are not careful, we will be talking when we would be better served listening. It is difficult to learn when we are the only person sharing ideas. Listen to fellow board members, community members and others whenever you have a chance. Turn to your administrative team for recommendations, have quality discussions and an exchange of ideas based on accurate data. Boards that spend time together sharing ideas and learning from others make better decisions.

Understand and Stay with Your Role
The superintendent is tasked with the day to day operations of the school district. As board members are well aware, you are always wearing the school board member title in your community. You understand your role much better than the general public which sometimes wishes you to be the superintendent for their problem. An effective board member knows their role is governance and policy making. Developing a vision and setting goals for the district is where the board can have the greatest impact on school improvement.

Advocate, advocate, advocate.
Finally, stand up for education and schools. So many great things are happening in classrooms across this state yet we find ourselves on the defensive in so many circles. The reason education has changed is based on the demands of the future. If you want to read a short story about what happens to education when it is unwilling to change and plan for future needs take a few minutes and read, The Saber Tooth Curriculum. Don’t be afraid to share your insights and speak up. Board members know more than most about the quality of education Kansas students are receiving, yet as we transition into 2014 and the upcoming legislative session, there is the possibility that decisions could be made by the legislature that will result in school boards having to make some difficult decisions. At times these “difficult” decisions can negatively impact the culture of a board. While these decisions are never easy, it does become easier to maintain a positive direction if there agreed upon values (kids) that the board lives each time they are faced with one of those “difficult” decisions.

It is kind of like the old country song by Aaron Tippin, “you’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything,…..never compromise what’s right and uphold your family name….”

In the case of schools and boards, the “family name” is our students and community needs. As a board have you defined what you want and value for your students? Do you as a board understand what is valued and needed within your community? These are key questions that will help you define, “what you stand for.”

The Missing Link

As many of you know KASB has been partnering with McREL and the Educational Service Centers this past year.  It has been a productive relationship that has benefited many Kansas school districts and of course students.  It has been amazing to watch the McREL Teacher/Leader Evaluation System become so widely adopted.  The Educational Service Centers are noticing an increased demand for McREL Power Walkthroughs as well as Classroom Instruction That Works.  We believe an understanding of the power of the “system approach” has had a major impact on participation.  It just makes sense to adopt a model that is researched based and is proven to help student outcomes.

The power comes from a systems approach when districts develop common leadership and instructional vocabulary, resulting in better communication.  This common instructional and leadership vocabulary makes it possible to clarify expectations, and provide aligned support.  When systems have clarified expectations, aligned supports to those expectations, this allows leaders within the system to focus on reducing the variability often found with instruction from classroom to classroom, and between schools within the system.  In the end if we can reduce the variability among classrooms and schools we will see our systems improve to the benefit of our students.  

Equipping educational leaders to reduce the variability in their systems is no small feat.  As districts are starting to take the systems approach we are seeing a renewed demand for Balanced Leadership training.  The Balanced Leadership training that we offer focuses on the McREL research around the Balanced Leadership Framework.  This training is designed to equip educational leaders with the art and science of leadership that ultimately will help them improve their organizations.  Understanding the Balanced Leadership Framework should be at the core to aligning your system.  We are wrapping up a session at Smoky Hill this month but we are getting ready to start new sessions in Shawnee Mission and at Greenbush South.  We have also just started a small, but engaged group here at KASB in October.  

Leadership impacts everything we do in education and as the research shows, Leadership Matters!

Update: KASB Leadership Services

Wow, it seems like it has been a long time since we sat down and worked on our blog.  There is a lot of new information for board members to share and many thought provoking discussions ahead.  

We have just finished a three week tour of the KASB regions.  Just under 400 hundred people came together around the state to discuss current educational issues.  Part of each session was devoted to new board members and although the total number of participates in New Board Member Workshop II was not as high as we would like, the new board members that attended took part in some fantastic discussions.

It has also been a year of transition.  The Leadership Services has added Gary Sechrist as a field consultant and he has been on the road.  Gary plans to attend as many area service centers meetings as possible so superintendents will have a chance to visit directly with KASB and share concerns or issues face to face.  We think that will help improve our services and provide better support for the onsite services we offer.

Many people might find this hard to believe but KASB has already conducted over 60 whole board trainings just since July.  We met with 18 boards just in the month of August and we have 13 more scheduled in November.  All of the sessions are designed based on the needs of the district.  Many of the trainings were about boardsmanship and teamwork as boards were learning to blend their new members with experienced members.  Another common topic has been planning and goal setting.

The superintendent search season is underway and already several openings are posted on our website.  These searches take us to all regions of the state in an effort to try and match superintendent candidates with districts’ needs and desires.  To kick off the search season we hosted our annual aspiring superintendents workshop here at KASB.  We were excited to visit with twenty six outstanding men and women that are focused on educational leadership and want to make a difference for Kansas students.

Coming up this Fall and Winter we have several events that can assist you and/or your board with their leadership efforts.  Please visit our KASB website to find out more information, https://www.kasb.org/store/searchresults.aspx?EXCLUDEEVENTTYPE=X

Just a reminder about New Board Member Workshop III which is held in conjunction with the KASB Annual Convention.  This year it is in Wichita so we anticipate see many new board members in attendance.  Don’t forget to take advantage of the free pass and make sure each board in Kansas has someone at this year’s activities.

The Leadership services department attempts to provide valuable information on a timely basis for superintendents and boards.  The leadership team is providing a regular blog and podcast that we hope you make part of your routine to learn more about our services.  We hope these social media methods give you the opportunity to listen and read when your time allows.  

Systems Approach

KASB leadership services have been traveling around the state working with boards, superintendents, and principals.  We have been involved in many great discussions about “school improvement” the past few weeks.  From training on boardsmanship and strategic planning to working with district administrators focused McREL’s Balanced Leadership and Evaluations a common theme is apparent.  School districts that are using a big picture, systems approach to student achievement are starting to see the benefits of their efforts.

           

So what does leadership of school district look and feel like when done from a systems perspective?  

           

Alignment

Alignment is often referred to when we talk about the curriculum and instruction.  We focus on gaps or redundancies within the system, resulting in unprepared students. This alignment is critical for students, but there is alignment that also must reflect the board’s vision to impact the work happening in classrooms.  The board sets a vision and adopts policy consistent with the needs and expectations of the school district stakeholders.  The district administrative team along with the board aligns actions and resources to make that vision happen.  Then building administrators and teachers work within an established framework to focus on the necessary steps to accomplish the vision set by the board.  The results of alignment are consistent expectations throughout the system around instruction and achievement, common vocabulary and processes within the system creating a defined sense of the work to be done.

           

Leadership Teams Engaged in Continual Learning

Peter Senge in the the Fifth Discipline book, discussed the three critical dimensions of team learning; 1) teams must think insightfully about complex issues-What is your process for asking the right questions to engage your team in some critical thinking about current issues in education?, 2) there is the need for innovative, coordinated action-How does your system inspire innovation to meet the needs of a changing student and community population?,  3) continually foster the development other learning teams to develop within the organization-What structures are established to develop a collaborative culture  between building principals and teachers focused on student success?  

           

Systemic Monitoring and Evaluation

How do we know if we are making progress if we never look at where we are going?  School districts have to develop a culture around monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating all aspects of the system.  We encourage leaders to formalize a process to frequently revisit goals, and outcomes to determine if they are tracking towards the desired vision.  School districts consistently establish goals that clarify what they would like to accomplish, but often they are overlooked in the day to day challenges of running a school system.  It’s important that leaders maintain a constant focus on the mission and goals.

            Outreach

When a district has a clear sense of why they exist and where they want to be in the future, advocating for support and resources within your community becomes an easier sale.  Yes, I said sale! The recent controversy surrounding the “common core standards” is a perfect example of the importance of outreach.  Educators did a wonderful job of sharing information and communicating within our circles.  We were much less effective when it came  to the community, politicians, and other stakeholders about sharing our ideals and beliefs.  As leaders we must “paint the picture” and share a vision of how each of our students benefit when the school district continues to improve and innovate.

            Take the Long View

As we are living through major shifts in the educational landscape, we start to focus on the individual initiatives and the timelines to get them implemented.  If we are not careful, focusing on isolated initiatives, leads us toward disconnected systems, because the people impacted by the initiatives do not have the opportunity to understand how “it” fits with the overall direction of the system.  We have to continually assist individuals impacted by the initiative to step back and survey the horizon to show them where and how these changes merge towards the common vision and direction that has been established by the board.

As educational leaders we must always take the time to explain “why” what we do is so important for students.  A clear understanding of the systems approach will benefit our schools and communities as we make decisions for the future.

KASB/McREL and Kansas Ed Service Centers

Partnering to “Make A Difference”

The economic resources of education systems in Kansas have been stressed mightily in the last few years, while the demand for improving student performance has increased. Sound familiar? It’s a situation many state organizations are in across the nation, forcing us all to ask ourselves what services we can continue to afford to deliver in an era of resource scarcity.

Business gurus such as Keith McFarland and Peter Drucker coach that difficult economic times are actually prime times for businesses to strengthen themselves by refocusing on their core missions and customer needs, and re-evaluating their strategies for service delivery. 

Putting this theory into practice, at the Kansas Association of School Boards we heard from our member districts and agencies that one of their largest areas of need was the lack of quality professional development for school and district leaders. And through a refocus on the part of our mission to “provide a culture of collaboration,” we sought a partner to help maximize resources and allow us to provide such PD opportunities on a large scale.

We chose to work with McREL, a leading non-profit education research and service organization based in Denver, together developing a partnership that gave our KASB staff leaders the training to deliver McREL’s leadership PD program, called Balanced Leadership. Through the partnership, KASB has helped hundreds of principals and administrators statewide gain skills and knowledge about research-proven leadership practices that are positively linked to student achievement. Additionally, the partnership agreement allowed KASB to retain a share of the training fees when we deliver the PD, providing our organization with a financial benefit. 

That initial partnership worked well, so this past summer KASB again partnered with McREL to provide our school leaders with training on a classroom observation program called Power Walkthrough. This web-based program runs on tablets, iPads, and other mobile devices, and helps principals turn brief classroom observations into meaningful opportunities for coaching teachers to higher levels of performance. As of now, 26 districts across the state are using the program, and they’re seeing deeper discussions throughout their schools on the educational practices that make a difference for students. Data generated from the program also gives principals and administrators insight into how well PD initiatives are being implemented within their schools and districts. As a result, these districts are becoming more efficient and focused on using research-based instructional practices in their classrooms.

As the old saying goes, “timing is everything.” In July 2012 the state of Kansas received an ESEA waiver from the United States Department of Education, allowing the state to move in a direction that is more aligned with our local needs and values. As part of the waiver, all districts in Kansas must implement an evaluation system that is formative in nature by the fall of 2014. The established partnership between KASB and McREL has given our local school districts options to consider when adopting a formative evaluation system, as McREL’s teacher and principal evaluation systems is approved by the state as a viable option that meets the ESEA waiver requirements. School districts across Kansas have taken an interest in the evaluation systems because of their research base, ease of use, and focus on the right leadership and instructional practices to help students achieve at higher levels.

To further serve our member school districts, KASB partnered with our statewide network of educational service centers, expanding the capacity of our collaborative system by helping local ESC centers become trained to provide high-quality professional development in their regions.  Although it is early in development, it appears to have enhanced interest and participation from educators around the state.

These partnerships have allowed KASB to strengthen our capacity to deliver great services to our member districts, meeting their needs even in a time of resource scarcity. By becoming facilitators, connectors, and quality assurance managers, we can maximize our own staff efforts within KASB and continue to provide these services. 

Through the partnership approach, we retain local control, context, and relationships, while also giving our members access to the best national education research, products, and experts.
Our challenges are ever present, but our shared goal of improving student achievement has forged a strong relationship for everyone in the coalition. And in the end, the students, teachers, and educational leaders of Kansas have been the true beneficiaries of this partnership.  

Guidelines for Effective Teams

Guidelines for Effective Teams

Dr. Jordan and I have been working this past year with boards helping them concentrate on establishing a vision while focusing on continuous improvement.  Many of our discussions evolved around communication, trust, and teamwork.  One of our dilemmas has been the assumption that everyone has experienced or been on a  high performing team at some point in their lives.  From our perspective being part of a team was easy and fun.

Author Peter Senge,  in his book, The Fifth Discipline stated:  When you ask people about what is is like being part of a great team, what is most striking is the meaningfulness of the experience.  People talk about something larger than them themselves, of being connected, of being generative.  It becomes quite clear that, for many, their experience as part of truly great teams stand out as singular periods of life lived to the fullest.  Some spend the rest of their lives looking for ways to recapture that spirit. (Senge 1990: 13)

Based on Senge’s insight and our assumption, we thought it would be good to share some the keys to working as a team.  The following ideas should help you and your board become a more effective team.  

1. Make sure everyone has a chance to contribute ideas and solutions.
2. Recognize and respect differences in others, everyone is not going to agree on all issues.
3. Value the ideas and contributions of others, which is how we learn and grow.
4. Listen and share information, it does no good to ignore others and then wonder why they won’t listen to you.
5. Ask questions and get clarification, to make good decisions boards need good data.  If you don’t understand the information it is important you keep asking questions until you do.
6. Participate fully and keep your commitments, great teams can count on each other.
7. Be flexible and respect the partnership created by a team -- strive for the "win-win".
8. Have fun and care about the team and the outcomes, it is an honor to be elected to your board.  Enjoy the time you spend serving the students in your district.

As we mentioned earlier, communication and trust are critical ingredients for team building.  The power of reflection can help enhance the board's understanding of teamwork.  The following questions should help you and your board reflect on the current practices of the board.

Do we:

•  Conceal weaknesses and mistakes from each other?

•  Hesitate to ask for help or provide constructive feedback?

•  Jump to conclusions about the intention of others?

•  Fail to tap into one another's skills and experiences?

•  Waste time and energy managing their behaviors for effect?

•  Hold grudges?

•  Dread meetings and avoid spending time together?

If the answer is yes to this list of questions, it is an indicator that troubles are brewing.  When difficulties arise leaders address the issues.  The team is too important to the success of the district to ever “underperform”.  High performing teams understand that conflict is dealt with openly and is considered important to decision-making and personal growth. All members should feel their unique personalities are appreciated and well utilized and can benefit the success of the team.  Norms for working together have been developed and seen as standards for everyone to follow.

In conclusion, it is important that board members clearly understand when the team has met with success and all should share in this equally and proudly.  The impact of your role on the lives of the students in your district should never be underestimated.  You are all members of the most important team in any district.  The success of your team determines the success of the district.