Category: Transformational Leadership

freedom, success, students

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Students, no matter who you are and no matter the depth of sadness and struggles that you face, please allow me to be one of many adults who stand in testimony that better days lay ahead.   The pangs of youth bring so much heartache that it is a wonder how any of us survive it. The hard realities of poverty, the gripping tensions of strained relationships, and the gross amalgam of competing messages from parents, teachers, friends, and social media know-it-alls have you struggling to sort it all out. No matter what you hear, trust me on this one. There is a place for you in this world. And you too can be free. When I was a child, I witnessed and survived a great…

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High Expectations in School, boy with book

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We have no better evidence of inequity and blindness than that which is found in our public schools every day across America. No matter the dedication, passion and training of our educators and school leaders, the devastating impact of generational poverty has led to a number of related and varied biases that can emerge when our neediest students learn among and from adults who have never experienced (and cannot picture) such challenging life circumstances. No matter how caring and well-meaning our educators are (and they are), many cannot comprehend the struggles and even trauma that our students experience. As a result, we are often lost in our attempts to compensate for the deficits that these students face. Or worse, we believe that we are doing…

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High Expectations, Boy Peeking Out Window

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The more I interact with the best teachers and leaders in our profession, the more they make this complex thing we call “educating all children” much simpler for the rest of us. If we have learned nothing else after years of research in education, we know that we must listen to, study and repeat the actions of our most effective teachers and leaders in compiling a list of what we call “best practices.” The most overlooked of all such conclusions is this one: All student success begins with setting high expectations.   Success begins with high expectations. Period. No further debate necessary. There is simply no research anywhere, nor any practical reality, that would suggest that some kids can learn while others cannot. It is…

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Getting a promotion

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There is a common refrain that is heard among most employees in most industries related to building strong resumes and the role they play in getting a promotion. That tune is often coupled with complaints from many of us that the great changes and innovations we seek would be possible “if only we were in charge.” While having a great resume is helpful, and while having a fancy title looks good on a business card, the world is full of great leaders who had neither of those. In fact, we have to wonder if a great resume and a fancy title are precursors to one’s success as a leader or the outcomes of it. No matter what you believe to be true, there is plenty…

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leadership, education

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In an industry of teachers and leaders it comes as no surprise that we are also a community of readers and researchers, constantly in motion and learning from each other. It is one of our best qualities as educators. If a new book comes out, we read it. If new research is released, we discuss it. We are continually reaching for crumbs of information or inspiration that might help us find new and better ways to teach kids. Still, one point of caution is in order as we all run around quoting the same research, authors and each other. We can easily fall into the trap of “group think,” an uninspiring thought process that discourages creativity and individual responsibility. There is a fine line, indeed,…

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leadership, instructional leadership

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The art and science of teaching is familiar to all school leaders and no one seems to challenge the notion that there are complex subtleties that master teachers possess that less effective teachers do not. We all know that our best teachers apply practical routines and processes (like setting up desks or tables) that any teacher can learn to do with highly nuanced, artistic skills (like how to get all students involved in a discussion) that are nearly impossible to measure and difficult to master. In turn, the art of teaching is the secret ingredient missing in many classrooms and the challenge for researchers and trainers who are charged with creating a framework of best practices that all teachers can employ. The truth is that…

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No matter what you think of President Trump, he taught us something long before he became president. Our name is our brand. As a school teacher and leader for more than 20 years, I have had countless discussions and mentoring sessions with young leaders, each of them searching for some morsel of advice on what they can add to their resumes or drop into an interview that gives them a leg up. Through those conversations and through interviews with hundreds of candidates in my career, I have come to find out that most of us have it all wrong when we think about advancing our careers. Becoming an instructional leader: Building your brand We assume that our first priority is building our resumes through better…

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INTRODUCTORY POST / A BLOG PROLOGUE: It is my hope that this blog will reveal itself to you and me in a delicate and deliberate manner, not immediately nor efficiently but slowly and over many months, beginning with this introductory post. I wish for both of us that its themes and practicalities emerge not in any way like an unremarkable first date arranged via a sultry online service but more like a good and lasting friendship that over many months evolves into a meaningful and enduring romance, made richer through intimate discourse and amorous stares as well as through the enduring understandings that can only be found through honesty, thoughtfulness, humility and grace. At its core, this is a blog about schools and the great…

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