Hakuna Matata - It means no worries for the rest of your days

It is summer time and some people think that nothing happens in schools during the summer. This is far from the truth, with a great deal of facility and curriculum and planning work that goes on in the summer time in order to get ready for the following year, and make improvements that will benefit students. Teachers and support staff and administrators put in a great deal of time and energy in order to do great things with students. 

I do think that summer is also a time for those in the field of education to sing along with Timon, Pumba, and Simba and take some Hakuna Matata time. As the song says, Hakuna Matata, it means no worries for the rest of your days. (Now you won’t be able to get the song out of your head 😃 ) It is important to take some Hakuna Matata time, at least for a few days. In the interest of full disclosure, I have never been good at HM time but I’m working on it. In your HM time, reflect, play, relax, reenergize, and renew. Spend time with family, with friends, go to a concert or a baseball game. Take some time to step back and reflect on the difference you made with students last year and the year before that and the year before that. Take time to do some fun reading.  Take time to just be. Be there for your family, be there for your friends, be there for your neighbors. Reach out to a friend or family member you haven’t talked to in a while to reconnect. I promise, you will be glad you did. 

I know you will also be working to improve your craft for next year for your next group of students who are counting on you. You will do it because you care deeply about your students. I had the chance to hear Wes Moore (author of The Other Wes Moore) speak today and tell his story about educators and others in his life made a difference for him, who cared about him. Take the HM time to reenergize so you can continue to make a difference for the Wes Moore’s of the world. 

This summer in my HM time, I’m going to Disney with my family (that’s why I have Disney on my mind) and I’m planning to finish reading Black Widow, Forever Red (yes, I’m a big superhero geek). Next year I begin the next phase of my journey to help educators continue to make a difference for kids.  

Innovator's Mindset #1

I recently started reading The Innovator’s Mindset by George Couros.  (I admit I am only a couple chapters in currently). I have followed him on twitter for a few years now and find his blog posts interesting and thought provoking.  What I have read so far in the book continues to push my thoughts and ideas. Reading his work has also inspired me to get back to writing and sharing my thoughts. Thank you George!

In his book he defines the Innovator’s Mindset as the “Belief that abilities, intelligence, and talents are developed so that they lead to the creation of new and better ideas.” This idea takes the work of Carol Dweck on the Growth Mindset and expands on it.  

In chapter 2 he identifies some critical questions for the innovative educator.  His first question is “Would I want to be a learner in my own classroom?” This is a great place for teachers to start.  It made me think about…what is the administrative equivalent of this? It could be “Would I want to be an adult learner (teacher or other staff member) in my own school?” or “Would I want to be an adult learner (teacher, other staff member or administrator) in my own district?” I suspect that he will get into these ideas later in the book but I thought I would capture my thoughts on them now.

How can we as leaders model the innovators mindset and ensure that adult learning is as meaningful to each person in our school or district as we want it to be for us when we learn.  A few things come to mind as we think about this.  We need to have a clear idea of where we are going but provide flexibility in what route people can take to get there.  It is also important for us as leaders to be comfortable with the reality that some will get there quicker than others.  When working toward a goal, I have often shared the idea that I don’t expect you to be there tomorrow, but I expect you to be moving in that direction.  We also need to be ready to provide differentiated types of support to staff along the way.  Just like we expect teachers to differentiate instruction based on the needs of their students, we need to differentiate learning opportunities and support based on the needs of individual staff members.  

If we are going to help the adults in our system not only develop their talents but get them to lead to the creation of new and better ideas, this will be a start.  This is only a start…there is definitely more to come. #InnovatorsMindset 

Inspiring Hope in Others

Last night I had the chance to attend a dinner and hear an inspiring speaker named Mawi Asgedom.  He shared his story, from growing up in a refugee camp to graduating from Harvard University.  His story and what he shared were good reminders for why we do the work we do.

It is part of our job as leaders to provide students, families and staff hope.  We need to inspire them to believe that anything is possible and they can overcome any challenges they may face.  With hope, there is possibility.  Students need to know that we will NEVER give up on them.  We will always be there to push them and to support them.  We need to make sure we do this for ALL of our students, especially those who face adversity.  

I think we’ve all had an experience where we felt invisible. A time where it seemed that others around didn’t notice us and we didn’t matter.  It may have been the time on the playground when a group of kids were playing a game and they didn’t invite you.  It may have been the event that people planned and didn’t include you. As leaders we need to make sure we see the students and families that are invisible. We need to notice and value each and every student and family. It is also our role to help our students include and notice those who may be invisible.  We need to be inclusive, not exclusive.

The final message is that success is any time I try to grow. As long as we are working at it and trying to improve, we are experiencing success. This is consistent with the concept of a growth mindset that intelligence is not predetermined and can be developed.  As adults we need to continue to learn and grow and we need to instill that mindset in our students that as long as they are continuing to grow and make progress, they are experiencing success.  

I’m glad I had the chance to hear Mawi speak, it was inspiring and refreshing and encouraging. These are concepts that we need to make happen as educators and leaders!

Telling our Story

This year as a district we have entered the realm of social media.  We have a district Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mgsd70) and a district Twitter feed (@D70Super).  We also have a newsletter that goes out to our entire community (not just our parents) three times a year with information about what is happening in the district.  It is a three page newsletter with photos and plenty of “white space” with just a couple of key stories each time.  Over the course of the year we have begun to tell our story of the great things going on District 70/Park View School.  

A few times this year, I’ve been asked by staff and parents why we do this.  I’ve always believed that it was important to share what was going on in the district in any way we can but I’ll admit, there have been times when I’ve wondered about the impact when we only have 223 people who have liked our Facebook page and our district Twitter account has 135 followers.  A few things have happened recently that have re-energized our move in this direction.

Over the past couple weeks, the number of our staff who have joined Twitter and begun to use the tool to either share information about their classroom, connect with other professionals or extend opportunities for their students has increased from 3 or so to over 20!  Many of them are just getting started but the fact is…they are getting started!  It has been exciting to watch them start to explore.  I’ve seen some tweet about professional articles they have found that they want to share, some tweet photos or videos of what students are doing in their classrooms and one who has been able to connect his students with the author of the book they are reading so his students can directly interact with him!  

Here are the current District 70 staff who have joined Twitter:
Chris Kennelly - @MrKthirdgrade
Tracy Paskiewicz - @MrsPaskiewicz
Kelli Murphy - @Kmurphy3rd
PE Teachers - @PVPhysEd
Justine Reich - @reich116
Laura Matug - @pvkindermatug
Brian Hood - @pvpeteacher
Ivy Sukenik - @D70Principal
Kate Dougherty - @PVlibrary
Kat Harrison - @pvtechteacher
Brian Galuski - @brgalus
Paula Steil - @steil95
Terri Willis - @WillisK206
Christine Pellum - @cp2780
Julie Coyne - @JuliecoyneJulie
Elizabeth Schommer - @ElizabethSchomm
Marci Heymann - @MarciHeymann
Tari Rubenstein - @TariLRubenstein
Mindy Debes - @debes312
Sue Jonota - @PVMrsJ
Juli Wicinski - @JuliWicinski
Phil Collins - @D70Super (I use to share district happenings)
Phil Collins - @philc4115 (I use for my own professional learning and sharing)

I’ve also had the chance to read some of the work of Eric Sheninger (@NMHS_Principal) and the thoughts of Tony Sinanis (@TonySinanis) about the importance of telling your school/district’s story and branding.  I just bought Eric’s book “Digital Leadership” so I haven’t read it yet but I’ve seen a few excerpts from it and I can already tell it is powerful.  Eric says “When we don’t tell our story, someone else will.  When we don’t tell our story 9 out of 10 times it’s not the story we want told.”  

I’m determined to not let someone else tell our story.  WE will tell our story and share the great things that are happening in District 70/Park View School.  We will continue to tell others about our use of social media so we can increase our likes and followers.  We owe it to our students and staff to tell the story of the awesome work that they are doing!!

Withdraw from the Common Core? What's all the fuss about?

Indiana made headlines this week with their decision to withdraw from the Common Core State Standards.  Maybe I’m missing something but I just don’t get it.  Why do so many people have an issue with the Common Core State Standards?  As I’ve scanned a variety of articles, here is what I found.  

Complaint #1 - WE didn’t write them, somebody else did.  The somebody else was a group of teachers and standards experts.  Also involved in the development process were the International Reading Association, the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers.  So maybe the teachers who were involved were different teachers than some would have chosen, but the reality is that teachers and national organizations focused on the subject areas of English language arts and mathematics were directly involved in the process.

Complaint #2 - The Feds are telling us what to do.  Maybe to some extent they are but I ask the question…don’t our students deserve a common baseline of what they should know and be able to do?  The “Feds” that started this initiative in the first place are the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).  Aren’t our chief state school officers charged with providing leadership at the state level for public education?  Also, in the end, it was up to each state to decide whether to adopt the Common Core State Standards or not.  

Complaint #3 - Our state standards are already more challenging.  If this is truly the case, then it should be a breeze to incorporate the Common Core State Standards.  I haven’t seen anything that indicates that states or school districts have to limit themselves to the Common Core.  If your students are capable of more, then do it.  

Complaint #4 - The Common Core State Standards are too hard.  This may be true for some states and some districts.  If it is true, isn’t this an indication that we should raise the bar for our students and push them to achieve more?  The intent of the standards is to provide the stepping stones to help students be college and career ready.  If our current standards aren’t rigorous enough to do that, then we need to raise the bar for our students.

Complaint #5 - The Common Core is telling me how to teach.   The Common Core outlines what we students should know and be able to do.  It helps define what students should but leaves the teaching (the how) to the teachers.  

In the end, if you look at the content of the Common Core State Standards, I really don’t see a lot to argue with.  In English language arts there is a significant focus on non-fiction reading and writing.  The research from the 90-90-90 schools and many other sources support a focus on non-fiction as one of the most powerful ways to improve student performance.  I would also argue that 90% or more of what we do as adults in whatever job we do involves some form of non-fiction reading and/or writing.  Also, remember that the Common Core doesn’t throw literature out the window, but it does provide a more balanced approach.  

In the article about Indiana withdrawing from the Common Core, there was an interesting addition at the end.  The original author of the legislation, state Senator Scott Schneider, pulled his name from the bill late in the process.  Apparently he objected to a component that other legislators added that required the state to still meet national education standards so they wouldn’t jeopardize federal funding.  So, in the end, is what Indiana ends up with going to be that much different than the Common Core?

I don’t see the Common Core as evil.  It is simply a recommendation of what students should know and be able to do in each grade level in English language arts and mathematics.  Frankly, it is a better starting point and guide than we have had in the past.  We still need to work with it at the local level to develop an understanding of Common Core, translate it into student friendly language, and determine how we are going to help students achieve the standards.  That is our job as educators.

Inventing the Future for Our Students

As superintendent of a one school K-8 school district, I have the advantage of seeing the entire continuum of our students’ experience all in one place.  We recently began registration for our kindergarten students that we will welcome in August 2014.  We are responsible for creating their educational experience that will help them be successful for not only the next nine years (K-8) but for the eight years (high school and college) or so of school that will follow that in addition to their life beyond that.  We need to project what will their experience and their life be like 9 or 13 or 17 years from now and begin to prepare them for that.  This is both exciting and scary at the same time.  

At the same time, we are getting ready to send our 8th grade students off to high school.  As we prepare to say goodbye to our 8th graders and welcome our new kindergarten students, I have been reflecting back to August 2005.  That is when our current 8th graders started kindergarten. I did some digging to remind myself of how things were in 2005.  

• Did you know that four months before our 8th graders started kindergarten YouTube was launched?  Did any of us predict at that point that by the time they graduated more than 1 billion unique users would visit YouTube…EACH MONTH!  Who would have thought that the YouTube channel for the band One Direction would have over 12.6 million subscribers?
• iTunes was only selling music when they started kindergarten and made up a little over 4% of the music industry market.  A quote from a November 21, 2005 article indicated "Apple Computer's iTunes music store now sells more music than Tower Records or Borders, according to analyst firm the NPD Group.”  iTunes recently sold its 25 billionth song and has sold more than 1 billion TV episodes and 380 million movies. iTunes users are spending $1.75 billion a year on videos alone and iTunes accounts for $6.9 billion a year spent on digital music. In addition, the App store has hit over 50 billion downloads and Apple has paid out over $10 billion to developers.  
• Facebook only had 5.5 million users.  Today 1.184 billion people are on Facebook.
• Twitter was created in the spring of their kindergarten year.
• Just before they started 2nd grade, the first iPhone was released.  Now many of them have the 4th or 5th generation iphone.
• In fourth grade soon after they returned from winter break, the first iPad was released.  

The bottom line is that when today’s 8th grade students started kindergarten, none of us would have predicted things as they are today.  As I mentioned at the beginning, in August 2014, a new group of students will start kindergarten at Park View.  It is our job as educators to prepare them for success in the future.  We don’t know what that future will look like but it is safe to say that it will be continually changing.  New tools and new opportunities are created every day.  What it means for us as educators is that we need to continue to learn and grow and adapt to provide the best educational experience we can for our children.  Years ago a colleague of mine gave me a pen for my desk with a quote by Alan Kay that says, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”  We need to continuously work on improving what we do and inventing and reinventing the future for the sake of all of our children.

Cursive? Keyboarding? Hmmm...

I shared this with my Board of Education last December...thought I would pass it on to others.

Recently on my RSS feed I’ve seen a couple of headlines come across that made me think.  One was “Tim Cook ‘ditched’ physical keyboard, uses iPad and iPhone 80% of the time” and the other was “Some states preserve penmanship despite tech gains”.  As I read the two articles I thought back to my Typing class in my junior year of high school (80-81).  We used typewriters in that class and were excited that we actually had some electric versions.  At that point we didn’t have a sense of what might be coming down the road…

In 1980-81, who would have thought that we would come to a point of:

-       using word processors instead of typewriters to create documents?

-       sending many more emails than we do letters or cards?

-       texting our children and our friends more often than we call them?

-       using an RSS feed to get our daily news rather than the paper newspaper? (I admit that we still get the Sunday paper at home but it is mainly for the sale papers…and now for many of those “there is an app for that”).

When students who are currently seniors in high school were in third grade (2003-2004), the iPhone was still three years away, iTunes was just being launched, and the fifth Harry Potter book was released.  Now we are on the iPhone 5, iTunes has expanded into music, movies, books and more and all of the Harry Potter movies have been seen by millions.

Our current 3^rd grade students will graduate from high school in June, 2022.  At that point who knows how they will be capturing and sending information.  Will they still use cursive at all?  Will home row typing as we currently know it be on its way out in favor of “thumb-typing”?  Will tools like Siri make most sharing voice-activated?

I don’t know the answer to these questions, but there is one thing I do know.  We need to make sure we don’t restrict the potential opportunities for our students because of how we learned or how we did things in the past.  If we did, we might be considering implementing 1:1 electric typewriters rather than 1:1 iPads. 

There is a quote I keep on my desk by Alan Kay that says “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”  It is our job as educators to continue to invent the future for our students.