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Yet there are places across the country where that is not the case. These are places where teachers and administrators work together both to implement policy decisions in ways that benefit students and to develop innovative solutions to the challenges that their community faces. One such place: California's ABC Unified School District.

Collaboration in ABC

ABC has been widely praised for the collaborative relationship that exists between its teachers and administrators. Not only has the district received a great deal of positive press about this partnership (for example, one blogger recently wrote that he "left ABC rejoicing in what they have been able to accomplish" in this arena), it also served as the basis for research by Rutgers University's Saul Rubinstein and John McCarthy on how working together improves student achievement.

What makes ABC so special is not just the fact that a strong partnership between teachers and administrators exists. It is the fact that the collaboration has been institutionalized. The partnership has thrived for well over a decade, under multiple superintendents and through a number of school board elections. And this has led to a district culture "of shared planning, decision-making, and responsibility" that is "built on respect, commitment, and trust," as a 2011 case study puts it.

Among the many issues that teachers and administrators in ABC have tackled together are curriculum development, textbook selection, recruitment and hiring, mentoring, teacher evaluation and support, and use of data-based decision making to improve student performance. And the partnership is having a positive impact on students.

One early example of collaborative problem solving in the district was the creation of the Southside Schools Reading Collaborative, which targeted resources and support to six high needs schools that then showed the most growth on standardized assessments in the district. And Rubinstein and McCarthy's research shows that the district's students have higher achievement in the schools with stronger partnerships between teachers unions and school administration.

What Does It Look Like?

Those in education use the words "collaboration" and "partnership" quite liberally, often giving little to no details on what specifically good examples look like. But a 2011 set of case studies of six districts, including ABC, that have developed and sustained strong relationships between teachers and their unions and administrators while improving public education found thirteen common themes, including:

Emphasis on teacher quality, including professional development, new systems of evaluation, peer-to-peer assistance and mentoring programs

Focus on student performance, with districts creating opportunities for teachers and administrators to work together to analyze student performance to identify and focus on priority areas for improvement

Substantive problem-solving, innovation and willingness to experiment, working together to come up with new ways to address critical issues, with the partnership serving as a vehicle for improvement (not as the end in itself)

An organizational culture that values and supports collaboration, evidenced in part by leaders speaking of a culture of inclusion, involvement and communication, as well as respect for teachers as professionals and for their union

Collaborative structures at all levels in the district, with an infrastructure that promotes and facilitates collaborative decision-making in schools through building-level leadership teams, school improvement committees, school advisory councils or other such bodies that meet on regularly and play a key role in site-based decision making

Collaboration in Action: Common Core Implementation

When a district that has a strong collaborative culture undertakes a major initiative like implementing the Common Core, what does it look like? We at the Learning First Alliance recently interviewed two representatives of ABC to find out: Richard Saldana a high school teacher and department chair who also serves on the executive board of the ABC Federation of Teachers, and Tanya Golden, a sixth grade teacher who also serves as a teacher leader. Each shared their experience with the Common Core, and what emerged reinforced the notion that collaboration plays a key role in the day-to-day operations of the district, while also illustrating the importance of teacher voice and leadership in implementation.

What exactly does that mean?

It means that the district has had over 144 teachers on Common Core study teams for the past two years, and that the district convened teachers to develop and review instructional units when none were available.

Recognizing that Common Core implementation is an enormous undertaking, it means that teachers and district leaders worked together to identify three key academic focus areas for the school year: text dependent questions, writing from sources, and academic vocabulary (with each school site selecting one on which to concentrate).

And it means that the district provides teacher leaders like Golden to support them in that effort -- teacher leaders who meet monthly with the district's academic services division for professional learning to equip them with the skills they need to help schools succeed.

It means that teacher leaders like Saldana meet at least monthly with district leadership to discuss concerns that come forth from the teachers representative council of the union (which also meets monthly), so there's a constant flow of information between teacher and the district.

It means that teachers and administrators go together to school board sessions and parent information meetings, speaking with one voice.

It means that the district provides joint trainings for teachers and principals, with district officials and teacher leaders presenting information together. The goal: To send a unified message and ensure clear communication.

The Key Takeaway

The way that ABC has approached the Common Core -- and the way it approaches all issues -- seems intuitive. So why don't we hear more stories like theirs?

As Saldana put it, "I think the most important lesson for all of us is to find the time to collaborate. I think the biggest reason we don't collaborate is because it takes time."

But as the experience of ABC shows, finding that time makes improving student learning a whole lot easier.

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When Teachers and Administrators Collaborate | Edutopia

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Yet there are places across the country where that is not the case. These are places where teachers and administrators work together both to implement policy decisions in ways that benefit students and to develop innovative solutions to the challenges that their community faces. One such place: California's ABC Unified School District.

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I believe that each of us has a leader within and that educational leadership is not the sole domain of school administrators. I've see classroom teachers step up and lead incredible school transformations without the authority of a title or degree. But that's a topic for another day. Today, I want to examine the not so secret, 'secret' among educators:
While every school has at least one administrator, few have leaders.
A recent workshop participant paraphrased Peter Drucker and said it this way,

"Administrators do things right. Leaders do the right things."

While that simple statement captures some of the gulf between leadership and administration, I think it falls far short.

I have a long list, developed over many educational leadership seminars, that outlines the differences between administrators and leaders; but today I'll start with the one element that seems to encompass so many others...
Leaders deal from their hearts as well as their minds; administrators work almost exclusively from the mental framework.
We've all encountered administrators who kick off the school year with speeches stating the districts goals and objectives, or by reciting well meaning mission statements; but it's rare to find leaders who articulate a vision and inspire their staffs to embrace that vision.

Administrators are comfortable speaking from and appealing to the cognitive domain, hoping others see the logic of their goals and objectives; while leaders want to stir the hearts, as well as the minds of those they seek to lead.

It's the power of the heart that injects a special energy into the team. Leaders who use their hearts and minds when they speak have an authenticity that creates trust. Administrators who speak only from their heads may say the right words; they may have perfect scripts; but they appear less authentic, less fully committed, and therefore they create less trust.

Without trust it's difficult to lead effectively.

I remember the Principal at my son's eighth grade graduation ceremony speaking to the audience of proud parents and students. His first words were,

"I can't tell you how excited I am to be here with you tonight."

Unfortunately, he spoke these words in a monotone with no emotion (heart). Even worse, there was no smile, no crack in his bland and blank façade. He continued this way through the entire speech.

While I have no doubt that deep inside he meant every word he spoke; because he closed off his heart when delivered his words, it destroyed his message. It reeked of an administrator fulfilling his job requirements, when it could have been a leader expressing gratitude to his victorious 8th grade troops and sending them off to the high school full of inspiration and hope.

Not every leader needs to be a charismatic speaker. Even speakers who speak haltingly and uncomfortably, if they speak from the heart, touch the hearts of those around them; their authenticity comes through and with that, trust flows. We feel their commitment.

One of the first steps in the transformation from administrator to leader is to access the power of the heart. Tapping into the heart shows up in every aspect of leadership, not just in speaking. It is a way of tethering ourselves to something deeper than just our ideas and thoughts. It ties us to our purpose, values, and beliefs.

When we work from this place, we're grounded. We don't change directions every time the political breezes shift. We are more apt to go the extra mile, even if it seems risky. We walk our own talk. We don't have hidden agendas, they're all out there for people to see. When we work from the heart, we don't make decisions based solely on complicated political calculations; but we factor in our beliefs and values.

Most importantly, when we're grounded in the heart, we have the courage of a leader. Interestingly, the word courage comes from the French root 'cour' or heart. As leaders we don't avoid difficult conversations, or put off difficult decisions out of fear. We address them because they need to be addressed. The heart gives us the strength and passion to do the difficult things.

The transformation from administrator to leader is largely a journey of the heart.

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The Difference Between Administrator and Leader

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I believe that each of us has a leader within and that educational leadership is not the sole domain of school administrators. I've see classroom teachers step up and lead incredible school transformations without the authority of a title or degree. But that's a topic for another day.

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Douglas,
I truly appreciate the vantage-point this article presents. I was one of the lucky ones, who delved with my whole self into every learning opportunity at school. As a result, I loved school. I loved it so much that by the time I was in first grade, I already knew I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up.

I realize now that my experience with education places me, decidedly, in the minority of students. I also acknowledge that if I ran my classroom the same way  classrooms were run 30 years ago, I would find little traction with the students of 2018.

This article artfully presents a common problem that plagues education today,  resistance to change and the complaint that teachers do not feel that they are free to make decisions inside their own classrooms.
Both contribute to frustration.

I love how the article states that teachers have the freedom to navigate through many decisions each day inside the walls of their teaching domain.

Thanks for your contribution to the decision-making theme.
Angela

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What I loved about this article is that it ended with a question and not a solution. This topic of discussion resonates with me so much because I often think these things, but it is typically geared towards behavioral decisions. My coworkers have the tendency to prompt these questions tied towards their instructional practices. I think this will be a great article to share out with my fellow coworkers to hopefully inspire some new instructional decisions because often, we become set in our ways. Thanks for the great share!

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Alternative schedules article comment: Lorin Watkins

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Alternative schedules article comment: Lorin Watkins

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The article about alternative schedules was very interesting and thought-provoking. For the first five years of my career in education, I taught in a year round school. It was amazing. The teachers loved it, the students progressed academically and the parents enjoyed having March, November and July off to travel and spend time with family. Change is hard and the district eventually returned to a traditional schedule despite the fact that we no longer have to harvest crops so there truly is no reason to do so. While I certainly appreciated the schedule for personal reasons, the decrease in student regression in learning should have been reason enough to try to continue. Thank you for posting. Innovative ideas and change can move our educational system forward so I appreciated reading the article.

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Thanks for a chance to reflect on how our individual personalities affect our teaching. As the article stated, reflection leads to change. All the best practices models have our students reflecting on their learning daily. It is hard to fit in, for the students and for us as teachers. A perfect example of one more thing I was never asked to do in school!

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Thanks for a chance to reflect on how our individual personalities affect our teaching. As the article stated, reflection leads to change. All the best practices models have our students reflecting on their learning daily. It is hard to fit in, for the students and for us as teachers. A perfect example of one more thing I was never asked to do in school!

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Thanks again,
Dorisa Dunavin

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Teachers: How often do you think something like, When I was a kid, I always did what my teachers told me to do and never questioned their authority, or I hated silent reading, or I loved learning about ancient Greece/making dioramas/participating in science fair? And do these reflections surface when you're making decisions about what to do in your classroom around instruction, management, or curriculum?

Perhaps, for example, you decide to replace the silent reading block that's supposed to happen right after lunch with a read-aloud time, and maybe you reflect that this is because you hated silent reading when you were a kid and you loved hearing your teacher read a novel to the class. Does this scenario resonate?

Teach-The-Way-We-Learned Pitfall

I'm going to guess that we've all been guilty of this kind of decision-making, especially when we were new to the classroom and there were one thousand decisions to make every day. We drew on what we knew and had experienced -- that was the data that drove our decisions. Sometimes our decisions may have yielded great results. Perhaps the kids did not learning about ancient Greece. And sometimes we might not have seen what we wanted to see, or what we hoped our students would learn.

Whenever I hear a teacher say, "When I was a kid...," I press pause in our conversation and then probe this decision-making point. Embedded within this kind of statement are often a lot of beliefs about kids, learning, instruction, and behavior. This kind of statement allows me to explore the assumptions and beliefs that a teacher might be bringing into the classroom about learning and her students. I want to make sure that we unpack those so that we can identify what kinds of data points they are using.

What we need to be reminded of is that what worked for us, individually as kids, may not necessarily work for the group of kids we're standing in front of right now. There are all kinds of reasons why that might be the case, including differences in our generations, race and ethnicity, economic status, backgrounds, gender, and so on. It's risky business to make decisions based on our own learning preferences, styles, and experiences.

Reflection Leads to Change

Usually when I "press pause" on a conversation with a teacher and ask her to reflect on what she "loved as a kid" and how that might, or might not work for her students now, the teacher is appreciative. I'm an instructional coach so I can engage in this conversation from a coaching stance: I'm here to help you think through your decisions, not castigate you. Teachers often appreciate the reminder to use a wide range of information to make decisions.

So what do we use instead? What kinds of data do you use to make decisions about classroom management, instructional strategies, and curriculum? I'm aware that in many schools teachers may have limited decision-making about some of these areas -- there might be mandated curriculum or school-wide management systems.

But there are still 950 decisions that are within a teacher's sphere of control to make every day. How do you make yours?

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How Do You Make Instructional Decisions? | Edutopia

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Teachers: How often do you think something like, When I was a kid, I always did what my teachers told me to do and never questioned their authority, or I hated silent reading, or I loved learning about ancient Greece/making dioramas/participating in science fair?

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I enjoyed reading the alternative schedules article. Thank you for sharing.

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I enjoyed reading the alternative schedules article. Thank you for sharing.

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Especially since I am experiencing a turn around school, and the hours are extended. We are in session from 8: am to 4:30 pm. It is starting to wear on students and staff. The value of sleep, is so greatly missed in education.
Lea Anne

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Douglas - I enjoyed reading this article about the proposal to increase the length of the school day in urban schools to catch the students up to their peers. I recall that prior to my senior year of high school, our private charter school leaders proposed year round school as an alternative approach to the school calendar. I remember how angry I was that I would be forced to attend school year round, unlike my public school peers. My school leaders made the change despite much disapproval from the students.
It turned out that my senior year was the best year I ever experienced in school. I remember how needed our fall break was and how much I appreciated the change, even though I wouldn't be caught admitting such a thing during my senior year. The 3 week spring break and 3 week winter break were a true gift as well. I think the conversation about changing the schedule was far more difficult and divisive than the schedule change actually turned out to be. Often in schools, this is the case. Discussion of change is far more loaded than the change itself.
Changing school schedules can be a decision with lots of push back from the school community at large  - a risky move at best. Extending the school day might be a decision fraught with trepidation, but for some districts, it could be the long-awaited answer to many problems.

Thank for your contribution to this week's article reading and for reminding me that thinking outside the box can be a solution in itself.
Angela

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Principal Robin Harris doesn't yet have the test results to prove that adding two hours to the school day at Fletcher Maynard Academy, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, last year helped the school's primarily low-income, minority students catch up to their peers.

But even though catching up academically wasn't the original reason for Harris's change to the school day (she hoped to afford students more time on academics and enrichment), Harris says she's confident the new schedule has boosted learning. She points to signs that might be commonplace in some schools but are minor miracles here: children naming math as their favorite subject, or discussing the many books they've read in their free time. "That's hard to measure," Harris says, "but it's anecdotal evidence toward progress."

More on Learning Around the Clock

<?php print l('After School Works! (As Long as It\'s Not More of the Same):', 'after-school-works'); ????> Poll respondents call for engaging afternoon enrichment. <?php print l('Read', 'after-school-works'); ????>

Real-World Learning

<?php print l('Outside In:', 'outside'); ????> In the muddy Vermont woods, teens discover science, community, and a newfound love of learning. <?php print l('Read', 'outside'); ????>

<?php print l('Go to complete coverage', 'new-day-for-learning'); ????>

The push to extend both the 6.5-hour day and the 180-day year began with the charter school movement in the 1990s and has become increasingly popular in traditional public schools. It's a trend we expect to gain momentum this year as educators search for ways to meet the demands of the No Child Left Behind Act without sacrificing important subjects that aren't tested.

Fletcher Maynard is part of the Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time Initiative, the first statewide effort to lengthen the school day or school year. School districts such as those in Pittsburgh and Miami have already increased classroom time in their lowest-scoring schools, and several states may soon follow suit.

"The time is right," says Jennifer Davis, president and cofounder of Massachusetts 2020, a nonprofit organization that has led the state's learning-time initiative. She points out that adding academic time was one of five major recommendations in the landmark 1983 report " A Nation at Risk" -- the only recommendation never acted on. "The traditional school schedule is outdated for many reasons," she says. "We've raised standards in American education and expect more from students than we ever have."

According to Elena Silva, a senior policy analyst at the nonprofit group Education Sector and author of a recent report on school time, research shows that poor and minority students, who tend to have fewer learning opportunities outside of school, stand to benefit most from additional classroom hours.

Silva adds one word of caution: Simply tacking on extra time to each class isn't sufficient. Schools should think creatively about how best to redesign the schedule to promote learning. "This has tremendous potential," she says, "but only if it's very well planned."

Extending school hours isn't the only reason districts are rethinking the traditional academic calendar. Some high schools have postponed their start times because research shows that adolescents are naturally groggy in the morning, and alert later in the day. A study of high schools in Minneapolis, for example, found that pushing back the first bell until at least 8:30 A.M. improved students' grades and reduced dropout rates and student depression.

In other parts of the country, especially rural areas, districts have cut transportation and utility costs by switching to a four-day week, with longer hours on school days. Administrators say the schedule boosts student attendance and teacher morale. But, adds Silva, "it's probably questionable in terms of achievement gains." On the other hand, attendance and teacher morale are surely part of the solution.

Denise Kersten Wills is a freelance writer in Washington, DC.

To Sleep, Perchance . . . to Learn?

The impetus to reconsider school hours will likely get a boost from some recent studies of teenage sleep patterns and how they affect student performance. The average teenager (there must be at least one "average" teenager) requires nine or more hours of sleep a night, but a study by the National Sleep Foundation indicated that almost half of American adolescents get less than that. Increases in homework loads, television viewing, and social lives all impinge on shuteye.

Every first-period teacher who has looked across a classroom of drooping eyelids and nodding heads is familiar with the effect of a high school day that starts at 7:30 A.M. Jodi Mindell, associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told the Associated Press, "Sleep not only serves as a restorative function for adolescents' bodies and brains, but it also is a key time when they process what they've learned during the day." -- DKW

What's Next > Online Learning

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Alternative Schedules: A New School Day Dawns | Edutopia

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Principal Robin Harris doesn't yet have the test results to prove that adding two hours to the school day at Fletcher Maynard Academy, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, last year helped the school's primarily low-income, minority students catch up to their peers.

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Taking the first step to speak up can make a big difference

Margaret Wheatley, a brilliant thinker and organizer, writes: "I believe we can change the world if we start listening to one another again: simple, honest, human conversation, and not mediation, negotiation, problem solving, debate, or public meetings. Truthful conversation where we each have a chance to speak, we each feel heard, and we each listen well."

Wheatley's book, Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future, is essential to my work; I rarely recommend books, but this is one that everyone should have on their shelves. Wheatley's prose pulls me into places of the mind, heart, and spirit that most education-related texts never venture. And more than anything, she offers tremendous hope. (Her 2009 book, Perseverance, is another gem; I carry it with me every day.)

Listening to each other is not that easy, I'm sure we all know. Wheatley acknowledges that it takes courage to have conversations with each other, conversations when we're really listening without judgment, listening with curiosity; and conversations take time, of which we're always in short supply.

But Wheatley writes, "If we don't start talking to one another, nothing will change. Conversation is the way we discover how to transform our world, together." Her book is full of examples of people who have begun conversations with each other and changed the world. It also offers practical advice on how to begin the process, conversation prompts, and much more.

Several teachers approached me last week. They'd read my recent blog post on the ethics of posting student data and appreciated that I'd voiced an objection. "I feel like I can't say what you do," said Ms. W. "Our school prides itself on our test scores. I have to post the data. I'm afraid of what would happen if I objected."

"Have you ever spoken with your principal about your concerns?" I asked. I know the principal; I know that she has reservations about this practice.

"I don't think she'd listen," said Ms. W. "I don't know what I'd say." Ms. W (who is African American) then spoke for ten minutes about her experience growing up in the 1980s, in a predominantly white community where students' grades and test scores were virtually known by all. Although she was academically successful, her two younger brothers were not. By mid-elementary school the boys' self-esteem was destroyed, they rejected tutors, and they struggled in many ways, for many years. "It kills me," said Ms. W, "to see these posters with test score data displayed publically, to see the bottom band (the lowest performing) full of the names of black boys. It's eating me away."

"Talk to your principal," I urged. "Share your experiences, share your feelings. I know it's scary, but this is what it means to be a leader, to speak up for those boys."

We spent some time that afternoon planning a conversation. Ms. W talked through her ideas for engaging her principal in this dialogue; she also brainstormed non-judgmental questions to ask her principal in order to understand her thinking more. It all begins with conversations, I thought as I left Ms. W's room.

"Change doesn't happen from a leader announcing the plan," writes Margaret Wheatley. "Change begins from deep inside a system, when a few people notice something they will no longer tolerate, or respond to a dream of what's possible. We just have to find a few others who care about the same thing. Together we will figure out what our first step is, then the next, then the next. Gradually, we become large and powerful. We don't have to start with power, only with passion."

What kind of changes in education would you like to see? Who would you like to engage in conversation with about change?

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Educational Change Starts with Listening | Edutopia

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Taking the first step to speak up can make a big difference Margaret Wheatley, a brilliant thinker and organizer, writes: "I believe we can change the world if we start listening to one another again: simple, honest, human conversation, and not mediation, negotiation, problem solving, debate, or public meetings.

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Douglas,

This article gave me plenty of great, new ideas! One of my main instructional goals is effective communication. However, I tend to focus more on relaying information than listening. I was particularly intrigued by the Tea With Teachers idea. I currently work at a church where I have a team of over thirty volunteers. Often, my time is more focused on communicating with the students that I work with rather than the volunteers. The idea behind Tea With Teachers is intentional, informal communication for those often overlooked to present their own ideas. I certainly intend on implementing this.

Thank you!

Emma French

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1. The Monday Memo

An endless barrage of emails, texts, handouts, and announcements can lead to a communication overdose. The message, scattered about, gets lost when there are too many outlets. The easiest remedy is to consolidate these communications in a single, consistent package. We called ours the Monday Memo. It contained operational nuts and bolts, calendar events and deadlines, observations and insights from the school leader and others, weekly goals (which were shared with students as well), and at least one professional article aligned with the school's mission and vision. The Monday Memo was like a Napoleonic bulletin-it kept the troops well-informed and on the path to victory.

Note: Whenever possible, add a little levity. A cartoon or humorous story usually does the trick. A Monday morning smile can often carry a teacher all the way over to hump day.

2. The Huddle

At big schools with lots of grades, teachers often work themselves into silos. Freeing them from these silos is a scheduling challenge, but one well worth taking up. A teacher of ours came up with a simple solution: The Huddle. (We actually called ours "The Herd" because our mascot was a yak.) Once a week for just 15 minutes, we would all gather (with refreshments, of course) to share team plans and to look for opportunities for collaboration across grade levels.

And just like a football huddle, we would break with a unified clap.

Note: This can be accomplished electronically, but being eyeball to eyeball makes a world of difference.

3. Tea With Teachers

Once a month, I would meet with parents in the morning to discuss anything and everything having to do with the school. I called it Donuts With Dunbar. (We served lots and lots of coffee as well.) One day a teacher came up to me and asked, "Why don't you ever have donuts with us?"

"Y'all are always too busy in the morning," I said.

"Then let's do refreshments in the afternoon," she said. And thus Tea With Teachers, or TWT, was born. Unlike most faculty meetings, TWT was voluntary and the agenda was set by the participants. There were no time limits nor goals-only open, honest, real discussion.

4. Shout-Outs

There are a number of ways to acknowledge and celebrate best practices and excellence in schools. One of the best and easiest is the humble shout-out. Throughout the week, faculty and staff would submit nominations for academic, artistic, and cultural achievement. Every Friday, we would recognize those students, teachers, and community members who had gone above and beyond the call of duty. We would also note progress toward weekly and annual goals. It was a way of keeping all eyes firmly on the prize.

5. Art Jams

During the school day, it's almost impossible to think creatively. Grading papers and juggling deadlines doesn't exactly foster creative thinking. Yet such thinking is more important today than ever. So how and when do you generate new, innovative ideas? For us, it took place after school and off campus, surrounded by art and with plenty of adult beverages. Being an arts-integrated school, we called it an Art Jam. It was a time to brainstorm crazy ideas-ideas that might just lead to improved teaching and learning.

6. Social Media

A board member once asked me why I managed the school's Facebook page. "Don't you have more important things to do?" she asked.

"Believe it or not," I said, "Facebook is one of the most important things I do."

The principal is the vision keeper for a school. That vision has to be shared with all stakeholders. Social media-Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.-is one of the best ways to accomplish this. Use it to promote instructional best practices, to celebrate excellence, and to recognize all of the things that make your school unique.

7. Professional Culture Surveys

So with all of this improved communication, how do you know if it's working? As with student achievement, there has to be an end goal or measure for success. At our school, we developed a professional culture survey and gave it out three times a year. It was anonymous, and the perception data was shared with the entire faculty and staff. We used the results to, among other things, further improve communication.

When it comes to communication in schools, less is not more, and more is not necessarily better. It needs to be systematic, intentional, and transparent.

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7 Easy Ways to Improve School-Wide Communication

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An endless barrage of emails, texts, handouts, and announcements can lead to a communication overdose. The message, scattered about, gets lost when there are too many outlets. The easiest remedy is to consolidate these communications in a single, consistent package. We called ours the Monday Memo.

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I really enjoyed reading this article. There are so many qualities listed describing an effective leader that I feel I both possess and struggle with as a leader of my team as a current business manager. I consistently communicate my goals and expectations with my team with clarity and passion that is visible and easily understood. I exude confidence in my role as a leader to show my team members that they too must have confidence in everything they do in their roles as managers-in-training. However, when a task goes undone, I generally complete the task myself. I fail to rely on my team. A good leader steps in at times to get their "hands dirty" at times, but they also delegate after equipping their team with the necessary skills and knowledge to get tasks complete as well. As highlighted in many ways in the article, a good leader understands that they alone, cannot get everything done that needs to be done. A good leader "[optimizes] the situation" by allowing others to assist in tasks. This, in turn, aids in the spread a confidence that the article nods to, "inspiring others to action."

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1st Module Article - Educational Leadership

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1st Module Article - Educational Leadership

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Leadership in education is more important now than ever. Demands on instructional time are escalating, and accountability pressures are increasing. The historically neglected areas of social-emotional and civic competence are emerging as essentials. For leaders who know what direction they want to head, there are six key tasks that must be undertaken.

Based on a combination of interviews with educational leaders by Mark Goldberg, and the observations of David Gergen after serving in the White House under several presidents from both political parties ( Eyewitness to Power, 2000), here are the six tasks:

1. Believe and Envision

Leaders must have a core belief that can be communicated with clarity, concision, and passion. This is referred to as a bedrock belief (Goldberg) and a compelling vision (Gergen).

2. Start Strong and Simple

Leaders must get off to a quick, sure start. This is especially true for those new to the leadership role: leaders must inspire confidence. Rather than take on the most challenging problems, it's best to start with a small, potentially solvable challenge. This gives everyone a chance to see how the leader will work, and for those more directly involved, a chance to experience the new leadership style together. When efforts flounder, much will be learned from how setbacks are handled.

3. Persuade and Inspire

Leaders must have skills to persuade and inspire. They must be able to articulate a realistic and clear vision of how the organization will look in the future, and help others see the vision as congruent with their own concerns, goals, or deep beliefs. They must communicate and model their strong convictions so that they inspire others to sustained action, even when the leader is "not looking." Others with leadership roles or responsibilities also must embrace and articulate the vision.

4. Lead Morally

Leaders must have a strong moral compass. To follow any leader, others must be convinced of that leader's dedication to equity, fairness, overcoming disadvantage, and giving voice. It's fair to say that not everyone will perceive these attributes on the part of the leaders, but his or her core followers definitely must.

5. Demonstrate Courage and Compromise

Leaders must have the courage to swim upstream. Because leadership ultimately is a moral commitment, leaders must be prepared to take risks, buck trends, show courage, persist, embolden others, and use a nuanced sense of compromise. (In an instructional setting, these are qualities that teachers ultimately want to transfer to their students so that their educational default is not passive compliance.)

6. Optimize Any Situation

Leaders must excel at situational mastery and emotional intelligence. According to Goldberg (June 2001, Phi Delta Kappan, p.760), "I do not believe that any of the people I interviewed could have exchanged positions and had the same success." Ultimately, leaders must have the emotional intelligence skills to optimize the situation in which they find themselves and the resources at hand, and inspire others to undertake maximal efforts. Even more than technical training, the leader must help members of the organization and constituents have a deep understanding of the mission and vision and a commitment to collaborate in pursuit of that shared understanding. What the leader can accomplish directly is limited, especially in large and complex educational settings. Hence, distributed leadership is essential for sustainability.

One need not be a principal, superintendent, or school board president to be a school leader. Leaders are those who step up to help their organizations succeed. They take a larger measure of responsibility for keeping track of the big picture. Consider the areas where your involvement can help make your school or district a better place. Let this year be your own personal leadership year.

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Leadership in education is more important now than ever. Demands on instructional time are escalating, and accountability pressures are increasing. The historically neglected areas of social-emotional and civic competence are emerging as essentials. For leaders who know what direction they want to head, there are six key tasks that must be undertaken.