Some Random Reflections

A few reflections on the AASA 2008 National Conference on Education

1. Speakers - Good to Excellent - I liked the general theme of globalization and its impact on K-12 education. I think the speakers showed a degree of understanding that I wish more of the business community and legislators understood. Click here to read what Alan November said about how schools should change. Click on the audio link in the article to hear what he said about assessment in schools!

2. Internal Coverage of the Conference - Excellent coverage of the conference from the Conference Daily staff. (Click here for all the articles from each day.) The return of the hard copy newspaper was a big hit. I witnessed many situations where superintendents were reading the coverage of other sessions they could not get to. I think participants read the paper on the bus and in the airports during down time and I think overall The Conference Daily provides an excellent service. The online version is equally excellent but it reaches a different audience. It usually reaches audiences that are not at the conference at all. This blog "Taking Stock of the Conference" is a supplemental service meant to provide a little different take on the conference. Next year we intend to do a better job of linking to other sites within each post. For example, if we post about a certain presenter we should link to various sites that are related to that presenter. We have yet to utilize the power of the internet through multiple hyperlinks which will be a goal for our coverage next year. Internal statistics reveal that most readers of the blog are finding it through the AASA web site.

3. Weather - How do you beat 70's and sunny with a slight breeze! Most of us didn't get to enjoy it that much but it sure makes waiting for the conference shuttle bus a pleasant experience!

4. Networking - This is always a pleasant side benefit of the AASA national conference. The superintendency is a lonely job sometimes and the opportunities for brainstorming and sharing with other individuals cannot be overlooked.

Next year's conference is in San Francisco. Click here for a list of AASA conferences and meetings!

Final thoughts from Tampa

As I depart the AASA conference I had a couple of final thoughts.
1) The diversity of thought at this conference was remarkable. It really helps to hear from not only our US peers but also from peers from England, China, Africa, and folks like Chris Whittle who are working with schools all over the world.
2)AASA is high tech. From the digital library, the "green" ideas, the blogging, etc. I am convinced that AASA is committed to staying on the cutting edge with regard to 21st century technology.
3) After 37 years in education, I am more excited about the future and the challenges we face. We know so much more than we did 40 years ago about the human brain and school reform.
4) AASA Conference on Education is a "don't miss" conference. See you in San Francisco in 2009. Don't forget to send in those requests for presentation.

Second Impressions

In an earlier post, I spoke of trusting your first instinct instead of going with what others were doing around you.  Maybe it is first instinct one must trust versus first impression.

As I stepped late into Chris Whittle's presentation today, my first thought was that I wasn't going to stay for very long. Whittle, the CEO of Edison Schools, was standing behind the podium and speaking in what I perceived as lecture voice. I listened for while and decided to stay - maybe I could figure out my next presentation or make a plan for the evening and the trip home tomorrow. 

The more I listened, however, the more I became intrigued with what he had to say. Whittle's discussion on schools around the world, including a 10-university city that had sprung up virtually overnight (seven years and now 130,000 students enrolled) was engaging. His discussion of the "entrepreneurism and flexibility around the world" made me realize that American education must continue to look for ways to not only engage our students, but provide real-world applications of using 21st century skills if we are to stay at the top in the world. 

Of course, Whittle obliged with four suggestions on how to do that at the K-12 level. As a futuristic thinker, I am trying to figure out implementation, but all four sounded doable to some extent. 

• High schools must have large numbers of students graduating with fluency in another language. (His point on that was well made when he asked how many in the audience had a couple of years of a foreign language in high school. Probably 90% raised their hand, but when the question was one of current fluency, the number dropped to 1%.)
  
• Create an introduction to world course throughout the grades and curriculum that covered geography, history, and coming issues.
  
• Work to see every teacher at every grade level had spent "meaningful" time overseas. This one is extremely intriguing yet also extremely challenging.
  
• Make our districts destinations for exchange students and faculty. (I think this one coupled with #3 has some potential.)
  

Whittle finished by stating that school districts need to start looking for additional funding from philanthropists willing to put money into K-12 education as opposed to all in the university systems. It will be interesting to see if that works for districts and how it can help give our students a true 21st century education.

Is Education Really Important?

I hope the title got your attention. I heard one the presenters ask this question in an interesting manner - "With over 30 hours of debate during the national primary season, there was only 21 minutes dedicated to education." The Gates Foundation and ED08 have not been able to get much traction within the presidential primaries. Does this lack of emphasis show that education is not really important in this presidential election?

The reason that education is not a major issue for any of the presidential primaries is that education does not turn out votes. Gay marriage, abortion, the war, and the economy... these are issues that will get out the vote. Why? People understand or directly impacted by these issues and have a strong opinion on either side of the issues. Children are impacted by education, however, the impacts take years to reveal themselves and children do not vote.

As school leaders we have to speak for the children and help push the education issue to the front of the agenda. We need to educate our communities on the "revenue" impacts of education. Doug Reeves talked about this during one of his sessions. Go to http://www.all4ed.org/ and check out the cost and revenue side of dropouts for your state. Use the Asia, Automation and Abundance information from Dan Pink. Use some of Chris Whittle's information and projections. If you did not get to these presentations, there is an easy solution. Purchase the digital versions or print out the handouts from the conference session. AASA has made it easy for you as a leader to get what you need to inform and communicate with your local community. This is our responsibility. If we don't speak out and get education at the front of local, state and national political races, then we will continue to be blasted for our poor performance.

What is it about Tampa and AASA that is different from other NCEs?
As I walk through the hallways and sit in sessions I sense an energy level and see skin tones of happiness. The reason that this strikes me as different is that in the past I have noted the heavy steps of "tired" looking superintendents. Individuals collectively looked grey and I am not talking about the color of their hair. It was as if, the job was sucking the energy out of them. NCLB, budgets, governing boards, communities, collective bargaining agreements, and relationships were all realities that were more than they could handle. There was no spring in their step.
This year - it feels and looks different. People are smiling - people are laughing - people have a spring in their step. Can anyone out there enlighten me as to why? I would say the weather but it is always warm when NCE meets. So what is it?
Donna

JOBS CENTRAL is a place where they love to "talk about jobs, resumes, and YOU.
It is in GRAND BALLROOM D on the lower level.
You will meet individuals from search firms and school boards associations that are actively trying to fill positions. They will review your resume and will give you timely advice about certification, retirements, salary ranges, etc.
They are wonderful people and the SERVICE IS FREE. It is a service that AASA provides for all conference attendees.

Stop by and chat.

Donna

Leadership Lessons from Golf

I had some thoughts on Thursday about tying golf and leadership together as I was stumbling my way around Westchase Golf Club. I was with seven other Wyoming administrators enjoying the beautiful weather and a fun course ten minutes from the airport. 

Prior to playing, I decided to play smart for maybe the second time in my golf life and not take my driver out on every tee box to see how far I could hit it. As I approached the tee box on hole 1 (our tenth of the day), I started to take out my 3 iron to play a nice safe shot. I could get in trouble on the right with water and long left with a bunker that would make it almost impossible to get to the green on my next shot. 

After watching everyone else in the group hit a wood safely, I changed my mind to do the same. You all know what happened next - in the sand 20' behind a tree line that safely hid the green some 40 or 50 yards away. I had once again learned the fate of not following my first instinct, instead doing what everyone else had done. 

The lesson in that one hole, and in many other golf holes I have played, is that we are all individuals that need to play our own game. As I listen to all the great presenters and fellow administrators at this conference, I must remind myself to look at how others might be doing something successfully, and then think to myself, "now what would be the best 'club selection' for me and/or my district?" 

I will continue to try to hone my game by looking inward and trying to get the best score, not necessarily hitting the long ball. Guess I better get back out on the course soon.

Friday's Funnies

My two favorite funny quotes from Friday were from Daniel Pink quoting comedian Sid Ceasar who said, "The guy who invented the wheel? He was an idiot. The guy who invented the other three? He was a genius!"

Pink's point was that we are reaching design limits on many products but those who are creative in applying those ideas to new uses and new situtations are increasingly valued.

And the funniest lines so far?

Here are AASA's retiring Executive Director Paul Houston's funny comments about "How to Know You are a School Administrator."

Click here to listen to the streaming audio clip!

Support the Vendors

The unsung heroes of our conference are the vendors. They arrive early and spend many long hours in the exhibit hall waiting for us to show some sign of interest in their products. Without our vendors, we would not be able to have such a wonderful conference - not to mention the buses, the frozen treats, etc.

Many of our vendors have sponsored meetings with key education leaders. It was my pleasure to attend a meeting with Dr. Don Deshler from Kansas University. Dr. Deshler was sponsored by Teachscape and provided an excellent workshop on professional development and the key to making professional development meaningful. His five key steps are; presentation, modeling, practice/application, feedback and coaching. I could not help but notice that great coaches and great teachers of the arts use those skills in teaching and then I heard Dan Pink make many of the same connections with how we need to restructure our schools to support arts education. For me, being a former music teacher, I felt validated.

The next vendor supported event I attended was Dr. Doug Reeves. Vantage Learning had extended me an invitation to attend. Dr. Reeves is one the presentors I always try and hear. Recently Dr. Reeves was in North Carolina and talked with a group that had made major recommendations for revisions to our state testing and accountability system. The question I asked Dr. Reeves today was about power standards. In NC the group made the recommendation that the massive amount of curricula standards must be addressed and the use of power standards might help. Dr. Reeves does not hold much hope for states to address power standards. He thinks school systems are the only entity that can successfully address power standards due to the political nature of statewide curriculum. I hope NC can overcome the politics and address the curriculum.

Thanks to our vendors for all their support. Please visit the exhibit hall and thank them for their support. And one more thing..... please turn your cell phones on vibrate during presentations!!!!

No Excuses

What are you interested in?

It was a question Daniel Pink posed today as an example of how to reach and motivate students. In this particular example, a struggling student was asked this question and responded with an interest in martial arts. The student's learning was based around his interest and opportunities to work in the community in a martial arts business were developed.

The first thought that ran through my head at the time was, "How do we do this in small, rural schools? We don't have a wealth of opportunities such as this." It was about a second later, thankfully, that the next thought came - "Don't make excuses. Find a way to make it work."

It's easy to fall into the trap of allowing perceived limitations to hold us back from trying things that might work. In this case, I can see the benefits of asking students where their interest lies and subsequently developing a plan to help them pursue those interests while learning the necessary standards at the same time. As Pink said in his talk today, "The problem is we don't aim high enough." So, for me, it's time to raise the expectations, begin to ask students what they are interested in, and make no more excuses.

Finally here and AMAZED

I am happy to finally be here!

Waiting in airports can be time spent in reflection, people watching, eating, reading, watching CNN, or fretting about the continuous delays and cancellations. I spent my time yesterday in reflection on previous AASA NCE's conferences and their impact upon me as a person and a professional educator. This conference offers the educators of this country the opportunity to network, to see beyond the boundaries of their districts, their communities - out into the world - global perspectives, cutting edge information that can facilitate improved performance, and to look for employment opportunities.

Today, Daniel Pink and the beautiful weather outside of the convention center have something in common - they both challenge us to not take things for granted -- whether it is the weather or the impact our public educational system has on children, communities, the economy - the world! His words resonate within me - to play - to tell our stories - to be creative and design - to think big picture while working out the details. Are we up to challenging the legislators with what needs to be done for our country to succeed in this century or will we continue to let them make decisions based upon their perception of what needs to happen?

Daniel's love for this country mirrors Paul's love for this association, this country, and for public education - I would remiss if I did not acknowledge Paul's dedication - he has been tirelessly fighting the battle on the national front, while we do so on the local one. Thank you Paul - may the rest of your life be blessed to over flowing with health, love, impactful words, and much continued sharing.

Donna

Capacity Building and AASA Big Ideas

Several months ago, I stumbled on a powerpoint presentation from AASA. It was entitled Big Ideas. Basically the presentation said that the level above enables the level below. If students are not learning then the teacher is not creating capacity for a learning classroom. If teachers are not creating learning classrooms then the principal is not creating a learning school. If the principals are not creating a learning school, then the central office is not creating a learning district. Bottom line is that we need to create capacity rather than be judgmental.

Today, I heard Michael Fullan articulate this concept. He revealed his latest book, "Six Steps to Change." Step #3 is "capacity building trumps judgmentalism." Dr. Fullan was not certain judgmentalism was a word, however, it fit the situation. Dr. Fullan points out that blame, shame, and naming schools, teachers, and students as failures does not improve student learning. NCLB will not improve student achievement by naming, blaming, and shaming schools. The only way we can improve student learning is to develop the capacity of leaders at all levels.

So, as superintendents let us look closely at ourselves and our school districts before we name, blame and shame schools and principals. Let us look to see if we have created the capacity within our school leaders to help them help teachers who in turn will help children.

The principalship is sinking from overload!

Michael Fullan had an interesting quote today. Fullan is the change guru who has written numerous books about change including a new release in March, 2008 called "Six Secrets of Change." (Click on the Conference Daily link below for an article and audio clips that will be uploaded later tonight).

He said, "The principalship is sinking from the overload." While principals used to be primarily concerned with management, they are now laden with the burden of leadership as well. In an age of school reform, most research has pointed specifically at the building administrator as the most important instrument in the school reform movement.

Under the sheer weight of expectations the principalship is slowly sinking. That is, unless we can come up with creative ways of supporting them.

Stuck in Chicago

Fellow blogger Donna McCaw is stuck in Chicago! While it's 70 degrees and not a cloud in the sky here in Tampa, flights in Chicago have been shut down for most of yesterday.

Poor Donna. She paid for numerous pre-conference sessions and a hotel reservation in Tampa she never got to use.

Ahhh the perils of life in the north!

Getting Started

A quick pre-conference post as we've arrived in Tampa to "cool" weather, according to a local I overheard talking on our way in. It is indeed a bit cool this evening, but reminds me of when I took a spring break trip in college. Record cold in Florida that year had the beaches emptied, but my roommate and I were running around in shorts and t-shirts enjoying the "warm" weather.

I would echo what Terry had to say about the lineup, weather, and networking. I look forward to all three after having a great experience at my first AASA national conference last year. The Wyoming Association of School Administrators provides a scholarship to attend each year, and I was fortunate to receive one last year in my first year as superintendent. The networking and information gathered from presenters was extremely valuable to me and I find myself looking forward to more this year. A simple question can spark a conversation that provides a multitude of ideas and possible solutions to problems.

I hope everyone in Tampa has a wonderful experience and those that couldn't attend find great information on the website.

Arrival in Tampa

It was balmy and overcast in Tampa when I arrived last night on the flight from Denver, Colorado. At least it was warm. I had to plow one more little snow drift out of the driveway before I left Laramie, Wyoming, so it's nice to feel the balmy air instead of the 50 MPH winds!

The flight was one hour late due to computer problems and "paper work" issues. That must be the new excuse airlines use. It's the second time this year I have sat on the runway for an hour or more waiting for "paper work" to get through some bureaucracy.

We are here in Tampa for the 2008 National Conference on Education. Safe and sound - well the "sound" part is debatable, but I am excited to be here.

I am typing this in the "Conference Daily and Media Relations Room" of the Tampa Convention Center. It's still pretty quiet in the convention center. The only people bustling around are the employees putting up the displays and making last minute sound checks etc.

I am always impressed at the organization and detail with which AASA hosts their annual conference. The advance materials and lineup of speakers that Terry mentioned in his post are always impressive but the thing that also stands out to me it is the level of organizational detail that goes into making this conference an easy transition for the newcomer.

When I checked into the hotel, all the employees were wearing their AASA badges. The conference bus schedule was posted and advertised. The bus routes were clearly marked and the bus stops were identified with professional signage and a posted schedule. And they were running on time even a full day before the conference begins so that people can arrive early and get oriented.

As I entered the convention center, supervisors were gathering their employees around the registration tables and going over last minute duties.

After a quick walk over to Hattrick's for a spicy grilled grouper sandwich and tossed salad it was back to the convention center to get to work.

Jay Goldman, editor of The School Administrator magazine will hold his 4:00 pm meeting with reporters and media folks soon.

Things are beginning to roll!

Getting Ready for Tampa

It has been a few years since I attended an AASA national conference. What has been amazing to me is the 21st century methods that vendors, superintendent search firms, and fellow supeintendents are now using. I have received e-mails, phone calls, CDs, etc. that have provided me with information, invitations, and opportunities to learn.

AASA is really demonstrating 21st century skills with the on-line itinerary, almost daily updates, easy registration process, and Kiosks at the conference. The lineup looks great, the weather looks to be terrific, and the networking will be outstanding. Now if we could only add a few more hours to every day so I can get in everything that I want to do, see, and hear.

I hope all of you take the opportunity to learn and network. National conferences are exciting and tiring at the same time. Hope to see you in Tampa.

Jim Collins

Daniel Pink wasn't the only popular author from last year's AASA conference. Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, provided several memorable sound bites. You may click on the hyperlinks below to hear a few of them. We are pulling these files from the archives as a trial run for this year's conference.

Clip One
Clip Two
Clip Three

A new feature in this year's online news coverage from the conference will be the addition of selected audio clips for more of a multi-media feel.

So don't forget to check the online news coverage from the Conference Daily!