Educational Shepherds

"There is no better time than now to make sure hope and optimism are not lost." (AASA President Randall Collins)

Educational shepherds, as referenced by AASA President Randall Collins, waited outside Hall A of the Moscone Center for the opening general session. Fifteen minutes before the first presentation the doors were finally opened. My wife, Deb, and I rushed in along with the other administrators like a bunch of sheep waiting to be pastured. We found a place right behind the reserved seating (6 rows back). This was the closest we have been to the front of the class since we were freshmen in college. I sat between my wife and a gentleman that I have never met before. His name was Greg Bartlett, an assistant superintendent from Maine. As we waited, we exchanged small talk about our districts and the cultural differences between the coastal east and the western inland of Wyoming. Then the lights went up and the voices of children in song gave note to the 2009 AASA National Convention.

San Francisco Unifed School District Superintendent Carlos Garcia provided the welcome and greeting for this city. He said that his district is the first to recognize NCLB as a civil rights issue and invited all districts to do the same. I enjoyed his enthusiasm, but have always thought that NCLB origins were based on civil rights. Garcia went on to say that social justice can not exist without equity in education. This is so true, especially if equity is defined as what it takes to be the same. This applies to everything from educational funding models to basic civil rights. At any rate, the stage was set for Randall Collins and Donna Brazile to follow.

Collins was fantastic! He was very matter of fact and powerful in his description of a new energy that he senses in education and in the country as well. He called it optimism. He believes that the American power from within will generate a burning for change and with the new Presidential Administration, hope has ignited a flame. He described educational leaders as Educational Shepherds for the future saying our calling is noble and our success is critical. This country is hungry for success and it is up to the Shepherds to provide the guidance.

Thinking that Collins provided a difficult act to follow, the "Road Diva" as Donna Brazile called herself, came out to "stir things up." To say she was an advocate of our newly elected president is an understatment. She said that she was so glad we have a black president that she could now become Irish. Brazile's humor was fitting, but lead into a more serious message of hope. I enjoyed Brazile because of her tell-it-like-it-is approach to solving problems. Brazile went on advocating for hope, pleading with education leaders not to be afraid of creating lasting change. She said that many politicians don't know how to find their spine when it comes to standing up for change unless the polls say its OK.

Donna Brazile is the real thing. Her message supported what she is calling "a season of hope." She ended her presentation with Verse 6, Chapter 9 out of Revelations. Look it up...as Brazile said, find the good and praise it.

NCLB has failed and cannot be fixed

"NCLB has failed and cannot be fixed."

With these provocative words, Richard Rothstein began his presentation today. Rothstein spent much of his time explaining that NCLB will not be reauthorized as we know it and that for education to step forward it will take a "broader, bolder approach." This broader, bolder approach is described at the website http://www.boldapproach.org/

Rothstein, a researcher at the Economic Policy Institute, also said that "school people cannot be the sole agents for raising student achievement."

The "broader, bolder approach" for improving American education has three key ingredients,
1. High quality early childhood programs
2. Improving health quality of youngsters by providing health care at the school site
3. High quality after school and summer programing

Rothstein says that NCLB was predicated on the notion that high standards, high quality curriculum and strong assessments would be enough to close the achievement gap. It isn't.

San Francisco

What a beautiful welcome to San Francisco. The rain left just before we came and the sun came out. The streets were full of shoppers, business folks and conference attendees enjoying the sunshine and warm weather.

It is about 8:15 AM and the well organized registration booths are getting active. The General Session will begin at 10:00 this morning with an address by Donna Brazille. Donna will talk about the impact young people had on the recent political changes in Washington.

What's on every one's mind here? Economics and Politics are the buzz topics of the week. What does it all mean for schools? What does the change in national political structures mean for schools? What does economic hardship for the country mean for schools?

One of my professors once defined "politics" as "Competition for scare resources!"

Economics and politics....the hot topics of the conference.

Welcome to San Francisco

The weather is clearing. The sun is warming. The brains are really working. You need to be here and personally I am looking forward to talking to many of you who will be here. I am certain that I will hear the latest ideas in dealing with budget shortfalls. I am certain hot conversations will ensue about which state is getting the most money from the stimulus package. Who will be the first school system to apply for a Qualified Academy Zone bond or who will be the first to get access to zero interest school construction bonds?

It was my honor today to sit with fellow Superintendents of the Year from over 36 states. We were led in our discussion by Ben C. DeSpain who has conducted a survey of SOYs for a number of years. Interesting results from the survey provide a picture of school superintendents across the nation. It was interesting to learn that none of us read books on the internet. It was interesting to learn how many of us had received music and art lessons (Daniel Pink may have been on to something). It was also interesting to hear that Jim Collins (Good to Great) predicts that business leaders of the future will come from education leader ranks. Maybe someone among us will take over General Motors!!!

At the end of our meeting today, we talked about what superintendents might want to tell Institutes of Higher Education about administration preparation programs. It seemed a strong consensus that higher education needed to have a better screening process for candidates and that programs in school administration needed a better blend of practical and theory. A year long internship with lots of practical experiences is essential to prepare leaders for the schools of tomorrow. Finally, there seems to be a lot of conversation in the nation about alternative licensure and programs like the New York Leadership Academy and New Leaders for New Schools.

It is always a terrific professional development to learn from your peers about issues that we are all facing. That is what you have to look forward to at this conference. We know budgets are tight, however, you can always pick up some ideas that will more than pay for the trip.

I am honored to be among the SOY group and groups like Don Hopper's CQL and Larry Lezotte's Superintendency Institute. However, I am often reminded that Mark Twain said he wasn't certain he wanted to be a member of a group that would have him as a member. Thank you all for letting me be a part of your AASA experience. See you in San Francisco!!!!

San Francisco Here I Come

Although I am currently a Superintendent in New York, I spent the preceding 21 years of my career as an educator in California. So, you can imagine my excitement at attending the AASA Conference in San Francisco. I do admit that I am dreaming about having clam chowder and fresh sourdough bread at Bistro Boudin, Dim Sum at Yang Sing and a great Italian meal at the North Beach Restaurant!

In spite of my fascination with the culinary attractions in San Francisco, I have also been thinking about what I want to gain from this opportunity. In some respects, I feel like I am coming home to a family reunion by reconnecting with my friends and colleagues, from both southern and northern California, and being able to catch up both personally and professionally. I am also looking forward to allowing time for myself to learn and grow by listening to our well informed and experienced speakers, participating in meaningful presentations or just networking with colleagues and sharing ideas and experiences.

As an entrée to this time, I would like to share an experience I had today which made me reflect on why I love being an educator. Like all of you, I am trying to make our District a thriving learning organization for students, faculty, staff and administrators. Today, I observed an elementary fourth grade teacher who is a tenure candidate this year. During our pre-observation conference, she shared with me that she was going to be teaching a lesson on fractions to her 4th graders and was going to try using some new strategies that she learned, while participating on our District Math Committee. Bravo! She was willingly taking a risk and trying out new strategies that would deepen students’ understanding of fractions. I entered her classroom a few minutes early, and she explained that she recently gave her students a formative math assessment and developed a new template to engage them in self-reflection, so that they could identify their strengths and the areas in which they needed to improve. I was delighted as one of our District’s goals, this year, is to begin to use formative assessments to better inform our instruction and improve student outcomes. She understood that self-assessment is a necessary part of the learning process. This new teacher was opening herself up to new learning through participation on a District committee, as well as, in-service training. This new learning was having a direct impact on student achievement.

Afterwards, I stopped in the principal’s office and found Doug, our Principal and Lisa, the Assistant Principal, debriefing after completing a joint walk-through of third grade classrooms. Our administrative cabinet’s learning goal this year is to investigate how walk-throughs can be used to improve instructional practice and impact student achievement. We have been reading articles, sharing strategies and templates and trying to find ways of making this practice part of our daily work. I was so encouraged to see these two professionals engaged in an in-depth discussion on what they observed and valued in each classroom and how to provide constructive feedback to each teacher that would promote meaningful dialogue and reflection. Doug and Lisa were doing it! They were opening themselves up to new learning and putting it into practice! I felt validated that our administrative cabinet was indeed a learning community.


As I left the elementary school, I thought of Jane Pollock’s books; Improving Student Learning One Teacher at a Time and Improving Student Learning One Principal at a Time. So, what do I want to get out of this conference? I too want the opportunity to open myself up to new learning. Now it is my turn, one Superintendent at a time!

Geared Up for the Golden Gate City

When you live in Wyoming, you reside in the least populated state in the nation, a place where February is not the shortest month of the year. It gets so cold and lonely that running the mule deer off the football field is entertaining. It isn’t exactly what you see on the Outdoor Channel, but it certainly describes the mid-winter “wild” life here in Wyoming. To say I am not excited about this year’s conference in San Francisco would be a lie. I have read through this year’s program and am equally excited about the professional opportunities that wait. If the program isn’t enough to get you exited, your increased office mail from all of the vendors at this year’s conference should be tickling your anxieties to get out of the office for another annual AASA National Conference.

When I think about this year’s conference, I also think about Mark Twain’s quip, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” I just wonder if Mark ever visited Wyoming in February. I guess it doesn’t make a difference; I’ll be in the Golden Gate City soon. No mule deer, sheep (that’s right, I raise sheep – and live in Wyoming), no constituency meetings, board agendas, legislative bills or other obligations or crisis that demand my attention as a superintendent. My focus will be on relaxing and learning in the waterfront city that is the home of the original yuppie. For sure and for certain, it is that time of year again… I’ll look forward to blogging with you in San Francisco!

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