Missouri Association of School Administrators

Spring Conference

Lake of the Ozarks

March, 2015

Changing Minds, Changing Practices and Changing

Leading….

March, 2015 Doug Christensen, PhDdougchristensen111@gmail.com

A Conversation We Need to Have…..

Waywe

think

Way we

lead

Organizations welead

Embrace Leading

politically

Change…..

DiversityVouchers/charters

ARRA/RTT

NCLB

Excellence and EquityNational Testing

Common Core

RTI

$$$$$$

NCLB Waivers

Teacher-Administrator Evaluation Using StudentPerformance Data

SERIOUS STORM CLOUDS

….a tsunami…..

• Burned-out, worn-out educators……

• Distrustful public(s)• Community leaders

disenfranchised • Jaundiced students

President

Congress

USDEGovernor

Legislature

SDE Board of Ed

Superintendent

Teachers

Our schools have not changed….much

• The 1920’s….the steam engine

• 2014…….the search engine

Changing minds….changing practices….changing

leading….

»Change the way we think about our work»Change the way we lead»Change the organizations in which

we lead»Change our aversion to political

leading

Curriculum

Time

Organization/Governance

$$

SCHOOLING MODEL

Learning Outcomes

Progress by Demonstration of

Mastery

Personal Learning Plans

Oppor

tuni

ties

PreK--16

EDUCATION MODEL

Outcomes

ASSESSMENTS……

TESTING

NEBRASKA STATE TREE

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

APPLICATION STANDARDS

CONTENT STANDARDS

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS

MOST STATE STANDARDS

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

APPLICATION STANDARDS

CONTENT STANDARDS

SETTING THE BAR

MOST STATE TESTS

PARCC SMBCOMMONCORESTATESTANDARDS

MOST STATESTANDARDS

Assessment

School/ClassroomBased Assessments Portfolio

What kids knowWhat kids don’t know

BenchmarksCCSSACTNAEPPISASMB

SampledOver Five Years

All…………….Each

Leadership…………….Leading?

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……dynamic…!

Leadership

Position Authority

Leading Disposition Values Empowerment

A dynamic to understand…..

In Charge

Centralizes

Standardizes

Leadership

Leading Distributes

Engages

Adapts

FOLLOW ME

Authority…..Position

Leadership

Permission……Disposition

Leading

Power and Influence HighLow

32

…….“disposition?”

Includes….• Core values….principles• Priorities……what’s most important• Mission for life….life purpose• Character• Integrity• Connections/Relationships• Passion….Voice

Leading…..tear down the walls!!!

LOCAL

STATE

FEDERAL

Where is the “core?”

WHAT WE HAVE NOW……

WHAT IS THE CORE WORK?

WHERE IS THE CORE WORK DONE?

Board

Superintendent

Principals

Teachers

Aides/paras, lunchroom staff, bus drivers, custodian/maintenance staff, office and clerical staff, health staff

…structural core?….“core work?”

…the students?

36

Hierarchies pull everything important upInitiative……discretionresponsibility…..accountability

Distributive Models—ShareInitiative…..DiscretionResponsibility……accountability

Federal

State

Board

Superintendent

Principal

Classroom

PrincipalTeachers

CLASSROOMAides/Paras

Lunchroom Staff

Bus Drivers Custodial/

Maintenance

Office/Clerical

Health staff

The core is clear….the core work is clear….about each kid

A system….

…Organizational core—the classroomCore Values—It’s about kids and

teachersCore Work=teaching and learning

Core Work=Teaching and Learning

39

Leading means getting the right people on the bus….

#1 priority: Outstanding principal in every school

41

…….Principal’s primary role…….

• An outstanding teacher in every classroom

Create a pipeline…….

……………for new leaders to emerge– Implement model for identifying, encouraging and

developing the best leaders over time– Implement succession plans

………. leadership development system……

Align………

• Hiring decisions• Apprenticeships• Mentoring/coaching• Develop/promote

talent• Stepping stone roles• Leadership roles

attractive

46

The political dimension of leading…“tumbling stones”

47

You are the face and voice……….

– Everything you say, do….pay attention to….not say, not do….not pay attention to…• Announces a purpose• States a value• Declares a priority

Politics and Leading……. Iterative……Recursive

49

…. you stand…..here……….

Policy/politicsLeading

INSIDE OUTSIDEPolicy/politics

Leading

SCHOOLCOMMUNITY

YOU ARE HERE…………………………X

Role of School/ Professional Staff

Role of the Board of Education

Superintendent

53

VOICES AROUND THE TABLE…..

54

COMMON GROUND

55

• Then … higher ground–Where conversations are …• Collaborative• Adaptive• Center-driven

HIGHER GROUND

StudentsClassroomsTeaching Learning

StudentsClassroomsTeachingLearning

A Conversation with a center….

…...the “Matador effect”….• Everyone wants to be a matador until he/she

finds himself in the ring facing a 2,000 pound charging bull only to remember that the reasons they wanted to be a matador were to wear tight pants and hear the roar of the crowd

58

…. leave footprints…

59

A STORY TO REMEMBER

60

• HANDS

IITS INTIT’S IN OUR HANDS

………….….plant trees

In whose shade we likely will not sit…..

TREES FOR THEM….……

63

…. leave footprints…

FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW

THEY WILL KNOW WHERE YOU HAVE WALKED

. . . our gift