Morale and Motivation:How to Build a Culture of

Learning

Rich Merlo

Corcoran Unified School District

www.corcoranunified.com

rmerlo@corcoranunified.com

Do the Right Things

The Right Way

Student Academic Achievement

Do the Wrong Things

The Right Way

Do the Right Things

The Wrong Way

Do the Wrong Things

The Wrong Way

Culture

+

+--

Do the Right Things: logistical, (achievement focus, aligned curriculum, PLC infrastructure, etc.)

Do the Right Things: logistical

The Right Way: Ethic, vision based culture, people oriented; empower, lead, build capacity, relationships

Academic Infrastructure

Culture

+

+--

Do the Right Things: logistical, (achievement focus, aligned curriculum, PLC infrastructure, etc.)

The Right Way: Ethic, vision based culture, people oriented; empower, lead, build capacity, relationships

Acade

mic

Achie

vem

ent

Negative, people oriented school Negative, people oriented school environment environment

Little to no structure and focus on Little to no structure and focus on student achievementstudent achievement

Positive, people oriented school Positive, people oriented school environment environment

Little to no structure and focus on Little to no structure and focus on student achievementstudent achievement

Negative, people oriented school Negative, people oriented school environment environment

High structure and focus on student High structure and focus on student achievementachievement

Positive, people oriented school Positive, people oriented school environment environment

High structure and focus on student High structure and focus on student achievementachievement

Maxwell, John C. 360-degree leader developing your influence from anywhere in the organization. Nashville:

Nelson Business, 2005. p. 16

Start from the Top:

Principle: The Greater the Title the More You Are Required to Serve

Rights

ResponsibilityResponsibility

Maxwell, John C. 360-degree leader developing your influence from anywhere in the organization. Nashville:

Nelson Business, 2005. p. 16

Parent

Student

Employee

Teacher

Administrator

Superintendent Board

Leveraged Learning• Free internet Ymax signal for all students in

every home

• High speed wireless within every school (handle over 4,000 devices)

• Full set of laptops in almost every core class grades 6-12

• Itouches for every 4th, 5th grader

• Sets of iPads in every grade K-3

• Pilot project, one to one (bring home) every 6th grader

• Use of technology for student learning part of PLC’s

• K-3: Promethean, laptop, interactive slate, clickers, set of iPads

• 4-5: Promethean, laptop, interactive slate, document camera, set of full class set of iTouches

• 6-8: All but a few class rooms with full set of laptops grades

• 9-12: Document camera, laptop, interactive slate, almost every core class with full set of laptops

• Moodle server access for every student, every teacher

• Gmail for every teacher, every student

• Google documents for every teacher, every student

• Technology Learning Center