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Welcome to the Tuesday morning, March 6, 2018, edition of the HML Post. This weekly newsletter is a service to the members of the Horace Mann League of the USA.
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Quote of the Week
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A century ago, reform meant coming up with inspiring new ideas that would lead to greater justice, a confidence that human planning and ingenuity could accomplish grand and transformative things. Now it seems to mean, at best, restrained corrective measures - and far more often than that, actively undoing the policies of the past, an act of hardheaded resignation rather than of collective hope. Reform once promised a future of unparalleled opportunity. Today, it often marks the opposite, a loss of faith in the idea of progress itself. (Learn more.)
Remember, a vision statement is like a road map. It tells a story of where you are going and how you are going to get there.
Here are 5 ways to craft and communicate a dynamic vision statement that can and should be shared with all stakeholders.
1. Start From Scratch:
Many teachers and administrators inherit generic school visions when they get hired.
2. Bring All Stakeholders to the Table:
The best statements are created by a diverse group of stakeholders that include teachers, administrators, parents, community members, and students.
3. Make The Vision Breathable:
Too many school vision statements are stale, lifeless creations that don't mean anything in the real world.
4. The Elevator Pitch:
Men and women in sales perfect their elevator pitch every day. Pretend you are riding up an elevator with another person. As the doors are closing, they ask you to explain what makes your school special or different than others. You have until the elevator stops at their floor to answer them - about 30 seconds.
5. Make It Public: A school's vision statement needs to be publicized and should be front and center in every communication. (Learn more.)
In the wake of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., which left 17 dead, students are planning mass walkouts to protest gun violence and call for more gun-safety measures.
But across the country, the responses from school and district administrators have varied.
Two organizations representing principals and superintendents offered some guidance.
For one, teachers and principals should not endorse or participate in walkouts, according to the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
"Specifically in the case of a walkout, school officials' participation sets a harmful precedent for endorsing a flagrant violation of school or district policy," the group wrote in a blog on its website. "Moreover, students with differing views might feel alienated or compelled to participate against their will if school officials are perceived as supporting the protest. Teachers can, however, reduce the negative academic effects of the protest by, for instance, not assigning tests or work that cannot be made up if an absence is unexcused. More appropriately, teachers can provide opportunities for remaining students to have their voices heard as well by writing a letter to a legislator, leading a structured conversation about the topic of protest, and so forth."
Administrators' number one priority during any such protests or walkouts was to keep students safe-away from busy streets, for example, the group said. (
Learn more.)
Hanley Chiang,
Cecilia Speroni,
Mariesa Herrmann,
Kristin Hallgren,
Paul Burkander, and
Alison Wellington on the US Dep t oif Education site.
Research indicates that effective teachers are critical to raising student achievement. However, there is little evidence about the best ways to improve teacher effectiveness, or how schools that serve the students most in need can attract and retain effective teachers. Traditional salary schedules, which pay teachers based on their years of teaching experience and degree attainment, may not reward effective teaching or provide incentives for the most effective teachers to teach in high-need schools.
Although findings from the first couple of years of implementation suggested that pay-for-performance caused educators to be less satisfied, by the third year of implementation educators in treatment schools were as satisfied as, and sometimes more satisfied than, educators in control schools with aspects of their job and their TIF program. These findings suggest that educators might initially resist pay-for- performance initiatives, but after a few years of firsthand experience with the program, they might become more accepting of performance bonuses. (Learn more.)
Being a responsible student, showing an interest in school and having fewer problems with reading and writing were all significantly associated with greater educational attainment and finding a more prestigious job both 11 years and 50 years after high school. These factors were also all associated with higher income at the 50-year mark. Most effects remained even when researchers controlled for parental socioeconomic status, cognitive ability and other broad personality traits such as conscientiousness.
While the findings weren't necessarily surprising, Spengler noted how reliably specific behaviors people showed in school were able to predict later success.
"Student characteristics and behaviors were rewarded in high school and led to higher educational attainment, which in turn was related to greater occupational prestige and income later in life," she said. "This study highlights the possibility that certain behaviors at crucial periods could have long-term consequences for a person's life." (
Learn more.)
Here are 5 educational concepts we need to eliminate in 2018.
1. Tardy Slips:
Let's not make the child miss out on more than they already have.
Additionally, unless the child is driving themselves to school,the tardiness is more likely due to the parents than the child.
2. Zero Points for Late Work:
Assignments have due dates for a reason. Providing students with the responsibility of turning in work on time is teaching them an important life skill. However, by a teacher stating that they don't accept any late work causes two separate problems:
- The learning opportunity is taken away. A child will quickly realize that they shouldn't waste their time completing an assignment that won't be accepted.
- A zero can greatly affect their grade. Turning in an assignment a day or two late should not drastically impact their grade if the work is strong.
3. Trading Electives for Extra Math and Language Arts Classes:
The research is very clear that a strong background in music, art, dance, or drama supports the curriculum for math, language arts, science, and social studies classrooms.
4. Strict Pacing Guides:
Pacing guides need to be used as guides, not bibles.
5. Overemphasizing Coding in Elementary Schools:
Putting elementary school students in front of a computer for an hour one time per year and having them play a computer game that introduces the concept of coding is fine, but let's be honest about the impact. (Learn more.)
William Doyle is a Rockefeller Resident Fellow and a Fulbright Scholar who spent time recently at the University of Eastern Finland. When he returned to New York City, he went in search of a Finnish-style public school and found it. It is called The Earth School. The experience started him thinking about things like work and play and schools and what education should be about. He wrote me a letter to which I have cobbled together a reply below.
1. What is the importance of play in childhood education?
2. How would you characterize the current state of play in school (pre-K through age 17)?
3. What specific recommendations might you have for integrating play, both indoors and outdoors, into the "schools of tomorrow"? (Learn More.)
Often, when people think about equity, they think about allocation of resources. Why is access to deeper learning also a critical equity issue?
We've known for a long time, thanks to
Jeannie Oakes and her work on the
tracking of students, that kids who are seen as less able or "not college material" are often in classes that don't challenge them. Because we assume that kids who are in need of remediation are not smart, these students are left doing low-level work that doesn't tap into their higher order thinking skills.
This is a false assumption that exacerbates the equity issue because what it often means is that these students aren't being challenged and encouraged to think deeply, and they are not developing the skills they are going to need for college and for work. This is the
primary equity issue
. It is as important as whether or not they are in a school with adequate resources, because if they are in a classroom where they are not really learning much, it is going to impact their education and their long-term outcomes. (
Learn more.)
BY Mark Elgart on the Advanced ED site.
The concept of continuous improvement has been part of the lexicon of school improvement for decades. From state accountability systems and district and school improvement plans to teacher and classroom protocols, continuous improvement practices have been replicated at varying levels of scale throughout our educational system. Yet, all evidence suggests this universally-acknowledged practice has failed to live up to its promise. This is particularly true in high-poverty schools where
the ZIP code remains as strong a predictor of student success as it was a half-century ago, before school improvement became
a key focus of policymakers and educators.
While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for school improvement, this research offers insights into what successful schools do well and where all schools, even the highest performing ones, need to improve. (Learn more.)
In 2014, the New York City Department of Education's Office of Leadership created the New Principal Support (NPS) program to reduce turnover and help experienced principals grow.
NPS principal coaches enhance their own capacity as leaders through their visits to new principals and their schools. They are energized from the coaching work and their professional learning, while new principals have non-evaluative support in an often lonely and demanding position. (
Learn more.)
Earlier this month, at the American Enterprise Institute this is how Jeb Bush defined public school districts.:
12 or 13,000 government run, unionized, politicized, monopolies. "We call them school districts," he said.
When I hear someone define a system of community schools, governed by unpaid volunteers elected by their neighbors as a "government run, unionized, politicized, monopolies"- there is one thing I know for sure about the speaker-he does not want to improve that system, he does not want to compete with that system, he wants to destroy it. (
Learn more.)
Newly confirmed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has spent decades advocating for alternatives to traditional public education, once calling the nation's public school system a "dead end." That's news to teachers, administrators and staff members at many public schools who work hard to create learning environments that reach every student - and it is these high schools that can become part of the new
"Schools of Opportunity" project cycle.
The project was started a few years ago by educators who sought to highlight public high schools that work to close opportunity gaps through research-proven practices and not standardized test scores, which are more a measure of socioeconomic status than anything else.
The project assesses a number of factors about schools, including how well they provide health and psychological support for students, judicious and fair discipline policies, and broad and enriched curriculum
Policy makers, journalists, and many parents tend to equate high-quality schools with high scores on standardized tests. Based on these test scores, common wisdom holds that the nation is rife with failing schools and that some of those schools are so bad that they should be closed or subjected to immediate takeovers. But standardized tests focus on just a narrow slice of student learning and experience; they provide neither insight into a given school's strengths and weaknesses nor much evidence regarding whether the school should be closed or overhauled. To the contrary, differences in test scores and even in test-score growth often reflect differences in learning opportunities outside of school. (Learn more.)
The root of inequality in educational outcomes in the United States is the combination of growing poverty and resegregation, along with inequality in school funding and resources. U.S. childhood poverty rates have grown by more than 50% since the 1970s and are now by far the highest among OECD nations, reaching 22% in the last published statistics.
More than half of children attending U.S. public schools now qualify for free or reduced-price lunch-the highest percentage since the National Center
for Education Statistics began tracking this gure
decades ago.
Furthermore, American children living in poverty have a much weaker safety net than their peers in other industrialized countries, where universal health
care; housing subsidies; and high-quality, universally available child care are the norm. (Learn more.)
A RESOLUTION
of the Board of Directors of Seattle School District No. 1, King County, Seattle, Washington to declare support for sensible gun safety legislation, declare opposition to efforts to arm educators in our schools, and declare support of the March for Our Lives on March 24, 2018.
WHEREAS
, Seattle School Board Policy No. 0010, Instructional Philosophy,
affirms that "
It is the moral imperative of the School Board and the Superintendent to ensure that all students receive an
education" that includes the commitment to "
Schools that provide a safe, secure, and supportive environment
" and to social
-emotional learning; and
WHEREAS,
gun violence presents a clear and present danger to the students, parents, educators, paraeducators, administrators, and support staff of the Seattle School District; and (Learn more.)
From this we learn, Education is for the common good. It is not a market commodity! But our social progress was - and is - checkered. Residential segregation and unequal opportunities still blight our society. Unfortunately, rather than addressing unpopular root causes, it was far more convenient to demand that schools solve these problems. With the exception of the New Deal the civil rights era, and the Great Society no serious effort has been made to assure equal opportunities. The reason we have an achievement gap is because we have a school funding gap, we have a wealth gap and we have a racial gap - which we dismiss by blaming the victims. (Learn more.)
Political Cartoons: Pictures with a Point
A political cartoon is a cartoon that makes a point about a political issue or event. You can find them in any daily newspaper, but they won't be in the comics section. Instead, look on the editorial pages - they're right next to the editorial columns, and across from the opinion essays. You can also find them in newsmagazines and on political Web sites.
Political cartoons can be very funny, especially if you understand the issue that they're commenting on. Their main purpose, though, is not to amuse you but to persuade you.
A good political cartoon makes you think about current events, but it also tries to sway your opinion toward the cartoonist's point of view. The best political cartoonist can change your mind on an issue without you even realizing how he or she did it. (
Learn more.)
In
Real Women, Real Leadership
, twenty-four women leaders describe their personal journeys to the top, providing deep insight and a fascinating perspective on "making it" as a woman in the male-dominated business environment. They discuss their experiences and offer guidance on topics such as balancing family and career, building alliances, mentoring and being mentored, and overcoming obstacles in the business world which is still dominated by men in the senior levels of management. Drawn from a range of industries including higher education, technology, law, the military, politics, the media, and more, these stories provide the details that every ambitious woman needs to know. You'll learn which skills, attributes, and relationships served these women best, how they overcame the obstacles thrown into their paths, and the people they credit as instrumental along the way. A self-assessment chapter helps you discover your own leadership attributes, and determine which skills you need to acquire as you formulate your own personal roadmap to the top. (Kathy Hurley is a member of the Horace Mann League.)
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The Education Cartoon of the Week.
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The Superintendent's Special topics:
(Please share your ideas. Contact Jack McKay
)
Sponsor a Professional Colleague for membership
in
the Horace Mann League.
Click here to download the "Sponsor a Colleague" form.
On the Art of Teaching by Horace Mann.
The book, On The Art of Teaching by Horace Mann has been presented to new teachers as a welcome gift by a number of
schools district
. For orders of 50 or more, the district's name is printed on the front cover.
Ordering Information
Cost per copy: $12.50
Orders of 50 to 99: $11.00
Orders of 100 or more: $10.00
Send orders to: (include name of district, P.O. #, and address)
The Horace Mann League of the USA
560 Rainier Lane
Port Ludlow, WA 98365
or
email: Jack McKay
FAX (866) 389 0740
About Us
The Horace Mann League of the USA is an honorary society that promotes the ideals of Horace Mann by advocating for public education as the cornerstone of our democracy.
Officers:
President:
Dr. Eric King, Superintendent, (ret.) Muncie Public Schools, IN
President-elect:
Dr. Laurie Barron, Superintendent, Evergreen Schools, Kalispell, MT.
Vice President: Dr. Lisa Parady, Exec. Dir. Alaska Assoc. of School Admin., Juneau, AK
Past President:
Dr. Martha Bruckner, Exec.Dir., MOEC Collective Impact, Omaha, NE
Directors:
Dr. Ruben Alejandro, Supt.
of
Schools, (ret.) Weslaco, TX
Dr. David Berliner, Professor Emeritus, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Dr. Talisa Dixon, Supt. of Schools, Cleveland Heights - University Heights, OH
Mr. Jeffery Charbonneau, Science Coordinator, ESD 105 and Zillah HS, WA
Dr. Carol
Choye
, Instructor, (ret.) Superintendent, Scotch Plains Schools, NJ
Dr. Brent Clark, Executive Director, Illinois Assoc.
of
School Admin. IL
Dr. Ember Conley, Supt.
of
Schools, Park City, UT
Dr. Linda Darling Hammond, Professor of Education, Stanford U. CA
Dr. James Harvey, Exec.
Dir
., Superintendents Roundtable, WA
Dr. Steven Ladd, Superintendent, (ret.) Elk Grove USD, Elk Grove, CA
Dr. Stan Olson, President, Silverback Learning, (former supt.
of
Boise Schools, ID)
Dr. Martin Brook, Executive Direcctor, Tri-State Consortium, Satuket, NY
Dr. Kevin Riley, Superintendent, Gretna Community Schools, NE
Executive Director:
Dr.
Jack McKay, Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska at Omaha,
560 Rainier Lane, Port Ludlow, WA 98365 (360) 821 9877
To become a member of the HML,
click here to download an application.
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