Jul 19

Renewing public confidence in education

There is no doubt that public education in North America is under attack. The lack of confidence is more pronounced south of the border than here in Canada. But even so, everybody has an opinion on education and more often than not a ready-made solution for our ills. Just because you attended school or you are successful in life doesn’t necessarily relegate you to an educational reform expert.  And I’m sorry, but the media can be frustrating when they headline an issue that paints all schools or systems the same color while neglecting the thousands of good news stories that happen in our schools every single day.

I would suggest that weaning public confidence and lack of respect for teaching in general cannot be simply blamed on government, business leaders, so called educational experts or the public as a whole. Jamie Vollmer’s book, “Schools Cannot Do It Alone” reminded me that WE are also part of this problem! 

I have the greatest admiration and respect for teachers’ professional organizations.  They support education with the latest research, provide excellent opportunities for professional growth and desire the highest standards for teaching. They provide excellent information on current and future trends in education and really promote the professionalism of teaching. However, part of the every professional association includes an union component. It is this part of the “we” that adds to the problem of spiraling confidence and lack of respect for educators.

Teacher unions, like most opposition parties in politics, typically communicate only the negatives. Their rherteric often implies the “if only” mentality as a cure for all education woes. If only teachers got paid more, had more time, had less students, had more support, etc, then education would be so much better. I do not be grudge the union perspective, but it is very clearly and rightfully so, for the sole purpose of the betterment of their members, namely teachers.  While the profession focuses on pedagogy and learning, the union’s mandate tends to be on collective agreement articles.

I learned a long time ago that when you point your finger, you have three pointing back at you. Teacher unions are not the only body that  can instill a lack of confidence in public education. Educators like you and me are constantly articulating changes necessary to meet the needs of our current students. We try to suggest our dissatisfaction with the system we operate within, without being overly critical. The end result however, is a continual decline in public confidence and more importantly a demoralizing of our educators. While I will never admit that our educational system is blameless, I also know that we are a long way from the disaster that the media and think tank organizations say we are.

 Sadly, the words continuous improvement and change have conjured up robust negative feelings in education. The underlying assumption is to need to improve or change means a deficiency. It implies a fixed mindset that education and educators cannot allow to exist. While we must be careful with our language, we must also not run and hide from our responsibilities as professionals to continue to learn and improve. Renewing public confidence does not imply that we not seek  improvement. In fact, it probably suggests that we evolve our practices quicker and more publicly. But we must also be responsive to ensuring that we don’t bad mouth each other and consistently preach the negatives.  Our continuous improvement must not stem from a deficit model but rather built from our strengths.  And although we need to continually evolve and improve, we still have a pretty strong system!

Jul 10

Fail Forward

During my opening address to staff last year I termed the phrase “Fail Forward” as a way to promote an environment of risk taking and culture of transformation. Although I was fairly confident in my own definition of the phrase, I erred in not fully understanding the potentially negative connotation of it.  Failure is not a word that we like to use in schools, home or society.  Too often parents and teachers “save” their children and students from failure. We don’t allow them to fail…at anything. We talk about failure as being the reason for low self esteem in children and adults. While I would never suggest that we shouldn’t protect our children, over protection is not healthy either. Children who have not been allowed to experience failure in their lives (not life or death), have minimal coping skills when a significant issue hits them and there is nobody to save them. This lack of facing failure or more precisely, this lack of effectively dealing with failure is hurting our children. The ability to move forward after a failed attempt is a process that must be taught and role modelled in our classrooms. 

In education, we get assaulted with the statement, “Failure is not an option!” and yet, failure is the only option. But failure can be the only option if forward progress is part of the process. In other words, failure as an event is acceptable, failure as a permanent condition is not! Therefore the critical part of learning is not in the failure but in the forward motion after.

The fail forward concept is what I would suggest for education and has been well articulated by Dan Rockwell as Successful Failure. But the fail forward mentality must begin at the upper levels of leadership in school divisions. There is no other way around full system improvement without  senior administration creating an environment through word and action that failure is acceptable when being innovative and creative, when improving the learning experience of our students. We can ill afford to be so wrapped up in raising test scores that learning gets forced to the back burner. I have always been firm believer that test scores will take care of themselves when learning is highly engaging, students are motivated and teachers are at their best.

During this past year of involvement in Twitter and other social media, I’ve been astounded at the wealth of knowledge available when one is connected. It has reaffirmed my belief for the continual need to change/evolve our practice and provided me with many examples of how and where it is accomplished. The PLN that I belong to has many great educators both in the classroom and in administration who are pushing the envelope to better the experience of students. A common thread in their work is their fail forward mentality. They chose to try something different to enhance learning instead of trying to do more of the same. In their failure, they reassessed, refined and reviewed their practice in order to improve the learning experience. They were never content at just doing the same.

Now is the time in our systems where leaders have created a fail forward environment for teachers (and parents) to accept this challenge. It is time for us to get out of our comfort zones and evolve. Accept that it will make you uncomfortable because you likely won’t get it right the first time. But deep learning, which is what we want from our staff and our students does not come without a little toil.  

Develop a fail forward ethic when you return to the classroom this fall and you and your students will benefit!

Jul 03

Act, Dream & Believe

This past Friday I addressed the graduates of St. Mary School in Taber. Enclosed is the short message I delivered that evening. Enjoy!   

Good Evening Ladies & Gentlemen, honored guests and graduates of 2012. It is always an honor to bring greetings on behalf of the division at graduation ceremonies. And coming back to Taber brings such great memories of the time that I spent here from 1996-2001. I am fortunate in that I taught about a dozen of these graduates back when I was their principal in St. Patrick and was able to get to know both them and their families. It always amazes me how much growth occurs over the 12+ years of schooling. It is hard to believe that the little boys and girls that I knew have now grown into such fine young men and women. Well done parents and families for raising such great kids and thank you for allowing Holy Spirit to be part of their upbringing. And well done staff at Holy Spirit for your part in their growth and development.

Your graduation theme, “Act, Dream & Believe” is a speech writer’s dream. I was thinking about all the great material that I could use for this speech and then I went to your mass last night and listened to Fr. Vincent’s homily. There is no way that I can say anything that could compete with Fr. Vincent’s story. His story epitomizes your graduation theme perfectly. So instead, I am only going to focus on one aspect of your theme- act.

Actions will always speak louder than any of your words. In the words of St. Francis of Assisi, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” In fact, it will be your actions that define you as a person. So in order to preach the Gospel every day you must:

Act with integrity! Be true as a person! Be honest and upfront. Remember that half-truths are also half lies. Be trustworthy and trusting and make sure that your word is your honor.

Act with justice! Don’t allow injustices in the world, in your community, in your home or even in your life. Stand up for what is wrong and unfair. Justice is not revenge or judgment. It is about making sure that right succeeds over wrong.

And finally, act with compassion & love! Our world would be a much better place if we made all of our decisions through the eyes of compassion and love. Bitterness comes through the eyes of hatred, envy and jealousy. It is neither a healthy way nor a productive way to act and lead one’s life. Mother Teresa says. “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’ kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”  

This is a unique year for the class of 2012. Their grad year was Mr. Nightingale’s first year as a principal and Mr. Zanolli’s last year in education. And I would be remiss if I didn’t say a few words about Mr. Zanolli. I was fortunate to get to know Mr. Zanolli as a colleague, friend and parent. I coached his twin boys and taught his daughter, he worked with my wife and he also taught our son Jordan. We also had a couple of great years coaching basketball together. When I talk about your actions there is no better example than Mr. Zanolli. Throughout his career he has always been well liked and well respected by his students, parents, staff and the community. He has gained that respect not because of words but because of his actions. His actions, his love of kids has never wavered in his 36 years in education. He is retiring still at the top of his game and that is sad for future students at St. Mary but something that again demonstrates his character of which I value and respect. On behalf of Holy Spirit, I thank you Alvaro for your actions!

Graduates, as you leave St. Mary’s remember that you have been provided a solid foundation to live a life of action. Through the support of your parents and families and a strong Catholic/Christian education system you are ready. Step out into the world tomorrow believing in God and yourself, dreaming of all that you can and will do and act with integrity, justice, compassion and love. Remember that you are a child of God and your life will always be in His hands. Good luck and God Bless!

Jun 24

Evolving Practice

I was struck by a conversation I was involved in with our leadership program participants last week. We began to reminisce about the teachers who had taught us and some of the practices that were considered the “norm” in those days! Each of us could recount many examples of those teachers who made such a positive difference in our lives but we could all also relate practices that would be considered abusive in today’s world. Corporal punishment, throwing chalk, shoes or anything else to get one’s attention, kneeling on rocks or simply being called out and belittled are practices that needed to be changed! And thank goodness, they have changed!

Unfortunately, we’ve linked the word change to everything in regards to education reform. We have come to accept the notion that in order to improve education we must change this or change that. Consequently, the use of the term change in education, which is difficult in any regard, comes with a heightened negative connotation and causes many educators to fear and resist the notion. Common sense and strong research literature drives why we needed to change the “chalk throwing” exercise, but what about other teaching practices.

When one of the teachers in our cohort mentioned the term “evolving practice”, I was struck at the how much more positive it was compared to “changing practice.”  It may seem simplistic, but I believe it will assist us as we continue to transform education. Evolving practice can be categorized as:

  • Accepting our role as professionals
  • Being reflective on our own practice and responsive to the needs of our students
  • “Honing our craft”
  • Affirming what we do well and revising what we don’t
  • Internal not external
  • Accepting our role as learners not just teachers

Over the past decade we’ve made some necessary changes that support educational reform. There are still some changes that need to occur from a school, system and societal point of view for education to be truly transformed. However, teaching practice must evolve to lead that transformation. The evolution of teaching practice requires a learning paradigm. We can no longer survive on only the art of teaching (relationships) but must fully accept the science component of teaching. Just the advances in brain research alone, should force us to teach differently. The evolution of teaching requires a concentration on reflection. We should no longer do what we’ve always done, but instead seek to employ more effective and efficient pedagogy. Our reflection allows for proactive thought rather than reactive action. And finally, evolving practice reminds us that although assumed competent, we must strive for far more than this minimum. We must evolve to demonstrate the highest level of professionalism and provide teaching practice that ALL students deserve.  

 

Jun 17

Don’t forget to celebrate!

The school year in Alberta is coming to a close and it will coincide with my first year of blogging anniversary. What began as a desire to simply communicate from the my office has developed into an almost weekly personal education reflection. Upon reviewing my yearly blog posts, I would suggest that the vast majority talk about the need to transform our educational system. Leaders in education speak of educational reform and continuous improvement plans because a good portion of their job is to push the status quo. We don’t want to be seen as complacent and satisfied with the current state. It is always our desire to reach the vision of our systems.

I was reminded this past week about the importance to celebrate and affirm instead of just pushing the transformation envelope. When we talk about education reform or school improvement plans there is a tendency for us to fall into the trap of deficiency. There is no doubt that education needs to make some significant changes to meet the needs of the 21st century learners but education, especially in Alberta provides some pretty amazing pride moments too!

One of the things that I’ve started every year during our last meeting with our Learning Leadership Team (senior and school based administrators) is a circle activity. We pull our chairs into the middle of the room and circle up for discussion. This year, I modified the discussion to include a Think, Pair Share activity to highlight our successes. With their partner I had them respond to three questions:

  1. What have you personally done this year to make the division the best division in the province? What will you do next year to continue that work?
  2. What has your school done this year to make the division the best division in the province? What will your school do next year to continue that work?
  3. What has the system done this year to make the division the best division in the province? What does the system need do next year to continue that work?  

It was an extremely rich discussion because it not only highlighted our successes and affirmed our direction but also allowed all of us to build for next year. I’m not one for status quo and I become frustrated when we don’t move forward quick enough, but there has to be a time to quietly sit and “smell the roses.” When you reflect on your work this year, don’t forget to celebrate. There are a lot of results that we should all be proud of!!!

Jun 13

Where lies the enemy?

There is considerable finger pointing in our world today. We’ve replaced responsibility with accountability. Too often, society is quick to blame somebody or something else for their own woes. This really struck a chord a couple of weeks ago when I was involved in a Twitter chat that blamed everything beyond themselves. Even trying to add a different perspective led to more insults and eventually I left the conversation because there wasn’t going to be anything positive forthcoming.  

Unfortunately, education has also become part of that same culture. The “blame game” is alive and well throughout education! The supposed cures for education seem to be entrenched with the language of, “If only” If only we had more money, more time, smaller classes, less testing, more educational assistants, more resources, etc. There seems to be this belief that with “X”, we would be so much better off. And while I would never say no to any of the above, more of the above will most likely only lead to better sameness and not significant change in our educational system.

Our education system really needs to be transformed. The initial purpose of education was never intended to have the student as the central focus. And although we often use the language that we are student centred there are only “some” times when that is actually the case. Even though we have solid research backing improved pedagogy, assessment and structure we still want to continue as we always have.

So where lies the enemy? Quite simply, it lies within each of us, not them but us. We are part of a society that prefers blame to responsibility. We prefer excuses to solutions and we too quickly see barriers instead of opportunities. It is far easier to look beyond rather than within and to call the system a failure before we call ourselves to task. Sad but this culture exists from leader to teacher and from parent to student.

Yet, I’ve been blessed to be around teachers who have made great changes and significant impacts in the lives of students throughout their careers. Why? What’s the difference? Simple, they say “I can and I will!!” They expect and more importantly they accept that conditions may not be optimal but they always move forward. When you walk in their rooms you wish you were a student again and if you are a parent you hope your child gets the opportunity to be in their class. They exude passion and compassion! They believe in their students and set high expectations for all without any excuses.

If we truly desire to make education relevant to the students of today we need to recognize the enemy within each of us and dispel it. No more excuses! No more “If only, What if, But, or I can’t! Then, and only then, will we begin to transform ourselves and then truly reform the system.   

 

 

Jun 02

From the Desk of the Superintendent- June 2012

It is hard to imagine that we have only one month of school remaining and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are still going on!!! All kidding aside, each year seems to pass by quicker than the previous and this year was no exception. I’m very proud of the accomplishments of Holy Spirit again this past year. We are blessed with gifted and talented staff and students and fortunate for engaged and caring parents and families. Although people may suggest that as Superintendent of Schools, my perception may be a little biased, I am confident with my beliefs because of both internal and external feedback. During these last couple of months, a number of Alberta Education personnel have visited our division and reviewed our programming. The common conclusion is almost disbelief that a small “rurban” Catholic division can offer such a breadth of programming and supports for all students. Some of the programming that has been highlighted by Alberta Education and recognized as being on the leading edge in the province includes Early Learning, Fine Arts, Inclusive Education, AISI,  and we achieve this within a Christ-centered environment.

The need to transform education in order to address the 21st century competencies is becoming embedded in our practices within Holy Spirit. When I get the chance to be in our schools, I witness firsthand how our staff are addressing the Framework for Student Learning that has developed the following competencies for today’s learner:

  • Critical Thinking, Problem Solving and Decision Making
  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Social, Cultural, Global and Environmental Responsibility
  • Communication
  • Collaboration and Leadership
  • Lifelong Learning, Personal Management and Well-Being
  • Digital and Technological Fluency

When I began my teaching career in 1985, I was considered a good teacher. However, if I walked into a classroom today and taught exactly like I did when I began, I would be mediocre at best. Education has changed, teaching practice has been refined and the process of learning with all the research now available is certainly very different. That is why we must continue to transform education and why I’m so proud when I walk into the many classrooms already making those changes.

During the  month of May the board held its regular meeting as well as a special board meeting to pass the preliminary budget for 2012-13. At the regular board meeting, a group of parents from St. Michael’s School in Pincher Creek presented about the success of their playground build. They will be part of a documentary film  that will shown at the school on June 10th. For all the highlights of the regular meeting, please check the Board Meeting Briefs. The preliminary budget is balanced with the use of $544,000 from operating reserves.  Our projections shows that we will have a stable student population again next year. The unknown for the budget however, will be salary and benefit costs, as all three employee groups’ (ATA, CUPE 1825 & CUPE 290) contracts expire as of August 31, 2012. Salary and benefits for all staff contributes to over 77% of a nearly 53 million dollar budget.  

With the election behind us, we now have a new Minister of Education. The Honorable Jeff Johnson who represents the riding of Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater has taken over the reins as Education Minister. Minister Johnson has indicated three priorities for his department: (1) Capital Projects, (2) Education Act and (3) Tripartite Agreement. Certainly these priorities are very important to Holy Spirit. I will have the opportunity to listen to the Minister at the ASBA Spring General Meeting on June 4-5 in Red Deer. As well, Minister Johnson is meeting with Board Chairs and Superintendents on June 19th, here in Lethbridge. I have heard very positive comments about Minister Johnson already and we look forward to working with him and the department.

As the year finishes up, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our students the best of luck in their final exams. Enjoy the summer but always continue to be a learner. Spend time reading a book, learning something new and just having fun by playing. And most importantly, be safe! To all our parents, families and care givers, thank you for your continued support. You are an integral part of the community that helps raise each child. We value your insights and most of all, your love and concern for your children. And finally to our staff- thank you again for your commitment and ongoing dedication to making the lives of students better.

Have a wonderful summer! Good luck and God Bless!

 

May 27

Educators need Twitter!

I read a message while following the chat at #connectedca that stated, “I’ve learned more from Twitter in the last year than in the last 5 years of PD activities.” This message was similar to one I provided at my opening address beginning this year. This does not imply that I have not attended some powerful professional development opportunities over the past five years. In fact, my learning has been positively impacted in a number of PD activities and conferences. But Twitter provides me with a couple of things that even the best conferences or other PD activities cannot.

Twitter is immediate and revolves around my time. When I’m at my computer, I have Tweetdeck running constantly. The pop up function allows me to engage in a conversation of interest if I choose. The part of “if I choose” is the important piece. Twitter can be down right addicting, but I’m really in control of it. It allows me to have more autonomy in my professional learning. I remember being concerned that I would miss something when I wasn’t on Twitter, but George Couros helped me understand that the information is always available. The ability to engage with other passionate educators anywhere and anytime is powerful. The opportunity to connect with superintendents, educational leaders, teachers, parents and others passionate about education is invigorating. And yes… I get to do it on my time and when it is convenient for me.

A second aspect of the importance of Twitter deals with the overall positiveness of the conversations. Quite simply, it is uplifting listening to people around the world talk about their best experiences and sharing their expertise. Contributors in general, are about “Real change, not better sameness!” They are about I can not I can’t! They are about opportunities not barriers! They are about change not status quo! And finally, they are about commitment not compliance! In my position, I get to hear from all the nay sayers. Education reformers, some government officials and often unions tell me all that we do wrong. But on Twitter, I hear the opposite! I hear what we do right and just as important, how we can make it even more right for our students.  It allows me to believe that the glass is half full not half empty and that transformation is occuring one person at a time. 

I’m witnessing a number of our schools engaging in Twitter workshops. The majority of our school administrators are involved as well. It is exciting to read the conversations as they attach the hashtag #hs4 for our division.  The increased amounts of collaboration and opportunities for professional dialogue are providing positive results. Twitter offers educators an example of doing something different. With time being ever so precious, the ability to choose when to engage provides a motivator to engage. Thanks to all those on Twitter who have made such a positive impact on my professional learning!

May 21

The importance of play!

This past week I visited one of our Pre-Kindergarten classrooms to observe their Science Fair. Imagine that! Four year olds with their parents engaged in neat experiments, laughing and learning through play. When I reflect on the activities I witnessed, two main messages come through loud and clear.

The first message is targeted at parents. It is very unfortunate that our societal norm leaves us with little family time. Working parents are coming home after long hours, exhausted, often forced just to stay afloat. But as difficult as it is, our children require our attention to simply play. What was occurring in this early learning class were “experiments” that were easy to do and fully engaging. This “play” time was not only a positive bonding experience but also a learning opportunity for the children. I would never speak ill of technology but active play is critical for a child’s development. There was such great learning that occurred in the past when children helped parents cook and bake, played hide and seek or explored the wonders of the local park together. Too often we get caught up in “doing homework” instead of losing ourselves in a good book or watching another video instead of playing outside.

The second message goes out to our primary educators. Many years ago, there was a premium when students sat quietly in straight rows of desks and worked independently. That was an example of good classroom management. And while classroom management is important, the true role of school needs to focus on learning. In today’s schools, learning cannot be optimized in straight rows of desks with quiet students. In fact, primary rooms (K-3) should have at the minimum, desks in pods (if desks at all), tables and learning centres where students are actively (which means not quiet) engaged. I will take it one step farther and say that in K-3 classes, play (intellectual and social) should be an integral part of the learning structure.    

For most of the its history, education has been a compliance activity. Those students who sat up, listened, worked independently generally did well based on how we measured success. Today however, we need to move students from being compliant to becoming committed. Learning needs to become a commitment for our students and one way to facilitate that change is to welcome play into your home and your classroom.

May 13

Living and Learning

This weekend I provided messages to the graduation classes of Catholic Central High School in Lethbridge and St. Michael’s School in Pincher Creek. With both convocations being on the same day, it was a mad dash to finish up with CCH in the morning and then drive  the 1 hour to arrive in time for the ceremony in Pincher Creek.  Although another member of my senior administration could have provided the address, I believe that whenever possible, it is my responsibility to be present and celebrate our graduates. Guest speakers have the right to have a longer speech but I’m of the thought that my remarks should be fairly concise and carry a message that is linked to the graduation theme. Therefore, here is one of my addresses this past weekend. Enjoy!

Oki! Bonjour mesdames et messieurs and good morning ladies and gentlemen, honoured guests and graduates of 2012. It is my pleasure to bring greetings on behalf of the Holy Spirit Catholic School Division.

This past week I have been present at two traditions of CCH graduations, the Feather Blessing Ceremony & Metis Sash presentation on Monday and our graduation mass last night. Traditions like these speak to who we are and more importantly who we want to become. Traditions like these also speak to your theme of Living and Learning.

Living is not only about today or this week (as we parents sigh in relief). It is about yesterday and the many days to come. Living is not about getting what you want but receiving what you need. It is not about giving because you have to it is about giving because you want to. And finally, living is not a gift for yourself but rather a gift to share with others.  Our Catholic background, our Christian faith calls us to live a life of service and I would suggest that through your parents and families guidance and the entire school system, you have developed an exceptional response especially in the area of social justice. In fact, you are part of today’s youth who have a far better understanding of injustice, intolerance and prejudice than any generation previous. It is you, the youth of today who, often through social media have changed political landscapes, brought awareness to economic travesties and alerted the world to war criminals like Joseph Kony. You have said this is not right, this is not acceptable, what can we do to change it and then began to change it. That is not a life for self, it is a life for others. Continue to embrace this life!

Unfortunately learning has been defined in today’s world simply as results. Learning is a process that all of us should be engaged in during our entire life. While a result is final, learning is continual. Learning is less about natural ability and skill and far more about effort. It is about having a mindset that is focused on growth and development and less about the end result. In today’s world we need learners. Learners want to improve, they want to get better and be better. Our world needs learners who are creative and innovative, who want to ask why before how. We need people like you who embrace struggle, who risk take, who fail forward and who understand learning, especially deep learning causes us to be stretched and somewhat uncomfortable. You can be satisfied with a result but never stop your desire to learn more.

Living and learning is not just a graduation theme, it is a way of life. And this way of life has been influenced by many. Please do not forget to give thanks to all those that have helped you live and learn throughout these past years. Thank the teachers and staff members in your schools, your friends and families, your parents and especially as we celebrate this Mother’s Day weekend, thank your mothers. God’s love is often compared to a mother’s love- unconditional and forever. Don’t forget your moms!  

As you leave your high school experience, remember to live fully, love deeply and learn always! On behalf of the division, I wish each and every one of you God’s blessings. Thank you!