Agenda for September 16 Welcome back The year ahead Superintendent’s vision Aligning what we do Setting a common framework for all of our work Figuring out “who’s on first” and “what makes sense”

Superintendent’s Vision In the following slide show I will share information that I believe will give you a picture of what I believe will get us to excellence as a district. It demonstrates my beliefs, values and vision along with the direction I hope to lead us in. For curriculum and collegial support teachers I have focused on: Continuous Improvement, Teaching and Learning and Technology

A quote that demonstrates my belief about leadership “Good Leaders surround themselves with good people,who in turn become good leaders”

I believe that as a district we must: Have a Passion for Student Learning Believe in Distributed Leadership Have Courage and show Initiative Take a Goal oriented approach Believe in Team Build Positive Relationships Have a Passion for Continuous Learning Believe in Diversification Strive for Excellence Value and Celebrate Success

We must demonstrate: CollaborationHonesty IntegrityMotivation ExcellencePositive Interaction VisionaryoutlookEthical Practice

3 Themes that I believe we should use to guide our practice Alignment – to maximize the common direction of all initiatives toward the priority goals Sustainability – to put effort and resources into work that will be sustained over time Coherence – to ensure that the work fits together and makes sense – the work has to go beyond a plan that exists in 1 person’s head

Core Beliefs - Educational System Student progress is the fundamental purpose of education – Students first All partners play a role in student success – We are all responsible We are accountable for student learning – Results matter School Improvement Plans and Achievement Contract provide us with a framework for setting goals, making plans, and measuring success – Count what counts

Cultures Where People and Systems Improve  Collegiality – Adults trust and respect each other  Efficacy – Believing what you’re doing makes a difference  High Expectations – Of self and others  Trust and Confidence – Includes belief in leaders

Widely Held Values and Norms in “Moving” Schools and Districts 1. Inquiry – We are always asking questions 2. Trust – We can count on each other 3. Learning – We are always focused on learning 4. Working Together – We work as a team to improve the learning of our young people

Widely Held Values and Norms in “Moving” Schools and Districts 5. Intensely Focused – We stick with inquiries and goals until we get the results we want 6. Taking Internal Responsibility – Our learners, our families, and our community know the learning gains we are making 7. Building Confidence – We believe that developing confidence in all learners – adults and young people – is one of our prime responsibilities

Multiple Challenges in SD 42 I believe that we are always in times of change and pressure. Growth, declining enrollment, lack of funding, competing priorities for available funding, advocacy groups etc etc. I believe that this is about “the aura” we establish as leaders. Are we in perpetual crisis and doomsday scenarios or are we hopeful, optimistic and strategic How do we work together to communicate and behave in a manner that instills confidence in the stewardship for public education?

Vision – Where I see the district in 3-5 years Continuous Improvement Teaching and Learning Technology

Continuous Improvement I see: System maintaining a Shared Vision Systems in place to monitor and adjust for student learning Systems designed to “Plan,Do,Check,Act” Gap closing by designing systems of intervention for kids who need it most Continue to design opportunities to enhance instructional practice (SIP’s and Achievement Contracts are designed to show us our improvements and our areas for further development)

Teaching and Learning I see: Aligned curriculum A variety of benchmarks Improved pedagogy to meet the diverse learner of today Embedded feedback Aligned assessment A focus on success for ALL students

Technology I see: Effective integration of current technology and electronic tools in: ◦ Teaching ◦ Management ◦ Research ◦ Communication

Final Vision comes back to Students I see: No better place for kids than SD 42 where students will exit with: ◦ Strong academic performance (the best they can be ◦ Social and Emotional wellbeing (they will make great decisions and be strong contributors to society ◦ They will enter the world of work with a career they are passionate about

I see a role for all of us Together we must: Instill pride in the system at all levels Manage crises quietly and competently Align what we do Walk the talk around Vision and Values Celebrate successes loudly and proudly

Leadership for Administrators I have attached a few slides from an all day session the administrators attended in August, just so that you can get a sense of where we are heading in terms of expectations of them as instructional leaders. It is really important that you as curriculum and collegial support teachers to work closely with admin in order to have the highest impact on teaching and learning

Leading Optimistically Remaining hopeful and encouraging in the face of adversity

Our job is difficult We are told that we should: Improve student achievement Decrease the drop-out rate And prevent obesity, and protect people from the flu, and just say no to bullying, and stamp out substance abuse, and save the environment, and make the entire community literate and paint the town red for the Olympics.

Our job is difficult The goal is idealistic and ambiguous The community is diverse The clients are complex and needy The context is unnatural The methods are imperfect and debatable The support is insufficient

From struggle comes... Learning Growth Fulfilment Meaning Significance Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.

Student Achievement

Drop Out Rate

We’re doing OK But... 20% still don’t graduate Many graduates survive but don’t thrive Achievement measures are a “thin” indicator of understanding and not a great predictor of future success - in schooling or in life. Tomorrow will require much more skill, wisdom, benevolence, confidence and courage than yesterday.

The educational essence What is it that “enables” a young person to be “personally fulfilled and publicly useful”? and How do we initiate and support the emergence of this essential human capacity?

The Leadership essence What is it that “enables” a teacher to be fully effective in “enabling” students? and How do we initiate and support the emergence of this essential human and professional capacity?

Changing How We Lead Because of What We Know Attention to CultureAccountability for Results Finding the Balance: The Leader’s Challenge “Our belief that we can make a difference in the lives of students has a bigger impact on their achievement than race or socio-economic status. Changing How We TEACH Because of What We Know

Some things we learned: Simply by posting the planned outcomes for a session/lesson/year will increase the level of achievement. - Considered the research that informs our practice - Validated the dynamic tensions that makes our work so challenging - Explored the traits of effective leadership - That the aura of leadership and the importance of our perspective has a huge impact

Hope: an Essential and Insufficient Quality “The first and last task of a leader is to keep hope alive.” ~ John William Gardner Remember… Where there is no vision, there is no hope. but Hope is not a methodology.

Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day: The Educator’s Sacred Trust 5 Calls to Action:  Students First  Results Matter  Count What Counts  We Are All Responsible  Do What’s Right

The Schools We Need ACOT2 (2008) Learning in the 21st Century

The Answer Is NOT in several new initiatives. It is in providing stability and leadership to sustain and enhance best practices in key areas It IS about Doing the Right things and Doing things Right

A framework to think about What do we want them to learn? (align curriculum and create big ideas) How will we know if they’ve learned it? (use several assessment strategies) What will we do if they don’t? (create targetted intervention strategies) What will we do if they already know it? (get out of their way)

Agenda for September 8 Welcome back The year ahead Superintendent’s vision Aligning what we do Setting a common framework for all of our work Figuring out “who’s on first” and “what makes sense” in terms of the role you have taken on as curriculum and collegial support teachers and how you align with the bigger “striving for excellence and engaging the learner” focus that we all have.

Some quotes to leave you with: “Imagine a school with children who can read and write, but with teachers who cannot, and you have a metaphor of the Information Age in which we live”………………………………..Peter Cochrane “We are now at a point where we must educate our children in what no one knew yesterday, and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet”…………Margaret Mead

Remember this in the world of rapid change: “So much has been written about people’s resistance to change that we are sometimes tempted to forget that they can also react favorably”……………………Nathaniel Stewart “People don’t resist change, they resist being changed”…………..Peter Scholtes