Leadership Lessons Learned from the Front Lines Carl Cohn

COHN ERA REFORMS IN LONG BEACH K-8 School Uniform Policy Standard’s Based Instructional Reform K-16 Partnership with Higher Education Ending Social Promotion

Reforms, continued 3rd Grade Reading Requirement Board Governance Workshop structure Visiting Schools with the Teacher’s Union President Cookies with Carl

Federal Court Monitor in Los Angeles What does the data tell us about the performance of students with disabilities? To what extent are parents of students with disabilities participating in their child’s IEP? Which schools in the district are suspending students with disabilities at higher rates? To what extent are students with disabilities participating in the statewide assessment program?

Federal Court Monitor in Los Angeles, continued To what extent are parent complaints responded to in a timely fashion? To what extent are IEP’s translated in a timely way? To what extent are African-American students over-identified as emotionally disturbed?

Office of the Independent Monitor Additional responsibilities and activities include: Monitoring the District’s commitment to improve facility accessibility for students with special needs. Approval of the District’s Annual Plan which outlines short-term objectives and action steps designed to achieve the outcomes by June 30, Conducting an Annual Hearing to hear from parents and other interested persons about the District’s compliance with special education laws.

Additional responsibilities and activities, continued Providing a written report to the Superintendent and Board of Education concerning the progress and effectiveness of the Modified Consent Decree.

San Diego Experience

San Diego’s Blueprint for Student Success in a Standard’s Based System (Focus on prevention, intervention, retention) Literacy Peer Coaches/Staff Developers/Ongoing Professional Development Comprehensive Literacy and Mathematics Frameworks Extended Day Programs Intersession Classes Genre Studies Literacy and Mathematics Block Courses

Carl Cohn’s 5 Goals for San Diego Accelerate Gains in Student Performance Provide Safe, Orderly, and Well Maintained Schools Strengthen Parent, Community, Business and Higher Education Support Boost Employee Morale Secure Adequate Funding for Schools

San Diego Pluses Powerful focus on teaching and learning in classrooms A clearly articulated theory of action A resource rich community A cadre of strong instructional leaders A significant amount of soft money support

San Diego Challenges Not a single person of color reporting directly to the Superintendent Employee morale in the dumpster Declining enrollment coupled with a robust charter movement A school board that is not operating effectively as a governance team No coherent communication strategy

What to do next…… Recruit outstanding new leaders to supervise the principals Put in place a new organizational structure that reflects political reality Design new instructional strategies that alter the “one size fits all” approach to the Blueprint Implement Baldrige continuous improvement process

What to do next continued……. Recruit new leaders in the areas of communication, government relations, HR and parent, community and student engagement Engage the teacher’s union in a new conversation about thinner contracts and a commitment to student achievement as the primary focus of both the district and the union

Other Unions Media Parents and Community Interest Group Politics

School Boards Stability Micro-management beyond constituent service Big picture/total district

Superintendents Careerism Constituent Services Team Building

Trustee Board Culture Board Workshop –In-depth discussion of issues –Superintendent Evaluation Committee Structure Consent Calendar Developing Listening Skills Risk-taking

Central Pillars of Support for Schools Curriculum and Instruction Professional Development Data, Assessment and Evaluation

LESSONS LEARNED Trust is the glue that holds it all together Reform is both bottom-up and top-down Take some risks when it comes to initiatives that are focused on student safety

A unified school board is a huge plus in promoting major policy change Be willing to fight for the change policies that you have adopted Meaningful partnerships with higher education can have a big payoff Minority parents are big supporters of high dress, behavior and achievement standards

Teacher unions are most often driven by local issues and concerns Recruit the best and brightest for your executive staff. Don’t let the morale of passed-over insiders dictate your critical personnel decisions. In urban areas, superintendents and board members must be seen as change agents. Defending the status quo is always a big loser. urbanschoolimagineers.com

There is nothing more difficult, more perilous, or more uncertain of success, then to take the lead in introducing a new order of things. Machiavelli GOOD LUCK!