1. Agenda for the day 1. Transformed by Literacy: the Brockton High Literacy Initiative 2. Strategies to Prepare the Students AND the Teachers for the Common Core and Next Generation Assessments: PD to Improve Instruction and Increase Student Achievement 3. Strategies to Empower the Faculty: Often the BEST experts are right in our own house 4. Safety Nets: ALL MEANS ALL (SpEd, ELL, 9 th) 5. For What Its Worth: Final Leadership Advice 1

2. Leadership Advice: My Top TEN FYI – This is so totally NOT research based. This is walk a mile in my shoes based.

3. My Top Ten: #10 Dont make a decision while walking around, it always comes back to bite you… the gotta minute? approach.

4. My Top Ten: #9 Try these two leadership lines that work: Im sorry andIts MANDATORY!!!

5. My Top Ten: #8 You cant eliminate feelings – the key is managing them. Why do you despise me so???… And sometimes, you really detest someone!

6. My Top Ten: #7 PLAN your fierce conversations (difficult, disciplinary, adversarial…) conversations

7. Fierce Conversations Fierce conversations are about moral courage, clear requests, and taking action. Fierce is an attitude. Susan Scott

8. Fierce Conversations Three key steps in a Fierce Conversation: a. The opening b. The dialogue c. The resolution

9. Step 1: The Opening Step 1: Structure the conversation: set the boundaries in an OPENING a. The purpose of today is… b. The procedure is… I will tell you everything I know about the incident and ask you to tell me what you know c. Time frame - and together we will come up with a solution within the next 30 minutes. If we need more time, we will schedule another meeting.

10. Step 2: The dialogue You extend the invitation to a dialogue Heres what Ive seen, I need to hear your take on this… (back and forth) Then listen (can be difficult) USE AND be prepared for SILENCE Restate what the other person says (so, I hear you saying that…)

11. Step 2: The dialogue (continued) Be clear about why this matters. When you give negative feedback, expect to get it back. Help is often viewed as a hindrance. Know when NOT to listen. Let me write down what you said so that I get it exactly and then repeat it back.

12. Step 3: The Resolution Make it clear the intent is to resolve the issue So where are we now? What have we learned? How do we move forward? End the fierce conversation with a plan Memorialize the discussion in writing

13. Homework! Think about a fierce conversation you need to have – the office bully, the obnoxious colleague you have tolerated, perhaps even the principal who hasnt been a leader. Give yourself a date by which you will have had the conversation, then… DO IT!

14. My Top Ten: #6 Contracts and unions dont mean CANT. BUT, know what you can control, and what you cant control, and dont waste an ounce of energy on what you cant control.

15. My Top Ten: #5 Because weve always done it this way is not a reason to continue down the same path.

16. My Top Ten #4 FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS Tune out the noise, be the hedgehog (Sense of urgency, sense of possibility; AND, subversive leadership works)

18. My Top Ten #3 Use the media, dont let the media use you. Celebrate and publicize your successes, even the small ones. (The bunker mentality doesnt work.)

19. 19 They believe! Spread the word! Changing students beliefs: Celebrate and Publicize!!!

20. Be proactive (they will find you when its bad) Boxer Roundup Weekly radio segment Billboard and banners Business meetings in the city Be your own BEST media hound!

21. My Top Ten: #2 It takes a team to implement change. So GO AFTER THEM, even if you drag them on board kicking and screaming (begging sometimes worked for me) Your best hope for moving your school forward may be to work with the experts within your own school! Leadership is not a position, but a disposition to act - Ray McNulty

22. My Top Ten: #1 No excuses…life isnt fair. No excuses…life isnt fair. Use the challenges to your advantage. Changing expectations is FREE!!! The kids deserve our BEST to become their BEST!

23. And finally, in the category of You just cant make this up… In school leadership, no matter how well prepared you are, no matter how many ed degrees you have, no matter how many years youve done this… there are some things you just cant prepare for…

24. Moral of the story??? You just never know when you are going to run into a turkey in your building…

25. OK, YOUR TURN QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS???

26. Contact Information Michael Thomas Interim Principal Sharon Wolder Associate Principal for Curriculum and Instruction Brockton High School 470 Forest Ave Brockton, MA 02301