I had the pleasure to sit down with a group of OUTSTANDING elementary teachers last week. I periodically meet with this team for a reality check. In my position, it is easy to become too “theoretical”. As a school leader, you can’t forget that the decisions you make actually have to be implemented by teachers! I appreciate meeting with this…
As many of you know, I have been working on a book about school leadership for over a year. The urgency to finish the project accelerated after the COVID-19 related school closings happened. I am currently working with a team of editors and designers to put the finishing touches on the book. I anticipate that the book will be published…
The following blog post comes from ideas that are in my forthcoming book, School Leadership: Learner-Centered Leadership in Times of Crisis which will be published in December. Becoming a learner-centered school leader is easy in concept and difficult in practice. believe me, I have experienced the difficulties involved in making this transition. I believe there are three key mantras you…
“Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness.” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I have listened to Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Mountaintop” speech dozens of times over the years. The concepts that he talks about in the speech resonate as well today as they did in 1968 when he gave the speech. Recently, I was listening to the speech again…
Culturize by Jimmy Casas is a book that has practical advice for school leaders on how to create a school culture that is positive for students and teachers. Mr. Casas spent many years as a building principal working in schools that were challenging. His book offers an easy to understand framework for how to achieve a positive culture in your…
I started blogging in May 2010 when I was the superintendent at the Ridgway Area School District in Elk County Pennsylvania. I recently went back and reread some of those posts. My first few posts are embarrassingly barren. I shared some basic information about Board meetings and explained the Board’s non-negotiable goals for achievement and instruction. Below, you will find…
If Your Phone gets an Update, Why Not Education? I call my son my personal philosopher. Over the years, he has stopped me in my tracks with his simple statements that really make you think. In one instance, I asked him when he got home from school whether or not he had fun at school. He said “No”. I then asked him, “isn’t learning…
The Command and Control Structure in Schools What is the “command and control” structure of organizations and why is it bad for schools? Command and control is just what it sounds like. A command and control organization is based on superiors telling their subordinates what to do at all times. Words like empowerment are foreign to these types of organizations.…
How can school be a Meme? Most of us have seen viral memes on the internet. Whether they are from your favorite television show or commenting on a popular culture item, memes are everywhere. There are even meme creators for those of us who are not gifted in creating our own memes. This blog post is not about those kinds…
“Come, my friends, ‘T is not too late to seek a newer world.” -Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson The task which we have undertaken as school leaders is to create better worlds for our Learners and communities. We cannot shy away from this simple fact. To shy away from the duty we hold to future generations is not an option.…