Two Phases in Turning Around a Failing School

From the Marshall Memo #426

In this Kappan article, Meredith College (NC) professor and three-time turnaround leader Les Stein says, “most failing schools are the product of poor leadership and improper management – nothing more, nothing less.” He believes that highly qualified and motivated teams of educators can turn around a failing school in 3-5 years – if they are led by top-notch principals, are focused on student achievement, are willing to work hard, and refuse to accept failure as an option.

Stein, a former Marine Corps colonel, describes the “complete and utter breakdown in instructional and organizational leadership” in the three failing charter schools he’s worked with. This included:

• No clear direction from school leaders;
• Demoralized teachers and staff forming cliques that discouraged good performance;
• Students apathetic toward learning and sinking to teachers’ low expectations;
• Gossip as the primary form of communication;
• Parents complaining and no one offering to help;
• Little focus on teaching and learning.

Some teachers, hungry for strong and creative leadership, pulled Stein aside and said, “The only thing I want from you is the opportunity to teach.” 

“While there’s a time and place for collaborative leadership,” Stein continues, “trying to lead by consensus while the ship is sinking is not good leadership… When a school is in trouble, teachers are perfectly content to let the principal take full responsibility for almost every operational and instructional aspect of the school… Teachers want a leader who is not afraid to make the difficult decisions and, if necessary, terminate the employment of nonperformers.” 

Likening school turnarounds to a hospital emergency room, Stein says there are two stages: stopping the bleeding and rehabilitation that prepares for full recovery.

• Stage 1: Immediate actions to bring the situation under control – In struggling schools, there are five steps:

• Take charge immediately. The leader needs to assert authority and let everyone know his or her non-negotiable expectations for discipline and instruction. “Collaborative leadership comes later,” say Stein, “when you have the luxury of time.” 
• Create a sense of urgency. Every minute counts, absenteeism needs to be addressed immediately, and mediocrity won’t be tolerated. Lessons need to be planned, along with follow-up corrective action. Everyone should be able to answer the question, Why am I here, and how will I make these students successful?
• Lead by walking around. The principal needs to visit every classroom every day, reassuring staff that the principal is highly involved and getting a bird’s-eye view of instruction. “The staff must view the principal as a confident, self-assured leader who supports them,” says Stein. “Additionally, unannounced visits make teachers far more likely to use instructional time wisely.”
• Remove low performers. “My experiences show that poor performing teachers have low expectations of their students, are uncomfortable teaching students who are below grade level, have preconceived prejudices about students’ ability levels, and don’t have the necessary energy to lead their students,” says Stein. “Poor performers also feed the rumor mill, have an agenda that’s not aligned with the school’s mission and vision, and aren’t open to change. A school leader should waste no time in removing low performers.” 
• Communicate clearly and often. Weekly staff meetings and separate meetings with team leaders are essential to counteract the culture of gossip, rumors, and fear, says Stein. “A good leader will send encouraging, positive e-mails or memos to staff every school day,” he says. Staff meetings must openly discuss the reasons the school is in trouble, the plan to change things for the better, and small successes when they occur. 

• Stage 2: Preparing for full recovery – “Getting to the rehabilitation stage doesn’t mean the school is out of the woods,” says Stein. There are several steps:

• Create a strategic plan. A plan may have existed, but it was probably created in isolation and didn’t have buy-in from the staff. Now, planning should be collaborative to keep the leader grounded in reality and send the message that everyone is responsible for the school’s future. 
• Learn how to use data for decision making. This means picking a good interim assessment program, making sure teachers get student learning data promptly, and training them how to use student learning results to continuously improve instruction. 
• Accelerate professional development in priority areas. “Teachers are the best source of information on how to prioritize training that will help improve instruction,” says Stein. Instructional teams should identify their training priorities and get support.
• Focus on core competencies. As soon as the bleeding has been stopped, he says, administrators and teachers “must quickly raise the achievement bar for reading, math, and science.” 

“The Art of Saving a Failing School” by Les Stein in Phi Delta Kappan, February 2012 (Vol. 93, #5, p. 51-55), http://www.kappanmagazine.org; Stein can be reached at 

lmarine@bellsouth.net.