Awards are part of our culture. Just as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has the Academy Awards, schools and districts hold awards for students as the year comes to an end. Awards are like summative assessments. They are the conclusion of a value of the work done by a person or persons. What if school districts developed a culture in which a celebration of each other's work was an annual event?  What if we all held our own Oscars for teachers? We would call them…

Instead of incapacitating people's ability to problem-solve or try new ideas -- which is what fear does to us -- research on school reform strongly suggests that policy-makers should be encouraging school leaders to take a more humane approach. In their …

Just as with reading, it is best that the principal (and superintendent) model and lead as a writer. Whether aboard with the Common Core or not, common sense tells us that reading and writing across the curriculum are essential facets of 21st century learning. Just as reading in a literature class requires some of the same and some different skills than a physics class, the same is true of writing. Similarly, no matter the grade level, some different sets of…

A curious part of Secretary Duncan's press release was buried at the end of the second paragraph where he noted the hard work of teachers, principals, students and families. Where is the evidence from which he based this statement? Does that mean for states that are recorded as having stayed the same, or declined a point or two, that the teachers in that state did not work hard? Or that the principals, students, and families in those states were not as hard working as in other states?…

Improving student achievement by teaching differently and testing differently is, at best, an outdated, narrow view. Schools are dynamic human institutions. They exist within larger systems. The type of change needed requires acceptance that school reform is dependent on the development of individuals and of crucial, interdependent connections within and beyond the school community.  …

In order to lead a STEM learning environment, it is important to understand what it provides for and what it demands of teachers. STEM can reach more learners because hands-on collaborative inquiry invites more learners into the process, gives purpose to study and quells the age-old question, "Why do we have to learn this?".  Content is relevant to the 21st century workplace. It brings science, technology, engineering, and math to the center of the learning…

Leaders announce and compliment but joy is what love brings into our toolbox. It takes risks and practice. No, we can't be huggers without being careful but we do need to ask ourselves how our teachers and children know we love them? How do we show our joy at the success of children or the passing of a bond issue?

In a 2005 keynote, Otto Scharmer asked twelve questions. Just these two might offer an…

On a professional level though, how can we hold our educational community accountable? Have we slipped there? Is it our role to model integrity and to hold others to the same bar? Test scores are such a small part of the equation...yet we've allowed ourselves to be reduced to them. Accountability as a check on conscience is not a bad thing. As educators, we have each made a commitment to the children we serve. We will deliver the best education we can, by being the best teachers and leaders…

A recent TIME Magazine article entitled  "Leaving Tests Behind" reported on the call to re-examine the use of standardized tests to account for the meeting of a national standard. The trend to use standardized tests to account for common benchmarks of student achievement and, of course, a way to hold all schools accountable has given rise to questions about the impact on children.  Legislating these standardized tests came…

Most of what is written about reading is focused on children, their parents and their teachers. We contend that principals can have an impact by playing a role in the development of a culture of readers by leading reading forward. As "head reader" the principal must first ask him or herself:

• Am I a "reader"? 
• Am I always reading a book?
• Do I pack and read a book when I travel?
• Do I know if my teachers are "readers"?
• If the teachers aren't …

STEM does not mean teaching more. It means teaching differently. It requires project and problem based learning. It requires partnerships with businesses and the health care industry. Science and technology are pushing our lives forward simultaneously. Math, in the service of science, technology, and problem solving, is a partner. New engineers will benefit from innovative design programs supported by the arts and informed by history to break open how we illuminate our homes, play…

As the list of 21st century learning attributes grows, what is included in the learning process to be evaluated grows along with it. Are we willing to rely on the existing manner of assessment and grades as evidence of learning? Or, is evidence of successful teaching and learning a mixture of achievement on tests, motivation of all learners to engage in the process, reduced discipline incidents, increased attendance rates, and, just maybe, increased student…

Leaders' beliefs about technology and lack of understanding about the dynamic and sometimes invisible nature of the use of technology are two barriers to progress.  If a systematic plan for increasing technology applications does not exist in a school or system, question why.  When new standards are required, schools traditionally have planned out professional development, purchases of new texts and/or supplies, and observed as teachers have adopted and used these new methods and…