Could we marry the processes of consensus and of compromise to benefit our work? Here's our take away thought and question. If we could get agreement on the 'what' by consensus, does that open the door to compromise on the 'how'? Consensus is based on these three statements...I understand. I can agree. I will support. Merriam-Webster offers these words as synonyms: accord, concurrence, concurrency, agreement, unanimity, and unison.  A recent headline read "Lawmakers remain in partisan…

 When the adults in the organization are offered specific processes that "build trust, develop relationships, and create a more mature and responsive professional community of colleagues with the moral and even spiritual commitment to their cause that is pursued with courage, commitment, and empathy" students will benefit. The striking fact remains that while we focus so much on curriculum development and delivery, responsibilities and obligations, problems and solutions, attention to…

Unless there is consistent support and practice, with feedback and evaluation, too often what is read, experienced, and taught have only a moment's life span. Children, parents and colleagues rarely learn what potential was offered and current practice returns. Schools change one teacher at a time or they will simply remain the same at their core. All of us know those who are the teachers on the edge...the ones who are pushing and pulling and agitating others with new thinking and why…

BEYOND PETER DRUCKER’S FIVE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Peter…

“Almost 70% of US managers are scared to talk to their employees.”

• Published on Published onJanuary 8, 2018…

This is the biggest question in K-12. All success in elementary school pivots on this question.

The answer is obvious. Sight-words become vocabulary words when the child sounds them out. At that point, we might say, the child transcends cold, almost useless graphic design and appropriates it at a phonetic level.…

Why we decided to launch the Great American Teach-Off, and how it will work (updated)

Superintendents' Most Creative School Closing Announcements

From the Leadership Lite (humor page) in the January issue of School Administrator magazine:…

Bitter cold is preventing some schools from reopening after the winter holiday break. Even the Deep South is shivering this week. Snow storms continue to pummel others where snowfall measurements seem incomprehensible. Whether returning to school this week or not, vast numbers of Americans traveled somewhere during these past few weeks. Families of multiple generations met to enjoy dinners and exchange gifts. We were among those and we realized that in each of those where young people…

....sight-words and dumbing down.

Yes, there's a big cosmic battle going on. The Education Establishment likes to discuss reading as a dry scientific subject. Of course, they say, we need sight-words because phonics doesn't work all the time. So they say.

Meanwhile, here's what does work all the  time. Sight-words dumb down their victims…

Text Messaging Can Boost Grades and Attendance

Another strategy to file in the “cheap and effective” category: A study published this year found that weekly automated text messages sent to parents about their child’s grades, absences, and…

Reflective Writing Exercises Can Improve Student Outcomes

When students write about their personal values, it can help them feel more positive about themselves and their futures, promoting a growth mindset and creating a protective buffer against many harmful experiences. In one study, a reflective writing assignment helped students of color deal…