Student discipline is defined in Codes of Conduct and lives within schools' culture. School leaders and boards of education with input from school attorneys and others develop Codes of Conduct. They reveal and inform the belief system of the adults responsible for supporting appropriate conduct of the students each and every day. Discipline begins in classrooms and, if necessary, progresses outward. In most districts, the discipline buck stops in the principal's or the assistant…

The political atmosphere in which we are leading reinforces a destructive belief... that there is one truth or alternative truths but there is no such thing a truth. How can that be? As sides polarize, heels are dug in, differences are heightened, and common ground becomes the treacherous ground that causes everyone to lose identity. As this occurs, belief in the honesty of the 'other' diminishes. For the work of educators in some areas there are absolute truths, in mathematics and…

Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin made it a hit. Everyone could sing it and spell it...R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Baby boomers learned about it from their parents and in churches and schools. They were taught to respect their elders. Respect the flag.  Respect the uniform. Respect authority. We were raised to think there were consequences to not showing appropriate respect.

Respect for settings and environments was reflected in how one dressed. It was translated into professionalism and to…

Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin made it a hit. Everyone could sing it and spell it...R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Baby boomers learned about it from their parents and in churches and schools. They were taught to respect their elders. Respect the flag.  Respect the uniform. Respect authority. We were raised to think there were consequences to not showing appropriate respect.

Respect for settings and environments was reflected in how one dressed. It was translated into professionalism and to…

Educational leaders find themselves in an interesting position. After years of public criticism of public education from one faction or another, we are, with health care and defense, at center stage nationally. On that stage with us are those in powerful policy positions who are advocates of vouchers and charters to fix a broken system. Ironically, we do not see it as broken, though we agree it may need some work. So, we enter the drama in the role of the resistance. And, we know that, in…

Could we, like sunshine, invite delight into our schools? Currently, I am exploring the paradox of responsibility and delight.  As educators, we hold one in each hand.  I wonder how we can balance both the responsibility with the delight? I was wet behind the ears when I was hired as a Principal. In my early thirties, I had lots to learn.  I was very responsible.  But, I needed to grow in how to delight in my work. I can pinpoint the year when I learned the importance of morning…

Leadership, like life, is a journey best taken along with a healthy dose of self-knowledge, social conscience, empathy, compassion, and humility. What is taught and learned in administrative preparation programs are the nuts and bolts: the law, finance, labor relations, supervision, governance, the details of the daily responsibilities. These are all necessary knowledge and skills for the administrative role, but they are not all one needs to know. The successful ones, the ones who…

One of the facets 21st century schools have in common is partnerships with business and higher education.  Many schools and districts already have partnerships that can be maximized with a willingness to recognize that:

• Students continue to fail to see a connection between what is happening in their classrooms and their future lives.
• Teachers do not have experience working in the fields of their content area.
• Targeted professional development that…

The phrase 'tough on crime' sits atop a silent undertone. It is not about early intervention or after school programs or drug prevention programs. It is about punishments and putting "them" away.  Steven H. Cook, a former police officer who became a federal prosecutor based in Knoxville, Tennessee, has just been appointed as a top lieutenant in Attorney General Jeff Sessions' administration.  According to the Washington Post:

"Sessions and Cook are preparing a…

Schools reinforce societal values...but should they?  It is part of the intention of public schools, isn't it? Preparing children to grow into contributing citizens in our society is certainly part of the curriculum. Educators carry with them the limits and biases of the society as well as the mores that make us a civil society. Without realizing it, and with no bad intention, schools reinforce the effects of racism and send graduates off who are holding those very societal values we…

We have an obligation to be mindful of how we teach and use the use of technology in learning. If you are wondering whether this applies to you or not, try spending a day without your phone attached to you, not checking your email, or looking for news alerts or suggestions for purchase. We would struggle to do that ourselves. Look around during faculty meetings and see whether there is focused attention or whether some are looking at their phones and iPads. Ask yourself if you've…

We have discovered over the past election cycle that it was getting more difficult not to get dragged down. The more hateful the language, the more distasteful the attitudes, the more troubling the policy, the more invisible the values, the more we were challenged to stay optimistic. A school is just a building without those human qualities living within it. We do know, however, that our business is one of hope and of optimism and of…

Leaders become mired in the work of getting all of the required evaluations of faculty and staff completed.  Once finishing becomes the objective, all potential value is in jeopardy. But at this time of year, that is the weight one feels, to finish. Evaluation is intended to serve two masters: one is accountability and the other is professional development. Some might think that is an irreconcilable duality. One might say it is an impossible one. But it is a fact of life in schools. So…

With the appointment of Betsy DeVos for education secretary, many are understandably predicting a proliferation of vouchers and charter schools. It is her espoused solution for guaranteeing a fair and equitable education for all students, no matter their zip code. Since that is also the goal of public education... equal access to success... and zip codes may be one of the problems that prevents success for all, why can't we get behind the voucher and charter solution? …

 Whether it is TV news or online, most are getting news from a screen and the younger the population the more the source is online. This past summer the Pew Foundation reported that four-in-ten Americans often get news online. School leaders have to identify their own capacity to separate true news from fake news and then ascertain what skill levels…

As you read this blog, in your home or office or somewhere in the world on a mobile device, chances are you are not hungry or cold or in pain. Chances are during this season you are making a list and checking it twice.  And, for many educators, it is likely you are contributing to help a family in need. Yes, educators are safe from the life realities of the students they serve. It may be literally impossible to remain openhearted and empathetic if we do not walk in the shoes of…

Our recent post Boss and Buddy: Can a Leader Be Both? provoked comments from our readers that captured our attention. We found them eye opening and wanted to respond. As we thought about them, we realized a larger reality. What do teachers think of the job their leaders are doing? Is that how the leaders think they are perceived? When we wrote …

Why wouldn't policy makers, business people, and those who have never lived a day in a public school think that if they opened the doors to competition, schools would improve? Here is why. It defies imagination that teachers working with students would work harder or better or differently if they were competing to keep them in their classrooms and schools.  It is offensive to think that we don't bring our biggest hearts and highest skill to the school and classroom every day. But,…

Leaders have many functions to perform. That myriad of roles complicates the nature of the relationships a leader can develop and maintain within the organization and the community. Leaders will inevitably be faced with situations where they must require the faculty and staff to respond with immediate compliance. But, most issues and situations allow for the space and time to act with understanding and compassion, to be the lead listener.  …

 In the wake of a bitter and unprecedented election cycle, and a wave of hate speech and bullying in American schools. it is hard not to feel discouraged. I wake up at night, fearful for the many communities targeted with hateful rhetoric and violence. Social media can help us repair communities and document incidents, but it can raises new questions for educators.

For example, a video of students in Royal Oaks, MI …