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Leadership Effective Leaders Are Consistent, Stand Up For What They Believe, and Collaborate In my previous article on this topic (published June 10, 2010), I focused on a few characteristics and attributes of highly effective leaders. Those mentioned were: demonstrating a good work ethic, being friendly toward teachers, and basing decisions on what’s best for kids. There are certainly many other factors, however, that can help define effective leadership. The factors discussed below are intended to provide food for thought as you develop and hone your skills as an effective public school administrator... Other Districts Planning Ballot Measures Alameda Unified School District Parcel Tax Fails – By a Whisker – in Vote-By-Mail Election Education advocates are reading the tea leaves this week, in the wake of last week’s announcement that the Alameda Unified School District’s parcel tax came up a whisker or two short of the required two-thirds majority for passage in a month-long vote-by-mail election, in which ballots were accepted between May 25 and June 22. Alameda’s Measure E would have added $659 annually to the property taxes for each residential parcel, and 15 cents per square foot for commercial parcels, and would have been one of the highest local school taxes in the Bay Area... Payne Leaves to Launch New Venture O'Connell Announces Appointment of Geno Flores as Chief Deputy Superintendent State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell announced last Friday the appointment of Geno Flores, an administrator with the Los Angeles Unified School District, to the position of Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction for the California Department of Education (CDE), effective July 1. The appointment marks the return to CDE by Flores, whom O’Connell previously tapped to serve as a Deputy Superintendent in 2003 at the outset of his administration... Learning Loss, Bad Eating Habits Take Toll During Vacation First Lady Launches Summer Initiative to Curb Student Obesity and Reading Loss First Lady Michelle Obama last week joined four federal Cabinet Secretaries, joined Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service to launch United We Serve: Let's Read. Let's Move. The new initiative will get more Americans volunteering to combat the twin problems of childhood obesity and summer learning loss among youth. “The United We Serve Summer Service initiative is a nationwide effort calling on all Americans to make service a part of their daily lives,” said Mrs. Obama... Leadership Characteristics of Effective Leadership Include Listening, Giving Clear Directions Being chosen to be a public school administrator doesn’t necessarily make you a leader, because leaders don’t automatically get the respect and acceptance of their co-workers. To put it simply, they have to earn that respect. Effective leaders, however, do have many common qualities. Leaders make an effort to learn and practice skills so that they can... LAUSD Parcel Tax Measure Fails Several Bay Area Districts Approve Parcel Tax Measures by Margins of 70 Percent or More A proposed school parcel tax in the mammoth Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) went down to defeat on Tuesday night. But several school parcel taxes in smaller San Francisco Bay Area school districts were approved – with several netting upwards of 70 percent support from local voters. In Southern California, the LAUSD asked voters to approve Measure E, which would have raised $92 million annually over a four year period through a parcel tax of $100 per year per single family home... State Superintendent of Public Instruction Aceves, Torlakson Advance to November Runoff – Romero Finishes Third, Out of the Running It was a close three-way race, but the basic trend – established early in the ballot counting on Tuesday night – never really changed, though the percentages tightened up a bit as the evening wore on. When the last precincts were counted on Wednesday morning, it was clear that two candidates were headed into a November runoff for State Superintendent of Public Instruction... California Alliance for Arts Education Survey SPI Candidates Queried Regarding Arts Education Programs in K-12 Schools With the primary election a few days away, the California Alliance for Arts Education’s survey of candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) offers voters a way to understand how candidates might impact arts education in public schools. The survey asked candidates about a variety of issues related to arts education, including access, assessment and workforce preparation. As the highest elected education official, the Superintendent brings a mandate from the public on education issues... Leadership Successful Leaders are Qualified, Effective Districts are faced with the daunting task of hiring qualified and effective leaders. For the most part, educational leaders are trained in administrative programs that seldom address the real-life challenges that confront site/district leaders on a daily basis. Therefore, while administrative qualifications are addressed in the hiring process, leadership effectiveness is not apparent until the leader assumes his/her position. I would contend that, in order to be an effective leader, you must face the reality that your success is going to be defined by your ability to reach objectives having to do with a multitude of sub-systems... School District Parcel Tax Measures Should You Try in a General Election? A Special Election? A Special "Mail-Only" Election? After absorbing three consecutive years of budget cuts from the state, many California school districts are thinking about asking their local voters for a parcel tax to support local education programs, to replace some of the money that state government has recently taken away. Or – in the case of districts that already have a parcel tax – certain districts are asking voters to approve an increase in their local parcel tax(es) that supports K-12 education. Some districts have more than one... Historic Education Lawsuit Filed by ACSA, CSBA Challenging State's Education Finance System A historic lawsuit was filed Thursday against the State of California, requesting the current education finance system be declared unconstitutional. The suit further demands the state be required to establish a school finance system that provides all students an equal opportunity to meet the academic goals set by the state. The case, “Robles-Wong, et al. v. State of California,” was filed in the Superior Court of California in Alameda County... SBE Approves Los Angeles Charter School Waiver, Over California Teacher Association's Objections In action last Friday, the State Board of Education unanimously approved a request from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to waive an education code requirement that charter schools enroll any student who wants to attend the school rather than limit enrollment to a specific attendance area. The waiver, which was recommended for approval with conditions by California Department of Education staff, would apply to those charter schools specifically approved by the LAUSD board to operate a LAUSD campus... Leadership in a Small District Hats Off to the Superintendent/Principal – An Administrator Who Has Dual Duties There is no doubt that one of the most difficult administrative positions in public education today is that of the superintendent/principal. Administrators in these small school districts face particularly challenging jobs. Where job descriptions exist, they are frequently impossible to fulfill and, at the same time, sufficiently ambiguous to allow for a variety of actions by those who control their positions. Small school administrators confront all the customary tasks of running a school... ACSA Staffer, Brett McFadden, Takes CBO Spot in Pajaro Valley Brett McFadden – a regular contributor to EdBrief, and Management Services Executive with the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) in Sacramento – is moving to Santa Cruz County, where he will become the chief business officer for Pajaro Valley Unified School District. The new position fits in well with McFadden’s experience. For a number of years he handled budget issues as an ACSA legislative advocate... California Will Participate in Phase 2 of Federal Race to the Top Competition, After All State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced that California would continue its efforts to improve student achievement and will seek federal funding through Phase 2 of the Race to the Top competition to support this work. “California is still in the Race to the Top (RTTT),” O'Connell said. “California remains focused on finding ways to more effectively prepare all students for success in college and careers... Forum at California PTA Convention SPI Candidates Offer Widely Divergent Views on Charter Schools, Student Testing Data and More The four major candidates for State Superintendent of Public Instruction were featured in a forum at the California State PTA Convention in Sacramento last Friday. The session produced some stark contrasts when the candidates were asked how they’d handle the job, if elected. In her opening statement, State Sen. Gloria Romero (D-East Los Angeles) described California as “Number One in production of dropouts” – a phrase Romero repeated several times during the forum... SBE Appoints Trustees to Oversee Alisal, Greenfield Districts, Turns Down Piru Charter School The State Board of Education – which has upheld several charter school appeals during the past year, over-ruling local school boards and county offices of education in the process – turned down a charter school appeal on Wednesday from the small Ventura County community of Piru, in the Fillmore Unified School District. The petition for the Piru Charter School – which proposed to move into the buildings currently used by Fillmore Unified’s Piru Elementary – had been denied by the Fillmore Unified district’s school board in 2009... Leadership Communicating Bad News in Tough Times Part II in a series As I mentioned in a previous article, research shows that management is often reluctant to communicate bad news. But if open and honest communication is not a part of a district’s culture, then communicating bad news will result in more bad news. How you and your district cope in tough times is a reflection of true character. How you communicate during those tough times reflects your values. Here are a few tips that may help the cause as we deal with today’s realities... PPIC Poll Finds Deep Concern Over Budget Cuts to Schools Ratings for State Leaders on Education Hit New Lows – Feds Seen as Doing Too Little Concern is growing among the California’s residents about the consequences of spending cuts on kindergarten through 12th grade education, according to an annual survey released Wednesday night by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). Californians today are more likely than last year to believe that funding for their local schools is inadequate, and parents of public school students are far more likely to say that state budget cuts have had a big effect on their children’s schools... Exercise and Eating Right Makes a Difference Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Lead...
First in a series of articles on staying healthy in a leadership role In the last few years, administrators have had to make some very difficult decisions about reducing budgets, cutting back programs, and – sad to say – personnel reductions. These days, it goes without saying that we have a lot of stress in our lives. As a result, many of us in leadership positions find it hard to stay healthy, exercise, and eat well. Staying healthy while working at the site level as an administrator is even more difficult because our work schedules do not really allow for a “duty-free” lunch... Future Teacher Shortage Foreseen As Fewer Enter Profession O'Connell Warns State Budget Cuts Hurt State's Ability to Produce Educated Workforce State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, Margaret Gaston, President of the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, and Dr. Mary Falvey, Dean of the Charter College of Education at California State University, Los Angeles, warned on Tuesday that deep cuts to the state’s public education budget are having a dire effect on the recruitment, preparation, and support of the future teacher workforce... Leadership Simple Morale Boosters for Tough Times During extremely tough economic times, leaders sometimes become preoccupied and tend to forget the basics of people management. In addition, employees can get caught up in worrying about their own well-being and whether or not they will continue to have a job. When this happens, great leaders need to re-focus their teams by saying something like: we can’t control the economy, but here are specific things we can influence everyday as a team and as individual employees that will make us more productive... At Emergency SBE Meeting, Board Appoints Trustee to Oversee Alisal Union Elementary School District The State Board of Education (SBE) convened via teleconference for a special meeting on Tuesday, and moved swiftly to appoint Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Nancy Kotowski as the interim trustee of the Alisal Union Elementary School District, based on the facts presented to the SBE regarding the district’s actions since March 11. The SBE determined that immediate action was necessary in order to preserve the district’s resources and protect the public interest. In terms of specific actions... Schwarzenegger Makes New State Board of Education Appointments Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reconstituted the State Board of Education (SBE) this week, appointing three new members, and reappointing a current member for a second term. The Governor’s appointments represent the latest move in an ongoing chess game over the composition of the SBE. Appointees to the SBE can serve for up to a year without legislative confirmation. Legislative Democrats recently “ran out the clock” on two SBE appointees named by the Governor in March 2009 – Rae Belisle and Jorge Lopez... Leadership Tips for Motivating Your District's Staff – Even While Facing Budget Cuts, Pink Slips More than any time in recent history, school districts are restructuring work environments and laying off staff in order to cope with the depressed economy. In addition, it is not unusual for districts to experience symptoms of low morale including: excessive employee health problems, absenteeism, and dips in productivity. In these challenging economic times, it is most important that district leaders take advantage of every opportunity to motivate and enhance the performance of employees... Recovery Task Force Insists California Complies with SFSF "Maintenance of Effort" Requirements California Recovery Task Force Director Herb K. Schultz issued a quick response to a March 4 letter from the federal Department of Education suggesting that California is out of compliance with “maintenance of effort” requirements under the federal State Fiscal Stabilization Fund’ program. “California has met all federal requirements for the second distribution of stimulus funding for education,” Schultz said. “I am disheartened that anyone would try to stand in the way of securing nearly a half a billion dollars in critical funding for our education system... SBE Wrap-up Trustees Assigned to Two Monterey County Districts; SBE Seats Formerly Held by Lopez, Belisle Now Vacant In action taken last Thursday afternoon (after last week’s edition of EdBrief went into distribution), the State Board of Education (SBE) unanimously moved to assign state-appointed trustees to work with two Monterey County school districts. SBE president Ted Mitchell had recently visited the Alisal Union and Greenfield Union school districts, following up on presentations to the SBE by representatives of those districts in January describing the considerable challenges faced by the two districts... Aceves, Torlakson, Lenning Discuss Layoffs, Race to the Top and More at Candidate Forum Three of the major candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction – all of whom have worked as classroom teachers at some point in their careers – faced off at a forum at Freeborn Hall on the UC Davis campus on Monday – the day it was announced that nearly 22,000 California teachers and other school staff had received layoff notices, largely stemming from reductions in state funding to local school districts. “It’s heartbreaking,” said candidate Larry Aceves, a Bay Area educator who said he’d seen layoff notices go out before during his 15 years as a school district superintendent... Interventions Loom CDE Identifies 188 "Low-Achieving Schools" on Monday, Then Revises List on Wednesday After several delays, the California Department of Education (CDE) released a “preliminary” list of 188 California public schools identified as “persistently low-achieving” on Monday – and then revised the list of secondary schools (Tier II) substantially late Wednesday. The revised Tier II list was effectively approved late Thursday morning when the State Board of Education (SBE) unanimously approved a set of waiver requests relating to the federal School Improvement Grant program. The process left many educators up and down the state feeling exasperated, as schools in their district were initially labeled as “low-achieving”... Leadership Some Administrators Shine in Tough Times To say that the budget forecast is grim is definitely an understatement. Nonetheless, as a superintendent, you’re expected to be an instructional leader as well as a manager and continue to move the school district forward in terms of student achievement. Unfortunately, many young principals have never experienced an economy of this nature, or, at a minimum, have only a faint memory of what it can be like to try to do more with less. It’s during these tough times that leadership skills are put to the test. The following leadership skills are extremely valuable during the good times and essential during challenging times... State Board of Education Jorge Lopez Steps Down, Rae Belisle's Long-Delayed Confirmation Hearing Still On Hold There’s an open seat on the State Board of Education (SBE) – and there might be a second opening a few weeks hence, depending on how events shake out between now and March 11. SBE member Jorge Lopez, appointed in March 2009 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, has resigned. In a letter announcing his decision, Lopes cited “recent family health issues and a new baby” as well as his duties as head of the Oakland Charter Academy... Leadership Six Tips for Successfully Communicating Budget News During Difficult Times Budget cuts and staff reductions translate into reduced services, which in turn adversely impact the quality of education for students. When districts are forced to cut staff, successful programs are cut along with them. Other critical services that create successful learning environments suffer during a budget crisis, especially when the budget crisis is of the magnitude that we face today. Ultimately, students are the ones that have been most victimized by California’s unresolved school finance issues... UCLA Study Dubs Charter Schools "A Civil Rights Failure" – Charter Supporters Dispute Findings Are charter schools less likely to be racially diverse, as compared with regular public schools? A report published last week by the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA found that charter schools continue to stratify students by race, class, and possibly language. Titled “Choice Without Equity: Charter School Segregation and the Need for Civil Rights Standards,” the report also concluded that... Thomas Resigns as California's Secretary of Education after Turbulent Year in Sacramento California State Secretary of Education Glen W. Thomas announced on Tuesday that he is stepping down as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Secretary of Education. Thomas cited family reasons for his decision. “It has been the highest honor to serve the Governor, but family is always first priority,” said Thomas. “My 96-year-old mother is not well. Twenty-four years ago I cared for my father, and I told my mother that when the time came I would do the same for her... Annual State of Education Message O'Connell Renews Call for 55 Percent Threshold for Approval of School District Parcel Taxes State Superintendent Public Instruction Jack O’Connell delivered his annual State of Education Address last Friday, highlighting progress made over the past seven years in improving student achievement. O’Connell applauded California's educators for doing the hard work to achieve these results even as the state reduced funding for K-12 education. O'Connell also urged the adequate funding for California's public school system and called for passage of Senate Constitutional Amendment 6 by Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto)... Leadership A Five Step Strategy for Problem Solving In my last article, I shared some thoughts in regard to reducing stress in the workplace. Since stress is normally the result of problems, I thought that it might prove helpful to examine a problem solving process. The process that I will describe is only a guide, and, although these concepts are not new or innovative, they may nonetheless prove helpful when you are faced with a particularly difficult situation... Governor's State of the State Message: "I Will Protect Education Funding" – But Also "Get Rid of Incompetent Principals Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made some statements in Wednesday’s “State of the State” message that will likely go over well with California educators – but he also made a few statements that will likely cause some consternation among educators as well. And many educators are waiting to see what sort of budget resources will back up the ideas outlined by the Governor in his speech. The Governor – who has dealt huge cuts to K-12 education during the past few years – said “I am drawing this line... Hundreds of Local Educational Agencies Intend to Participate in Race to the Top Speaking on Monday, when final legislative action by the California legislature on federal Race to the Top requirements was still pending, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell and Secretary of Education Glen Thomas announced that almost 800 California local educational agencies (LEAs) have indicated their intent to participate in the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) reforms and support the state’s RTTT application. Under the Obama Administration’s guidelines, in addition to prompting legislative education reforms required for states to compete... SBE Advances Charter School Plans, Hears from DAIT Districts with Challenging Demographics Charter schools and school districts in the DAIT (District Assistance and Intervention Team) process generated plenty of discussion at this week’s meeting of the State Board of Education (SBE) – a meeting that extended over an unprecedented three-day span. On Wednesday, the SBA approved two charter school-related agenda items that had been denied by local education agencies. The SBE approved the Ingenium Charter School (which had been denied by the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Board of Education)... O'Connell Names New Deputy Superintendent of Government Affairs and Charter Schools State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell on Tuesday announced the appointment of Lupita Cortez Alcalá as Deputy Superintendent of the Government Affairs and Charter Development Branch. “As California continues to implement the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, competes in the Race to the Top, and negotiates our own state’s ongoing economic crisis, it is reassuring to know that a person of Lupita’s leadership ability, experience, and knowledge will help guide efforts to improve public education,” O’Connell said... Leadership Six Steps to Effective Problem Solving I recently wrote an article on how to deal with stress in the workplace. As we all know, stress normally is the result of problems, either the number of them, the magnitude of any one problem, or both. The problem solving process consists of a sequence of steps that fit together depending on the type of problem to be solved. Nothing that I will present is going to be a new concept for any public school administrator. But it may prove helpful to think in terms of a complete process... Carefully Planned Campaign Nets Parcel Tax Approval for Walnut Creek School District The Walnut Creek School District in suburban Contra Costa County rolled to a 75.73 percent “Yes” vote for a renewal of their $82 per year parcel tax in the November 3 election – a margin of victory nine points higher than the two-thirds majority required for passage. And Walnut Creek’s parcel tax is now open-ended, with no expiration date – meaning that the district will not have to go back to the voters in another four years to ask for a renewal... Nine Proven Strategies for Coping with Stress In a time of high stakes testing and accountability, political dissonance, tremendous fiscal uncertainty, ever-changing political directives, overwhelming paperwork, unparalleled student diversity, and waning public perception, public school administrators are under a tremendous amount of stress. I would maintain that a limited amount of stress can actually be healthy. It motivates us and makes us stronger as individuals. Too much stress, however, can make us irrational, and – quite literally... SBE Faulted for Tardy Agenda Materials Time to read, absorb and thoughtfully respond to late-appearing documents relating to fast approaching deadlines – or more specifically the lack of such – was a topic that surfaced again and again at this week’s State Board of Education (SBE) meeting in Sacramento. On Wednesday, the SBE was the target of several complaints. Leading off was Ken Burt of the California Teachers Association (CTA), who strode to the microphone during public comment and reminded the SBE of the Bagley Keene Open Meeting Act (which dates from 1967)... School Boards Association Withholds 'Legislator of the Year Award' Due to State's Draconian Cuts to Schools After consideration of the $12.5 billion in cuts to education enacted this year, and additional delays in the allocation of billions of dollars of school funds, the California School Boards Association (CSBA) decided last week not to grant an Outstanding Legislator of the Year award for 2009. The decision was enacted by a unanimous vote of CSBA’s legislative committee, following a comprehensive analysis of each nominee’s 2009 voting record on budget-related bills and key policy legislation... New Student Representative Appointed to SBE Charlene Lee, 16, of Walnut (Los Angeles County), has been appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the State Board of Education (SBE). Lee is an honor student in her senior year at Walnut High School, in the Walnut Valley Unified School District. Lee will be sworn in at the Nov. 18-19 meeting of the SBE. Lee worked as a U.S. Senate page in 2009 and was an intern for the district office of then-Congresswoman Hilda Solis in 2008. (Solis was picked earlier this year as the Obama Administration’s Secretary of Labor.)... Global Tides Petition Being Reviewed by Districts; Torlakson Seeks Additional Requirements Scores of California school districts have been evaluating charter school petitions for the proposed Global Tides online charter school. In an unrelated development on the charter school front, Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) has introduced a bill that would put additional requirements on new charter schools and existing charter schools that are renewing their charter – while also lift the state cap on the number of charter schools, a move sought by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, federal Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and others... The Basics of Successful Leadership There has been quite a bit written about the basics of successful leadership. But if you are like many of the superintendents that I know, you may not have had the time to read it. Yet many writers, and any leaders – in education, and in other fields – reach similar conclusions. Many of them agree that there are three categories of practices that have been identified for leadership success... SPI Candidates Criss-Cross State Seeking Voter Support The voters won’t go to the polls until June 2010, so these are still early days in the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. But several candidates have been busy traveling the state and giving speeches. Although the office is nonpartisan, most candidates have been stumping among members of the political party to which they belong, seeking early supporters for the campaign ahead. — Larry Aceves was in Ventura County during early October. According to an article in the Ventura County Star, Aceves told the Santa Paula Rotary Club that he is concerned because “We’re not teaching kids to do critical thinking... Changing Times Require New Skills The Fine Art of Balancing Instructional Leadership and Management Strategies There are many different opinions about how much emphasis educational leaders should place on instructional leadership relative to management skills and other competencies. Some very good leaders could not truly be called instructional leaders, but they are effective because they know how to nurture good teaching and learning amid external pressures. At the same time, some leaders who have excellent instructional leadership skills have experienced difficulty because they are not competent managers. In this environment, it takes more than just instructional leadership to maintain quality teaching and learning in a school setting... Online Charter School Submits Petitions to 91 California School Districts A Southern California nonprofit group has filed charter school petitions with a total of 91 California school districts, with the goal of establishing an online K-12 charter school program that could enroll students in any part of the state. Charter School Development Systems, of Newport Beach, has reactivated an existing but until recently dormant nonprofit organization known as Global Tides Online Charter School, which proposes to open in September 2010. Global Tides proposes to launch with six teachers, and initially serve 100 students who would work from home... Sec. Duncan Awards Early Reading First Grants – Two California Districts among Recipients U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Tuesday announced the award of more than $108.8 million in Early Reading First grants to 28 local education agencies (LEAs) and other public or private organizations in 18 states and Washington, D.C., to improve the school readiness of young children, especially those from low-income families. The Department of Education awards Early Reading First grants to school districts and non-profit organizations to improve the instruction and environment provided by preschool programs supported by the Title I program, Head Start, and publicly funded or subsidized child care... SBE Ponders More Frequent Meetings, Examines DAIT Changes and Reading Program Funding In an effort to secure as much funding as possible of an estimated $10 billion to be made available nationwide under the federal Race to the Top (RTTT) program, the State Board of Education (SBE) may be scheduling additional meetings in coming months. And it will now be possible for educators around the state to follow the SBE’s discussions, since the California Department of Education is piloting a program to carry live streaming video of the proceedings through the CDE website... Do you recognize yourself? Good Boss/Bad Boss Behaviors In my last article, I addressed the concept of good boss/bad boss behaviors. Many leaders love to give orders or critique the work of others, but have unclear or ambivalent ideas about what they are actually trying to accomplish. They certainly know what they want at the moment, but the big picture is blurred.
Obama to Address Nation's Students on Tuesday President Barack Obama will give a special address for K-12 students on Tuesday (September 8) at 9 a.m. Pacific Time. The broadcast will be carried live over the White House website (www.whitehouse.gov) and will also be carried live on C-SPAN (www.c-span.org). The speech will likely be available for replay at both websites after the live broadcast. A technology tip from Tina Burkhart, Director of District Support Services with Total School Solutions: “If the schools in a district are planning to watch the speech live... Are You a Good Boss? Or a Bad Boss? In all of the articles that I have written about leadership, I have never really addressed the issue of “being the boss.” After all, there are times when you simply have to make decisions, and live with the consequences. Yet it’s also important to realize this related reality: few things can incite an employee like asking him/her to talk about a “bad boss.” People aren’t just annoyed when they perceive poor leadership; they often get downright angry and begin to sputter as they describe their superior... Avoid "Donor Fatigue"
Be Considerate When Asking for Classroom Supplies The school year has started at many school districts. Kids bring home backpacks containing notes from the teachers outlining their coursework for the weeks and months. Frequently, teachers also send home a request asking parents to provide supplies, workbooks, agendas, journals and other necessities, some as innocuous as tissue paper. Public education has always relied on the support and generosity of the community. The gift of goods, supplies and services to schools and classrooms has a long and rich history... Fiscal Perspectives: Things Education Leaders Should Keep in Mind The dust continues to settle on many aspects of the recently adopted 2009-10 revised state budget. But as we figure out how to implement this one, we need to start thinking about the next. Unfortunately, we are not out of the woods by any stretch. The following are some perspectives we recommend education leaders consider as they implement this latest version of the budget and begin thinking about the rest of 2009-10 and start planning for 2010-11. Continued trouble ahead...Districts Monitoring Voting Rights Lawsuits, Some Switch to Trustee Elections by District Numerous California school districts are mulling over a change in the way they elect school board trustees – and several districts have already switched to “by district” elections – as a result of a the efforts of a group known as the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCR). In March of last year, the Madera Unified School District (in the San Joaquin Valley, about 20 miles north of Fresno) received a letter from the LCCR, followed by a second letter in June 2008... Preparing for the First Day of School, A Good Idea Are you a first year principal, or a veteran with many years of experience? For the purposes of this article, it really doesn’t matter. At this time of the year, all principals are preparing for that first day of the new school year, and they certainly want it to run smoothly for kids, parents, staff, and themselves. The best advice I ever received as a principal preparing for that first day was to plan, and then plan more extensively. You should develop a list of key items such as the following: hiring staff, the master schedule... Obama to California: Change Your Ways If You Want Federal 'Race to the Top' Funding The Obama Administration challenged California’s education practices again last Friday. And this time it was the President himself who did the talking. “Any state that makes it unlawful to link student progress to teacher evaluation will have to change its ways if it wants to compete” for the $4.35 billion that will soon be available for competitive grants under the new federal “Race to the Top” program, Obama said in a speech at the federal Department of Education in Washington. The President mentioned California specifically... Everyday Administrative Challenges Can Place You in Unusual Situations For the past two years, I have had the privilege of “coaching” approximately twenty new administrators. All of these individuals were qualified to assume their respective roles, but most of them had very limited administrative experience. While the administrative credential program is highly beneficial, it can’t possibly deal with the tremendous variety of everyday administrative challenges that one inevitably faces on the job. A few of these challenges are listed below, and while some of them may sound far-fetched, every one of them actually occurred. There were times when I had to laugh after hanging up the phone... Effective Leaders Develop Skills – Listening, Setting an Example, Handling Conflict Being chosen to be a public school administrator doesn’t necessarily make you a leader, because leaders don’t automatically get the respect and acceptance of their co-workers. To put it simply, they have to earn that respect. Effective leaders, however, do have many common qualities. Leaders make an effort to learn and practice skills so that they can:
Commentary Reaffirming Our Core Mission During Crisis Nowadays, more often than not, these words are uttered by many decision-makers in K-12 education: “We don’t have any money” And then critical spending, including that which would be needed to help enhance student learning and achievement, is put on hold. Yet even though school districts around the state have taken significant losses due to state budget problems and the nationwide recession, our core mission as education leaders has not changed... California Court Decision Favors Management We finally have some good news to report. On June 18, the California Supreme Court issued its opinion in the San Leandro Unified School District mailbox case, regarding distribution of campaign literature. The opinion was 7-0 in favor of the district and school management organizations involved in the case. The court concluded: "We hold that the District may constitutionally determine pursuant to (Education Code) section 7054 that internal school mailboxes should be kept free of literature containing endorsements of political candidates."... Analysis and Commentary Pending Budget Reductions Could Scrap California's K-12 Accountability System While it is difficult to make prognostications regarding what will finally emerge from the current negotiations over the expected reductions in the state budget, it is possible that we may be witnessing the slow dismantling of the Public School Accountability Act and California’s home-grown (and original) system of education accountability. While the Academic Performance Index (API) remains in place, other components of California’s original accountability system appear to have been abandoned, with additional aspects of the system apparently on the chopping block... Successful Meetings and Group Discussions are Usually Thought Through in Advance The vast majority of work accomplished at meetings is normally done through group discussion. This fact is significant since discussions are a time when everyone has the opportunity to contribute to the group as a whole. Group discussion is particularly valuable when more than one individual is working on a project. The ideas generated within a group often don’t come alive when one person is working alone. Discussion time within a meeting, however, is also a time when frustrations can build. If, as the leader, you sense that frustration and anxiety are becoming all too prevalent at your meetings, you may need to re-think the purpose behind having group discussions... Larry Aceves, Candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, Picks Up 300 Endorsements Larry Aceves, retired school district superintendent and candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced this week that he’s received over 300 key endorsements from educators, superintendents, and education leaders throughout the state. Aceves has been endorsed by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), the largest umbrella leadership organization for school leaders in the nation, representing more than 16,000 school leaders. Charles Weis, President of ACSA and an individual endorser of Larry Aceves said, "Larry Aceves has been committed to working with students and educators for over 30 years... Districts Urged to Support Legislation Lowering Threshold for Parcel Tax Passage The Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) is urging local school boards to pass a resolution in support of legislation that will make it easier to pass local parcel taxes to support educational program. SCA 6 (introduced by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto) places a constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2010 to ask voters if they support school districts having the ability to pass local parcel taxes with a 55% vote threshold, instead of the currently required two-thirds majority. This would make the vote threshold for parcel taxes the same as for local general obligation bonds for school facilities... Tips for Delegating Authority As pointed out in a previous article, everyone's leadership style is situational. Your leadership style depends on the importance of the task to be completed, the capabilities of the individuals with whom you work, and the time available to obtain the desired results. As a leader, you make daily decisions about the appropriate leadership style to utilize in each work situation. When possible, delegating authority will definitely help to foster employee involvement and empowerment in order to enable your colleagues to demonstrate their best effort at work... SPI Candidate, Aceves Ramps Up Campaign, Stresses Background as Educator Larry Aceves – who's served as superintendent in several California school districts – is spending lots of time these days recruiting many of his former colleagues as supporters in his race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “I have been doing some travel, but mostly I've been on the phone with people, generating support – and fundraising,” Aceves said in an interview with EdBrief on Wednesday. “I've spoken with over 300 people, most of them superintendents. And most of them have said ‘Thank God you're doing this – we need an educator rather than a legislator for SPI.’”... Garcia Appointed as New Executive Director of SBE The State Board of Education (SBE) today named Theresa Garcia as the new Executive Director of the State Board of Education. "We are excited about the leadership she will bring to the board. The board is confident that her vast experience in education, coupled with her commitment to the children of California make her the right choice for the board," said Ted Mitchell, President State Board of Education. Garcia has an extensive background in California education... Lopez Named to State Board of Education Jorge Lopez, of Moraga, was sworn in as a new member of the State Board of Education (SBE) on Wednesday. Lopez has served as the executive director for Oakland Charter Academy. Prior to that, Lopez was the program director for Sacramento Youth Project/MAAP2004 and held the same position with Migrant Education Region XXVI (Area III) in 2003. He worked at Dolores Huerta Learning Academy where he served as the principal from 2000 to 2001 and teacher from 1999 to 2000... Bersin Joins Obama Administration as "Border Czar," Leaves State Board of Education Alan Bersin – a member of California's State Board of Education (SBE) – is moving on. Bersin is joining the Obama Administration in a position dealing with issues on the U.S./Mexico boundary, including drug-related law enforcement. The new job is not unlike the post that Bersin held in the 1990s during the Clinton Administration. Back in the 1990s, Bersin worked under Attorney General Janet Reno as the nation's Southwest Border Representative... The Importance of Feedback As a leader, whether you recognize it or not, you are constantly providing feedback to your employees and colleagues. How you provide that feedback will often make the difference in terms of whether the employee is successful or unsuccessful. Some of the most common types of feedback are as follows:
How to Know if You are an Effective Leader “Leadership is the art of getting someone to do something you want because they want to do it.” This thought came from our thirty-fourth President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower. A leader is responsible for getting results. That means planning and delegating in situations where it is warranted. If you are not being effective, there will be some definite signs or indicators that are easy to identify. Here are some indicators that your leadership style might need improvement... Effective Leadership Supports Student Success In a time of high stakes testing and accountability, political dissonance, fiscal uncertainty, ever-changing policy directives, overwhelming paperwork, unparalleled student diversity, and waning public perception, effective educational leadership has never been at such a premium. Effective leadership is critical to student success. Educational reformers and support providers continually study effective schools in an attempt to identify those characteristics that most often foster student success – academic, personal, social, emotional, and physical... With Increased Flexibility Comes Increased Responsibility: A big picture perspective Much has been made of the recently adopted “flexibility” in the use of categorical program funding, and some have celebrated the newly introduced funding as a political victory. However, the fact remains that the flexibility, although helpful, comes with historic overall reductions in K-adult funding, and specific reductions to programs and services to students. Therefore, we recommend a careful analysis of the new flexibility provisions in relationship to your Local Educational Agency (LEA)’s overall mission and student needs... Are You Running Effective Meetings? Effective meetings are the result of a process that accounts for the needs of those who organize the meeting and those in attendance. The basic componentes of this process include preparing for the meeting, conducting the meeting, and following up after the meeting is closed. While this certainly sounds simple enough, how many times have you been in a meeting where you wondered why you were there? An effective meeting can be described as one which achieves its goals and involves all participants... Tips for Maintaining Balance in Your Life In my last article, I focused on the concept of assessing whether or not you are maintaining balance in your life. As we all know, in today's hectic world, it is easy for one's life to become totally consumed by work. Here are some helpful tips to help you maintain a sense of balance:
Are You Maintaining Balance in Your Life? As public school administrators, we often feel as though there is "not enough of us to go around." In today's hectic world, we all try to fill multiple roles, and are often pulled in a variety of directions. The end result can be that one's life becomes totally out of balance. Your ability to maintain balance in your life will be determined by your leadership style and your ability to live your priorities... Time Well Spent? . . . Not Always If you've been in K-12 education for a while, and have observed some of the trends and models of instruction that have gone in (and out) of fashion, you might remember the movement for "time on task" as the driving force in instruction and emphasis in evaluation. "Time on task" featured an evaluator equipped with a stopwatch and map of the classroom, intermittently checking the percentage of students that were "on task" at a particular moment... Organization – The Key to Success I believe that we can all agree that there has never been a more difficult time to be a top level administrator in public education, particularly in California. In a time of high stakes testing and accountability, political dissonance, fiscal uncertainty, ever-changing policy directives, overwhelming paperwork, unparalleled student diversity, and waning public perception, educational leadership has become a daunting task... Educate Your Board Candidates On November 4, 2008, when the voters elect a president and members of federal and state legislatures, they will also pick the elected leadership of their local school districts. About half of the school districts in California will hold board elections on the same ballot that includes the presidential contest. Typically, these local elections produce a new crop of school board trustees, serving on an elected board for the first time... The Qualities of a Leader – Part III This article is the last of a three part series pertaining to the qualities of highly effective leaders. In previous articles, I have cited fourteen characteristics that I believe are essential to serve as a true leader and move your organization forward. The final seven qualities are as follows:
Preparing for Leadership In 1865, American novelist and poet Josiah Gilbert Holland called for new leadership. He wrote, “A time like this demands strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands; men and women whom the lust of office does not kill; men and women who the spoils of office cannot buy; men and women who possess opinions and a will; men and women who have honor; men and women who will not lie.”... The Qualities of a Leader – Part II As pointed out in my previous article (Part I), highly effective leaders possess many qualities which set them apart from their colleagues. At that time, I cited seven characteristics that I believe are essential for a leader to move any organization forward. There are many other qualities, however, that are also of great importance. Here are seven of them... What Secretary of Education Long Has to Say Now Sometimes, a long-planned presentation at a regularly scheduled meeting takes on greater significance. That was the case with a routine meeting of the Yolo County School Boards Association in Woodland on September 22, where David Long – who’s served as Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Secretary of Education since March 2007 – was the scheduled guest... The Qualities of a Leader – Part I As pointed out in a previous article, educational reformers and support providers continually study effective schools in an attempt to identify those characteristics that most often foster student successes. While the findings of said researchers range from teacher expectations to curricular alignment, most agree that strong, effective leadership is essential for school success... Leadership Development is a Key Element in Determining School Success In a time of high stakes testing and accountability, political dissonance, fiscal uncertainty, ever changing policy directives, overwhelming paperwork, unparalleled student diversity, and waning public perception, effective educational leadership is at a premium. Educational reformers and support providers continually study effective schools in an attempt to identify those characteristics that most often foster student success- academic, personal, social, emotional, and physical... Key Traits To Be A Successful Principal The following is the first of two articles about the Key Traits of a Successful Principal, which we hope will assist school districts who are struggling to attract and keep high quality Principals.There is no doubt that serving as a principal is one of the most intense and stressful jobs in public education. In particular, being a principal of a large comprehensive high school is probably the single most stressful job with the possible exception of being the bus dispatcher for Los Angeles Unified... |
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