Leadership in the Leadership in the 2121stst Century Century

The Chicken Little dance…The Chicken Little dance…

Chris Lindholmclindhol@shakopee.k12.mn.us

Everyone has a story…Everyone has a story…

• Social Studies teacher & coach – Northfield High School

• Dean of Students – Edina High School **2000-2002

• Assistant Principal – Shakopee Junior High **2002-2006

• Principal – Shakopee Junior High **2006-present

Suburban kid with “old school” rootsSuburban kid with “old school” roots

Passion for leadership Passion for leadership

Learned Alvin Toffler’s work from colleague Learned Alvin Toffler’s work from colleague

Golden opportunities to learn and take risksGolden opportunities to learn and take risks

Stay grounded with disciplined reflectionStay grounded with disciplined reflection

or or LeadershipLeadership??

Chicken LittleChicken Little??

Biggest Picture PossibleBiggest Picture Possible

Real, Authentic, Scary Real, Authentic, Scary QuestionsQuestions

• What is SpEd? • How can a teacher write one modified test that meets the

individual needs of 7 students on IEPs? • Why does it seem that the students with disabilities that

make school more difficult have less homework and work less than those without a disability?

• How can more than 50% of our students receive academic performance awards each year yet our average test scores be below the state average?

• What is a grade? • If student doesn’t turn in homework but passes

assessments, how can s/he be failing? • Are are we systematically creating a positive relationship

with every student? • If PE is all about participation, why do we call them

“teachers?”

And some more…

• Shouldn’t Honors English class be very difficult for a student who reads at the 40th percentile?

• If a teacher gives different assignments to students in the same class to differentiate, what do they put in the little box in the grade book?

• Why do we give “extra credit?” Isn’t that more about currency for work than a communication of mastery?

• If we modify the rigor of a course to meet the needs of a student, how can we put the same grade on the transcript as we would for everyone else using different criteria?

• Where did the notion that grades are based upon points for doing stuff come from?

• Is having grades online so we can argue about points instead of learning really better?

• Why is SpEd services so focused on helping kids do their homework? Shouldn’t they be addressing the real issue?

• What does research and expert opinion say about grading, rigor, standards, and SpEd?

Jim Collins Jim Collins building common language about “the system”building common language about “the system”

Defining Great how to measure and calibrate success

Level 5 Leadershipgetting it done within a “diffuse power structure”

First Whoget right people on the bus in a social sector

organization

The Hedgehog Conceptthe economic engine without profit

Turning the Flywheelbuilding momentum and brand

Collins calls for…Collins calls for…• Disciplined People, Disciplined

Thought, and Disciplined Action

• Positive tension between what should never change and what is always changing (innovation, new ideas, etc…)

• Doing what is right – not what is consensus

• Innovation instead of standardization

• Decisions based upon research, rigorous debate, and sound judgment

Constant Attention to theConstant Attention to the

CultureCulture

of the Organizationof the Organization

• How do you measure this? • How do you empower others to own this? • How do you create common language for this?

How can I build a How can I build a school cultureschool culture of of

• rigorous debaterigorous debate• transparencytransparency•disciplined disciplined

actionaction•decisions based decisions based

upon upon what is what is rightright (not past (not past practice) practice)

??????

Year 1

New Principal, AP, SRO, Secretary

Planning for summer move to old high school

Capture opportunity to “re-launch” the

JH

Overwhelmed by details –

managing change

Year 2

New building, new building leadership structure, advisory program

Equipping new leaders with

framework and language to

lead – BLT work sessions

Restructure SpEd

Grading Disc. Launched

Asking hard qstns.

Year 3

Advisory expanded, fall

& spring retreats

More leadership

training, dept. chair training

Rigor & Relevance training

Grading Disc. continued

Started Sem. Final Exams

Asking more hard qstns.

Coffee ChatsFaculty mtgs for PDArticle readsWalsh Book for all staff

-Select Transition Team-Re-launch focused on what is “right” -Own many decisions

Dept Improvement PlansArticle reads2nd Walsh Book for all staffThis I Believe for all staff

Year 4

Interdisci-plinary PLCs

launched

BLT given full PD

responsibility

Con’t leadership training

Launched blog & staff Ning

network

Grading Disc. to individual imp.

plans

Article readsDiscipline #s less than 1/2Climate much improvedScores on way up

“New” Building R – R – R(Bill Dagget)

Culture of Rigorous Debate and Defining “Greatness”

2121stst Century Demands Century Demands (Back to Jim Collins’ GTG language)

Legislative vs. Executive Leadership• Build understanding

– Leadership training, “show me the data,” culture of adult learning

• Rigorous decisions – All “Great” leaders made significant decisions before there was consensus

• Build brand – Create positive momentum with strategic communications, celebrating successes, etc…

Define “Great”Use technology as an accelerator

• Technology isn’t the answer – it’s a vehicle IF it aligns with mission

Align Resources • Collins refers to “Hedgehog Concept”• Get right people on the bus and wrong people off the bus!!!Get right people on the bus and wrong people off the bus!!!• Can cutting be an opportunity? When do we rethink the business?

www.jimcollins.com

To be a good teacher To be a good teacher principalprincipal

• Clear objectives referred to throughout the lesson

• Measure/assess• Establish a culture for learning

and high expectations• Student engagement is crucial• Differentiate• Empower students

It’s simply walking our talk…

2121stst Century “Musts” for Schools Century “Musts” for Schools

• Figure out what “standards based” really is… • Redefining “Equity” - Fair Isn’t Always Equal• Create innovation• Articulate, measure, and report the values of public

education beyond what is on a transcript

• Establish a culture of transparent, rigorous debate in which decisions are made based upon what is right

• Restructure for 21st century realities • Non-monetary economy on the horizon??

Power was land, money, knowledge… now it’s a level playing field for that too…

Prosumer = Producer + Consumer (think open source apps)

• Niche & Persuasion… Web 2.0??• Post “nation-state” living??

Other entities bring people together (think unions, religion, business, etc…)

• Address the Hidden Code

The “Covert Curriculum”The “Covert Curriculum”or “Hidden Code”or “Hidden Code”

21st CenturyWave IV?

19th CenturyWave II

• Standardization• Specialization• Synchronization• Concentration • Maximization• Centralization

• Design• Story• Symphony• Empathy• Play• Meaning

Collins video – core values & stimulating changehttp://www.jimcollins.com/

media_topics/building-greatness.html#audio=75

http://chrislindholm.typepad.com/principal-thoughts/

The stars are The stars are aligning. There aligning. There

couldn’t be a couldn’t be a better time to better time to

be engaged in be engaged in education education leadershipleadership