I have been highlighting the Turnaround Competencies and Actions from Public Impact over the past several weeks because they are essential for turnaround leaders to consider as they plan for the upcoming school year (if you haven't reviewed them, please refer to them here). What ways will you address this competency during the upcoming school year?
Get the Right Staff; Right the Remainder (from Public Impact)
- Require all staff to change: When turnaround leaders implement an action plan, they make the change mandatory, not optional, beginning with accountable team leaders in the organization.
- Make necessary staff and leader replacements: Successful turnaround leaders typically do not replace all or even most of the staff, but often replace team leaders who organize and drive change. After initial turnaround success, staff who do not make needed changes either leave or are removed by the leader
Even if you have already started your school turnaround, you need to consider how you will "right the remainder" each year. I have been reviewing each teacher's data, determining strengths and areas for growth within teams, developing support plans, and mapping out the way I will deploy my resources in order to maximize the growth. Last year, I replaced all but one teacher on a grade level team because they were not maximizing their potential, working collaboratively, using data effectively, or getting results from their students. In 2015, there were ZERO students from that team who scored proficiently on our state assessments (on either ELA or Mathematics). The new team was in place for this school year and we learned Friday that we had 15 students score proficient on the Math assessment and 11 students score proficient on the ELA. This is cause for celebration! While we recognize that we are not where we need to be, we are definitely moving in the right direction and the team is now on the right path.
Right the remainder means having the right supports and the right conversations with your staff. There is not time in school turnaround to "hope" that staff or students "just get it." You must create a culture where it is the norm to challenge, to ask, and to even push back in order to always get better. If the school culture is not geared toward being able to have difficult conversations, doing what is right for children above what makes adults comfortable, and letting go of individual areas of self-interest in order to work collaboratively as a team, then you might have silos of superstars, but you will not achieve as a turnaround school. There is only time for what we know we will be effective - no time for some cutesy thing we saw on Pinterest or Teachers Pay Teachers. Teachers who are truly going to make a difference on your team have the ability to connect with other effective practitioners and say, "hey, I saw how you really produced results there, I want to learn more."
So, what we are talking about is hiring and supporting a growth mindset. How can you tell if you have created a culture that values a growth mindset in your school and why is it important to school turnaround? We have to focus on results in school turnaround, but because moving the needle on overall student achievement takes time and relentless commitment, you need a team that has the right mindset for growth and change over time. In this article, by Xclusive Fitness, they talk about the importance of a culture of development and having positive relationships with your team. The reality is that the right team is not just about working with your friends - it is really about being able to have difficult conversations with your team, hold them accountable, push them to be better, and still be able to know that you respect and care for one another. Creating that culture of collaboration, of challenge, and of unified purpose is key to school turnaround. In preparing for this upcoming school year, consider how you can support a culture of development in your school and with your teams.
No comments:
Post a Comment