Sue Alexander and Dr. Sarah Jerome share ideas on being a creative thinker in order to develop consensus and build a vision in your schools and school district. These educators have decades of successful school leadership experience to share.
For more information about the the topics discussed, contact us at
Bryan Wright: brwright44@gmail.com
Mark McBeth: mark@educationalrelevance.org
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Thanks for listening. Until next time, keep leading with heart—and stay educationally relevant.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Track 1 (00:00):
Hello.
Welcome to EducationalRelevance, A platform for
experienced educators to share.
Proven successful strategies toeducate today's students and
leaders.
I'm here today, with SueAlexander and Dr.
Sarah Jerome to talk aboutconsensus and building a vision
school districts, but alsotackling problems that happens
(00:20):
every day in our educationallives.
I want to introduce the ladiesfirst.
Sue Alexander has served onadministrative teams in three
different public schooldistricts holding positions of
superintendent.
High school principal andassistant principal prior to
education, Sue worked 10 yearsin business finance and held the
positions of secretary of theBoard of a No Load mutual fund,
(00:42):
and as vice president ofInvestment Advisory Company, and
she always talked aboutanniversary live stability.
Welcome, Sue.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-2 (00:49):
you.
Track 1 (00:50):
And then we have Dr.
Sarah Jerome.
Sarah has worked 46 years ineducation, 23 years of those
years.
Were as a superintendent, 15years in Kettle Marine,
Wisconsin, in eight years inArlington Heights, Illinois.
She was a principal at NicolaHigh School and assistant
superintendent in Rockford,Illinois.
She served nine different schooldistricts in five states.
Sarah served as president of A ASI, the American Association of
(01:14):
School Administrators, and she'scurrently working.
For HYA consulting, which doessuperintendent searches and
strategic planning for schooldistricts.
And her mantra and motto, whichI always say, A code is public
education and the backbone ofdemocracy.
Dr.
Jerome, welcome.
Glad to see you.
So that,
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-2 (01:33):
Wright.
Track 1 (01:34):
all right, and both these ladies I've known for
several years, One as aco-worker.
Partner, my partner SueAlexander.
We always say partner.
And then of Dr.
Sarah Drum was my boss and, aheroine of mine for many years.
Now I'm gonna turn it over to myco host Mark Macbeth.
Mark, we gonna talk aboutproblems today.
So lemme turn this over to you.
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22-20 (01:55):
The thing we want to talk today to
them about is, that problemsolving process and how do we go
about doing that?
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22- (02:02):
Thank you.
Definitely.
Pre-planning is an importantpart of being a successful
school in a successful schooldistrict.
thinking about things ahead oftime is certainly important.
And when we think about what weare wanting to accomplish, We
(02:22):
need to have the end in mind.
We need to know what we areworking toward each step along
the way.
And the way to do that is toplan together and to have a
whole community bring theirthoughts to create a vision, a
(02:44):
mission establish what the corebeliefs are, consensus around
that.
So that there is a direction foreveryone who's in the school
district.
Now, that certainly does notmean that there won't be
diversity of thinking.
We will certainly have thatbecause you can arrive at the
(03:04):
same goal.
Through a lot of differentavenues, but we all need to know
what the goal is, what thepriorities are, and it takes
some work with the community toestablish that.
To get that.
One way is to bring peopletogether who have some stake in
the community, who are residentsof the community, who are
(03:27):
parents of the community.
People who might live incontiguous school districts who
have a stake in the success ofthe school district.
And you bring those peopletogether assuming that there are
going to be differences ofopinion, and they work together
around the idea of building, aknowledge base together.
(03:52):
They study the data of thecommunity of the school
district.
They study the demographics andthey find out what the needs are
in the community and what isvalued in the community, and
build the portrait of a graduatefrom that.
it takes some time to do that.
So it's a process that couldtake a year or even two over a
(04:14):
period of meeting with someregularity.
To come back to this point, andthere are some progressive steps
along the way that get you todetermining the portrait of a
graduate looks like.
once you found that, bring it incommunication to the whole
(04:38):
school community.
Through publications, you askfor input from that community
you make adjustments in thatportrait based on some of the
feedback.
So it is an important processthat begins slowly and
crescendos really into a boardapproval of a portrait of a
(05:01):
graduate.
Sue.
You know, over the last century,there have been some real
masters in the United States,the business world.
I.
Who have done exactly whatSarah's describing and Disney
was one of'em.
He was such a believer in theimportance of diverse thinking,
(05:21):
that he created a process that'sstill available to people today
through a company calledMcNelis.
but it's a way of gathering.
Information in a fashion thatallows all of the ideas to come
out and the stories aboutDisney, tell you that he was so
fanatical about collecting everyidea that he would go through
(05:45):
wastebaskets after thesesessions.
Fearful that an idea might havecome from someone who didn't
maybe feel they were asproficient at speaking as others
were.
I.
And he wanted to retrieve thoseideas because his system
collects them.
one.
Another one is Stephen Coveybuild with the End in Mind, of a
(06:08):
Graduate.
Those are identical ideas andthey force you to think where is
it that we're going, what is itthat we wanna do at the same
time?
can also work with people insmall groups on problems at
building the opposite of that sothat they have in their mind
where they don't want to go aswell as where they do want to
(06:31):
go.
And sometimes in dealing withdiverse situations, you have to
have people able to hear thewhole continuum and then to
decide, we're committing tothis.
This is what we want.
One of the things that I'd liketo recommend is a program that A
A SA has sponsored, and it'scalled Redefining Ready.
(06:53):
And it helps the school districtget to career ready, life ready,
and college ready when they'retalking about the portrait of a
graduate.
a A SA has offered a number ofworkshops to help people get to
that point.
They find that the enrollment isgrowing because the interest in
(07:16):
helping bring consensus around.
What the portrait of a graduatelooks like is growing.
And it's certainly needed,especially when you, we think
about the difficulties we've hadin the past five years or six
years now.
With Mm-hmm.
Covid and the various challengesthat have come to the public
(07:37):
schools, it has becomeincreasingly important to be
able to define that the graduateskills and then to help hone
our.
Process to helping create thoseable and skillful graduates.
One other thing that I'd like tomention is the use of
imagination in solving problemsthere's a, new book out that's
(08:00):
called Cultivating Imaginationand Leadership Transforming
Schools and Communities.
It's by Gillian Judson and MeganDory.
And it is one of those booksthat urges us to be creative
thinkers about.
The planning process about theproblem solving all of these
(08:21):
diverse ideas.
Mm-hmm.
Being brought to bear onsomething that is critically
important, both to ourcommunity, our state, our
nation, and our world.
Track 1 (08:33):
You know, doc, you've mentioned a couple of things.
please explain more about whenyou talk about diversity of
thinking and how did you set astaff.
diverse thinkers?
Because out the staff youdeveloped, I think a half dozen
of us went on to becomesuperintendents and principals
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22 (08:48):
Right.
Track 1 (08:48):
and you, you saw something in us that maybe
somebody didn't see.
So can you talk about thatprocess?
Then the second thing I wannamake sure you talk about is how
did you set the soft skills partwhen you talk about students
being college, life and careerready, both those things.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22- (09:02):
Happy to do so.
I do think as an administrator,we have the obligation to be
really discerning talent scouts.
We want to bring the highesttalent pool to our students for
their benefit, and I have alwaysbelieved that that talent pool
needs to reflect.
(09:23):
The population that they'reserving, and it needs to be able
to be role models for thestudent population.
So we have to have diversity inlots of different ways.
Diversity of thinking, diversityin skin color, diversity in
belief systems, all of thosethings pulled together to help
(09:43):
our students grow.
And to be able to identify withthe leaders that are in front of
them.
So it is certainly an importantpart of the job of the
administrator to seek out thevery best possible for their
students.
I also believe that we shouldnever be scared of hiring people
(10:06):
who are likely to disagree withus.
Certainly we want their corebeliefs.
To be in common with the goalsthat the school district and
community set, but to havepeople who are willing to speak
out and say, that is absolutelythe wrong direction.
You need to be thinking aboutthis and this and this.
(10:27):
And to be able to not onlytolerate it, but to invite it as
the school leader is a reallycritical piece.
I couldn't add a thing to that.
That's absolute perfection,that's what you need.
And it's not always easy.
Sometimes you have to bite yourtongue.
And it's also important that asan administrator, your main job
(10:47):
isn't.
force your ideas onto the group.
It's to create processes andways of thinking and working
with one another that brings theideas of the group up.
There are times when you'll beable to put that overview
perspective in, but as Sarahdescribed, the processes that
you're working with, you'rereally pulling that up out of
(11:08):
your group.
helping people to understandthat you are listening and not
only listening, you areattempting to pull out the key
pieces that will help to createthat portrait of a graduate or
the end in mind, I'd like tojust mention also when we're
talking about career ready, lifeready, college ready having
people who have.
(11:30):
A strong level of enthusiasm forthe work they're doing is a
really important aspect ofhelping children know that
they're cared for, that they'reloved, that they're valued, that
they're celebrated.
When, when we have teachers whoare.
Tired and show that it tellssomething to the student.
(11:53):
So we as leaders have to becharismatic and enthusiastic and
cheerleaders for the work we'redoing and to have that infused
every single hour of everysingle day in what we do.
so we have to charge ourselvesup and we have to charge each
other to help support each otherin this work.
(12:15):
Mm-Hmm.
And know that some days will begood and some days not That's
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22-20 (12:19):
I'm gonna challenge this just a
little bit.
So, schools and districts are atdifferent levels of, their
processes, right?
But.
I've heard, we've already doneour visions, we've already done
our missions.
We've been through that.
We've done that.
It's it's old hat.
How often should we be lookingat this or, should they say,
(12:41):
well, we've done the vision,we're done, and then move on?
Or is there a procedure to thinkabout?
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22- (12:47):
Well, I definitely, we're never done.
We're, we're never done.
Even when we were retired, we'renever done.
So it's, it is one of thosethings where we are learners
and.
Things change and we have tokeep abreast of those things.
So every three to five years weneed to be bringing our groups
(13:08):
together to have this ongoingdiscussion about I.
What are we doing?
Where are we?
Have we mastered what we said wewere going to master?
Are our students mastering that?
Do we need to make someadjustments in what we expect
our students to be doing?
It's, an ongoing change.
Yeah.
(13:28):
And there are small things thatcan be done, on a week or
monthly basis.
To collect information to letyou know whether you're on
target or not.
And one of them is an idea thatDisney presents and that is
simply to use a way of allowingpeople to respond to.
A particular situation.
(13:48):
it's something that you've hadto handle that you think, boy, I
need feedback from that.
And Disney did it with boards,great big boards, but today's
people may do it with GoogleDocs, whatever it is you're
going to ask your group torespond to what worked well.
And that's a good one to startwith.
(14:08):
What did we do right?
What worked well in thissituation?
What didn't work well, andwhat's a key takeaway you want
us to have?
And then let your group.
In Disney's days, he used thoselittle dots that you could buy
at the store.
People would put their ideas ofwhat worked well, what didn't
work well, what are the keypieces you wanna take away?
He'd give them four or fivedifferent dots and tell'em, go
(14:31):
at it.
Which are your keys.
So they weren't just looking attheir own idea.
They would look at the board andsee maybe 10, 12 different
things that came forward.
I've done it with wholefaculties of 60 or 70, and
they'll still And pretty soonyou can begin to see the dots in
certain things that youdefinitely wanna hold onto.
(14:52):
My daughter is a department headin a local high school, and she
said they do it with GoogleDocs.
Same kind of thing.
No, they're gathering ideas, notshutting one another down.
Everybody's thoughts arecollected and then highlighting
them so that you know.
And you can pick out as theleader what those key ideas are
and what the things are thatthey want you to learn from
(15:15):
this, they want you to know.
So that's a very simple way todo it without the entire
visioning process that you'retalking about.
Whenever I went into a newschool.
As an administrator, I alwaysdid a large group meeting.
With that in mind now, today,what's working well that you
(15:36):
don't want me to mess with?
What's not working well and whatare some key things you want me
to know?
that's one of the strongestthings I ever did as a school
leader was to be able to comeback at the end of that year or
the beginning of the next, andreview with them, here's where
we started.
These were the things you lovedand you asked me not to mess
(15:57):
with.
These are the things that youasked me to work on, and these
were key pieces you wanted me toknow.
are these things changing rightnow?
Let's do a real quickcollection.
So there are things that you cando that will give you that
information that you needwithout a large process that's
ongoing.
It can be just done in a simpleday, and Sarah's very nicely
(16:20):
explained, that larger process,that makes sure you're figuring
out who you are as a district,district's different.
It, who the community membersare will determine where those
core values are.
And in some districts, it itjust will look slightly
different than it will inothers, but it's still somewhere
(16:42):
along that broad based bellshape curve of ideas.
Track 1 (16:45):
Mm-Hmm.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-202 (16:46):
we could end with Ruth Bader
Ginsbergs quote, fight for thethings that you care about, but
do it in a way that will leadothers to join you.
How's
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22- (16:56):
There you go.
So I think it's really good.
We talked about Disney a fewtimes, by the way.
There is, a book called DisneyWay.
A really fascinating read andalso on audio for those people
that wanna listen to it onaudio.
One of the things that alwaysimpressed me about Disney that
you talked about was the idea heknew what he wanted his.
(17:17):
vision to be.
to be the best entertainmentworld and, the elite at making
entertainment for families, Butwhat he did was he constantly
was working to revise that onhow do we get there?
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-2 (17:29):
Hmm.
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22-20 (17:30):
And that's the key I think you were
talking about When you walkthrough the gate of Disney World
there's murals on the side ofthe, gate.
they know that only 10% of thepeople ever stop and look at
that.
But those murals are made out oflittle bitty tiles, and it's
intricate, they find that it wasworth it because the people,
that did stop, stared for awhile and stayed the other thing
(17:53):
was, when you exit a ride atDisney World, you go through the
the store now.
because the, number one questionthat people ask, wanna know
where they can buy a shirt thatthey can buy their shirts
instantly.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22- (18:07):
Right at that kind of a simple idea,
but I can
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22- (18:10):
Yeah.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-20 (18:10):
how it would work.
Museums are
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22- (18:12):
Yeah,
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-2 (18:12):
now.
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22-20 (18:13):
the idea was that he was listening
to people, involved in engagingpeople in that process.
One of the other key things Iwanted to capture was really
learning where you're at, as anew school administrator when
you enter a building, it'sessential that you learn What
has been practiced in the past.
(18:34):
before you just jump intosaying, let's sit down and do a
vision.
They already got a vision.
They just did it last year.
let's figure out the proceduresand processes to make the vision
reality, and then if they don'thave that in place, then that's
where we work from.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-20 (18:49):
And it's a great way to reflect
because the ideas are in, inprint.
This is what you told me was ourstarting point, where we are
now.
'cause those ideas can be lost,those thoughts can be lost over
time.
But when you actually documentit.
Again, it doesn't take hours todo that.
It's a pretty simple process,but it just gives great
(19:12):
conversation in the future.
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22-20 (19:14):
And then from there, pre-planning
squadcaster-a93g_2_ (19:16):
Absolutely.
Mm-Hmm.
Track 1 (19:17):
I'm gonna say wow, diversity of thinking build the
end of mind.
Redefining ready.
I think all these wonderfulthings came out, this program
today.
anything else you wanna say at,this time?
Wanna make sure before we closeup.
And I say thank you to you both.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-2 (19:31):
It's been great.
It's been fun.
Track 1 (19:33):
You are wonderful.
mark it's good to see you.
Thank you all and Have a greatday.
Thank you so much.
Bye-Bye.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22- (19:39):
Thank you,
Hello.
Welcome to EducationalRelevance, A platform for
experienced educators to share.
Proven successful strategies toeducate today's students and
leaders.
I'm here today, with SueAlexander and Dr.
Sarah Jerome to talk aboutconsensus and building a vision
school districts, but alsotackling problems that happens
(00:20):
every day in our educationallives.
I want to introduce the ladiesfirst.
Sue Alexander has served onadministrative teams in three
different public schooldistricts holding positions of
superintendent.
High school principal andassistant principal prior to
education, Sue worked 10 yearsin business finance and held the
positions of secretary of theBoard of a No Load mutual fund,
(00:42):
and as vice president ofInvestment Advisory Company, and
she always talked aboutanniversary live stability.
Welcome, Sue.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-2 (00:49):
you.
Track 1 (00:50):
And then we have Dr.
Sarah Jerome.
Sarah has worked 46 years ineducation, 23 years of those
years.
Were as a superintendent, 15years in Kettle Marine,
Wisconsin, in eight years inArlington Heights, Illinois.
She was a principal at NicolaHigh School and assistant
superintendent in Rockford,Illinois.
She served nine different schooldistricts in five states.
Sarah served as president of A ASI, the American Association of
(01:14):
School Administrators, and she'scurrently working.
For HYA consulting, which doessuperintendent searches and
strategic planning for schooldistricts.
And her mantra and motto, whichI always say, A code is public
education and the backbone ofdemocracy.
Dr.
Jerome, welcome.
Glad to see you.
So that,
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-2 (01:33):
Wright.
Track 1 (01:34):
all right, and both these ladies I've known for
several years, One as aco-worker.
Partner, my partner SueAlexander.
We always say partner.
And then of Dr.
Sarah Drum was my boss and, aheroine of mine for many years.
Now I'm gonna turn it over to myco host Mark Macbeth.
Mark, we gonna talk aboutproblems today.
So lemme turn this over to you.
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22-20 (01:55):
The thing we want to talk today to
them about is, that problemsolving process and how do we go
about doing that?
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22- (02:02):
Thank you.
Definitely.
Pre-planning is an importantpart of being a successful
school in a successful schooldistrict.
thinking about things ahead oftime is certainly important.
And when we think about what weare wanting to accomplish, We
(02:22):
need to have the end in mind.
We need to know what we areworking toward each step along
the way.
And the way to do that is toplan together and to have a
whole community bring theirthoughts to create a vision, a
(02:44):
mission establish what the corebeliefs are, consensus around
that.
So that there is a direction foreveryone who's in the school
district.
Now, that certainly does notmean that there won't be
diversity of thinking.
We will certainly have thatbecause you can arrive at the
(03:04):
same goal.
Through a lot of differentavenues, but we all need to know
what the goal is, what thepriorities are, and it takes
some work with the community toestablish that.
To get that.
One way is to bring peopletogether who have some stake in
the community, who are residentsof the community, who are
(03:27):
parents of the community.
People who might live incontiguous school districts who
have a stake in the success ofthe school district.
And you bring those peopletogether assuming that there are
going to be differences ofopinion, and they work together
around the idea of building, aknowledge base together.
(03:52):
They study the data of thecommunity of the school
district.
They study the demographics andthey find out what the needs are
in the community and what isvalued in the community, and
build the portrait of a graduatefrom that.
it takes some time to do that.
So it's a process that couldtake a year or even two over a
(04:14):
period of meeting with someregularity.
To come back to this point, andthere are some progressive steps
along the way that get you todetermining the portrait of a
graduate looks like.
once you found that, bring it incommunication to the whole
(04:38):
school community.
Through publications, you askfor input from that community
you make adjustments in thatportrait based on some of the
feedback.
So it is an important processthat begins slowly and
crescendos really into a boardapproval of a portrait of a
(05:01):
graduate.
Sue.
You know, over the last century,there have been some real
masters in the United States,the business world.
I.
Who have done exactly whatSarah's describing and Disney
was one of'em.
He was such a believer in theimportance of diverse thinking,
(05:21):
that he created a process that'sstill available to people today
through a company calledMcNelis.
but it's a way of gathering.
Information in a fashion thatallows all of the ideas to come
out and the stories aboutDisney, tell you that he was so
fanatical about collecting everyidea that he would go through
(05:45):
wastebaskets after thesesessions.
Fearful that an idea might havecome from someone who didn't
maybe feel they were asproficient at speaking as others
were.
I.
And he wanted to retrieve thoseideas because his system
collects them.
one.
Another one is Stephen Coveybuild with the End in Mind, of a
(06:08):
Graduate.
Those are identical ideas andthey force you to think where is
it that we're going, what is itthat we wanna do at the same
time?
can also work with people insmall groups on problems at
building the opposite of that sothat they have in their mind
where they don't want to go aswell as where they do want to
(06:31):
go.
And sometimes in dealing withdiverse situations, you have to
have people able to hear thewhole continuum and then to
decide, we're committing tothis.
This is what we want.
One of the things that I'd liketo recommend is a program that A
A SA has sponsored, and it'scalled Redefining Ready.
(06:53):
And it helps the school districtget to career ready, life ready,
and college ready when they'retalking about the portrait of a
graduate.
a A SA has offered a number ofworkshops to help people get to
that point.
They find that the enrollment isgrowing because the interest in
(07:16):
helping bring consensus around.
What the portrait of a graduatelooks like is growing.
And it's certainly needed,especially when you, we think
about the difficulties we've hadin the past five years or six
years now.
With Mm-hmm.
Covid and the various challengesthat have come to the public
(07:37):
schools, it has becomeincreasingly important to be
able to define that the graduateskills and then to help hone
our.
Process to helping create thoseable and skillful graduates.
One other thing that I'd like tomention is the use of
imagination in solving problemsthere's a, new book out that's
(08:00):
called Cultivating Imaginationand Leadership Transforming
Schools and Communities.
It's by Gillian Judson and MeganDory.
And it is one of those booksthat urges us to be creative
thinkers about.
The planning process about theproblem solving all of these
(08:21):
diverse ideas.
Mm-hmm.
Being brought to bear onsomething that is critically
important, both to ourcommunity, our state, our
nation, and our world.
Track 1 (08:33):
You know, doc, you've mentioned a couple of things.
please explain more about whenyou talk about diversity of
thinking and how did you set astaff.
diverse thinkers?
Because out the staff youdeveloped, I think a half dozen
of us went on to becomesuperintendents and principals
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22 (08:48):
Right.
Track 1 (08:48):
and you, you saw something in us that maybe
somebody didn't see.
So can you talk about thatprocess?
Then the second thing I wannamake sure you talk about is how
did you set the soft skills partwhen you talk about students
being college, life and careerready, both those things.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22- (09:02):
Happy to do so.
I do think as an administrator,we have the obligation to be
really discerning talent scouts.
We want to bring the highesttalent pool to our students for
their benefit, and I have alwaysbelieved that that talent pool
needs to reflect.
(09:23):
The population that they'reserving, and it needs to be able
to be role models for thestudent population.
So we have to have diversity inlots of different ways.
Diversity of thinking, diversityin skin color, diversity in
belief systems, all of thosethings pulled together to help
(09:43):
our students grow.
And to be able to identify withthe leaders that are in front of
them.
So it is certainly an importantpart of the job of the
administrator to seek out thevery best possible for their
students.
I also believe that we shouldnever be scared of hiring people
(10:06):
who are likely to disagree withus.
Certainly we want their corebeliefs.
To be in common with the goalsthat the school district and
community set, but to havepeople who are willing to speak
out and say, that is absolutelythe wrong direction.
You need to be thinking aboutthis and this and this.
(10:27):
And to be able to not onlytolerate it, but to invite it as
the school leader is a reallycritical piece.
I couldn't add a thing to that.
That's absolute perfection,that's what you need.
And it's not always easy.
Sometimes you have to bite yourtongue.
And it's also important that asan administrator, your main job
(10:47):
isn't.
force your ideas onto the group.
It's to create processes andways of thinking and working
with one another that brings theideas of the group up.
There are times when you'll beable to put that overview
perspective in, but as Sarahdescribed, the processes that
you're working with, you'rereally pulling that up out of
(11:08):
your group.
helping people to understandthat you are listening and not
only listening, you areattempting to pull out the key
pieces that will help to createthat portrait of a graduate or
the end in mind, I'd like tojust mention also when we're
talking about career ready, lifeready, college ready having
people who have.
(11:30):
A strong level of enthusiasm forthe work they're doing is a
really important aspect ofhelping children know that
they're cared for, that they'reloved, that they're valued, that
they're celebrated.
When, when we have teachers whoare.
Tired and show that it tellssomething to the student.
(11:53):
So we as leaders have to becharismatic and enthusiastic and
cheerleaders for the work we'redoing and to have that infused
every single hour of everysingle day in what we do.
so we have to charge ourselvesup and we have to charge each
other to help support each otherin this work.
(12:15):
Mm-Hmm.
And know that some days will begood and some days not That's
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22-20 (12:19):
I'm gonna challenge this just a
little bit.
So, schools and districts are atdifferent levels of, their
processes, right?
But.
I've heard, we've already doneour visions, we've already done
our missions.
We've been through that.
We've done that.
It's it's old hat.
How often should we be lookingat this or, should they say,
(12:41):
well, we've done the vision,we're done, and then move on?
Or is there a procedure to thinkabout?
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22- (12:47):
Well, I definitely, we're never done.
We're, we're never done.
Even when we were retired, we'renever done.
So it's, it is one of thosethings where we are learners
and.
Things change and we have tokeep abreast of those things.
So every three to five years weneed to be bringing our groups
(13:08):
together to have this ongoingdiscussion about I.
What are we doing?
Where are we?
Have we mastered what we said wewere going to master?
Are our students mastering that?
Do we need to make someadjustments in what we expect
our students to be doing?
It's, an ongoing change.
Yeah.
(13:28):
And there are small things thatcan be done, on a week or
monthly basis.
To collect information to letyou know whether you're on
target or not.
And one of them is an idea thatDisney presents and that is
simply to use a way of allowingpeople to respond to.
A particular situation.
(13:48):
it's something that you've hadto handle that you think, boy, I
need feedback from that.
And Disney did it with boards,great big boards, but today's
people may do it with GoogleDocs, whatever it is you're
going to ask your group torespond to what worked well.
And that's a good one to startwith.
(14:08):
What did we do right?
What worked well in thissituation?
What didn't work well, andwhat's a key takeaway you want
us to have?
And then let your group.
In Disney's days, he used thoselittle dots that you could buy
at the store.
People would put their ideas ofwhat worked well, what didn't
work well, what are the keypieces you wanna take away?
He'd give them four or fivedifferent dots and tell'em, go
(14:31):
at it.
Which are your keys.
So they weren't just looking attheir own idea.
They would look at the board andsee maybe 10, 12 different
things that came forward.
I've done it with wholefaculties of 60 or 70, and
they'll still And pretty soonyou can begin to see the dots in
certain things that youdefinitely wanna hold onto.
(14:52):
My daughter is a department headin a local high school, and she
said they do it with GoogleDocs.
Same kind of thing.
No, they're gathering ideas, notshutting one another down.
Everybody's thoughts arecollected and then highlighting
them so that you know.
And you can pick out as theleader what those key ideas are
and what the things are thatthey want you to learn from
(15:15):
this, they want you to know.
So that's a very simple way todo it without the entire
visioning process that you'retalking about.
Whenever I went into a newschool.
As an administrator, I alwaysdid a large group meeting.
With that in mind now, today,what's working well that you
(15:36):
don't want me to mess with?
What's not working well and whatare some key things you want me
to know?
that's one of the strongestthings I ever did as a school
leader was to be able to comeback at the end of that year or
the beginning of the next, andreview with them, here's where
we started.
These were the things you lovedand you asked me not to mess
(15:57):
with.
These are the things that youasked me to work on, and these
were key pieces you wanted me toknow.
are these things changing rightnow?
Let's do a real quickcollection.
So there are things that you cando that will give you that
information that you needwithout a large process that's
ongoing.
It can be just done in a simpleday, and Sarah's very nicely
(16:20):
explained, that larger process,that makes sure you're figuring
out who you are as a district,district's different.
It, who the community membersare will determine where those
core values are.
And in some districts, it itjust will look slightly
different than it will inothers, but it's still somewhere
(16:42):
along that broad based bellshape curve of ideas.
Track 1 (16:45):
Mm-Hmm.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-202 (16:46):
we could end with Ruth Bader
Ginsbergs quote, fight for thethings that you care about, but
do it in a way that will leadothers to join you.
How's
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22- (16:56):
There you go.
So I think it's really good.
We talked about Disney a fewtimes, by the way.
There is, a book called DisneyWay.
A really fascinating read andalso on audio for those people
that wanna listen to it onaudio.
One of the things that alwaysimpressed me about Disney that
you talked about was the idea heknew what he wanted his.
(17:17):
vision to be.
to be the best entertainmentworld and, the elite at making
entertainment for families, Butwhat he did was he constantly
was working to revise that onhow do we get there?
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-2 (17:29):
Hmm.
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22-20 (17:30):
And that's the key I think you were
talking about When you walkthrough the gate of Disney World
there's murals on the side ofthe, gate.
they know that only 10% of thepeople ever stop and look at
that.
But those murals are made out oflittle bitty tiles, and it's
intricate, they find that it wasworth it because the people,
that did stop, stared for awhile and stayed the other thing
(17:53):
was, when you exit a ride atDisney World, you go through the
the store now.
because the, number one questionthat people ask, wanna know
where they can buy a shirt thatthey can buy their shirts
instantly.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22- (18:07):
Right at that kind of a simple idea,
but I can
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22- (18:10):
Yeah.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-20 (18:10):
how it would work.
Museums are
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22- (18:12):
Yeah,
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-2 (18:12):
now.
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22-20 (18:13):
the idea was that he was listening
to people, involved in engagingpeople in that process.
One of the other key things Iwanted to capture was really
learning where you're at, as anew school administrator when
you enter a building, it'sessential that you learn What
has been practiced in the past.
(18:34):
before you just jump intosaying, let's sit down and do a
vision.
They already got a vision.
They just did it last year.
let's figure out the proceduresand processes to make the vision
reality, and then if they don'thave that in place, then that's
where we work from.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-20 (18:49):
And it's a great way to reflect
because the ideas are in, inprint.
This is what you told me was ourstarting point, where we are
now.
'cause those ideas can be lost,those thoughts can be lost over
time.
But when you actually documentit.
Again, it doesn't take hours todo that.
It's a pretty simple process,but it just gives great
(19:12):
conversation in the future.
squadcaster-28d0_2_02-22-20 (19:14):
And then from there, pre-planning
squadcaster-a93g_2_ (19:16):
Absolutely.
Mm-Hmm.
Track 1 (19:17):
I'm gonna say wow, diversity of thinking build the
end of mind.
Redefining ready.
I think all these wonderfulthings came out, this program
today.
anything else you wanna say at,this time?
Wanna make sure before we closeup.
And I say thank you to you both.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22-2 (19:31):
It's been great.
It's been fun.
Track 1 (19:33):
You are wonderful.
mark it's good to see you.
Thank you all and Have a greatday.
Thank you so much.
Bye-Bye.
squadcaster-a93g_2_02-22- (19:39):
Thank you,
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