We are all on a quest to improve student achievement in our districts, especially right now as COVID has produced unfinished learning. To do so, districts take several different paths, and it seems like there is a never-ending list of programs and initiatives which can be pursued. The challenge is that in an effort to improve student achievement, districts can unintentionally create “Initiative Fatigue”, which means they move from promising practice to promising practice while simultaneously burning out their staff. Today I want to discuss the antidote for preventing initiative fatigue and outline a method and for achieving organizational focus. …
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Do You Have New Principals Starting this Year? Talk to Them About these Leadership-Relationship Approaches and their Pitfalls…
New principals are fun to work with as a district leader, they are upbeat, excited to make a difference, eager to connect and learn. The energy they exude is motivating and their desire to build relationship as they enter school leadership is commendable. So, to help them be successful we must guide them in understanding a few leadership-relationship pitfalls. As a new administrator they need to build relationship, but they also must lead. It is this distinction, between relationship and leadership, which I want to focus on in today’s post. A few years ago, I read an intriguing article on …
3 Characteristics to Look for When Hiring an Administrative Assistant
It is that time of the year when some of you (or other administrators in your district) will be hiring an administrative assistant. Reasons for the need vary, but it is important to remember this position, likely more than any other, will impact your success on the job. A good administrative assistant can make you more effective and efficient; alternatively, they can drive you to take on an expanded number of duties due to their lack of ability. Regardless of the reason, I want to take time today to discuss three characteristics, based upon experience, which you should consider and …
Lessons Learned, Lives Changed, Next Steps
As the school year wanes, I hope each of you are making plans to get away this summer and recuperate from what has likely been the most challenging year ever faced by school district leaders. It is my further hope that you will not only plan to relax while away, but also carve out some time for thought and reflection. Once you do, I trust that time might be used in the following manner… Think about lessons learned from this year. Consider how your life and the lives of those you lead and interact with has been changed. Based upon …
Are You Practicing the Concept of “Leadership Thought” to Enhance Your Performance? If Not, You Should Consider Doing So.
As a superintendent your days are extremely busy and often unpredictable. In other words, the way your calendar looks in the morning is rarely how it progresses throughout the day. It seems like there is always something which takes you off course and although it may be a minor diversion, it is a diversion, nonetheless. The concern I have about this reality is not so much that you are buffeted by the winds of distraction never to get back on track, but rather that you are intentionally exercising leadership thought on a daily basis. In today’s post I want to …
The Concept of Time and Timing When Planning New Initiatives
Spring is here and summer is just around the corner which means you are likely planning new initiatives for the coming year. Clearly this will be another unique school year as you prepare to shore up student learning and figure out how to use an unprecedented level of federal funding in your district. As you begin to work with your leadership team in designing next year’s activities, I thought it might be helpful to reflect upon the concept of time and timing when planning new initiatives and to outline a few best practices. Time Achieving success in implementing new initiatives …
Leadership, Emotional Health and Decision Making
Recently I heard a podcast which highlighted Dr. Caroline Leaf, cognitive neuroscientist, and leadership guru, Dr. John Maxwell. The topic was leadership and emotional health and I thought it provided some helpful information for educational leaders, especially related to the challenges which have been faced over the past year. Today I would like to discuss some of the insights I gleaned from the podcast and talk about how these ideas specifically impact educational leaders and the work that they do. The first insight is that the mind is different than the brain. Our minds are malleable; they are trainable, and …
Preparing to Hire Generation Z Teachers this Spring
A year ago, I wrote a blog post on Generation Z teachers and have since then been researching the topic in greater depth. The recruitment and retention of teachers is one of the greatest challenges we face and I believe those districts which focus on Generation Z will be the most competitive as time progresses. Today, I would like to outline a few facts which I found compelling in my research and offer a couple of ideas (of many) that districts might consider as they think about employing Generation Z teachers. Fact #1 – The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) suggests …
Dealing with School District Politics and Decision-Making in an Increasingly Divided Society
If you have been a school district leader for any period, you likely realize the issues you often face mirror the politics of your local community (or communities). As this is the case, you must not only understand the community’s political leanings, but also how these thoughts and ideas impact the decisions of your Governing Board and you as superintendent. It is not uncommon, as we have recently seen, that division exists, and superintendents are caught in the middle. As a result, do you do what you feel is best? Do you follow what you deem to be the majority …
How Leaders Can Reduce Stress and Build Resiliency in the New Year
Leaders have a tough job, but this past year has been uniquely challenging. Coming off the holiday season many leaders have been able to reduce their stress level a bit by spending time with family and engaging in non-work activities. But work is about to start again in the new year so what can be done to curb stress on the job? Are there tweaks or modifications which can be made to build one’s resiliency moving forward? In this post I want to focus on the power of knowing yourself and how reflecting on your work pattern preferences can establish …