Education is PowerEducation is Power

Today Show-Katie Couric InterviewToday Show-Katie Couric Interview of of Brian Bennett-had grown up in a troubled Brian Bennett-had grown up in a troubled and abusive environment. He struggled in and abusive environment. He struggled in school and had been picked on regularly. school and had been picked on regularly. Now-a well adjusted and successful adult.Now-a well adjusted and successful adult.

Defining Moment-Defining Moment-”when a grade school ”when a grade school teacher simply told me that she cared teacher simply told me that she cared about me and believed in me and that about me and believed in me and that small interaction turned my life around”small interaction turned my life around”

Education is PowerEducation is Power

Let me tell you about:Let me tell you about:

CHRISCHRIS

Education is PowerEducation is Power

Let me tell you Let me tell you about another guy I about another guy I

know!!know!!

Education is PowerEducation is Power

To embrace learning rather than To embrace learning rather than teaching as a school’s mission, to teaching as a school’s mission, to

work collaboratively to help all work collaboratively to help all students learn, to focus on students learn, to focus on results to foster continuous results to foster continuous improvement and to assume improvement and to assume

individual responsibility to take individual responsibility to take steps to create such a school.steps to create such a school.

Education is PowerEducation is Power

Leading a successful Leading a successful enterprise calls upon enterprise calls upon everyone to know the everyone to know the

organization’s purpose. organization’s purpose. Public education has to be Public education has to be

clear in its purpose if schools clear in its purpose if schools are to grow and prosper.are to grow and prosper.

RCAS MissionRCAS Mission

Building a Building a community of life community of life

long learners, long learners, one student at a one student at a

time.time.

Education is PowerEducation is Power

A purposeful community is one A purposeful community is one with the with the collective efficacy collective efficacy and and capability to develop and use capability to develop and use assets to accomplish purposeassets to accomplish purpose and and produce outcomes that produce outcomes that

mattermatter to all community to all community members through members through agreed-upon agreed-upon

processprocess

Education is PowerEducation is Power

Are the processes that lead to Are the processes that lead to patterns of communication, patterns of communication,

relationships among community relationships among community members, a sense of well-being, members, a sense of well-being, connections between the school connections between the school and other institutions, shared and other institutions, shared

leadership opportunities, and a leadership opportunities, and a sense of order and disciplinesense of order and discipline

The Three C’s of The Three C’s of Community BuildingCommunity Building

ConfrontConfront the Brutal Facts the Brutal Facts

CommunicationCommunication (Effective)(Effective)

CollaborationCollaboration

Confront the Brutal Confront the Brutal FactsFacts

Create a culture where the truth is Create a culture where the truth is heard!heard!

Includes four basic practicesIncludes four basic practices::Lead with questions, not answersLead with questions, not answersEngage in dialogue and debate, Engage in dialogue and debate,

not not coercioncoercionConduct autopsies, without blameConduct autopsies, without blameBuild red flag mechanisms that Build red flag mechanisms that

turn turn information into information information into information that cannot that cannot be ignoredbe ignored

CommunicationCommunication

Superintendent WebsiteSuperintendent Website– Community BlogCommunity Blog– Staff BlogStaff Blog– Twitter FeedTwitter Feed– Streaming Video PresentationStreaming Video Presentation– PresentationsPresentations– LinksLinks

CollaborationCollaboration

““Successful schools are places Successful schools are places where teams of teachers meet where teams of teachers meet regularly to focus on student regularly to focus on student work through assessment and work through assessment and

change their instructional change their instructional strategies accordingly to get strategies accordingly to get

better results”better results”

FullanFullan

Education is PowerEducation is Power

Learn by doing and you Learn by doing and you build community by build community by

doing the work togetherdoing the work together

Education is PowerEducation is Power

The best way to The best way to improve a school or improve a school or

district is by district is by developing the people developing the people

within it!!within it!!

Education is PowerEducation is Power

Fullan (2006) defined capacity Fullan (2006) defined capacity building as an action based and building as an action based and

powerful strategy that increases the powerful strategy that increases the collective efficacy of a group to collective efficacy of a group to

improve student learning through improve student learning through new knowledgenew knowledge, , enhanced enhanced

resources resources and and greater motivation greater motivation on the part of people working on the part of people working

individually and togetherindividually and together

Education is PowerEducation is Power

To create conditions for people To create conditions for people to succeed by helping people to succeed by helping people

find meaningfind meaning, , increase their increase their skill developmentskill development and their and their personal satisfactionpersonal satisfaction while while they make contributions that they make contributions that

simultaneously fulfill their goals simultaneously fulfill their goals and the goals of the organizationand the goals of the organization

What does this all What does this all mean???mean???

We need to implement a strategic We need to implement a strategic approach to create an environment approach to create an environment of high quality learningof high quality learning

Critical Steps:Critical Steps:

Point to the DestinationPoint to the Destination

Script the Critical MovesScript the Critical Moves

Build New HabitsBuild New Habits

Big IdeasBig Ideas

#1-Focus on Learning: Are We Clear #1-Focus on Learning: Are We Clear as to Our Purposeas to Our Purpose

Learning outcomes are clearly articulated to all Learning outcomes are clearly articulated to all stakeholders in the school, and each student’s stakeholders in the school, and each student’s

attainment of the outcomes is carefully attainment of the outcomes is carefully monitored. Staff members work together to monitored. Staff members work together to

enhance their effectiveness in helping enhance their effectiveness in helping students achieve learning outcomes. The students achieve learning outcomes. The

school has developed systems to provide more school has developed systems to provide more time and support for students experiencing time and support for students experiencing initial difficulty in achieving the outcomesinitial difficulty in achieving the outcomes

Big IdeasBig Ideas

#2-Collaborative Culture: Staff #2-Collaborative Culture: Staff Working TogetherWorking Together

Staff function as a team. They work Staff function as a team. They work collaboratively to identify collective collaboratively to identify collective goals, develop strategies to achieve goals, develop strategies to achieve

those goals, gather relevant data, and those goals, gather relevant data, and learn from one another. Unlike a work learn from one another. Unlike a work

group, they are characterized by group, they are characterized by common goals and interdependent common goals and interdependent

efforts to achieve those goalsefforts to achieve those goals

Big IdeasBig Ideas

#3-Govern by Results#3-Govern by Results

Teams of teachers are hungry for Teams of teachers are hungry for information on results. They information on results. They gather relevant data and use gather relevant data and use

these data to identify these data to identify improvement goals and to monitor improvement goals and to monitor

progress toward the goalsprogress toward the goals

Education is PowerEducation is Power

•Education goes beyond schoolingEducation goes beyond schooling•Education empowers peopleEducation empowers people•Education is the true wealth of Education is the true wealth of

the communitythe community•Education is the hope for the Education is the hope for the

futurefuture•Education is destinyEducation is destiny

Education is PowerEducation is Power

•We must expect education to We must expect education to develop:develop:–Good PeopleGood People–Successful PeopleSuccessful People–Self-actualizing PeopleSelf-actualizing People

•We must view education as a never We must view education as a never ending process for the individual ending process for the individual and the communityand the community

Education is PowerEducation is Power

•Life is a process of learning Life is a process of learning and growthand growth

•Education is a part of the Education is a part of the process of lifeprocess of life

•We get the full power of We get the full power of education when it fulfils its education when it fulfils its true role in the process of lifetrue role in the process of life

Education is PowerEducation is Power

•"If a man empties his purse "If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can into his head, no man can take it away from him. An take it away from him. An investment in knowledge investment in knowledge

always pays the best always pays the best interest."interest."

Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin