Harvard Graduate School of Education - Leadership: an Evolving Vision 2007

Throughout the course of the week  the central theme coming through for me is the vital importance of creating a sense of belonging, of valuing everyone and of being truly inclusive in our education systems. Yesterday Jeff Howard talked about the vicious circle of underdevelopment in American education where children are often viewed as having a ‘fixed’ intelligence and where educators and parents have low expectations of certain groups ability to achieve. He stated it is important to develop all in our schools because “developed people are free to find meaning to find quality lives and to leave a legacy of wisdom and humanity”. To him this quite simply means we must create proficient pupils and develop a strong character in all. If people have a strong character we realise that our behaviour matters, we understand the principle of proper conduct and we choose to apply these in our lives at all times, not just when we are being watched. To do this we must work with families and communities and understand that as members of society we have our part to play in teaching young people to behave and learn instead of thinking we can’t do anything about it. We are all responsible and can’t just blame society.

This message and the themes running through this summer school were brought sharply into focus for me last night when we visited the Holocaust memorial in Boston. The memorial consists of 6 number of high towers etched with millions of numbers representing the numbers tattooed on those killed in concentration camps. This was a very powerful, deeply moving experience for me. I had such overwhelming feeling of disbelief that man could do this to man, and equally disturbing is the thought that inhumanities are still occurring all over the world.

It was an extremely humbling experience and for me really drove home the message that if we do not actively foster a sense of belonging, of valuing people and of being truly inclusive we could create the circumstances which allow atrocities like the holocaust to take place and destroy the lives of individuals and whole sections of society.

 ‘Hurt people hurt people’ – Jeff Howard 

For me my challenge is to ensure that I do what I can do to stop this happening and to ensure that generations of children in our schools do not lose out. And that they receive the appropriate education which enables them to actively and constructively participate in our society.

Yesterday I moved very definitely into my “stretch zone” when I volunteered, in front of over 140 delegates, to participate in a role-play situation with Barry Jentz.

Barry asked me to engage in one of those “difficult conversations” we sometimes have to conduct as leaders. The scenario, in brief, was that I, as the leader, had to share with Barry, the new teacher to the school, that I was unhappy about his conduct in a recent staff meeting.

At the end of the role-play I thought I had done a fairly good job in that I was “cool, calm and collected” and I had also managed to give Barry the bad news.

However I was making these conclusions based on my reflexive thinking i.e. I gave Barry the information I had to share with him BUT I conducted the conversation in a “closed” manner.

With some input from Barry I was able to see that I need to move to a much higher level of engagement and shift my thinking from this reflexive mode to the more open, reflective mode where one is entering into a two way, problem-solving approach.

This reflective mode has far more intellectual rigour and also it is something we ask the people around us to engage in regularly so if we are asking them to do this we must show that we, as leaders, are ready and able to engage in this too.

A reflective skill set is about giving good data i.e. sharing accurate information AND listening. The outcome of this is that we can decrease the amount of defensiveness from the person with whom we are speaking which in turn increases the openness to change. This in turn leads to more opportunities to improve performance.

I found yesterday that, as Jentz says,

“Any information that helps improve your performance will make you sting inside.” 

However I can now see that

“A Reflective Mind is a Learning Mind.”

A challenging day!

link

Jim Honan led this morning’s session on “Change That Leads to Improvement”.

He explored how there is growing interest in the social return we gain from the investment we make in the education system.

The model he shared was the “Program Logic Model” derived from the Kellog Foundation.

The model goes as follows:

1. Resources —-2. Activities—-3. Outputs—-4. Outcomes—-5. Impact

I was particularly interested in stages 3, 4 and 5.

Outputs are the descriptive statistics, e.g. % attendance; courses run; number of participants; hours spent on an activity.

Outcomes describe what changed, e.g. attainment went up from x% to y%; attendance decreased; bullying incidents went up.

Impact is where we make some judgement about how successful our original vision might have been - the “so what question”

I recall a very interesting meeting I had with Rick Segal - a Canadian Venture Capitalist - back in October, where he had interrogated me by constantly drilling into the outcomes and impact of my practice in a very uncomfortable manner.

It was whilst listening to Jim Honan that I was struck by the possibility of reframing how we consider impact and how we might better link actions and measures of success.

The typical planning  process in Scottish education goes something like this:

1. AIM  e.g. Improve the health of young people 

2. ACTION  2 hours of weekly PE

3. MEASURE Provide 2 hours of PE each week

The problem with this approach is that our measures - which are derived from the action - can be disconnected from the aim, i.e. PE does not necessarily mean that health is improved - even if it’s high quality PE. The other problem associated with this example is that the measure is an output not an outcome

If I was funder and was putting money into the system to fulfil my aim, i.e. to improve health - then being told that all kids were now doing 2 hours of PE each week would not convince me that I’m getting a good social return on my investment.

So what if we considered an alternative relationship between these three factors?

1. Aim - Improve health

3. Measure - Children can run for 12 minutes without stopping

2. Action - Design and implement programmes which will improve children’s CV fitness.

By selecting a much more specific measure and linking it with the aim - prior to deciding upon what the action might be - we come up with a potentially more powerful change model which is very much directed towards IMPACT.

If you want to try this challenge have go at providing me with an aim, measure and action for making children more responsible citizens - remember your measure must be able to answer the funders’ “so what” question about any actions you take, i.e. can you demonstrate impact (not just an output)

“Managers are paid to talk not to do” - sounds like an unlikely combination but that’s what Malachi Pancoast reckons to be the role of school leaders.

He took this even further when he suggested that our aim should be to become superfluous to the operation.

It struck me listening to this that there are many out there who might already that to be the case!!! - but then it that might be due to us not managing our workload effectively.

The Scottish work ethic can sometimes become a liability - how hard we work and the number of hours we put in can sometimes appear to be a series of medals we metaphorically wear on our chests.  Just imagine how a group of Head Teachers would react to a colleague who said “I don’t do any work at home at nights or the weekend and I leave work every night at 5.00pm” - I think I can say that without exception that we would make an immediate judgement about that person’s  commitment and effectiveness. So hard work becomes a prerequisite for Headship/Principalship. 

The point I’m driving at here is that we (educational leaders) are stakeholders in the orthodoxy that long hours and effectiveness are inextricably connected.

The key stage for us before seeking to implement some of the strategies which Malachi outlined in the course of his presentation is to recognise that it is possible to be effective without having to “work” as hard. 

I was struck by his concluding comment:

“Our job is to produce results - not to make friends”

I believe that so much of the “hard work” we engage in is to do with “impressing others” and to be valued for being last out of the car park!

We are collectively making some impression on the conference - not least today when Dennise Sommerville got up to participate in a role play exercise.

Very brave in front of 150 fellow principals - I kept my head down!!

Today one of the delegates described this summer school as a united nations of school principals and it certainly fees like that with delegates from many countries across the globe as well as the United States. Understandably the audience is predominantly American as are the speakers. Their work is based on some of the excellent research being undertaken in this country. Despite this, many of the issues raised so far have proven to be common across the world. This has been a unifying factor realising that it doesn’t matter whether you are Head teacher of a small primary school in Scotland, Principal of a large international school in India or Principal of an American high school of 4000 pupils we all face the same leadership challenges. However at times for the international delegates where some difficulties have arisen is in understanding the American school system and the culture within which American schools operate. For some international delegates there has been a feeling that not enough cognisance has been taken of the fact that we may not all have a complete understanding of the American system.

With this in mind I was delighted yesterday afternoon when we went into our discussion groups (mine has 4 international delegates out of 11) and our group leader, Marilynne Smith Quarco a School Principal from Massachusetts acknowledged the international delegates and raised the issue that we may not fully understand some of the issues raised with out having greater information on American school systems. She had handouts for us all on specific American issues and we spent some time discussing these. She then invited the international delegates (1 Scot, 1 Indian and 2 Australians) to share something of the education systems in our countries, the cultures within which we operate and the major issues we are facing.

By doing so we were better able as a group to understand each other, to get a greater understanding of each others perspectives and to look at education in a truly international context. From this discussion came a greater openness and realisation that we can all learn from each other and can all make significant contributions to educational debate. Marilynne truly made us feel valued and gave us all that sense of belonging Norman Kunc spoke of on Saturday.

How to communicate to improve performance – Barry Jentz

How well do you listen?
Do you operate an open agenda?
Do you believe in sharing information or during confrontational conversations do you withhold information?
Do you show tolerance and understanding particularly under pressure?
Are you aware that these discrepancies in your practise exist?
Are you blind to what others see?

Barry Jentz has been trying to help us improve our communication skills today by making us more aware of how we listen and react to what we hear.

He suggests that most people listen reflexively in that they react automatically and go directly to a solution. However by listening and acting reflectively performance is improved.

Reflective skills:
· Give good data
· Listen
· Are tolerant of confusion
· Use confusion as an opportunity to skilfully inquire
· Facilitate the capacity to improve through interaction
· Improve performance

In trying to bring about transformational change this method provides a vehicle to enhance transform relationships.

A reflective mind is a learning mind!

We all do things we don’t really want to do but if you know where you are going and have others supporting you, you can get there!

Day 1 - The Purpose of Schooling – Millie Pierce 

What is the purpose of schooling?
The opportunity to make a difference?

A school is an extremely powerful place and the leader of that school is in an extremely powerful position. They are an advocate for the children in their care. They watch out for them and make sure they realise their full potential.
The New Three Rs
 
A school should provide rigor in the curriculum. Encourage good relationships at all levels and the experience should be relevant to life.

 ‘Interrupters’ make a difference and inspire. Who are the interrupters?

Lee Teitel
The Burden of Presumed Competence – there is an expectation that a Head Teacher can deliver on most problems. Technical challenges are usually straightforward as they are things we know how to do. Adaptive challenges require deep changes and are not easy. People do not resist change. It is the loss associated with change that is the problem as there is likely to be a loss of confidence or even competence.

Quick fixes do not work. Finding the answers to adaptive challenges can be tricky but by asking the right questions everyone has the ability to find their own solutions.

What is it that school leaders do that makes a difference?
Where is leadership development happening?
What networks do I belong to that support my practise as a leader?

Day 2 - Project Adventure

The importance of communication, collaboration, trust, listening properly and valuing other’s contributions. You can learn from anyone. Learning happens all the time.

Day 3 – Norman Kunc

Inclusion should not be an act of kindness. Inclusion is a sense of belonging for everyone. How do you create a sense of belonging?

How do the policies and practises in your school facilitate inclusion?

Self esteem comes about naturally, completely and easily when we are with others and you feel valued and wanted. A feeling of belonging.
Do we forget about this in a school?

Support Inclusion by Collaboration
In education we become too focused on remediation. We don’t see the support needed. Disabled people live in a society that is not set up for them consequently they are innovative because they have to be so why don’t we ask them and the people that know them best?

You need imagination and vision to support a disabled pupil. We don’t know what is possible for them, or for anyone else for that matter, so don’t assume and plan for them. A recipe doesn’t work, no one size fits all instead we need a larder – lots of ideas that can be mixed together.

Behaviour
Try to understand, do not assume malicious intent. Stay curious.
Behaviour is usually a communicative intent or a result of unmet needs. The teacher needs to be a detective.

Unfortunately we live in a society that values perfection.
 

One of the features of American education about which I have been suprised in the number of High School Principals who started their management careers in Elementary (Primary) schools.

One of the reasons that I’m so surprised is that the system here is so performance measurement oriented - in other words if something doesn’t improve the numbers it won’t be continued.  Yet there is no apparent difference in the performance of schools led by leaders who have only worked in the High School setting and those who are led by leaders who were first in the Elementary setting.

So where does that leave us in Scotland?

Well is doesn’t happen! - so why not? One of the reasons often given is that “Primary schools are so different from Secondary (High) schools “the examination system, the timetable,  pupil behaviour, structure of departments, and often the difference in the number of pupils “- yet one could argue that such elements are all at the techinical end of the spectrum - they can be learned.

What’s been reinforced to me here is that the big management issues - i.e. people and culture are completely the same between primary and secondary.

When I moved from being a High School Principal to being Head of Education - no one batted an eyelid - yet no one could have suggested that I had all the technical knowledge necessary for me to do the job. The reality is that I had developed a set of transferable leadership and management skills  which allowed me to take up my post and the rest I’ve had to learn on the job.

So why couldn’t an outstanding Primary Head Teacher be considered for a position as Head Teacher of a secondary school - especially when we are experiencing such a shortage of high quality candidates for such posts.

As the size issue - that would mean that any Head Teacher of a small secondary school could never be considered for the post of Head Teacher of a large secondary school - which would never happen.

I’d like to explore this further when I get home - no doubt teachers’ unions might have issues and parents might have concerns but I don’t think either are insurmountable - perhaps the greatest shift would have to come in the in the minds of people like me.

Mind you - if we did go  for such a shift, the direction of travel would have to be both ways.

Would I do it?  -  you betcha!!!