Sin Taxes and the Collateral Damage

I sit in on some of my 7th grade classrooms to listen to their persuasive speeches.  I do this each year just to watch my students exercise a valuable life skill, to stand in front of others and defend a position that they care about.  The topics were what I would call typical for 7th graders,  Don't bully, don't smoke, etc.  One student did a topic that has real traction in this state and country.  He was persuading his classmates that marijuana should be legal.  This is not a new debate to those who follow state government, but he was especially passionate about it.

Central to the argument was that government could profit from the recreational sale of marijuana and farmers could benefit from the cash crop.  It is very hard to disagree with that.What I can disagree with is that the trend over the past few years to is to expand all the things that hurt or further impoverish our citizens that need us most. We have expanded gambling in this state and we have now legalized weed for recreational purposes.

Think about all the vices we have as a country.  Some can handle the recreational approach to gambling, drinking and so on.  Many cannot and become addicted.  This does not only have an immediate impact on them individually, but also their families and friends.  When we turn to get rich schemes with public policy, these folks are the collateral damage.  I understand that 60% of Illinoisans want this, but we have also been conditioned to understand our financial woes as a state.  We would welcome any kind of relief.  Even if it means at the risk of hurting more of our citizens.  If we were secure financially, would this be a discussion?  I'm not sure.

Gambling expansion seems to be another way out of financial crisis for the state.  Another addictive behavior that is becoming popular for revenue.  Don't get me wrong, my school has benefited form the way West Frankfort has used their gaming terminal revenues.  They have supported the needs of school groups and the development of programs for the city's kids.  The new money is a blessing for people that can benefit from it.  How many local communities are using the revenue responsibly?

My challenge to Illinois is that if we continue to balance our budget off of "sin" taxes, support those lives that are wrecked to make that money.  A recent article in the Southern Illinoisan detailed the state's record on the lack of support for gambling addiction and that they do not track the number of gambling addicts in the state.  This is shameful and irresponsible.  It gives the impression that this is purely a money grab and they the needs of vulnerable Illinoisans are not considered.  Step up Illinois, if you plan to balance the budget this way.

The Social Emotional Playbook

Being a junior high/middle school principal is tough.  In my building I am basically on my own when it comes to the social emotional struggles we face.  I do have a very good social worker once a week and we do get help from a local company with mental health issues.  These are for extreme cases though and the daily battle of handling conflict and issues the right way is time consuming.  For instance, to tackle a rumor that is going around that may be causing a student headaches at school can take the form of interviewing lots of kids until you whittle it down to the two that are actually having problems in hopes of helping them resolve their situation.  If you care about your students and handle this process with sincerity, it can help them learn how to handle these things in the future and keep the peace among your students.  The investment is always worth it in some way.

What I have caught myself saying over the years, especially to 8th grade students, is that they need to have learned the "playbook" by now so they don't get into these troubles.  Basically what I am saying is, kids see the same hurtful scenarios play out all the time but act surprised when it happens to them.  It's like there is a playbook when it comes to teasing, hurting or dominating someone.  This gave me a crazy idea to try with my students this year.  I am starting my own SEL playbook.

Lets be clear about the goals of having social emotional "plays".  These should be actions students can take to work out problems, show empathy and does not allow them to win or elevate their position against others.  Teaching kids to dominate others is a pathway to bullying and would be counter productive to the mission.  I have narrowed this down to the SEL skills I want them to master.  They are Relationship Building, Empathy, Conflict Resolution,  Adaptability, Social Awareness, and Responsible Decision Making.  Sure you can buy curriculum to address these but sometimes the best training is in the situations as they arise.

Here are the plays:

Pick Me Up - Social Emotional Skills Emphasized: Empathy, Relationship Building, Social Awareness.  Large group or whole school approach.  This play should be run constantly everyday.

What to do - Go out of your way to pick someone up.  Never let anyone sit alone or walk the halls alone.  If someone needs a pencil or paper, give it to them if you have it.

Shuffle - Social Emotional Skills Emphasized: Adaptability, Relationship Building, Social Awareness.  Whole school focus that can be done periodically.

What to do - Encourage students to attach to someone outside their normal friend group.  This might be at recess, the lunch table or at a sporting event.  Many of my students complain about cliques.  This is a way to help break them up.

Shutdown - Social Emotional Skills Emphasized: Responsible Decision Making, Conflict Resolution.  Very small groups and individuals as situations arise after an initial consultation with me.

What to do - When nasty rumors or fight talk is taking place, encourage students to find a way to shutdown all discussion on the matter by changing the subject.  For example, Jimmy tells Timmy that he heard he was going to get into a fight.  Timmy simply responds by saying that they have worked it out and nobody is going to fight and then quickly move on to another subject.  When done correctly, I have found that this reduces the "word around the campfire" affect that can happen when kids are arguing.  Kids tend to amplify trouble and prevent the two involved from really addressing their issue.

Goldie - Social Emotional Skills Emphasized: Conflict Resolution, Social Awareness, Adaptability.  Very small groups or individuals.

What to do - Based in part on a New York Times article and the golden rule.  When teasing and or bullying gets bad and unbearable, encourage the student to deflect it by using positive language that confounds the teaser.  Example: Jenny tells Suzie that she is not invited to her party because nobody likes her.  Suzie responds by simply saying, "That's fine.  I hope your party goes well."  When the tormentor is not getting a rise out of her, she will move on to someone that will get upset.  Suzie is also using the same positive language that she would want to have used with her.

This is obviously not a comprehensive list of plays for students to run to improve their own social well-being, but it is surely a start.  If your efforts fail it may be a signal that the students you are working with need more intensive support and a referral to your counselor may be necessary.  Don't fail to realize that even if your efforts are not enough, you are still forging a relationship with your students that will pay off.  They do appreciate it even if they are always finding themselves in trouble.  The coach in me wants to push my kids to success and there is noting wrong with having a playbook for them to use.  Happy coaching Principals!

Thankful for Bad Days

I was listening to a podcast by Dr. Scott England about double standards.  In his opening he talked about having bad days.  After I finished listening, I began to reflect on some of my bad days.  I can't lie, sometimes I get loud with students.  This is usually after several efforts to correct a situation that has failed either because the student didn't follow the coaching or because I had to go into dad mode and shut it all down.  I'm never happy with myself after getting loud with a student.  I do not go into each day inviting that situation, but it does happen every once in a while.  I have bad days like everyone else.

The strange reality is that I have come to the conclusion that I am thankful for bad days.  I spend a lot of time on kids that I know need me.  That investment can yield a lot of happiness or a lot of frustration.  When a bad day happens and I no longer am willing to tolerate poor choices, I get loud.  When I get loud, I am quite remorseful.  Sometimes I even instinctively flinch because I'm waiting on my mom to smack me on the back of the head because I know better.  So why am I thankful for bad days?

I have learned over the years to understand that my bad days happen because I care about what happens to my students.  I care about their success.  I care about where they will end up.  I care about how others perceive them.  If you have ever seen a passionate coach yell at a player or at an official in protection of a player, that is basically what we are talking about.  I'm not talking about the crazy coaches that can't keep a job.  I'm talking about the ones that knowingly practice a 10:1 rule, meaning 10 positive comments to one negative.  They know the relationship is paramount and it has to be protected even when you slip up.

Dr. England's message was certainly not lost on me.  If I expect them to handle conflicts with class and a level head, then I should too.  I saw a great meme being passed around on Twitter last week.  The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.  I cannot imagine anyone that could disagree with that statement.  I am 42 years old and I can still hear the stern voices of my mentors in most things that I do.  While I am thankful for the zeal that I show my students, I hope they get more from me than the experience of a bad day.  Be mindful of your double standards folks, but rejoice in your passion for students.  The kids have a way of seeing both of those.

Reflecting on Columbine

Twenty years ago today, an American tragedy took place.  Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris shot and killed 13 people and wounded 20 others.  This was part of a failed plan to use bombs to kill hundreds more.  This horrific event sparked not only a national debate on gun control and video games, but changed how school buildings operate and even how they are designed.  There is not a year that has gone by in my entire 17 year education career that I have not completed some safety training or improved a safety plan.  It is part of our education culture now for both educators and students.

I have to tell you that the worst thing I have heard an adult say over the years is, "He's our next school shooter" when they are worried about how a troubled student is acting.  Psychologists warn that there really isn't a strict profile, but rather factors for consideration.  These include:

• The theme for school shootings is revenge and anger.
• 75% of shooters felt harassed or bullied by their classmates.
• Shooters may have a history of cruelty to animals (this is a low probability factor, but a significant one when present)
• Shooters tend to have experienced dysfunctional family situations or experience a lack of effective adult supervision, mentoring, or oversight.

You can't profile a shooter, but educators are trained to spot warning signs.  I will be honest, this was not in my teacher education program.  

The law enforcement approach has changed also.  I attended a training several years ago where a video was shown of an active shooter simulation and how officers are trained to respond.  Body cameras were used for a realistic effect.  This was gut wrenching.  They are trained to rush in and engage the shooter to eliminate the threat.  In the video, officers were seen running past students that were injured and crying for help in an effort to reach the shooter.  I had to remind myself that these heroes run towards trouble to protect us while others run away.  I have reminded my staff of this when we have our active shooter drills and discussions.

There has been much debate over the years of how to prevent and/or respond to school shootings.  Is it a gun control issue?  Is it a the failure of the American family?  Are violent video games to blame?  These and other theories might be beyond your influence so I ask you, How are you rushing in?  I'm not saying rush in to a school shooting.  I'm saying rush in to being whatever influence you think is needed.  If you ask me, rush into being a teacher.  Rush into being a counselor.  Rush into the ministry.  Rush into something that allows you to make a real impact on a child that needs real human connection.  It is easy to sit in the cheap seats and say you think a kid is going to go off.  It's more worth it to save a troubled life before law enforcement has to be rushed in to save hundreds.  Please engage others in this conversation.  Not to place blame, but to focus on solutions.  Our kids deserve that.

On a side note, the Southern Illinoisan ran a great piece on how these shootings have affected the survivors and communities of Columbine and Parkland.  Please be reminded that these incidents have a greater impact than just the reported dead and injured.  You can click here to read it.

The Happiness of Losing a Teacher

I got a phone call about a teacher.  Not a complaint.  It was quite the opposite.  It was a reference check.  Dare I say it wasn't just any reference check.  This teacher is an aspiring administrator and was in the final stages of being employed as an assistant principal in a district nearby.  While I am bummed about losing a good teacher, I am excited for her to take on this opportunity.  She did some of her intern work with me and she is ready to lead.  Congratulations Marion Junior High.  You are getting a good one.

She is the third teacher I have lost to administration in eight years here.  Personally, I love it.  I get to check in with my other two occasionally and they have made me proud.  I have had co-workers and community members from both districts tell me that they love their principals and I'm sure this third teacher turned admin will also yield the same feedback.  I will not take any credit for how well they do but I do feel we have an obligation to help grow those who want to become building leaders.  By the way, another congratulations to Arcola Elementary School on getting a good one too.

I heard a colleague say about the teacher shortage that his current teachers used to be the best recruiters for new teachers.  They provided the narrative of how great teaching is and passed it on to others.  That is very true, but it is also true for us administrators.  We don't have to push people into administrative work, but we can always model good leadership so that others can aspire to make the leap.  One of my other Type 75 teachers once told me very honestly that he could not be a principal because he saw what I put into the job and didn't think he could do it.  I've always told him that he could, but I see this as positive feedback. He sees my commitment and passion for the work.  If I am doing anything right, I am leading by example.  If that moves people into the principal's office, then it is worth it.

I really have three hopes for my teachers that jump into administration.

1. Making the move is family decision.  Don't overlook that.
2. Realize that you are a public servant.  That entails responsibility and accountability to people.
3. Be better at this than I am.  Like, way better.

We are not only facing a teacher shortage but we are also facing a principal shortage.  One of the recommendations to keep principals is to work to elevate the the perception of the profession as a call to service.  In my opinion, this effort is past due by state officials and must be carried out by us.  The effects of principal turnover are harmful to both students and teachers.  Achievement tends to drop and teachers tend to leave.  Just as it is our duty to encourage teachers to become principals, it is the job of these new leaders to commit to staying to inspire and lead others.

When I was teaching they called making the move to administration "going to the dark side".  It is only appropriate then that we use a Yoda quote to wrap this up.  In The Last Jedi he tells Luke that "we are what they grow beyond.  That is the burden of all masters."  In other words, it should be the natural order of things that they become better than us.  So to LeighAnn Bailey, Megan Price and now Sarah Stowers please move past me.  By a long way.  That is the only way I am happy to lose a teacher.

Leadership Lesson Learned - Cell Phones

I came across a post about a Texas school considering changing their dress code to combat their growing problem with students vaping.  The change was to no longer allow students to wear long sleeve shirts because that is how they were concealing their exhales while vaping.  This seems like a drastic measure for something that is probably addressed with simply stepping up enforcement.  Then, I realized that it may work for that school.  After all, they know what will best serve their needs and it might be a little wrong for me to judge given that I don't know all the details.

This was us last week.  Our school went BYOD in 2012-13 and proudly welcomes cell phones into the classroom.  Last week, we changed our device policy to keeping phones and devices in lockers powered off for the school day.  This was a tough pill for me to swallow.  I did champion the pro-phone policy and often celebrated it.  We held an orientation for our parents and even made the local news.  It seemed like many others shared the sentiment that phones in the classroom could be very powerful learning tools.  Our mission was to show our school community that we could transition them from toys to tools and our staff was dedicated to the mission.

Things have changed over the years.  This year we had some red flags pop up.  For a long time we had been on cruise control with phones.  We enforced out policy and stayed consistent.  Student behaviors really didn't improve and they were still seeing them as toys or sources of entertainment.  During the first midterm of the second semester, we wrote more referrals for phones than we did for the whole first semester.  Things were getting out of hand.

I looked into what behaviors were taking place and it only confirmed my concern that we had meandered away from the our original mission.  Here is a sampling:

• Using their device without teacher permission.
• Using VPNs to bypass the school network.
• Texting their parents throughout the day.
• Constantly using them in the halls causing tardies. (They were not allowed to use them in the halls for this specific purpose.)
• Using their home screen as a way to cheat on test/quizzes.
• Social media use during the school day.
• Texting their parents even more.

These were also reasons my follow admins told me they would not be allowing phones in their school.  I respect that now.  When we started, this really worked for our school.  As time went on, the winds of change blew and we had to adjust mid year.  I have had some interesting feedback so far.  Some parents are praising the change and appreciate it.  Some do not.  I had a student tell me the other day that he is less distracted without his phone in his pocket.  That sounds promising.  We definitely have written less referrals (only one in the first two weeks compared to an average of five per week the whole second semester).  My problem is that a large number of students see this as a punishment to the whole school.  I do not like this perception.

Our job when designing local policy is to create something that serves the issue by understanding the unique qualities of your school.  The dress code change and our cell phone change are reactions to what we see as a problem or concern.  We can't react to problems.  We should be preventing them by always keeping the pulse as we go and staying informed by those affected by the policy.  During those cruise control years, we never really revisited the device policy or broke down the data.  The result is frustration and changing policy mid year to stop whatever bleeding we were experiencing.  

Consider this a leadership lesson learned for me.  It's okay to be forward thinking and to try and go where no man has gone before.  This does require oversight and care.  When we blow off the ongoing care of a policy, all we have done is check a box and say that were are done.  We all know there is no finish line in schools.  We will revisit the cell phone policy when handbook time comes, but for now we monitoring how things are without them.  The more information we collect, the better we can improve the policy for our students and teachers.  Lesson learned.

One of the Biggest Mistakes We can Make

I recently was given the chance to give my first full day workshop.  In front of a raucous crowd of four, I presented on students living in poverty and how to best reach and teach them.  I want to send a huge thank you to the attendees and ROE #13 for the opportunity.  When the day was done and I drove home, I began to reflect on my message and my presentation.  A talking point stuck out and it has been resonating with me since that day.

That talking point was the idea of deficit mindset and how that can be damaging to teachers as they try to connect with their free lunch kids. Having a deficit mindset causes us to set a low bar for kids we feel sorry for or are convinced that they will not ever be successful in life.  Daniel Booth has told us about setting the bar too low.  If you have not seen his Ignite session for the IPA, please do.  He often says that he would rather set the bar high and miss it all the time than to set the bar low and hit it every time.  He's right.  I feel like we should be applying this thinking not just with our free lunch kids but with all of our kids.

When we set the bar low or excuse the behavior or effort of our free lunch kids, we are simply ignoring the fact that our job is to help them experience social mobility.  We should be setting the bar high so we will communicate that just because their family might be disadvantaged, they do not have to be.  Isn't this why we all became educators?  We want to help students grow right?  This entails much more than raising test scores and skill deficits.  For these kids we have to teach them a growth mindset so raising a test score will actually mean something to them.

I was very careful to tell my workshop attendees that I am not a formally trained poverty trainer/presenter.  I am actually a poverty practitioner in life and profession.  I have been influenced by great people that ignored my deficit of generational poverty and helped me to use my own strengths to get out of poverty.  They set a high bar for me and never let me off the hook.  I do this everyday no matter how frustrating it can be. 

I ran into a former student not long ago and he asked if I remembered him.  I absolutely did.  It seemed like we fought with each other just about every day.  He told me that he had to be the worst kid that I had ever had and I disagreed with him.  "Sure we butted heads, but I never personally dislike kids that I am trying to work with." I told him.  He went on to say that I was always his favorite because I never quit on him and I always reminded him that I expected more out of him.  He went on further to say that he could never tell me that because he enjoyed arguing with me and didn't want that to go away.  It's funny how you might be making a difference even though you feel like you are spinning your wheels.

Let go of your deficit mindset and set a consistently high bar for your students.  One of the biggest mistakes we can make is to think that their future is set and they we, in the greatest profession of all, have no way to change it.  If you would like some inspiration, watch Daniel Booth's Ignite session and remember your why.