Embrace Your Toby Ziegler

I am a huge West Wing fan.  Not only because I love politics and this a perfect world to get caught up in, but also there are some great leadership themes that play out in the show.  Toby Ziegler is easily my favorite West Wing character next to President Bartlet.  In this clip the staff had a $10 bet that Toby would not be able to resist taking the President to task on a bad answer to a potential debate question.  I identify with Toby quite a bit.  He loves his country and is dedicated to his president to a level that makes him look like a jerk.  This is really the only way he knows to express his dedication and patriotism.  The joke in the show illustrates that they accept him for who he is and respect his outspokenness.

There is a leadership lesson here for new building principals.  As we enter the school year, our rookies will encounter teachers and staff members like Toby Ziegler.  I took my first administrative job when I was 31.  When you are close to the youngest on the whole staff and you are in charge, this tends to invite a Toby or two.  I will never forget mine.  He took me to task in our first faculty meeting.  I survived his questions and skepticism by staying in the middle of the road on my answers.  When I had time later to regroup, I had to make a choice.

I could do one of two things with this "difficult" teacher.  I could continue to label him as difficult, avoid him by avoiding difficult subjects and in turn become a weak principal for doing so.  The other option is what I chose.  I saw his perspective as a strength that I needed to draw from.  When you are a teacher, you are always seeking the passions and strengths of your students to help them get better.  As a principal, you should be doing this with your building staff.  When I began to spend time with him, I started to understand why he was so critical.  He had been there for more than 20 years.  He has seen people come and go he would be damned if he would see another out of town principal come around and mess it all up.  He didn't dislike me at all.  He loved his school and I hadn't yet shown to him that I was a part of his school.

New and aspiring principals, embrace your Toby Zieglers.  Find the strengths in your staffs and embrace them all.  If you take the genuine position that everyone has something to contribute and actually allow it to happen, you will be amazed at what your school will do.  I work with a great teaching staff at Central Junior High.  We share ownership of our decision making and and constructively disagree.  When I have to say no, it is respected as whats good for the school and not a power move.  If I have learned anything in ten years of being a principal it is that leadership is never about the upper hand, it is about relationships and what you do with them.

So newbies, how will you set the tone with your new staffs?  Will you avoid your Toby Zieglers or will you seek him out?  Do you plan on building your relationships with your staff or making sure they who the boss is?  If you go back to the clip, the boss initiated the joke.  This wasn't to  embarrass him but to see and confirm his passion.  Yes they laughed, but they know when push comes to shove Toby is loyal and dedicated to the group and the mission.  Isn't this what you want in your school staff?  Let me tell you, your progress potential is endless when each person is committed to each other.  If you want that kind of environment, you can't run from your Toby Zieglers.

If I Could Sit in a Room with Governor Rauner

I am an educator and if you are like me, you know there has been a lot of rhetoric taking place over the last few weeks.  As always, our work as professionals is taking a back seat to political strategy.  It's okay.  We have gotten used to this kind of treatment, but that doesn't make it right.  I was very frustrated with the Governor's notion that school superintendents are afraid of Speaker Madigan and that is why they support SB1. He is now demanding that SB1 be sent to him by noon on Monday.  I think what I really want is to sit in a room with him and tell him how I feel.  I think this is what would be said.

Gov. Rauner: I have been an educator for 16 years.  There has only been one year that our opening day address from our superintendent or administrators meeting did not include how to save money and do without.  Like We Olson Tweeted; my children have went their entire school careers in underfunded schools.  This not only includes our school kids but our kids at home too.  Ho long is too long for our best investment to be set aside?

Gov. Rauner: Do you know what we have endured to this point?  Unfunded mandates, pro-ration of funds and subjection to political strategy have all been the norm in my 16 years.  There was a time that we were told our schools didn't amount to anything if we didn't do well on standardized tests.  One time we changed the school code and the very nature of our relationships with our teachers in order to capture Race to the Top money because we were so desperate.  All together, the face of the Illinois public school has changed so much in this short time.

Gov. Rauner: We have taken it on the chin for a long time and kept being humble public servants for our communities.  We had no answers for them and when that becomes exhausting, we have to develop a voice.  Vision 20/20 emerged as a voice for schools and many others followed.  That collective voice is loud and telling you and the legislature what our communities need.  Are you listening to understand or listening to respond politically?  There is a difference.

Gov. Rauner: SB1 is a chance to begin again.  Even the language you call a "Chicago bailout" is way to start over and do things right.  This bill represents the collective wisdom of so many that care about the direction of public schools in Illinois.  This bill represents ALL kids.  We have in no way declared this a political issue because it kids are not a political issue.  They are not a bargaining chip and we are not taking Speaker Madigan's position.  The legislature took our position and voted for the best interests of their districts.  Join us in starting over and making it right.  Don't issue ultimatums and play political chess with such a critical issue.

Gov. Rauner: I am thankful for the countless people that have fought for this.  The school administrators, advocacy groups, legislators and parents that have given so much time and effort to see this bill passed deserve a chance.  They represent millions of kids that they have never met and those kids deserve a chance.  I work in a district that sits in a county that is a leader in the highest unemployment rate in the state.  We have a high poverty rate, a high mobility rate and a high rate of truancy.  My kids deserve a chance.  They don't need your politics.

Gov. Rauner: Sign SB1.  Forget about a political win.  Forget about your legacy.  This bill is about our future.  This bill is about bettering our families and communities with fully funded schools for them to attend.  It gives us all a chance.  Sign SB1.

The Bill Buckner Teach-able Moment

If you are any kind of a baseball fan, you know exactly who this is and his story.  When my son found this card in a random mixed pack, he didn't understand why my wife and reacted the way we did.  He's nine and has no clue who Bill Buckner is but he has always shown a desire to learn since he began collecting baseball and basketball cards.

I know this is a dying hobby.  I loved collecting cards and I still have them from all those years ago.  I've given many to my son to help him get started.  It's a lot of fun to watch him open a pack looking for a gem just like I used to.  He is however, a typical millennial kid.  He can be found giggling with headphones on watching dumb YouTube videos on his iPad. He also plays a couple different MLB games that give him knowledge of the best players in the country.  When he watched ESPN with me, he basically knows as much as I do.  When I was his age, we didn't have the coverage on TV or the access to the internet the way he does.  If I want to learn about distant players, collecting baseball cards was how I did it.

I love telling him old stories of players past because that's how people my age learned of the legends.  This is not always the best way to reach him so when this card surfaced we had the revelation to engage in some millennial story telling.  We turned our TV to YouTube and did a search of Bill Buckner. The top result was obviously the ground ball but the depth of knowledge on the topic was staggering.  It was more than I could ever dream of knowing at that age or what I could have possibly given to him.

Yes, I am the guy who said that we need to be a safety valve for our kid's internet use.  But that doesn't mean limit them to avoid any and all danger.  I had hoped to convey that we should be models and show them how to consume the internet responsibly.  This, in my opinion, was a parenting victory.  We used the internet to tell a story that I could not hope to ever convey to him.  This is what schools are trying to do.  Use the internet to do what a textbook could never do for us.  Deep and engaging understanding of concepts, not just memorizing dates and facts is the name of the game now.

As parents it is time we embrace the fact that our kids do not learn how we did.  We have to have an open mind when it comes to how our kids consume the internet and information.  We have to learn with them no matter how uncomfortable it is.  Blowing off the idea of using the internet to learn is just like letting a win slip right through your feet.  It's okay to blend the old and the new ways to learn as long as you are engaging your children and inspiring to learn about things in depth.  I bet you Bill Buckner never thought he would be a teach-able moment.

My "Papers"

Earlier in the school year I was asked by a community member if I had my "papers for superintendent".  I was first put off by this but I knew didn't know the terminology.  He was simply asking if I had the credentials for being a superintendent.  I replied that I did and we had a nice conversation about schools and our myriad of issues in the profession.  I went home fearing that this is what some folks feel leadership is.  As if just having your "papers" means you can do it.  I have a long talk with myself about my own personal leadership style and qualities.  This continued throughout the year and I sought to define myself as a leader.  This was frustrating and too much talking to yourself can look and feel strange.

I had the opportunity to apply to be a part of the Illinois Association of School Administrators Aspiring Superintendent Academy and thankfully I was accepted.  I had no idea what I was in for and just assumed I would get more of the same training that I had for years, despite the handful of people that assured me that this was a great program and spoke highly of the facilitators.

I was completely wrong about this five minutes into the first day.  Our facilitators were Dr. Nick Polyak and Dr. Michael Lubelfeld and they were great.  It was obvious they were passionate about what they do and the purpose for doing it.  They described their mission as developing the bullpen for the superintendency and folks let me tell you, if a man uses a sports analogy for something it means he is serious.  These guys were awesome and they brought awesome people to us too.  I'm going to take the easy way out and say that I learned so much and the activities were completely worthwhile.  That's not lip service, I truly did learn many technical aspects of the superintendency and how to do them well, but that is not what the magic of the academy was for me.

Before any technical or leadership learning took place, they provided a perfect lens to look through on the very first day.  To begin the week we examined and explored our leadership story.  We focused on what made us tick and how we got to where we are.  This was huge for me.  People like us are selfless and tend to never look in the mirror.  For me its mostly because I have no time (my morning shave is about it) and I tend to attribute all the good in my life to my family and school staff.  Through metrics and exploration we learned what our strengths are and why that is.  I was floored when I returned to the hotel that night.  From that day on, I began to look at every activity through this new lens and it changed the whole experience for me.

I can tell you that I can look in a book and figure out out how to do stuff.  That my friends is simply having your "papers" and this experience was far beyond that.  This academy was about why you do stuff.  After figuring that out, I saw each learning experience totally different.  When I worked though a mock emergency scenario, I thought about my values.  When I constructed my first day of school presentation, I though about my leadership strengths and how to play to them.  When I wrote principal evaluation feedback, I put my leadership story to work.  I can't image getting the same experience if the format was any different.

I want to give a huge shout out to Dr. Polyak and Dr. Lubelfeld for such an awesome week of personal (not just professional) development.  They are truly leaders of leaders and for that I will plug their book, The Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow's Schools Today and yes you can find it on Amazon.  Yes, I have my "papers" but thanks to this experience I know why.

One final insider thought and comment: #shuttle and "I live by a levy".  I've been home less than 24 hours and that is already a source of laughter for my family and I as I tell our stories.  It was truly #ASuperWeek.

Dr. Michael Lubelfeld is the Superintendent of Schools at Deerfield Public School #109
Dr. Nick Polyak is the Superintendent of Schools at Leyden High School District #212

We Can't Have It Both Ways

These last few days has been exciting for people like me.  I have been watching the budget votes very close because after all, I'm a public school employee and my livelihood depends on what happens.  That's true but that's not why I'm watching this closely.  For the first time in a long time we are on the verge of great things.  A new and much improved school funding formula is on the table.  A revenue and spending plan that will help get us out of the mess is on the table.  Legislators are voting in a bipartisan manner to help get our state back on track.  They have turned their back on politics and opened their eyes to reality.  Something special is happening and we should all be excited about it.

During this time I have been checking social media in regular intervals for updates.  I'm sharing, re-tweeting and liking anything that makes me happy about this developing story.  It occurred to me during a scroll through Facebook that despite all the posts and official statements from politicians I wasn't really seeing any arguments about raising taxes.  My usual suspects on this topic seemed to be silent.  I started to feel good about this because maybe it meant that we are all on the same page, but then I ran into a post that made me think.

A public school teacher shared a post about how the General Assembly would be better off cutting corners than raising taxes.  I can see that side of things but you have to do a combination of both cutting and raising revenue to get out of the hole we are in.  I was simply off-put by the fact a southern Illinois school teacher is agreeable to the idea of losing more than we have already lost.  Public schools have had their butts kicked over and over during the budget crisis and I had figured some solidarity would emerge from this.  I guess not.

I will not disparage anyone for what they believe.  If you are anti-tax, then that's fine.  I will simply say that I am a tax payer too.  Yes, I technically work for the state but I also pay federal, state, property and sales taxes.  All of which support my school district.  I do not have any trouble with the idea of paying higher taxes.  In this case I know where it has to go.  To be fair, I do understand why people that work in the private sector that are not okay with the idea.  I do get it.  Let's pretend for a minute that the Governor vetoes the bills and they are overridden to become law.  Taxes are raised but schools and other vital public services are funded properly.  I think we can all agree on some things post budget crisis:

• Nobody likes the initiation of a major change but we all like whats on the back end of it.
• Taxpayers need to demand that our legislature works for the common good.  We have a very unique state but this situation has shown us that legislators are willing to work together.
• Partisan politics was a major cause of barriers that might have lead to earlier success.  To avoid another crisis, lets keep and elect people that can be bi-partisan on significant issues. 
• Don't buy into the rhetoric.  There is more than one way to skin a cat but competing interests will have you believe that there is only one way to solve our problems.  This my friends, is how you win elections not how your serve a struggling state.

Maybe I'm getting excited or just overly optimistic.  We are on the edge of something significant that could lead us out of the darkness.  We have asked our leaders to compromise and get it done but we should expect the same for ourselves.  We know that new revenue needs to be raised for any way out of this mess.  We need to suffer through it together and then do our part to prevent another embarrassing budget crisis.  It is a bitter pill for all of us to swallow but it has to be done.  We can't have it both ways.  We can't demand more out of the legislature if we are not willing to give something up too.

Don't Make Cell Phones an Excuse

Photo Courtesy of @NetReferee

I had a conversation recently with a coach.  We were discussing the low turnouts for summer camps and workouts in our district.  I'm a big sports guy and I have even been known to coach a little bit here and there.  My mind immediately went to wondering what team cultural issues exist that prevent kids from working over the summer.  Before I could complete that thought, the coach explained that cell phones and video games were ruining the kids and they were getting lazy.  I became frustrated but not with the coach.  This was probably the 200th time I have been told this.  Folks, this line of thinking is a horrible excuse for us parents simply not engaging our kids in real discussions about their technology use.  For the most part I think we are scared to do it.  

Let me be very clear, I am a huge tech advocate.  I believe in mobile technology in schools and that we should be models of productivity and learning as we use them.  The parents that think that the cell phones are taking over, like some kind of alien invasion, are simply not aware of how to empower themselves as parents and become the safety valves for their children.  We should realize that for every great thing we stumble upon, there will be downsides to using them. It is our job to minimize those downsides for our kids so their behavior does not become destructive.  We are the adults and we have to start adulting.  Our kids can't do that on their own.

There are researchers and experts beginning to define the idea of screen addiction.  Do I think there is such a thing?  Yes.  I actually show signs of it from time to time.  Many feel that screen time is akin to drug-like effects on the brain and we should begin to take it seriously.  I agree and I would like to open your eyes to this sobering reality.  Our kids are the largest consumers of things and the the internet is no exception.  Apps and games are designed and marketed to keep kids in front of their screens as much as possible.  There is a reason your child is constantly begging to download an app is because they are looking for a new fix.  I will by no means be a hypocrite and say that I do not do the same thing but I usually have one game app on my phone at a given time.  I do not toggle from app to app but the main reason for that is because my brain is not the well oiled machine that my kid's brains are.  All the more reason to take control of the devices in our home.

There are apps for parents to help limit accessibility and content.  I think most parents do not use them or even know about them.  Some parents fear the push back from their kids, especially those with pre-teens and teenagers.  There is a reason that we are encouraged to talk to our kids about drugs.  It's because research and tragic events have told us it is a good thing. It's also because we know that kids cannot practice anything in moderation.  If you need some action research on that look at anything on YouTube.  Using an app to monitor or restrict access helps your kids and family practice moderation.  You are not an evil dictator, you are a parent.  Cell companies also help monitor and restrict.  If you are not comfortable with using an app, just contact your wireless company and set up their parental controls.

We always have a lot at stake when we are talking about our kids.  We cannot use the excuse that cell phones are the problem when we are the ones that pay the bill.  We are really only creating an excuse for the lack of assertive parenting.   We are not perfect as parents but we work at it.  We are always looking for new ways to teach and model for our kids.  If we ever get really good at it, we will write a book but for now you will have to settle for this call to arms for our parents.

My school is a Bring Your Own Device School (BYOD).  They can bring any personal device they choose to use in the classroom.  Of course there are restrictions and expectations.  Of course we ask them to use apps that help in the classroom.  Of course we use NetRef to help us monitor behaviors and keep students engaged.  We can't ignore the fact that mobile devices will be a center piece of our kids lives as they become adults so we have taken the position that the school should help teach this and not run away from it.  Are we perfect?  Not even close but we are consistent and try to adapt to the changes in new apps and technologies.  We are willing to be assertive and serve our kids.  We need our families to do the same.  Don't make cell phones an excuse.

Let's Prevent Tragic Stories

I usually get motivated to write in this little blog because something is going in the world that frustrates or challenges me.  Its easy to get motivated under those conditions.  Today I sit here inspired to teach and maybe inspire someone else to teach as well.

As I was scrolling Twitter, I found an article that caught my eye.  This is significant because Twitter has been serving as my information stream during our school funding and budget crisis lately.  Maybe amidst the mess God decided to remind me of the real reason I work with kids.  The story was about a young lady convicted of involuntary manslaughter after encouraging her former boyfriend to kill himself via text message.  What we see here is taken life and two families destroyed.  The gist of the post was what the legal ramifications were for this scenario and will new legislation be spurred on from the conviction.  I would like to encourage anyone reading this to click the link above and read this very powerful post.  It is geared towards parents and it will encourage you to think.  Honestly, this is not a new situation to me.  Electronic encouragement of suicide happened many times this past school year.

It may not be popular for a school principal to admit that his students have engaged in this behavior.  The closed minded person has already mentally asked themselves, "What is the school doing about this?"  To answer that question, the action that can be legally taken by the school greatly depends on the facts of the case.  If your kids argue online, call names and eventually threaten each other with violence, that is not school's area of jurisdiction.  The only way a school can discipline students for off campus behavior is if there is a nexus to the school.  99% of the time there is no nexus to the school building.  These types of incidents are almost always reported to the school.  I appreciate when students or parents share with me on situations concerning student safety.  Regardless of school action or legal authority, the school can monitor or help students on both side of the issue.  The goal at my school has always been to help students through these situations and to encourage kids to help each other if they feel someone is in trouble.  The discussion, however, will eventually lead to calling a student a bully and demanding action against the kid using disparaging language.

This is where I would like to challenge US as parents as we navigate though tough pre-teen and teenage years.  We often demand action against a bully because we want an avenue to free our child from accountability or responsibility.  The reality is, most people do not understand the actual nature of bullying but thanks to popular opinion and media coverage it is now a tool for the angry parent.  Our real goal for our kids should be to teach them how to fix broken relationships.  Instead, we instantly seek out who the winners and losers are in the situation.  There were no winners in the above story, trust me.  We have to work on the skills it takes to help our kids build real and genuine relationships with other kids and how to fix it if they break.

Students use language like "Go Kill Yourself!" for a number of reasons.  In my 15 years as an educator here are some reasons I have observed:

• These students have a massive problem with rejection or failure.
• These students have little to no sense of empathy.
• These students have little patience for others who might be different from them.
• Many of the kids I speak to about this feel simply apologizing makes it all go away.
• Some of these kids will remark that these are just words, so what the big deal?

There is intervention for this but it will take all of us to make a difference.  That means every person in a child's life can and should make a difference.  Let's start with some basics:

• Failure and rejection are a normal part of life and should be seen as part of the growth process.
• When your kid wants to talk about a rough situation at school, discuss all the people involved and how the situation might be affecting them.
• Encourage your kids to interact face to face when solving an issue with a friend.  No electronics!
• Re-enforce that your kid is part of a larger world and process that requires them to participate in their own problem solving.  They are not the center of the world, they are a small part of it.

I'm no child psychologist but I have held hundreds of conversations with kids, parents and professionals that care about the development of kids.  Overtime, I have come to embrace the idea of restorative justice and providing kids with tools they can use for the rest of their lives.  Thankfully, we have not been impacted with a tragic story like the one above but we can all help prevent it.  We should learn from stories and they should motivate and inspire us to do something better.  I will make the effort with my kids and my school kids.  How about you?  We can all help prevent tragic stories like this one.