Women Educators Examine Legacy-Shaping Leadership

A Panel PresentationNJ School Boards Association

June 16, 2020

Introduction

• Introducing the Panel Presentation

• Topics and Presenters

Moderator: Joanne Kerekes

Topic: Legacy

• Not actively thought about.• Comes to mind when you approach an end.• Pause for thought: Better? Impact? Imprint? • How do you define legacy?

• Something handed down?• Things remembered: the fruits?• Life story?• Footprints?• How you led through divisive times?

“We stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us.”

—African-American saying in celebration of legacies

The Presenters: Legacy Shapers

• Relationship: time and history

• Formers: knowledge and experience

• Guided organizations through the tranquil and the turbulent

• Care personally: share, talk, challenge, and trust

• Grapple professionally: the tough questions

• Reflect on enduring leadership practices

This presentation . . .

• is designed for all ~ board members, educators, parents, & community ~

to enable a deeper understanding of the purpose and nature of schooling

and leadership;

• we work together to create policies and plans to achieve our common goals for staff, students;

• today, we will share enduring issues in leadership that are the foundation of success;

• we invite you to take this journey with us!

Marie Adair

Executive Director, NJASCD

Ex-officio, NJASCD Executive Board

Former Assistant Superintendent

Member, ASCD Board of Directors

Why are we here?Keep the mission and purpose in mind.

“Courage has little to do with our determination to be great.

It has to do with what we decide in that moment when we are called upon to be more.”

Rita Dove, Poet, Writer, Pulitzer Prize winner,

US Poet Laureate

As leaders . . .

• We are always asked to be more and to do more.

• Where does leadership begin?

• It begins with great passion for the work combined with equally great purpose!

Example: The White Coat Ceremony

. . . To make better

Encompasses three areas• Educational

• Emotional

• Physical

Leading from Why

• Educational: • WHY denotes purpose! Leaders identify their Why.• To lead people to a better, more informed place in their careers in order to

experience better outcomes and full lives ~• To know your WHY, ask:

Why am I/we here?

Why would people want to follow me/us?

The response . . .

• Emotional• Because leaders have a powerful vision with a compelling mission to lead

people into becoming their best selves!

“The growth and development of people is the highest

calling of leadership.”

Harvey S. Firestone

• How do we begin to accomplish this huge mission?

Two Factors

• Leading with mission and purpose poses two factors:~ What work do we do?~ How do we do it?

• The WHAT: Knowing is the “What” of what we do.• Knowing is having acquired a body of knowledge in a subject or a field while

continuing to learn.• Knowing provides direction and a course to follow.• Knowing connects to having a vision of what needs to be learned and done.

But, in a Time of Crisis . . .

• Physical: Safety is paramount!

• Know who to invite to the table.

• Listen to the professionals; draft a plan; enact their recommendations.• Follow progress and update regularly.

• Keep all stakeholders informed.

• Recognize cooperation, collaboration & good work of all involved

• ~while keeping the mission and purpose in mind!

Two Factors

• HOW is ~the practice of “how” we do our work.

~addressing and developing learning for adults and students so that they are prepared to achieve their desired outcomes.

~awareness of and information about quality programs & policies, effective

strategies, and leadership competencies.

~ the practice of our profession that connects to purpose.

Impactful Leadership

• When passion, mission, and purpose connect, leadership becomes impactful!

• Indicators: When

~educators convene to shape common goals and concepts.

~their work together becomes personal.

~involvement in their work with you, as their leader, defines who educators are

as professionals.

The Result

• Strategic thinking is created and implemented and board approved.

• All involved improve their craft and function at higher levels of the profession.

• The model becomes leadership with others rather than over others!

• The characteristics of a highly effective leader are demonstrated.

Characteristics of Highly Effective Leaders

In the words of Michael Fullan from his book, Nuance:

1. Joint Determination – the leader develops unity of purpose and action; the group pursues and stays the course through interaction; leader’s decisions at the end of the meeting are viewed as “right”!

2. Adaptability – the leader learns and leads in equal measure; builds capacity of the group to create new solutions ~ to see the details, the connections, and the system at work; all gain insights and a deeper level of understanding.

Trust and Interact

3. Culture-based accountability – strong mutual commitment and responsibility for the work ~

~A leader deals with change: change occurs through and with the group.

~Mutual respect yields good feedback which then shapes solutions thatbenefit all.

~A leader sees the forest and the trees; aligns to the mission and purpose.

~ Accountability becomes the culture; everyone is responsible!

Legacy Lesson . . .

Leadership~presents challenges;

~creates opportunities; and~demands responsibility.

The results~define who you are;

~what you represent; and~how you will be remembered over time!

Book Recommendations

Willa Spicer

Former NJ Deputy Commissioner of Education

Former Assistant Superintendent

Nine years as a president or member of a school board

Wishful Thinking vs. Purposeful Change

• Know Something/Decrease wishful thinking

• Honor Dissent

• Recognize Diversity and Its Importance

“Wooden-headedness, the source of self-deception, is a factor that plays a remarkably large role in government. It consists in assessing a situation in terms of preconceived fixed notions while ignoring or rejecting any contrary signs. It is acting according to wish while not allowing oneself to be deflected by the facts.”

—Barbara Tuchman (2015)

So, if you want to know something well enough to communicate it:

• Find at least one source that you can understand

• READ and ASK QUESTIONS

• Build in time for students to reach desired outcomes. Don’t think professional practice will change in fewer than 4 or 5 years.

• If you hire a consultant make sure you understand the contract.

• Write without jargon.

Reckon with your own strengths and weaknesses when:

• Hiring

• Forming committees

• Making appointments

Honor Dissent

Guards Against Wishful Thinking

• Knowing Something

• Honor Dissent

• Recognize Diversity and Its Importance

Book recommendations

Dr. Penelope Lattimer

Executive Director, NJ School Development Council

Facilitator, NJSBA Equity Council

Former NJ Assistant Commissioner of Education

Former Assistant Superintendent, New Brunswick Public Schools

Maintaining Integrity – Following my moral compass while addressing equity and diversity is the essence of who I am

as a person and an educator

“Education is improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it…. We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.”

—Marion Wright Edelman

This I believe:

• Addressing your moral compass requires accepting that you will work with children who are personally defenseless. You find these children in economically privileged and economically struggling homes.

This I believe:

• It is important to know my community of learners. As the community changes, I must re-learn who is today’s learner. I look to see if there are diversity shifts among the community of learners….and the community of educators.

This I believe:

• All children can – and will – learn.

This I believe…

• It is morally wrong to insist that learners demonstrate knowledge that I haven’t taught well.

My moral compass rejects the notion that poverty equals academic inability.

“We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t already done so.”

—Ron Edmonds

Book Recommendations

Mary M. Reece, Ed.D.

Director of Special Projects, NJPSA/FEA

Chair, Arts Ed NJ Board of Directors

Chair, Montgomery Township Environmental Commission & Sustainable Montgomery

Former Principal & NAESP Board Member

My Lifelong Journey of Learning, Exploration & Reflection

Promote Culturally Responsive Opportunities: Link Creativity, Choice, Confidence & Capacity

Multicultural Education

“…the celebration of diversity… what we usually see in schools. While those are really noble things and critical to a high-functioning classroom and school climate, it doesn’t have anything to do with learning capacity. Although there is value in students’ seeing their own cultures reflected in places like the classroom decor, it won’t impact their cognitive abilities.”

~Zaretta Hammond

Brave Conversation About Race & Ethnicity

• Respect Preferences & Honor Experiences

• Own Our Learning

• Communicate Positive Intentions

• Reject Color Blindness

• Get Comfortable with DiscomfortSource: leadingequitycenter.com

Culturally Responsive Education

"It is an approach that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills and attitudes."

~Gloria Ladson-Billings

CRE in Practice

• Positive Perspectives on Parents & Families

• Communication of High Expectations

• Student-Centered Instruction

• Reshaping the Curriculum

Legacy Lessons

• Start from where our students come to us.

• Engage family and the community.

• Be a lifelong learner.

Book recommendations

“The world is waiting for your best!”

—Gloria Ladson-Billings

Bari Anhalt Erlichson, Ph.D.

Visiting Lecturer, Princeton University

Instructor, NJ EXCEL Program, NJPSA/FEA

Former NJ Assistant Commissioner of Education

Hone Reflective Practice: Identify Meaningful Data to Support the Change You Want to See

“We do not learn from experience….we learn from reflecting on experience.”

- John Dewey

https://betterlesson.com/lesson/reflection/19992/teaching-and-learning-cycle

Bree Dusseault and Travis Pillow, “Still No Consistent Plan For Remote Learning for Hundreds of Thousands of Students at Some of America’s Biggest School Districts,” Center for Reinventing Public Education, May 15, 2020, https://www.crpe.org/thelens/still-no-consistent-plan-remote-learning-hundreds-thousands-students-some-americas-biggest

Gauging Student Progress Remotely, Utilizing a balance of tools

Real Time Assessment Lagging Assessment Implicit AssessmentShow me your answers right now –Students hold up white boards, type in the chat/Google sheet

Work will be checked later – Students submit via Google classroom/email

Check yourself – Here’s the correct answer, did you get it?

Pro Ensures attentiveness and follow-through

Most thorough form of checking Builds student ownership; benefits to pacing

Con Tends to be cursory; can be labor intensive and time consuming

Can be ‘costly’ if it turns out students didn’t complete task or understand lesson

Disparate impact; lack of awareness among novices

Adapted from Doug Lemov’s webinar, “Teach Like a Champion: Techniques and Principles for Online Teaching,” Uncommon Schools; April 7, 2020

Unfinished Learning, Preparing for SY2021Questions for consideration

• Are we using high quality instructional materials* with aligned diagnostic or screening assessments?

• How will we prioritize unfinished learning?

• How we will revise our instructional scope and sequence to address unfinished learning in the context of grade-level standards?

* EdReports.org is an independent, teacher-led reviewer of instructional materials.

Adapted from “Restarting School: Planning for Acceleration in the 2020-2021 School Year,” TNTP, April 2020. https://tntp.org/student-experience-toolkit/view/learning-acceleration-guide

“It is only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked.”

—Warren Buffet

Book recommendation

Adele T. Macula, Ed.D.

Director – Curriculum and Instruction (NJEXCEL)Foundation for Educational Administration

Assistant Professor – Educational Leadership DepartmentNew Jersey City University

Former Associate Superintendent – Curriculum and Instruction Jersey City Public Schools

Published Author, Workshop Presenter

Gaining Perspective

Leading with Impact and Influence

• Understand Individual and Group Needs and Goals

• Listen to and Comprehend Diverse Perspectives in Conversations

• Hear and React to Things Uniquely to Solve Complex Problems

• Create New Possibilities, Initiatives, and Offerings for Enhancing Learning to Maximize the Potential of All Students

“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.”

—Douglas MacArthur

Gain Perspective

Create Chances to be Heard

Host Critical ConversationsListen with Intent

Create Chances to be Heard

• Create “Conversational” Situations

• Design and Implement Numerous Opportunities for Bringing People Together

• Establish and Maintain Authentic Conversations and Engagement with Participants

Host Critical Conversations

• Host Meetings, Roundtables, Focus Groups, Forums, Advisory Groups, Standing Committees, and Discussion Sessions

• Include Multiple Key Stakeholders (Individuals and Groups) ~ Always from the Start of a Project

• Support Participants’ Contributions to Important Conversations in a Meaningful Way

Listen with Intent

Multiple Perspectives Facilitates Decisions Being Made that:• Are Aligned with an Organization’s Goals • Respect the Involved Stakeholders • Often Serve the Greater Good• Provide Clarity as to Motivations, Goals, Sensitive Issues, and

Various Potential Landmines

This I have Learned

• Wisdom is Gained Over Time ~ “Stay a While” to Develop a Credible Reputation

• “Love the Work”

• Be “Out and About” and Involved in Many Activities and Events

• Work at Being Out “In the Field” ~ Interact with the Community, Ask Good Questions, Listen!, Seek Ways to “Share the Message”

“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

“I'm a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.”

—Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Legacy Lessons

• Seek Inspiration from Books, from Experts, and Interesting Individuals

• Look at Individuals with “with Different, Fresh Eyes”

• Step Out of your Comfort Zone – Truly “Think Out of the Box”

• Let Challenging, Desperate Situations Invite Innovation, Epiphanies, and Joyful Success

• Celebrate the Change with the Stakeholders

Book Recommendations

Joanne Kerekes

NJ Coordinator, Stronge & Associates

Educational Consultant

Former Assistant Superintendent, South Brunswick

Former Principal

Be positive, hopeful, and intentional.

Prepare for the anticipated, the disruptive and the unexpected.

“There will be a few times in life when you stand at a precipice…when you know there will forever be a before and an after.”

—Justin Chen, North of Beautiful

Anticipated Change

You can see it coming.

There is little surprise here.

There is time to prepare.

Be watchful for it.

Look beyond it.

Example: State Mandates & the Over-stuffed Curriculum

As a leader . . .

• Study it.

• Determine what is being required.

• Uniformity: implemented as mandated

• Unity: meet the mandate but implement in a personalized manner

• Embrace it.

• Own it.

• Pave the way.

When anticipated.

Be positive.

Disruptive Change

Change of choice– often coming from within.

Made with best intent (or so says your moral compass).

Yet, it can disrupt the norm. Unsettle and upset.

This response can catch you by surprise.

And present a challenge to your leadership.

Example: Santa Claus is coming to town

As a leader, you learn and lead!

● In the spirit of compromise

● With the mindset of hope

● Learned to “lean into” three leadership strategies

● Check in! Knowledgeable, experienced others

● Gather dissenting opinions and opposing viewpoints around the table

● Listen through the noise and find the truths within

Oh, and what about Santa ?

When disruptive.Be hopeful.

There is truth (and compromise) within the noise.

Unexpected Change

Sometimes this is a good thing. Other times, not so much.

Do not see this change coming.

Can be caught off-guard.

Consequences from this type of change will be far-reaching.

While this change may be beyond the ken,constituents will still look to you as their leader.● Nothing in your experience to fall back on.

● Nothing in your files to refer to.

● May start pulling things “off the shelf ” in search of solutions.

● May find that prior approaches are untenable.

● May have to abandon long-held protocols.

Example: Unexpected, sudden loss

As a leader . . .

As hard as it might be, intentionally begin to plan-ahead.

While in motion, keep track of the actions taken along with the reactions.

When the waters calm, and the mind clears…

● Look back on your notes and reflect. ● Ask the “what” questions.● Do this in the company of knowledgeable others.● With intent, develop a file for future use.

For the unexpected.

Become intentional and reflective.

Book Recommendation

Questions & Comments“Learn from yesterday, live for today, and hope for tomorrow.

The important thing, is to never stop questioning.”

-Albert Einstein

Legacy Shaping Leadership

Final Thoughts

Women Educators Examine Legacy-Shaping Leadership

Thank you for being with us!