Attendance is to school what rebounding is to basketball—it is hard work, requires effort and persistence, and it often goes unrewarded and unrecognized, but schools can’t be successful without it.
Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category
Icebergs, The Titanic, and School Culture
May 11th, 2012
No Comments
What we do, our behavior, is an overt manifestation of what goes on below the surface–our thinking, values, beliefs, attitudes and mindsets. It is that invisible aspect that drives our behavior. It is our OS, our operating system.
Common Core Implementation: Having Enough Compelling Reasons
April 30th, 2012
No Comments
“80% of success is having enough whys.” – Anthony Robbins If we are going to successfully implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), then we are going to need a lot of whys, and it will be up to school leaders to provide those whys. The fact is that many of our staff members will [...]
Costco and School Culture
April 29th, 2012
No Comments
“Culture isn’t the most important thing. Culture is the only thing.”—Jim Senigal, CEO Costco (retired) Recently, a colleague of mine could not stop talking about CNBC’s production of The Costco Craze. I recorded it and watched it last night, and, I too, cannot stop talking about it. Why? While the report is about retail giant [...]
Removing Friction From Education
April 21st, 2012
No Comments
The formula is simple—consider the students first and leave ineffective, outdated rules to others.
Lights, Camera, Education!
March 17th, 2012
No Comments
Once a superior faculty is acquired the best strategy would be to follow the “Annie Hall” director’s advice—let talented people create stellar results.
Learning: Bought or Sold?
January 16th, 2012
No Comments
The mindsets of our teachers must support the belief that our students are capable of achieving mastery.
2011 – A Good Year for Education?
January 10th, 2012
No Comments
As the calendar rolled over into 2012, the seemingly endless human capacity for hope dictated that the New Year had to be better than 2011. Certainly problems with the gridlock in Washington, the economy, unemployment and an ongoing war would improve in the coming year. Similarly the world of education, where an equivalent amount of [...]
Poverty: There is a big difference between a reason and an excuse!
December 21st, 2011
1 Comment
Those of us who have worked in high-poverty schools know all too well about the corrosive effect poverty has on children and learning.
Better Parents Make Teachers Better
November 29th, 2011
No Comments
“There’s no question that a great teacher can make a huge difference in a student’s achievement, and we need to recruit, train and reward more such teachers. But here’s what some new studies are also showing: We need better parents. Parents more focused on their children’s education can also make a huge difference in a student’s achievement.”
