Why Education Can't Afford to Pass the Buck

Kicking kids out of school, having them quit or quietly disappear has been a fact of life as long as there has been school.  If the student wouldn't perform, he would be asked or ordered to not return to class or school all together. This response is similar to the business model.  If the employee doesn't show up for work on time, fails to do the work as assigned, is dishonest or refuses to follow directives, he will be fired.  The business model works to teach the employee an important lesson.  If you can't work here, you will need to find work elsewhere.  Employees leave and hopefully learn their lesson as they look for their next job.

While firing employees who fail to perform works in business, this model doesn't necessarily transfer to the education sector.  When a student does what it takes to be fired from school, what lesson is learned?  Where do students go for their next learning opportunity?

The lesson learned is that if the student doesn't conform, he is no longer required to learn essential skills anymore.  He can stay home everyday which is what many struggling students desire to do anyway.  He can transfer to the school of the streets where he can learn skills that will prepare him for a life of crime.  He can go to work at a part-time, minimum wage job which will be the highest level career that he can attain.

 

So in essence, allowing students to fire themselves from school relegates them to a life of poverty or crime. 

Let's look at poverty and crime for a second. 

1. More people are dependent on governmental assistance than ever in our nation's history. 
2. The imprisonment rate is the highest in our nation's history at over 2.5 million prisoners currently locked up in the penitentiary. 
3. Our courts are flooded with criminal cases to the point that it would take 10 years for the courts to try every case that was filed this year. (Yes, that is correct. 10 years to try this year's cases) Judges have no choice but to make plea agreements, so criminals can be punished.
4. Once a person is convicted of a crime, he is virtually unemployable for any middle class career for the rest of his life.
5. The majority of crimes that police officers deal with involve people in poverty.
6. Domestic abuse has a higher chance of occurring in families of poverty than not.
7. Children of poverty come to school more than 2 years behind their affluent counterparts.
8. Children of imprisoned parents have a greater chance of having emotional and social issues than children whose parents are not in the penal system.
9. More children are being raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles and guardians than ever before.
10. It costs $27 to educate a student for one day while it costs $65 to house an inmate in jail for a day.

The effects of poverty and crime are staggering!!!

At some point, these former students gave up on school.  They quit or the school sent them on their way.  While I do not wish to argue the validity of whether these former students were difficult or deserving of consequences or accountability.  I do want to illustrate the point that by removing them from education, education is passing the buck on to the government; hence the taxpayer.  In other words, for every student that fails to be educated, the student and his children become dependents of the nation and its resources.  The student never learns the intended lesson, to be an independent productive member of society. 

We can no longer afford to pass the problem onto someone else.  No one is better equipped to prevent poverty and crime than education. While education is completely overwhelmed, every other governmental agency is overwhelmed as well.  The only way that we can address this issue is to not pass the buck onto someone else but work with the other agencies to hold students and their parents accountable for ensuring that their child is educated. 

Education is the only hope to reduce or possibly end the cycle of poverty and crime.  Educators must know that we are the last line of defense to save children from becoming another statistic of systemic dependence.  We must accept the moral obligation to educate every child and prevent children from choosing a life of poverty and crime.

My final thought is this.  For every buck that we pass onto someone else, it will cost us 10 bucks to deal with it forever.  That is why we can't afford to pass the buck.

iMovie Motivation

The iMovie has been my most favorite app for motivating students. The app creates the opportunity to make great videos, but what I like most about it is the trailer feature. There are 16 trailers to choose from where you can make a personalized, 1 minute, Hollywood caliber clip to motivate every kid in your building.

Last month, we worked to motivate our students to exhibit the best work ethic in class each week. Each Monday, teachers agreed on the targeted learning behavior that they would like to see in all of their kids. They communicated to the students what behaviors they are looking for in class all week long, and the kids knew that on Friday, someone would be selected as the most improved or best in the class.

On Thursday, I created the storyboard for each grade's video. This took me about 5 minutes because I just had to think of less than 20 words to describe the essence of the student behavior of focus on the video. Since I'm on Twitter frequently, this task was rather quick.

On Friday, I took 45 minutes to go to each class to video each kid who was selected by the teacher. The short video clips of each child showed them beside an important anchor chart, in the hall holding their awesome work or making a funny pose. The kids got a big kick out of being pulled from the class by the principal for something as cool as a commercial about learning.

After I completed the video, I saved it to my camera roll and imported it into my Dropbox so I could email the teacher the video link to their school account. On Monday, the teachers showed the video to their class and used it as motivation to work hard so they could make next week's video.

Motivate your kids using a 1-minute iMovie Trailer

Why Can't We Have a Great Day?

This morning I told my daughter to have a great day. After I made this statement, I wondered how many times I have told people to have a great day. Typically when people are in a bad mood or unhappy we tell them this all-too-familiar statement as if it will actually make their day better.

To have means to be in possession of something. It means that a great day already exists and that this person is already entitled to a fantastic day without any effort whatsoever. In my opinion this statement is very self-serving. Are we so special that we are entitled to possess or own an epic day? Are we worthy of deserving an excellent day with putting forth any effort?

Let's Change this Phrase
Seeing as how we do not deserve anything special, let's begin to say "Make a Great Day". We should realize that in order to have a tremendous day, it is our responsibility to make the day stupendous, not someone else's. It starts not with someone serving us but us serving others.

The Challenge
When we see someone in a bad mood, let's not tell them to have a great day. Let's send the message that a marvelous day is not something to be had, but something to be manufactured. The best way to send this message is to model it with our conscious choices and efforts to make the day truly superb.

BTW - I hope you MAKE today a great one.

4 Signs of Progressive Organizations

Signs inform. They guide. They even persuade.

Signs limit. They protect. They even prevent.

When you see a sign, what opinions form in your mind? Do you see the sign as an enabler or disabler? A deeper question to ask is when people enter your organization do they see signs that invite them in or ask them to leave? Do members within the organization see signs that inhibit growth or facilitate creativity?  Even better, are members within your organization signs that encourage or discourage progress toward your vision.

Courtesy of Martin Davis

Here are 4 signs that your organization is progressive

Signs of Location

In every town in the world, there is a sign that announces its name and location. Progressive organizations go beyond emphasizing the school name and the school motto and know that every person in the building serves as a sign that describes the location of the organization and what it stands for. The work displayed and the commitment that each person possesses tells whether the organization is or is not who and where they say they are.

When you enter you building, it is easy to tell if people are focused on serving others or themselves. These signs are clear and understandable by everyone inside and outside of the organization. More importantly, the current location of the organization is not determined by the leader but by the each individual within the organization, and it is defined and redefined through daily interactions.

Signs of Direction

On every street there are arrows directing people where to go to find their destination. Organizations on the move must have signs, both structural and cultural, that announce where the organization is headed on its journey of success. In addition, every member of the organization carries their proverbial sign that directs the campus to or from its intended destination. So often there is a disconnect between where the signs of structure say the organization is headed and where the culture of the organization is actually going. Transformational leaders avoid temptations to paint a rosy picture that all is great and take specific steps to remove signs that are in conflict with the vision of where the organization expects to head.

Signs of Caution

Signs warn of danger ahead. Organizations have communication systems that warn one another if there's a problem that is about to begin. In traditional systems of hierarchy, the leadership mandates what to be cautious of and what not to do, but the reasons often lack clarity and justification. The more transformational the organization is, the more involved all staff are in identifying the potential hazards for others, and the more compelled each member is in warning others.  Progress will move at a faster pace if more people are watching for potential pitfalls and sharing them throughout the building.

Signs of Persuasion and Motivation

There isn't a highway in America without a billboard enticing us to buy something. Transformational organizations have billboards of celebration to spotlight amazing work from staff and students in an effort to illustrate the desired work needed from everyone. This type of sign serves to persuade resistant members to turn around and head in the right direction, and they remind all members that each individual's journey is vital to the success of the group as a whole.

Here's your Sign

At your organization, everyone wears a sign that defines who they are and how their role affects the organization. Some people's signs detract from the focus of the mission by making it all about the importance of the individual. Some signs serve beyond their potential by consistently serving others and promoting the mission of why the organization exists in the first place.

What does your sign say?

The Ultimate Compliment

Last week, I was blessed to watch my son perform in the Texas All State Choir. It was a privilege to watch him perform with the top 1% of all the singers in the state of Texas. My proud papa moment was watching my son follow in my footsteps with his much better musical talents.

#YesI'mBragging

While I was waiting in line to enter the concert, I saw a familiar face, Jimmy. He was a former choir student of mine who was also waiting in line for the concert. He was a freshman when I left the choir room forever for a position in administration. As we caught up, he told me that he became a choir director.  That is always neat when you come across a former student that teaches in the field that you taught him.  You always hope that some of your students will one day teach the subject that you taught.


Later in the evening I received a friend request from Jimmy on Facebook. I accepted him quickly and saw his post on his perception of our meeting from earlier. What came next blew me away.

Words cannot describe the feeling that I have about this post. We all want to know that we have done a good job, even a great job, but there is no better compliment than to be told that the work you have done inspired someone to follow  in your footsteps.

Let me be clear.  This isn't about complimenting a person or blowing up their ego, rather it is much deeper.  The ultimate compliment validates a lifetime of work, commitment and service.  It affirms that all of your effort was worth it and that someone wants to give to others what you gave to them.  That beats any award, plaque or banner that I have ever seen.

As I think back, I can quickly think of 3 people that inspired me to be just like them. I strive to follow in their footsteps and inspire others in the way that they inspired me.  Now, I need to conclude this post so I can pay them the ultimate compliment.

Who do you need to give an ultimate compliment to?

2 Ways PLCs Battle through the Storm

Teams struggle.  Ideas conflict.  Beliefs sway.  Feelings get hurt.  Without accountability, teams slowly fracture to a point where kids are no longer the focus.  When teams battle and can't find their way, they must have something that brings them back together.

Leaders miss the point when they see their role as the referee during conflict.  No one is right and no one is wrong because the problem is the team and its interactions.  Each person on the team plays a part in the frustration.  With each action and reaction, every member of the team is wrong.  For the members that said nothing and did nothing, they, too, are responsible.

Here are 2 Tools that Great Teams use to hold themselves accountable.

1.  Mission

Our mission was defined by every member of the campus, and we described why our school exists.  When teams aren't performing, it is because they have forgotten why the campus exists and what part they play in fulfilling that moral purpose.  Our campus mission is simple:  One Exceptional Team + One Exceptional Goal = One's Exceptional Future.  There is no better way for teams to redirect their own behaviors than to ask the following questions:

• Am I being exceptional in my efforts to make our team exceptional?
• Am I focused on our team's exceptional goal or my own personal interests?
• Is our teamwork exceptional to the point that it leads all kids to their exceptional future?

 

2. Vision

The vision was written by the campus because we committed to where we want our campus to be in the future.  In that we designed specific components that must be visibly present on the campus when our vision becomes a reality.  When teams battle, they must compare their current reality to their desired outcome.  If a gap exists between where they are and where they want to be, teams must recommit to the vision.  Here are some questions that teams can ask as they resolve differences.

• Where can we improve to be a more disciplined team?
• What issues are preventing us from working together as a team?
• How can we embrace the uncertainty of natural inquiry so that we can promote a safe learning environment for all team members?
• What steps must we take to ensure that every member feels essential?

 

Battling through the Storm

Teams are like sailors on a ship in a vicious storm.  The only way that they can survive is that they must depend on their vessel and on one another.  The vessel is their mission, and the vision is their voyage.  Sailors can weather the storm if and only if they rely daily on the vessel and commit to their moral obligation to direct the ship to its destination.

What ways does your team battle through the storm?

4 Reasons and Ways to Keep It Simple

"Keep It Simple, Stupid" has been running through my brain lately. This little acronym, better known as K.I.S.S., seems quaint but precisely on the money. If you think about the last big initiative you pushed, why did people reject the idea? I doubt it was because they perceived it as something that would make their lives easier, more productive or more successful.

Imagine, if you will, a Hershey's kiss.  There is utter simplicity in a piece of chocolate shaped in the form of a raindrop, wrapped in a piece of foil with a strip of paper sticking out.  Very few people can avoid this delicious delight.  I mean, what's the harm in eating 1, 2 or 10?  It's not very fancy, yet it draws people in every time their eyes make contact.  Few are vehemently against this morsel. 

This Hershey's kiss is today's metaphor for keeping it simple.

Here are 4 Reasons that leaders must simplify:

Knowledge

New ideas require new knowledge and new ways of thinking about an idea.  Complex ideas can cause overload if the leader doesn't find simple ways to build foundational knowledge for the idea to succeed.  Also, ideas can cause cognitive conflict.  When this happens, rejection is certain.

Intimidation

New and complex ideas intimidate most people.  Leaders can get so enthralled in their idea that they present new concepts in a way that scares the mess out of the employee.  In addition, people can see an idea as a threat to their job or as an indicator that their performance is poor.

Stress

People are under a tremendous amount of stress with both personal and professional demands.  Under stress, new ideas can cause additional stress, and the brain will automatically reject the idea even if the person knows that it will help them.  People are easily overwhelmed when they are under high levels of stress.  New ideas can be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back.

Semantics

People get lost in the presentation of a new idea simply because the language is new and different, or people attach different meanings to terminology.  Everyone attaches meaning to a word based on their experiences and prior understanding; hence, without laying the groundwork, there can become 25 different meanings of the same word.

Here are 4 ways that leaders can simplify for their teams:

Knot Ideas to Current Practices

Nothing is more annoying to an employee than to be presented an idea that makes them believe that they must drop everything and start doing something different.  Leaders must tie new ideas to their organization's current work.  People will be more interested in a new idea if they can see how it applies to and improves upon what they are currently doing.  Ideas that can be seen as an improvement stand a better chance of gaining systemic approval.

Invigorate Interest

Leaders must stimulate interest if an idea is going to take root.  Just like the foil and paper on a Hershey's kiss, leaders must present the idea along with the following:  why the idea is necessary, how it benefits employees, how it will generate systemic improvement and where it will take the organization.  Leaders who fail to inspire others by explaining why the idea is necessary will find fewer people taking off with it.  People must know the Why before the What.

Simplify Language & Concepts

Knowing the language of the organization is critical before moving forward.  Taking time to define new terminology and procedures is vital before taking off.  If there is a good understanding of the vocabulary within the idea, the knowledge base of the organization will be aligned.  As a result, teams can move together in the same direction with a common language and ultimately higher acceptance of the idea.

Seek Input

Errors are made when advice is not sought.  Take steps to present the idea to others so you can troubleshoot the problems within the idea before you roll it out.  Many times others can identify ambiguous terms, complications due to format or even redundant tasks if you ask the right people.  The leader can't see everything because the leader is not the one who will implement the idea.  Seek advice from other leaders who will eventually be needed to implement the idea.  By seeking input, you also build capacity for the idea to gain momentum.

Don't be Stupid

Hershey could have sold chocolate by the pound, but they knew it wouldn't sell unless they minimized the  girth of the concept.  Breaking down chocolate into bite-sized chunks was genius and became the standard for every chocolate company in America.  Hershey knew that many people wouldn't buy a bar of chocolate, but everyone would eat a bite.  Their simple idea was presented in a way that was non-threatening to the consumer's pocketbook as well as his waistline.

Leadership is a difficult task.  Progress requires new ideas, new ways of thinking and lots of risk taking.  Leaders must be smart about making progess and communicate frequently with those that they lead.  Presenting ideas in bite-size morsels is what gets people moving in the right direction.  When things get complex and frustrating, chances are that leaders threw out a piece too big to swallow.  It is then that the leader must step back, analyze the difficulties of the problem, eat a Hershey's kiss and simplify...