We all agree that the educational system may need some tweaks and adjustments, and I will always voice those concerns/ideas. Am I just wrong to think that there is more to what we do than just doing the fun stuff? As a public educator you can’t just do the fun, and ignore the rest. That’s not what is best for kids…right?
As I prepare my back to school professional development with my amazing team, I am seeing starting to clarify some of my “instructional” thoughts. Why when I am searching for data plans or an agenda to deliver the nuts and bolts for the school, am I not finding anything? Where is the #reviewingdata hashtag? I can find meme’s making fun of the required video list…but I don’t see curriculum vertical planning guides.
Where is reality?
Fact: There is more to being an administrator than just motivation and supporting innovation.
- We get to experience instruction in every teachers classroom, potentially impacting how every student earns. We have to evaluate instructional strategies and then EMPOWER our teachers…but also help make them better.
- We have to look at trends in data; we have to assess how our students are learning. NO, I am not someone who defends or supports the pressure standardized testing. It is still a reality. We in Texas are measured on student growth in addition to baseline scores. Growing learners…that is what we do. That means the data has to be analyzed, discussed, & evaluated.
- We make hard decisions. Sometimes unpopular decisions. Decisions that have to be made to ensure the fidelity of the system…the system that we all become a part of when we committed to becoming an educator.
- We teach kids how to learn. Little five year olds, including mine, come to us not knowing how to read…not knowing how to add or subtract. I need her to be taught how to do that. I need her to learn. We are responsible for TEACHING them how to learn. For ensuring that happens.
Now, do I think that there should be innovation and building relationships with students? Of course, I do, and if you know me, you know how much I value both of those things. But there also needs to be conversations about data, and handbooks, and district initiatives. There needs to be analyzation of assessments, both formative & summative. And then training provided to help support your teachers to be as effective as possible. And I think we should be blogging about THOSE things too.
I’ll be blogging those unbloggables, if no other reason than to make sure some administrator who is new to the position knows those things should be talked about. I am so thankful to those admin who have been transparent and helpful in their journey, like George Couros, Curt Rees, Melinda Miller and Tony Sinanis. Voxer conversations, blog posts, & friendships have all made me a better leader/person. My goal is to be that for someone else!
PD planning,
Amber
you are absolutely right Amber. As much as I like to have fun with the students and the teachers, there is still a lot of data that has to be looked at. I try to do as much of it as I can, but eventually you have to have those discussions with teachers, parents, students, other administrators about what the trend is looking like and what we can do to get better, because we can always get better. Thanks for being willing to share the thoughts we dont like to share.
Thanks Amber. You’ve just put my frustration into words. I appreciate it!
Part of why I never wanted to be a principal, and my greatest burden when it comes to education as it is practiced today is that I don’t see “data-driven education” as good for kids. Data is for politicians, accountability, and keeping the money coming. In spite of Michelle Rhee’s best attempts to sway my opinion, I think any system that is based upon Kid A being at Point A at this time, and Kid B and Kid C being at Point A at the same time, is fundamentally and entirely flawed. Data collection as practiced by schools uses terms like “benchmarks”, where we determine whether or not kids are where they are “supposed to be” based upon a preset series of steps. Is this scientific, based upon research into how kids learn? We know the answer is no, yet we are forced to perpetuate it. Now, if you want to use individualized data to show student growth, based upon their own, unique abilities, not arbitrarily contrived state standards, now we’re onto something potentially worthwhile. But focus on growth, not how short a kid fell from the target number.
I would also add that the over focus on assessments and data (both ideas grounded in the corporate world and education “expert” billionaires and forced upon education) leads to neglect of pedagogy in far too many schools. If more attention were paid to growing effective teachers than crunching numbers, more of our kids would thrive. Teachers sit in daily meetings crunching numbers, rather than honing their craft.
I am not trying to be Danny Downer, I promise. I am actually the eternal optimist that believes we can someday wrest control away from the policymakers who sign the checks. Otherwise, I would have left years ago. I know what kind of educator you are, Amber, and I know that you will be able to maintain your creativity, risk-taking, and kid-focus in a system that is decidedly none of the above. I know a few amazing principals who have done that, and you’re the type that I am sure will pull it off. Keep the kids number 1, equip your teachers to teach well, and the numbers will take care of themselves.
Children are people, not data points as Sir Ken Robinson aptly puts it. Of course educators need to design for learning experiences that respond to the needs of children as individuals . This happens best when teachers come to know children through observation, interaction, open-ended performance assessments that allow children to show what they can do rather than existing in a deficit model where we focus on what children can’t do. The standardization movement has narrowly filtered learning to become testing as the end in mind. The best teachers for decades have used holistic assessment models that inform deep understanding of individual children and teaching opportunities to scaffold learning ala Vygotsky. Unfortunately, many principals and teachers have never experienced a world without high stakes testing. And yes, children need choices, interesting and challenging work, movement, activity, and joyful teachers. That’s really why we are here.
Agree completely, PM, and appreciate your comment! I just think there has to a way to balance it all. By no means am I a “numbers first, kids second” kinda girl! But to ignore the fact that our kids are IN a system where they are going to be assessed for what they learn would be mean of us…I am a huge proponent of inspiring students, building relationships, and tapping I to EVERY kids passion…but I also have to make sure my team is ready to teach to the best of their abilities, within the system we work in. Holistically and whole child focused, I like the way you said that and hope I can inspire my T’s to see that as well!! Thankful for a PLN, including you, of leaders to keep me pushing on to try!