How do we make decisions about what and how to teach? Effective organizations make decisions based on some measure of objectivity so we are not constantly pursuing personal agendas of the loudest person or strongest interest group. Several schools I work with have wrestled with the idea of creating "Simple Rules" to help guide these [...]
There is nothing like deep discussions with thoughtful colleagues to solidify a key idea. Yesterday I got to hang out via video chat for an hour and a half with Bo Adams and Tim Fish, two of that unique group of educators who can both "think big and do small": develop theory and deep understanding [...]
When we benchmark against other schools, are we focusing on the river or on the banks? Assessing how well an organization is meeting its mission is a difficult job. Most organizations compare themselves against other similar organizations with similar missions following the logic that measuring against an "average" or a "best in class", tells us how [...]
For educators, this might be one of those moments you remember for many years to come: when you heard that we are going to radically change and improve how we break down the dam to school innovation that we call the college admissions process. You heard it here first! Yesterday at the NAIS annual conference, Scott [...]
How can a school leader invite faculty and staff who want to align to the vision to stay, and "dis-invite" others to leave? This is one of the thorniest, least comfortable parts of transforming a school, and many leaders avoid the discomfort and potential disruption until retirements make it moot. But that is not what is needed. [...]
I REALLY hate to quote Donald Rumsfeld, but he was right when he said we don't know what we don't know. Over the last two years I have held workshops with well over 5,000 K-12 educators. The schools and districts these people represent cross the spectrum from wealthy, autonomous, and successful, to poor, girdled by [...]
If your school is still doing strategic planning the same way you did five or ten years ago, you are robbing your community of perhaps its most powerful opportunity for the future. What does inclusive, collaborative, imaginative, design-based strategic thinking amongst a community of educators look like? Check out this post from Trinity Episcopal School in [...]
If you are not using your high school students as strategic partners, you are absolutely leaving a valuable resource on the bench. Every time I work with students in design mode, inviting them into the process of designing how to align teaching and learning more closely with the skills and content that is most valuable [...]
It is always GREAT to see proof that expansive design-based thinking leads to tangible change. Last June I was honored to spend nearly three days with the faculty and staff of several schools in Winnetka School District 36. Winnetka has a decades-old commitment to progressive education rooted in the legacy and presence of none other [...]
How long does it take to really change a school? I have previously written that "organic" percolation of ideas might require 12-15 years before we see true system-wide change. Even highly intentional processes need 3-5 years to really take root. What if we shortened our horizon to 6 months? Is it possible? Have courage; it's [...]