Author: Exemplary Schools Organization

Doug Pederson, coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, before their Super Bowl victory, prophetically stated that

individuals make a difference but it takes a team to make a miracle.”

In education, we have many wonderful teachers and administrators but for a variety of reasons they retreat into their silos and withdraw from the collaborative process which is necessary for schools and districts to succeed.  It may be the result of frustration in dealing with confusing and failed initiatives or possibly just the instinct to survive in a chaotic, poorly organized environment. Under difficult circumstances, some teachers do the best that they can do while others drill down to a philosophy of “just helping those that are seeking help.”  But for schools to reach higher performance levels and for ALL children to reach their potential, teachers and administrators must work together on the substantive issue of achievement.  Teachers can’t mobilize the staff on their own.  It requires the efforts of administrators who believe that it is their mission to deliver a quality education to each and every student entrusted to them. It requires that leaders build a team that “buys into” the mission that is not only possible for ALL children to learn but to succeed and reach their highest performance levels.

Too often, in examining the challenges associated with underachievement, school and district leadership teams immediately focus on the need for additional resources or additional funding rather than looking inward to identify the strengths of the school, staff, and stakeholders.  In contrast, the Philadelphia Eagles, when confronted with adversity recognized the need to pull together rather than bemoan the obvious.  In another prophetic statement, a lineman, realizing the importance of team and the synergy needed to win, stated that

We all we got. We all we need.”

The Exemplary Schools Organization believes that ALL schools have everything that they need to achieve.  It is a matter of organizing its component parts to reach a level of synergy for progress to emerge. It is a matter of recognizing the disconnections between Alignment, Attitude, and Accountability and having the Adept Leadership required to collaboratively devise a plan for success.  Respecting everyone’s unique capabilities and believing in each other is the first step.

At the Exemplary Schools Organization, we believe that change also begins with looking inward but it is what we do with those reflections that will make a difference.  Individuals do make a difference but the real power of growth lies in the team.  It is through the “power of team” that real solutions are devised and real goals are met.

Just ask the Philadelphia Eagles!

Jack Welch, the Executive Chairman for the Jack Welch Executive Management Institute recently posted “The Number One New Year’s Resolution Every Leader Should Make.”

His post on Linkedin suggested every organization leader should ask these questions:

• Has the team really bought into the mission?
• Do they understand where we’re going, and why we’re doing what we do to get there?
• Have I made it clear to them what’s in it for them when we get there?
• Am I celebrating their achievements, reaching the milestones we’ve established?
• Am I coaching them in a constructive manner so that they feel that I have their back?
• Do they always know where they stand?
• Have I given them the freedom and authority to raise these same questions with the team?

I would also suggest that it is an excellent time for schools and districts to reflect on what is working, what is not working and to adjust course if necessary.  We often recommend mid-year Board and Leadership retreats to accomplish this task.  Take the time to celebrate but tweak what needs tweaking.

We have found that “often the subtleties in the implementation process define the difference between success and failure.”

Vincent F. Cotter, Ed.D.
Bob Hassler, Ed.D.
Co-Founders, Exemplary Schools Organization

Have you ever asked yourself…

Despite programs, initiatives, and reforms designed to address lagging student achievement, why are so many schools and districts underperforming? Or have you ever wondered how, despite the odds, some schools and districts are able to succeed?

We have!

For the most part, it is not for lack of effort and/or commitment but rather an all too familiar “organizational trap.”  In an effort to improve student achievement, schools and districts frequently commit to implementing a “curriculum package” or well-publicized program designed to control a specific component or variable in the achievement puzzle.  Too often this strategy is repeated in subsequent budget years leading to what we describe as “the Layered Cake Effect.”

Layering programs on top of one another, without considering the overall effectiveness or compatibility of each, create a sense of disjointedness. On the surface, it may appear that the district is deeply committed to academic progress or continuous improvement and may even be perceived as cutting edge.  Data and research may actually yield another story.

In one particular case, we recall a district that purchased a computerized reading program that was essentially a retread of a very outdated and ineffective reading program from 20 years prior.  The concept was appealing and attractive but ultimately it did not complement the district’s goal regarding student proficiency.  In other cases, high profile observation programs clash with the school or district’s evaluation efforts resulting in reduced effectiveness for each.  Additional examination of the “layering process” found a pattern of inconsistency in the implementation of programs due to the failure to connect these initiatives to professional development, budgets, and instructional methodology just to name a few examples.

Our solution involves a “School System Cross Check” which examines the cohesiveness of initiatives because we believe that the subtleties of process/ programs can be the difference between success and failure.

An Organization is only as good as the effectiveness of its parts.

Vincent F. Cotter, Ed.D.
Bob Hassler, Ed.D.
Co-Founders, Exemplary Schools Organization

Performance is Key – Connecting the links to Leadership and Excellence will be released January 2018.  The essential book on leadership and performance from veteran educators, Dr. Vincent Cotter and Dr. Robert Hassler.

Performance is Key “opens the door” to Connecting the Links to Leadership and Excellence by providing the essential elements necessary to reach higher performance levels but is also diagnostic and prescriptive in identifying the disconnections that impede higher performance and provides practical solutions through a framework for improvement along with associated success strategies. Practitioners and aspiring leaders will appreciate not only the rationale for immediate action but the systemic approach to excellence. Performance is Key also recognizes that real sustainable solutions are internally developed in a collaborative manner and that all schools and districts have the capacity to improve performance outcomes. This book will demonstrate the importance of utilizing the four essential elements in a coordinated and collaborative manner and how leaders can execute implementation plans which incorporate those elements in a synergistic way that will lead to high performance. In an effort to make improved performance a reality, professional development activities are provided in the form of worksheets and leadership exercises to build a culture of continuous improvement and a belief that each and every school has the internal capacity to reach excellence.