I remember when I was a teacher and our staff voted for a calendar that started earlier in August but included a Fall Break between quarters 1 and 2. That was such a nice break for all of us, and a few years later, the State Department of Education decided that all schools would be on the same calendar with an earlier start date and a break between quarters. So we had a Fall Break, a Winter Break, and a Spring Break. I loved that schedule!
Fall Break was a popular time for Hawaii families to take trips. It was ideal to visit places like Disneyland. Because mainland students were still in school, wait lines for popular rides were much shorter. Unfortunately, this year, most families will not be vacationing or leaving the islands during Fall Break which starts next week. If they do, they will have to quarantine for 14 days when they return. I’m sure many family plans were disrupted by COVID-19, and we had certainly hoped the pandemic would be under control by now. But it’s not, and that has also impacted schools.
I’m pretty sure I know what many teachers will be doing this Fall Break. They’ll be at home working on plans for the next quarter. Many will continue teaching virtually or remotely during the second quarter, and the lessons they learned during the first quarter will determine how to continue instruction so their students will be engaged and motivated. In this morning’s Civil Beat article, “Hawaii DOE Has Struggled To Cope With the Pandemic: Can It Do Better?”, Board of Education Chairperson Catherine Payne states, “We did not use the spring shutdown to do the planning and training that was needed for the opening of school in August.” The constant changing of information certainly did not help educators, students, or parents who had to pivot at the last minute from in-person instruction to virtual learning. The first quarter is almost over, and second quarter is right around the corner.
As a retired principal, I know that teachers will do what they need to do to get ready. They’ll do it even without any extra compensation, but schools and the Hawaii DOE need to recognize that providing professional development stipends will really help to rebuild the trust that teachers feel has been lost. I’ve read their comments in articles and on social media, and I know they feel exhausted and unappreciated. Those who will be spending their Fall Break planning for the next quarter should be compensated. I know that when I was a principal, our teachers appreciated the time to collaborate and plan with their teams during the summer prior to the start of school; a stipend for their time was a bonus.
I also wanted to give a shout-out to all the educators who have gone above and beyond for their students. I am sure it was not easy, but you made it through the first quarter! These aren’t normal times for teachers, but you made it work for your students, and I’m sure that in the process, you learned a lot about yourself and your resiliency. Enjoy your Fall Break!
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Effective School Leaders
This is a critical time to be a school leader. So much has changed in our world in the last few months, and leaders have had to adapt. These are perhaps the most challenging time for our nation’s educators; Covid-19 has disrupted our school systems for six months and counting. Therefore, an effective school leader needs to have the courage to make difficult decisions in these tumultuous times. What are some of the characteristics of an effective school leader?
Effective school leaders are prepared and proactive. They don’t just live in the present; they look ahead. They keep up-to-date on trends and research and have a general idea of where they need to go in the future based on the needs of their school. It is evident that during this crisis, leaders who were prepared were able to get their staff ready to meet the challenges of this pandemic. Some schools were ready to go to a virtual learning model much more quickly than others. Those were the schools that had proactive principals who were planning with their teams during the summer, just in case. Rather than purchasing licenses for online programs, these schools created engaging hands-on, project-based, holistic lessons that meet the needs of their students
Effective school leaders are honest. They are positive but also realistic in communications with their staff and school community. They don’t minimize the challenges and pretend that problems don’t exist. They emphasize that everyone is in this together and will get through it together.
Effective school leaders are good communicators. They have established relationships with their staff, and open two-way communication is the norm at their schools. Effective leaders are good listeners and ask questions; they encourage their staff to share ideas that might get them through this crisis with minimal negative impact.
Effective school leaders support their staff. They provide opportunities for teachers and paraprofessionals to collaborate and to share ideas that they can use with their students whether it’s in a face-to-face or virtual environment. Summer might be a time for teachers to rest and recuperate, but effective school leaders know that it is the perfect time for collaboration or for professional development, and they found a way to provide these opportunities for their staff.
Effective school leaders look for innovative solutions to problems. They are open to new ideas and think of possibilities instead of just looking at barriers to implementation. They see problems as opportunities to try something new or to do things differently. During these challenging times, I’ve seen so many educators trying new ideas and sharing with each other, not just within their school, but with teachers around the state or nation. Effective school leaders encourage this kind of personal growth from their staff.
Most of all, effective school leaders have empathy. They understand the challenges their staff is facing right now, and they do whatever they can to make their job easier. They don’t micromanage; rather they offer assistance and support. Effective school leaders know that their staff is experiencing more stress than usual so they don’t put more on their plate at this time.
Leading and teaching during this pandemic is an anomaly, but out of adversity comes opportunity for growth. I believe educators will realize that they are much more resilient and will be proud of what they have learned during these challenging times. They will be better educators as a result.
Effective school leaders are prepared and proactive. They don’t just live in the present; they look ahead. They keep up-to-date on trends and research and have a general idea of where they need to go in the future based on the needs of their school. It is evident that during this crisis, leaders who were prepared were able to get their staff ready to meet the challenges of this pandemic. Some schools were ready to go to a virtual learning model much more quickly than others. Those were the schools that had proactive principals who were planning with their teams during the summer, just in case. Rather than purchasing licenses for online programs, these schools created engaging hands-on, project-based, holistic lessons that meet the needs of their students
Effective school leaders are honest. They are positive but also realistic in communications with their staff and school community. They don’t minimize the challenges and pretend that problems don’t exist. They emphasize that everyone is in this together and will get through it together.
Effective school leaders are good communicators. They have established relationships with their staff, and open two-way communication is the norm at their schools. Effective leaders are good listeners and ask questions; they encourage their staff to share ideas that might get them through this crisis with minimal negative impact.
Effective school leaders support their staff. They provide opportunities for teachers and paraprofessionals to collaborate and to share ideas that they can use with their students whether it’s in a face-to-face or virtual environment. Summer might be a time for teachers to rest and recuperate, but effective school leaders know that it is the perfect time for collaboration or for professional development, and they found a way to provide these opportunities for their staff.
Effective school leaders look for innovative solutions to problems. They are open to new ideas and think of possibilities instead of just looking at barriers to implementation. They see problems as opportunities to try something new or to do things differently. During these challenging times, I’ve seen so many educators trying new ideas and sharing with each other, not just within their school, but with teachers around the state or nation. Effective school leaders encourage this kind of personal growth from their staff.
Most of all, effective school leaders have empathy. They understand the challenges their staff is facing right now, and they do whatever they can to make their job easier. They don’t micromanage; rather they offer assistance and support. Effective school leaders know that their staff is experiencing more stress than usual so they don’t put more on their plate at this time.
Leading and teaching during this pandemic is an anomaly, but out of adversity comes opportunity for growth. I believe educators will realize that they are much more resilient and will be proud of what they have learned during these challenging times. They will be better educators as a result.
Saturday, September 5, 2020
Standardized Testing during a Pandemic?
U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently announced that schools would be not be granted waivers from annual high-stakes testing although states and school districts rail against that decision. DeVos has said it’s part of the agreement of the Every Student Succeeds Act and schools need to comply. Some members of Congress are saying that tests will show how the pandemic has impacted education especially for those students of color, those with special needs, or those from low-income households.
Honestly, I thought this was a no-brainer; it just doesn’t make sense. This year is already so challenging for schools, for teachers, and for students. We don’t know how long this pandemic will last and how long it will be before all schools can resume face-to-face learning. Teachers are struggling to provide quality virtual learning experiences while also addressing the social-emotional and mental health issues of students.
I am not a fan of high-stakes standardized testing. (Read about my viewpoints here and here.) I believe the money that is spent on those tests should be distributed to schools to update equipment and learning resources or to purchase additional staff who will directly impact students. I believe the time spent in preparing for and in administering these assessments is instructional time lost for students who may need it the most. I believe the comparing of schools based on test scores is not just unfair; it is disheartening when staff are working so hard to address their students’ needs to be compared to other schools with fewer societal challenges.
I remember a parent who was registering her child at our military-impacted school. She asked me if her son would have to repeat fourth grade. When I asked her for more information, she shared that he hadn’t passed the statewide test the previous year and would have had to repeat the grade if he were still in that state. “This would be his third time in fourth grade,” she shared. I assured her that we do not hold students back if they don’t pass the statewide assessment, and you could see the relief in her whole body. “He has been dreading me coming to register,” she said. “He’ll be so relieved.” Her story elicited a range of emotions in me ranging from sadness to anger. Students are much more than just a test score.
I saw examples of students who struggled with academics and felt so stressed during these statewide assessments. All we could do was encourage them to do their best and to build up their confidence and mindset. Some of these students gave up and others cried because they were so stressed. More than a few times, I felt tears in my eyes because they were so miserable. The thing is that many of these students who struggled with academics and statewide testing had other strengths. Some were natural leaders because of their empathy and caring for their peers. Some were creative and artistic, and others were athletically gifted. A test score didn’t define who they were.
This year should be a time for teachers to examine their practices and to try new ways of engaging and empowering their students to be the best they can be. It starts from recognizing student strengths and finding ways to provide the supports they need so that learning is meaningful. It is not a time for teachers and students to be spending valuable time preparing students for standardized assessments. And it is not a time for states or districts to be spending valuable funds purchasing these assessments.
Honestly, I thought this was a no-brainer; it just doesn’t make sense. This year is already so challenging for schools, for teachers, and for students. We don’t know how long this pandemic will last and how long it will be before all schools can resume face-to-face learning. Teachers are struggling to provide quality virtual learning experiences while also addressing the social-emotional and mental health issues of students.
I am not a fan of high-stakes standardized testing. (Read about my viewpoints here and here.) I believe the money that is spent on those tests should be distributed to schools to update equipment and learning resources or to purchase additional staff who will directly impact students. I believe the time spent in preparing for and in administering these assessments is instructional time lost for students who may need it the most. I believe the comparing of schools based on test scores is not just unfair; it is disheartening when staff are working so hard to address their students’ needs to be compared to other schools with fewer societal challenges.
I remember a parent who was registering her child at our military-impacted school. She asked me if her son would have to repeat fourth grade. When I asked her for more information, she shared that he hadn’t passed the statewide test the previous year and would have had to repeat the grade if he were still in that state. “This would be his third time in fourth grade,” she shared. I assured her that we do not hold students back if they don’t pass the statewide assessment, and you could see the relief in her whole body. “He has been dreading me coming to register,” she said. “He’ll be so relieved.” Her story elicited a range of emotions in me ranging from sadness to anger. Students are much more than just a test score.
I saw examples of students who struggled with academics and felt so stressed during these statewide assessments. All we could do was encourage them to do their best and to build up their confidence and mindset. Some of these students gave up and others cried because they were so stressed. More than a few times, I felt tears in my eyes because they were so miserable. The thing is that many of these students who struggled with academics and statewide testing had other strengths. Some were natural leaders because of their empathy and caring for their peers. Some were creative and artistic, and others were athletically gifted. A test score didn’t define who they were.
This year should be a time for teachers to examine their practices and to try new ways of engaging and empowering their students to be the best they can be. It starts from recognizing student strengths and finding ways to provide the supports they need so that learning is meaningful. It is not a time for teachers and students to be spending valuable time preparing students for standardized assessments. And it is not a time for states or districts to be spending valuable funds purchasing these assessments.
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