Innovative Schools

I don't usually read educational books all the way through. I prefer to read blogs; they are shorter, to-the-point, and if they're not relevant to me, I just close it and look for something else to read. Well, I just got through reading The Innovative Mindset by George Couros, and it was one of the best  books I've read!

I "discovered" George a few years ago via Twitter. I saw a Tweet that mentioned him, and I read his blog, "The Principal of Change."  I enjoyed reading his blogs, so I followed him on Twitter, and he became part of my connected learning network. Prior to the 2013-2014 school year, I read one of his posts about SAVMP, a School Admin Virtual Mentor Program, I signed up to be a mentor, was accepted, and virtually mentored three new principals, one in Montana, one in British Columbia, and another in Washington state. It was a great experience for me, and hopefully, for them as well.

When I attended the 2014 ISTE Conference, I attended a session with George Couros. It was in a crowded room, and I sat on the floor at the previous session so I could hopefully get a seat for his presentation. It was worth it, one of the best sessions I had the opportunity to attend.

I decided to purchase The Innovative Mindset when I saw it on my Amazon suggested list of books to buy (usually I purchase Connelly, Baldacci, Rollins, or Child on Amazon), and I'm glad I did. I read it cover-to-cover and if I had stopped to highlight or put sticky notes to bookmark pages, the book would be covered! I reflected on why I found it hard to put down, and I think it was because it was both inspiring and validating for me. I liked the examples he shared; the quotes were meaningful; and the questions for discussion made me think more deeply about our school. I know that I want to go back and re-read the book. That's how I know how much of an impact it had on me.

Empowerment is something I feel passionate about. I've written several blogs about this topic, and I believe that if our goal is to have empowered students, we need to empower our teachers. But innovation is more than just empowerment. Innovation is about a change in our mindset, and too many of our schools are compliance-driven. Students and teachers do not have the opportunities to ask questions, to follow their passions, or to be innovative.

In the first chapter, George Couros clearly defines what innovation is - "a way of thinking that creates something new and better. " (page 19) He goes on to say that "innovation is a way of thinking. It is a way of considering concepts, processes, and potential outcomes; it is not  a thing, task, or even technology." (page 19-20) Innovation is a mindset.

Clearly, George Couros wrote this book, not as a 'how-to guide' but as a 'how can our schools be more innovative?' In his last paragraph, he shares that "the biggest barrier to innovation is our own way of thinking. I am also reminded of the biggest game changer - and it isn't technology. The biggest game changers in education are, and always will be, the educators who embrace the innovator's mindset. These teachers and educational leaders look at change as an opportunity, not an obstacle, and they constantly ask: 'What is best for the learner?' With this mindset, they provide new and better learning experiences for our students every single day." (page 227)

So what does this mean for our school? First, I think we have teachers who are innovative and connected and who try new ideas that they learn from others, not just at conferences or workshops, but virtually as well. We have a pretty forward-thinking staff who understands that changing the way we teach and learn is essential in today's world and that we are all learners. In fact our vision states, "Hale Kula Elementary empowers learners to explore, discover, create, and share." Very shortly, tenured teachers will be able to apply for a transfer to any vacant position at our public schools. I know that when we interview any prospective teacher candidates, we will be looking for innovative teachers and asking questions to see what they have done that is "new and better." I certainly hope we have a large pool of teachers to select from!

Our Most Challenging Students

As an educator for over 40 years, I've seen my share of behaviorally-challenged students. Some were as young as kindergarten, and others were older. They are the ones who needed to be removed from the classroom because their behavior disrupted teaching and learning or who bolted from or left the classroom without permission, eliciting a sometimes-frantic "Code Nike."

Most students do comply with the rules of school. A reprimand and communication between the teacher and parent usually has its intended consequence, and students realize that we have rules because we want a safe and nurturing learning environment.

It's that small 1-2% of students who are the most challenging, who make up the bulk of our disciplinary referrals, and who often require a team effort to get that child to a frame of mind where he/she is ready to get back to learning.

As part of our Positive Behavior Intervention System, we do our best to ensure a classroom culture where students work and succeed together. A classroom teacher has challenges, and making sure that everyone is engaged and learning takes special skills. It can be especially difficult when one student takes up so much individualized attention because of his/her disruptive behavior.

I certainly don't have all the answers, but my experiences as a parent, grandparent, teacher, youth sports coach, and administrator have taught me a few things about working with our most difficult young children.

• I believe that all children want to be loved. Unfortunately, some children come from backgrounds without the kind of love most of us knew growing up or they have been hurt or "abandoned" before and don't want to be hurt again. The result is that these children don't know how to accept love or to give love in return. Our job as educators is to not give up on these challenging children. If we can break through their tough exterior, we may help them realize that there are people who care and who want them to succeed. 
• Children need boundaries and rules. Rules help us to feel safe. School is a great place for students to learn that there are rules to be followed, and that there are consequences when we don't follow those rules. Consequences don't have to be punitive; natural consequences work as well as or better than negative consequences in many situations.
• Children know when someone likes them or not. As adults, we need to separate the child from his/her actions. We may not like what they did, but we still like them as a person. 
• We recommend giving 6 positive comments to every negative comment. Sometimes, that can be difficult to implement, but our most challenging students are the ones who need the most positive affirmations. We should make a special effort to catch those students when they are doing what is expected and show them our appreciation.  
• Examining and analyzing the data as a team can help us to figure out what might be triggers and create a plan to teach appropriate strategies to eventually extinguish negative behaviors. Being proactive rather than reactive can make a difference, not only for the student but for the sometimes-frustrated and exhausted staff as well.
• Our counselors, behavioral therapists, resource teachers, grade level colleagues, and administrators should all be a part of a challenging child's safety net. We should know which children to check up on from the time they enter in the morning until the time the day is over. "Hey, how are you doing? How's it going?" from multiple staff members sends a message to the child that people care.

As a school with a highly transient student population, we don't necessarily know the child's history before they enroll at our school. Cumulative records don't always tell the whole story about a student. Often, a child with major behavioral challenges is also struggling academically. The question then is, "Which do we address first? Behavior or academics?" Our support team has come to the conclusion that we need to address both behavior and academics through targeted and focused interventions. Addressing behavioral challenges may mean that the student is more willing to put forth effort on academic tasks, and when the student is more successful academically, we may see fewer behavioral incidents.

In my 40+ years as an educator, we have had a few students who needed more intensive services than what we could provide at the school level. However, we have had many more stories of those who may have had challenging behaviors but through a system of support, were able to become more successful. Those are the students who taught me the most, I think, about working as a team, having perseverance and never giving up on a kid. 

How Can We Improve Special Education Services in Hawaii?

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Our school's special education department is wonderful. They conduct themselves professionally, rarely complain about high caseloads, work collaboratively with the whole team including parents, and do their best to implement their students' Individualized Education Program. Because Hawaii is considered an overseas assignment for military families, and because Tripler Army Medical Center is able to provide the level of services that families of special needs students may require, our military-impacted school has a higher-than-usual percentage of students with IEPs.

Recently, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser published an article titled, "Special ed audit cites staff, tech problems" about challenges in our Department. As stated in the audit, last year, roughy 25% of the Department's total budget was allocated for special education.  That amounted to about $325.5 million. An additional $40 million in federal funds meant that together, $365.5 million were allocated for the ~13% of students in our public schools identified as needing special education services.

In our country, every student is entitled to a free and appropriate public education (equality). To level the playing field, some students require additional services or supports in order to be successful (equity). Presently, all public schools in Hawaii receive funding based on a per pupil allocation (equality). Additional funds are allocated for disadvantaged, English Language Learners, and special education students because they require more services and resources (equity).

I am concerned about the amount of money being spent on special education services, and I am concerned that it will only get higher as the number of identified students increases. Based on my experiences at our school, I would like to share some suggestions regarding special education in our State. Some of these are systemic changes that will require honest conversations with all those concerned with improving special education services in our Hawaii public schools. This would include teacher preparation programs.

• First, let's grow our own within the Department. Let's provide Registered Behavior Technician training for Educational Assistants at no cost to them.  Last year, our Department spent $38 million on contracted provider services. We can decrease that amount if we have certified RBTs in our Department to work with the autistic students who benefit from that type of specific instruction.
• Next, let's do a better job of recruiting Educational Assistants and providing incentives for them to take courses related to their job. We give teachers the opportunity to move up a step when they take classes and complete the requirements. Let's do the same for our EAs.
• Third, let's restructure our teacher education programs and have prospective educators enroll from their freshman year rather than waiting until they are juniors to be accepted into the College of Education. Get them in classrooms from the first semester so they have many more opportunities to gain valuable hands-on experiences.
• Fourth, I'd like to see every teacher education program require their students to take classes and to spend at least a semester in a special education classroom. With a focus on Response to Intervention and inclusion classrooms, all teacher should know how to analyze data and how to provide specific targeted instruction for those students who may be struggling. Fewer students may require special education services if we can identify and intervene early on before the gap widens.
• Additionally, every elementary teacher should be trained in multi-sensory strategies because children learn in different ways. One way of teaching may not be effective for all students. If students are not learning the way they are being taught, then we need to change the way we are teaching. When we teach using multi-sensory strategies, we provide students with different ways to get the information and to make connections that are essential for learning. 
• Finally, schools struggle to provide appropriate services for students who require more intensive services. Perhaps it's time to establish centers in every complex area for students with autism or for students with emotional needs who are not successful in their present placement. The goal would always be to provide the intensive services the student needs initially and to work with the staff to gradually integrate the student back to their home school. Those schools can also be training centers for university students who have committed to working with students with more challenges. Perhaps we should also consider paying these teachers more since they are in a hard-to-fill area.

I believe that if we can implement these changes to our system, we will improve our services not only to students who are eligible for special education, but for all students. In the process, we may realize savings that can then be used for all students in our public schools.  Funding will be more equitable, but we will continue to ensure equity for those who are eligible for services. 

It's Time for a Change - Let's Not Wait Too Long to Get Started

Last school year, I had the opportunity to travel with the Education Institute of Hawaii to learn more about school empowerment. After returning from this trip, I reflected about the impact of this trip in this blog post.

I recently attended the 2nd Annual Hawaii School Empowerment Conference featuring several keynote speakers including Pasi Sahlberg who has written about Finland's educational successes and Diane Ravitch, an outspoken advocate for public education in our country. (I will admit that I was looking forward to seeing Ms. Ravitch in person because I enjoy reading about her; she is passionate and has very strong ideas. However, she spoke to us via video conferencing so the impact was perhaps lessened.)

This will be my 14th year as principal of our school, and the first that we have such a turnover of teachers. In my last blog, I shared my feelings about losing staff and hiring new teachers. I ended the blog on a positive note, and I feel confident that we will benefit from the individual strengths and life experiences of our new staff.

Since then, I read a timely and relevant blog, "8 Characteristics of a Great Teacher," and it was such validation of what I believe as an administrator. I reflected on our interviews with numerous applicants, and I know why we selected the teachers we did. When we ask our interview questions, we are listening to the candidates' core beliefs and their life experiences about why they went into teaching and what they can offer to our students and school community. We can tell when they are being honest and saying what they believe. Throughout the interview, woven into the different questions we ask, we get a glimpse into that teacher's philosophy and beliefs about education and about children.  We were picky; even though we had a number of openings, we preferred to ask for another list if we didn't feel that anyone would be the kind of teacher who would thrive in our school.

Many of the teachers we hired are new to the state or new to the profession, and they bring a wealth of experiences to our school. I am excited about what they shared when we asked about any innovative projects they had been involved with. They are committed to building strong relationships with their students, especially those who are the most challenging. As the interview ended, some teachers found a way to add that they are not textbook or worksheet-driven and prefer to engage students through inquiry-based hands-on activities that encourage collaboration and communication with others. I was pleased that these interviewees were confident enough to let me know up-front about their beliefs and practices. As part of our interview process, we want any teacher applicant to know that as a school, we believe that there is a general guideline of what students need to learn and do, but teachers are encouraged to use their own strengths as well as the strengths and interests of their students to provide a rich, engaging, and empowering classroom curriculum.

What these interviews indicated to me was contrary to what we've been hearing about schools today. The teachers we hired did not talk about high test scores or following a set program. They shared about knowing their kids and building a community within their classroom so their students would feel safe and will want to come to school even if they are experiencing challenges such as transitions or deployments. They are excited to try new things that we have implemented at our school like creating a class web page to communicate with families or using technology to share student learning. And they embraced our school vision, "Empowering learners to explore, discover, create, and share" and related our vision to themselves as teachers and learners.

Now that we have found the teachers we want for our school, it is our responsibility as administrators to provide them with the support and guidance they need to be successful in their new positions. Our grade level teams, instructional coaches, technology team, and mentor teachers are essential in providing that support. After all, teaching is a challenging profession but with the right support, our new teachers will continue to grow personally and professionally.

I enjoyed listening to Pasi Sahlberg speak about PISA, the Program for International Student Assessment that shows our country lagging behind many other countries. Pasi has written a book about Finland's educational system; their country is consistently near the top in PISA ratings.

ESSA or Every Student Succeeds Act was recently signed into law and No Child Left Behind has thankfully been laid to rest. ESSA still requires annual testing for students in grades 3-8 and once in grades 10-12 , but states can determine which test to use. Diane Ravitch suggested that this is where our state Board of Education might start. Hopefully, our Department will choose a less time-consuming statewide assessment system; the Smarter Balanced Assessments need to go. 

Have You Seen This?

This morning, I sent this photo to the whole staff with a message:

I was walking around campus and saw this and decided to take a photo. Do you know what it is? Do you know where it is located on our school?  I had never seen anything like it before! I'm not telling you what it is; go find out yourself :-)

I started receiving responses from our staff. I guess they thought it was a contest (not this time) or that I really didn't know what it was and was asking for their help.

My motivation was simple. 

I walk around campus quite a bit and love to snap photos with my iPhone whenever I see something interesting. The photos are then posted on social media or become part of our weekly Staff Bulletin. I carry my phone at all times because I never know when I'll have a great photo opportunity. 

We have a fairly spread-out campus, and I've noticed that we sometimes have a tendency to walk the shortest distance from one place to another. Often, we don't stop to observe interesting things around us. This photo was a way to send a message that it's okay to take a longer route to get from the classroom to the library or to the cafeteria or the playground;. It's perfectly fine to stop and have our students ask questions about what they observe. Then, search for answers to the questions. When I saw this flower, a lot of questions popped into my mind. Imagine how exciting it would be for students to discover the answers to their questions!

Years ago when I was just starting out as a teacher, I attended a workshop. The Professor (I think his name was Dr. Carr) had written this sentence on the blackboard in capital letters. TEACHERS TEACH SCIENCE TO STUDENTS. He challenged us to change the order of these five words. I was so excited when I figured it out: TEACHERS TEACH STUDENTS TO SCIENCE. "Science is a verb," he said. "Students should be sciencing." I never forgot that, and it became one of my core beliefs as an educator and a parent/grandparent. 

I hope our teachers show their students the photo and then take a walk around the school to look for that plant. Then I hope they have their students ask questions and discover the answers. Perhaps they could ask someone, an "expert"; perhaps they could make a guess about what kind of flower or plant it is and do some research; perhaps they have another way of finding the answers to their questions.

My suggestion to our teachers: Start out a little earlier to get to your destination. Take a different route. Encourage questions. Take time to science. 

A Great Way to Spend a Day!

The Hawaii State Legislature is set to convene next week for 60 working days. Legislators are presently holding briefings, researching, holding meetings, and generally getting ready to do the work to set new directions for the State. Our Department relies on the Legislature for funding, and once the session begins, the work is non-stop and hectic.

Recently, our school was fortunate to be part of a visitation and 'talk story' session with legislators and principals. We believe that policymakers need to know what is happening at schools, and we relished the opportunity to share the teaching and learning that takes place in our classrooms. Planning what and how to share really depends on how much time is allocated. We decided that a Mini Poster Session would showcase how our students from kindergarten through fifth grade are using technology as a tool for collaborating, communicating, thinking critically, and creating. It was awesome to see students so excited to share; they were confident and poised as they explained their projects to our guests.

Katelyn, a second grader, shares her project with Senate Education Chair Michelle Kidani.

Third grader Caden was excited to share a coding game he is creating. "I was working on it all weekend," he admitted, "but I still have to add some stuff to make it cooler."

The next stop was to Moanalua Middle School; they were one of the original schools in the 1:1 Access Learning pilot program that was funded by the Legislature in 2013.  We visited classrooms and observed students using their devices in math, science, and a design studio elective class. Principal Lisa Nagamine is a passionate advocate for the use of technology at her school in all classrooms. She and her staff have created a strong culture where collaboration is valued and continuous improvement is an expectation. 

The final visit for the day was to Kaimuki High School. My husband is a proud graduate of KHS, class of 1965, and he often shares that his experiences at the school helped to shape who he is today. When we drove up to the campus, I was amazed at the huge mural in the front of the school. "Gee, has it been that long since I've been here?" I thought to myself. Then I discovered that the students had worked with an artist to create the mural, and that it had been completed between August and November 2015. The mural is a highly-visible reminder of the positive changes taking place at the school. Principal Wade Araki proudly speaks of the school's transformation and the transition to a modular schedule and competency-based education. I will admit that when I heard a news report about KHS going to a competency-based system, I was thinking of those college courses where students read a chapter from a textbook, took a test, and after getting a passing score, went on to the next chapter. The course grade depended on the number of tests completed. KHS is definitely not that kind of competency-based system. Students are expected to complete rigorous assignments in all content areas, and all students belong to one of five academies on campus. Teachers monitor student progress and provide support and guidance to those who may be struggling or need extra assistance. The assignments are rigorous, and students go at their own pace. If a student completes his/her assignments earlier, they can work on their passion projects in their area of interest. Students can also take college courses and receive dual credit. Attendance is up, and tardies are down. It was evident that students were engaged in their work. Everyone had a computer and all were working on a different assignment or topic; they barely noticed that we were in the room. 

Here are my thoughts as I reflected on this school visit experience with the legislators:

• Every school is different and addresses their challenges in different ways. What works at one school may not necessarily work at another. One size doesn't fit all. 
• We need to encourage out-of-the-box, creative, innovative thinking by our students, our teachers, our school leaders, and our policymakers. As the school visitations have shown, when schools are empowered to take risks and to try something different, the impact on the community can be substantial.
• Visiting schools and classrooms is the best professional development opportunity for educators. We can learn so much from others, yet we rarely make the time to do so. Every school and every teacher has something positive to share; let's learn from each other. Additionally, all educators should belong to a Professional Learning Network where members communicate, collaborate, share ideas, and problem-solve, either face-to-face or virtually. 
• Having a strong vision of what we want to accomplish and the persistence to do whatever is necessary is essential if we want to make a difference for our students. 
• Educators need to band together to make our voices heard and to advocate for our students, our schools, and our communities. With the legislative session opening in just a few days, we need to send a message that if we want our students to be college, career, and citizenship-ready, schools could use more funding.  It's difficult to be innovative when so much of our budgets are spent on personnel or other Department mandates.
• We need to commit to ensuring that every child is Future Ready. This is not about purchasing devices or other technologies. It's about preparing our students with 21st century skills and strategies so they can compete globally;  it's about ensuring that teachers receive the professional development and support they need to positively impact their students; it's about schools being creative and resourceful and engaging students through meaningful and relevant learning. 

Let's work together to make a difference for our students and our schools!

A New Year, New Commitments

Happy New Year! This is the first time in five years that our whole family is together, and I am a happy Mom :-) Just being together with our extended families is the best present I could wish for and makes this time of the year so special.

Our three sons and two grandsons made the trip home to celebrate the New Year together and to attend a wedding for one of our nephews. We will cherish this time together; Hawaii will always be home for our sons even though they may live elsewhere.

A New Year - 2016!
This will be a momentous year for our school as we look ahead to 2016. Our three-year construction project will be completed, and the new facilities will certainly impact teaching and learning now and in the future.

Hale Kula Pride:
Our school is focusing on Hale Kula Pride for our Positive Behavior Intervention Support, so I thought it appropriate to refocus my own commitments based on our expectations. Here goes!

Take Care of Yourself
I've always stressed that we need to take care of ourselves or we cannot take care of our students. This means that we need to eat healthier, exercise our minds and our bodies, and maintain positive relationships. Our family and friends should be a priority; the job will always be there, but kids grow up and create their own lives. I certainly do not regret the time I spent with our sons when they were younger, things that didn't cost a penny but remain ingrained in our memories - reading our favorite books, singing songs with enthusiasm, splashing in puddles, and exploring and discovering new places and new knowledge. Now that our sons and grandsons are home for a short vacation, I realize how precious time together is.

This past year, I re-committed to exercising and joined my husband at the gym. I know that the time spent there will pay off now and in the future. Exercising regularly and eating healthier will hopefully make me feel better. At this time, I'm thinking of a fun way to get all of our staff involved in taking care of ourselves. After all, it's more fun when we do things together, and a little friendly competition is always appreciated.

Take Care of Others
An important part of being a school leader is taking care of others: our students, our staff, our parents, and our community. As a military-impacted school which is often a "pit stop" in a child's whole educational experience, we strive to ensure a safe and engaging school environment where students gain the skills and strategies to be successful wherever they may travel to next. We cannot do it alone.

Recently, I wrote a blog, "Are You Busy? and I realized that there are times when I have not made time for others or I have not returned phone calls right away. It is never intentional, but I can see that by not making the time, I have sent a message that minimized the concerns of the other person. As my commitment to "take care of others," I strive to not let "busyness" get in the way of doing what is right.

We are grateful for the support of the US Army and US Army Garrison Hawaii who work closely with schools. We appreciate their support especially through projects like this video, "Every Day Counts" that is shared with all military-impacted schools. These are important issues, and this video clearly shows the partnership between the military and our public schools.

Take Care of Our School
When we broke ground on our construction project back on July 1, 2013, I said we had received a gift, one I never expected when I became principal in 2003. Although there have been many challenges in running a school while construction is ongoing,  I have learned so much from working collaboratively with the contractors and others involved in this project. I've also made it a priority to "take care of our school" by providing input, by questioning when I don't understand, and by following up when there are concerns especially about safety. We have a blog that updates our school community about what is happening with the project. It has been a great way to document the progress and the transformation of our school facilities!

We are the first school in Hawaii to receive funding as part of the Congressional appropriation to upgrade schools on military bases in the United States. As such, we are the "guinea pig" and the Department has learned from our experiences to make it possible for other schools like Solomon Elementary and Mokapu Elementary to benefit.

As our project enters its final months before completion, I will continue to advocate for our school, not just for our facilities but for additional funding so we can provide a well-rounded education for our students.

Happy New Year, everyone! Let's make 2016 a great one by working together and showing Hale Kula Pride!