Leveling the Playing Field

 When I was growing up, there was an expectation that my siblings and I would study hard, go to college and get a job. I followed that dream and became a teacher. My husband went to college, took a year off, and decided he needed to go back to school. After graduating from college, he went on to law school and came back to Hawaii to work. Our two older sons followed a similar pathway though their eventual professions were not in the field they majored in. Our youngest son took a different path. He went to college after high school but dropped out. Although he graduated from high school with honors, he did not adjust to the expectations of college. He took a different path and enlisted in the Air Force. After serving honorably for six years including a deployment to Afghanistan, he came home, enrolled in an on-line university, and is on-track to graduate this semester. Thankfully, he has no student loans; his GI bill paid for everything. 

Because of our youngest son’s experiences, I’ve been thinking a lot about high schools. There are high schools where students take courses at the college level and earn dual credits. Other schools have academies where students do real work in their area of interest, experiences that could give them a heads-up in the field when they graduate. 

I am surprised that more high schools don’t offer internships though, and that is why I was excited to read about an internship program between students at a charter school here in Hawaii, the State Department of Transportation, and Oceanit (Time to Flip the Internship Upside Down: Education, Imagination, and Industry) When I think of a company here in Hawaii that has been very instrumental in supporting our schools, Oceanit immediately comes to mind. They have trained hundreds (or maybe thousands) of our educators and students on Design Thinking as well as coding using Altino cars. I was able to participate in these trainings, and it made me realize what an important partner Oceanit was with our schools in Hawaii. Internships can be a great way for students to gain valuable experience and work habits that they will need when they graduate from high school.  When students can work on projects that impact our communities, they may be more invested to work collaboratively to seek meaningful solutions. 

Recently, I read a book titled Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World by Stephanie Malia Krauss. As she states, the pathway we went through that helped define success - graduate high school, go to college, get a job, get a promotion or a better job, make money and manage responsibilities, retire and live off savings or investments - will no longer be true in the future. Ms. Krause shares that very possibly, today’s kids could be living longer - maybe to 100 - and they may be working for much longer - maybe for 80 years. Therefore, they will need currencies - competencies, connections, credentials, and cash - in order to be successful in their lives. Below is an explanation of the 4 currencies students will need in the future. 

We are living in a world that is far from equitable, and students from disadvantaged families will find it more challenging to build up their currencies. High schools can level the playing field by providing opportunities for all students through academies, early college classes, apprenticeships, internships, and other types of innovative programs. Elementary and middle schools can ensure that all students have access to enrichment classes, after-school activities, tutoring, summer programs, etc. Communities or businesses can partner with schools to provide assistance, materials, mentors, or other support. We can all be part of the solution to level the playing field, to ensure that our youth are prepared to make it in tomorrow’s world. 

Times and Priorities Have Changed

 A little more than a year ago, I submitted a presentation proposal for a local Read to Me conference. I titled it, “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors: Using Picture Books to Celebrate Diversity and Build Empathy in Young Children,” and I wrote a blog post titled “Mirrors and Windows” That conference was cancelled due to the pandemic, and since that time, I realize that we are now in a different world; so much has changed. My presentation would not be as relevant today as it could have been a scant year ago. We are dealing with a pandemic that has turned our comfortable world upside-down. Schools are just now getting back to having students back, but that doesn’t mean things have returned to normal with all the new rules and regulations in place for health and safety reasons. We learned a lot during this year of virtual or distance learning, and schools need to reexamine their priorities. Do schools realize the opportunities they have right now to change what they were doing pre-pandemic? How can we make school more meaningful for our students during these challenging times? Our world is changing rapidly and we cannot keep teaching students the way we were taught when we were in school. Memorization and regurgitation of information doesn’t work in this day and age when information is so readily available at the click of a button. Last summer when we were still unsure about the future, I wrote a blog post titled What Should Schools Be Teaching in these Turbulent Times? about how project-based learning can empower students to be engaged in the challenges facing their community. 

Today, I read a blog by A.J. Juliani titled, “Curriculum as Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Doors.” As he states, we need to do more than just expose and share multicultural literature with students. The whole curriculum needs to reflect the diversity, the history, the challenges, and the successes of the many different people who make up our communities, our states, our countries, our world. In his blog, Mr. Juliani shares that it starts with those in the community to create a curriculum with a purpose. “Every school should have a different curriculum because every school community is different,” he states. This process will take time; creating a curriculum is a work-in-progress with teachers making adjustments depending on their students, their understandings, their questions, and their evidences of learning. 

As I reflect on the project-based units our teachers created when I was a principal, I realize that due to the events of the past years, there needs to be a discussion with the school community about how we can ensure that the curriculum reflects the diversity of our world. Times have changed, and with them, priorities for schools have also changed. This past year has brought many issues to the forefront, issues which are threatening our hopes for a peaceful world. I am optimistic, though, that if schools can focus on “curriculum as windows, mirrors, and sliding doors,” our students may be better prepared to make a difference in their world. 

An Activity for All Ages

When I was growing up, my siblings and I often worked on jigsaw puzzles. I remember sitting on the floor and working together, sometimes challenging each other to find the piece that fit into a certain spot. It was such an exhilarating feeling to finally put in the last piece of a 1,000-piece puzzle! 

Sometime early in my career when I was teaching preschoolers, I remember reading about the value of jigsaw puzzles and how they helped students become better at math. So I made sure we had puzzles on our shelf for students to work on either individually or with their classmates. I saw that it helped my students with many skills such as spatial awareness, classifying, noticing details and observing differences in shapes or colors, working together, and persevering. There was such a sense of accomplishment when students completed a puzzle. 

When I became a mom, working together with my sons on jigsaw puzzles was one of my favorite activities. We often talked story, listened to music, or sang songs while we worked.  Sometimes it took several days to complete; this was a great way for my sons to learn about persistence and stamina. My favorite puzzle story is when Justin and Jarand were little. We gave them money to buy Christmas presents for each other, and Justin asked Jarand to get him a teddy bear. When it came time to exchange gifts, Justin was disappointed when he looked at his gift because it was clearly not a teddy bear. When he opened his present, Jarand told him, “I didn’t get you a teddy bear. I got you lots of teddy bears!” We put that teddy bear puzzle together numerous times when the boys were little. A few years ago, I shared the story with our grandsons, and we worked together to complete it while they were visiting Hawaii. 

When the pandemic closed down many activities, I was looking for things to do at home. I had books to read, a book to write (soon to be published!), and other things to do around the house, but I still had free time. We received a Beatles puzzle in December (my husband is a huge fan), and I worked on it for a few days. I realized how much I had missed working on jigsaw puzzles, although I couldn’t work for extended periods of time because my back and my legs would begin to hurt; we didn’t have a separate table that would fit the puzzle pieces, so working on the floor (which was fine when I was younger) was a challenge. 

Fortunately, I found an app for my iPad called Jigsaw Puzzles. I didn’t have to buy anything, and there are lots of different puzzles to choose from. I don’t need to store boxes of puzzles, and I don’t need extra space to work on them. It offers options - number of pieces as well as the ability to rotate the pieces - so youngsters or oldsters can choose puzzles to work on. In the past few months, I’ve completed about one puzzle per day. Some are more challenging than others, but I find myself focused and calm when I am working on one. Yes, it can get frustrating and sometimes I have to stop for a bit and do something else, but I always go back and complete the puzzle. That is one app that I am glad I found! 

I hope that everyone can see the value of jigsaw puzzles, an activity for all ages!

This was an Awesome Opportunity!

 This morning’s local newspaper had an article about a sea urchin project (“Taking back the Bay”) that is making a difference in Kaneohe Bay and Waikiki. I was excited when I read this article because back in 2012, some of our students had an opportunity to  be a part of this project (Sea Urchins Project-Based Learning) and we even made a video of the experience. (The Time We Became Citizen Scientists) 

I remember visiting the sea urchin facility at Sand Island - they were still in the infancy stages - and I am thrilled that they have been successfully producing so many urchins over the years. They have definitely made a difference in the health of the reefs by eating the invasive algae. Seeing our students’ excitement and listening to their conversations about this project was so worthwhile, but although we learned so much  from this experience, it was quite a challenge for our teachers and students. Sadly, we had to discontinue our participation after two years. We realized that sustaining an environment where the urchins could thrive was difficult in a school, especially when we were not near the ocean or the Sand Island facility. 

This kind of project might be a challenge for younger students, but what about high school students? We need to stop thinking that school is the only place for students to learn. The community can provide learning opportunities that students cannot get in a school setting such as application of skills in the real-world, time management, asking questions and researching to find answers, communicating effectively with others, and being an effective worker in a real-world environment. Many of these skills are related to our Department’s General Learner Outcomes (GLOs)

I think the six GLOs are an important part of the learning process, and they are: Self-Directed Learner (The ability to be responsible for one's own learning); Community Contributor (The understanding that it is essential for human beings to work together); Complex Thinker (The ability to demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving); Quality Producer (The ability to recognize and produce quality performance and quality products); Effective Communicator (The ability to communicate effectively); and Effective and Ethical User of Technology (The ability to use a variety of technologies effectively and ethically).

The GLOs were developed through a collaborative process involving Department of Education staff as well as representatives from higher education, businesses, and the community. These are the desired outcomes we want for all students who graduate from our Hawaii schools. All students are expected to demonstrate these GLOs.. The problem is that we observe students demonstrating these outcomes only in the school setting. How can we expand their experiences so students can realize the importance of these learner outcomes in the real world?

I suggest that students should have an option to do an internship in an area they may want to pursue, post-high school. Let’s take the sea urchin project as an example. A student might be interested in environmental studies or oceanography, and working in the hatchery might be an opportunity to explore and learn more. The student, the hatchery manager or another designated person at the facility, and the teacher would determine expectations for the internship (number of hours per week, what the expectations are, what the responsibilities will be, etc.). The student and teacher/advisor will agree on requirements which would include accountability as well as demonstrating the General Learner Outcomes. One of the requirements could be a reflection of the learning process via a blog, a video portfolio, or an app such as Unrulr. This could also be a way for the student to communicate with the teacher. At the end of the internship, students would participate in a ‘showcase’ where they share with an authentic audience which would include their work mentor about their experiences and what they learned.

Today, many teens do not have work experiences because school and other activities take up much of their time. . Community internships could be a way to provide students with experiences that will help them when they are applying for a job especially if they have never held a summer or part-time job prior to graduating with their college degree.

We need to start looking at our community for opportunities to prepare our students to be successful after they graduate. Education is not confined to a school building; students need to demonstrate the General Learner Outcomes in the world outside, not just in school, All of us bear responsibility to ensure that our students are prepared when they enter the workforce. Internships can be a win-win for both our students and the community. Investing in our students can pay dividends in the long-run.

Is School Choice a Bad Thing?

 Recently, I read an article in Civil Beat about the closure of small private schools in Hawaii.  I agree with the author that for some students, these schools are right for them, and they have opportunities they might not have in larger private schools. And yes, we need students to have choices in the kind of school that best meets their needs.

I have been thinking about school choice for awhile now. I know those words bring on strong negative feelings because generally speaking, it means allowing parents of children in “failing” schools to choose another school to attend, often a private for for-profit charter school. The thinking behind school choice is that “failing” schools will have to improve or they will eventually have to close down. The reality is that the neighborhood public school is often the only option for families. There are too many barriers to transferring or registering children and taking them to another school, but there can be choice within the public school system. I don’t believe in using “school choice” as a way for money to go to private schools; it needs to stay in public schools. 

We, in Hawaii, are fortunate that we have a statewide system that does not rely on county property taxes to fund our schools. Our system is more equitable than other states in the country in that funds are distributed using a weighted student formula. So schools that service students in lower income areas or who have a higher number of English Language Learners, for example, receive more funding per pupil to address challenges. Unfortunately, though, the equity divide still exists. We only have to look at schools in higher income areas; they receive much more support from their families, and students have many more opportunities than those in low income areas. I remember the disparity between fundraisers at different schools I worked at; the difference in the amount raised was eye-opening. 

When I was a principal, there were three elementary schools in our military community. I often dreamed about how we might provide our families with choice. The focus would depend on input from the school and the community, but as an example, one school could focus on STEM, another on the arts, or dual-language instruction, or blended learning. Teachers could transfer to the school that matches their area of expertise, and families could choose which school would be the best fit for their children. Unfortunately, we never  had that discussion, we got so inundated with other tasks, and principals came and left for other schools.  

I’ve often thought about why we couldn’t fit the student to the school and not expect all students to fit in at their school. Some will need a smaller environment to gain confidence and to thrive. Is it better to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond? It really depends on the student and what they need at that moment in their life. Students have many options when they choose a college or university to attend. Why don’t they have that option in elementary, middle, or high school? 

I realize that there is no easy answer to this question of school choice, but in this time of changes, maybe we need to have that discussion. Although charter schools do offer choices to parents, they do not necessarily address the needs of a school community or complex area. Let’s stop thinking of school choice in the way others have portrayed it, as a way to steer money from “failing” public schools. Let’s think about school choice as a way to address the needs of students so they can be confident contributors to our community. 

Let’s Talk about Burnout

Earlier this week, I had an opportunity to participate in a virtual presentation to school leaders here in Hawaii. The topic was “Avoiding Burnout.” Since the pandemic began a year ago, I know that many educators, especially school leaders, have been feeling stressed as the requirements of their job have changed drastically and will continue to change. 

Burnout is defined as the emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by stress. No doubt, many school leaders have been on the verge of burnout during these challenging times. My presentation to the school leaders was not about data or studies about burnout; rather my suggestions were based on my own experiences as a principal.

First, we can’t pour from an empty cup.. I remember those days when I forgot to eat lunch or munched on unhealthy snacks when I was hungry. Instead of drinking water, I would get a soda from the vending machine. As I was getting ready to leave for home, I’d realize that I hadn’t made a dent in my goal of taking 10,000 steps each day. At night, I would toss and turn as thoughts raced through my head about what I needed to do, and on the weekends, I would go to the office because I knew it would be quiet and I could get things done. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the responsibilities of our job that we forget to take care of our basic needs - eating healthy, drinking water, exercising, getting a good night’s sleep, and relaxing. We need to fill our cup throughout the day, every day. Remember, we can’t pour from an empty cup.

Second, we all need a support group or network of colleagues whom we can call on when we have a question, a concern, a challenge, when we want to share something exciting happening at our school, or when we just want to talk. Connecting and sharing information is especially important during these challenging times. The principalship can feel like a lonely job because there’s only one principal at each school. But there are 287 public schools in Hawaii, and each one has a principal, and there is lots of expertise amongst our school leaders. Just as we ensure that our teachers have opportunities to collaborate and to support each other, our school leaders need to have those opportunities as well. And we need to share; don’t keep good ideas to yourself!  It doesn’t have to be in-person; my go-to for professional development is Twitter, and I’ve learned so much from colleagues, not just in Hawaii, but throughout the country as well. Make time to learn with and from each other.

Third, prioritize. Being a principal meant understanding what was best for our school. I encouraged our staff to be innovative and to think out-of-the-box and then to share with their colleagues. How do we balance our own vision of what our school could be with statewide directives or complex-wide initiatives? I compare this to a buffet line where everything looks good so we take a little of this and a little of that, and by the time we get to the end of the line, there’s not much room for the main dish. Our plate is so full that we can’t possibly eat everything. I learned to prioritize and to advocate for our school. What is the priority for your school community at this time? It may mean putting an idea on hold until later, or it could mean delegating a project to a vice principal, a committee of teachers, or even a committee of students. As a principal, we should be looking to build the leadership capacity of others. This is a great opportunity to do so.

Finally, take care of yourself . This part of my presentation was very personal as I shared about our son Jarand who passed away in May 2018 from Chronic Kidney Disease caused by high blood pressure. (Read about it here: Aloha, Jarand.). My husband Randy and I have made it our mission to share Jarand’s story and to remind people about taking care of themselves. As Randy says, “Superman and Wonder Woman are comic book characters. You are not a comic book character, and you are not invincible.” So take care of yourself so you can take care of others. 

I ended with a call to action to all of the school leaders. Now that schools were forced to change due to the pandemic, this is the perfect time to discuss how to make schools more relevant in this, the 21st century. We need to ask some tough questions: How will we ensure that ALL students have access to a quality education? How will schools reconfigure teaching and learning now that we know there are other options besides face-to-face, in-person learning? How can we ensure that our student learners have opportunities to create their own learning, learning that is meaningful and impactful to them? Is there a more reliable, less costly, and less time-consuming way to rate our school besides high-stakes tests? And perhaps most important, how can the voice of the principal be heard to make meaningful changes in our educational system? We need to have these kinds of discussions. Our world is changing rapidly, and we cannot keep teaching the way we were taught in school. Schools should be preparing students for their future. As John Dewey said, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.”

The Beauty of Poetry

 I remember my parents reading their favorite poems to us kids. Mom would read “Oh, Captain! My Captain!,” “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” and she would recite “Flanders Field” which she had to memorize when she was in school. Dad’s favorites were “Sea Fever” and “Casey at the Bat.” To this day, I have fond memories of those poems. 

My teachers probably read poems to us when we were in elementary school, but my earliest memory of actually studying poetry was in my junior year of high school. Our teacher was young, and she had us work in groups. We chose poems and led the discussion about what those poems meant. I remember that our group brought in lyrics to some songs by Simon and Garfunkle - “I Am a Rock,” “Sounds of Silence,” “At the Zoo” - and we had a great discussion about what the songs meant or symbolized. I realize today how forward-thinking that teacher was; we were so much more engaged in the discussions because the poems were chosen by our peers. 

As a mom and a teacher, I made sure to introduce poems to my sons and to my students. I selected the ones I liked from anthologies - A Child’s Garden of Verses was my favorite - and we laughed together when I read them poems by Jack Prelutsky or Shel Silverstein. One of my favorite book of poems was Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O’Neill. We read a different color poem each day, and that book inspired some of my students to write their own color poem. I marvel at any poet’s ability to use language and words to convey vivid pictures in my mind or deep emotions. 

I admit that I did not teach my students to write poetry. I exposed them to different poetry forms, but there was never an assignment to write a poem. As someone who had never written poetry, I never felt comfortable asking my students to do so. When I became a principal, I saw poems that some of our students wrote, and I was amazed at their insights and their use of words to convey a mood or an idea. I wondered whether I had denied my students an opportunity to try their hand at poetry.

I was mesmerized when Amanda Gorman read her poem, “A Hill to Climb” at the Presidential Inauguration. How, I thought, can a 22-year-old write such mature thoughts at such a tender age? Her poem gave me hope for our country, if only we work together. Then I received a book called Voice: Poetry by the Youth of Kalihi, written by English Language Learner students at Farrington High School here on O`ahu. The students’ voices were evident in their poems, and their words, their thoughts, their feelings were heartfelt. I can imagine the pride these students and their families feel about seeing their poems in a book. Like Amanda Gorman, the voices of these ELL students give me hope. Their optimism, their goals for the future, and their pride in themselves is evident in their poetry. By publishing this book - not an easy task - the teachers gave voice to their students, but they also gave them confidence that their ideas are worthy of publication. If you have an opportunity, go and check this book out.