Trying some Old Things as New Things

As some of you know, Bronco Bits is my second shot at a Blog.  I will say that both have been a lot of fun, and I have learned plenty.  Unfortunately in my desire to change the name of my blog - that is a story in itself - I should have moved some of the previous posts.  They were good and had some excellent conversation in them.  Not knowing how this is going, I'll try to do that over time.  If you see some "outdated" information appearing in the next little bit, that may help explain my step back in time.  Again, I dont' know how it will appear here (remember that we are all continually learning), so let's give it a try and see what happens.

Read more »

Post-P/T Conference Reflection

Parent/Teacher Conferences can be a source for stress for teachers, parents, and students.  Many look upon these days with at least some level of concern.  Each group has their own type of worry and question:

• Parent:  "What will the teacher say about my student that I don't want to hear?"
• Teacher:  "Is the parent upset by the grade his/her student is receiving and believes it to be something I need to do differently?"
• Student:  "Will my parent be upset when they see my grades?"

These are normal and predictable feelings that each of us likely have in some manner.  If that is the case, why do we do this? 

• Why DO we go to hear about our children? 
• Why DO teachers prepare information to share? 
• Why DO we use hours of potential instruction time to set aside conversations between parents and educators? 

Does this seem productive, worthwhile, and efficient?

As a whole, I can answer that we DO it because it promotes the communication and partnerships that are essential to serving our students.  It brings teachers, parents, and students into a conversation that promotes the success of our youth.  It provides a mechanism for exchange among those who don't get naturally get the opportunity.

When done right, this is an opportunity for adults (and sometimes students) to share, exchange, debate, question, explore, and plan.  When done right, this is an opportunity that is meaningful and productive.  When done right, it is simply good for the student.

That said, it can be done wrong.  In that scenario, we tear down good communication and build defensive strongholds by issuing blame and responsibility to others and close our eyes and minds to possibilities for improvement and collaboration. 

Last night, I was thrilled to see a wonderful turnout at our schools, positive interaction among adults, and several students attending conferences with parents.  Not once did I observe any negative interactions.  For that I credit each of the adults involved, whether parent or educator.  As this is a conscious choice for people, the outcome is a direct result of the approach of both parties.  Although I obviously did not observe every interaction or sit in on every conversation, the atmosphere in our buildings indicated a mutually supportive tone, and that is what is most effective for enhancing student learning and growth.

Read more »

Negotiations Wrap-up

As a Superintendent, one thing you know is going to happen is the process of negotiating with local education associations.  It's not something that most people, on either side of the table, really look forward to starting.  As we near the last phases of the process here, however, I must say that it was a good process.  We laid the table effectively to start, planned our process, focused on "right" as opposed to "us vs. them" concepts, listened intently to each other, agreed/disagreed respectfully across the table, agreed/disagreed respectfully on the same side of the table, and generally communicated well.  Not that I am eager to start the process again, but if that is how we continue to approach a necessary step in the school year, you can count me in.  Much of this success, however, has to go to the members of the teams.  Two Board Members represented the school while meeting with two Representatives for the Education Support Association, and the same Board Members worked with three Education Association Members.  There were some tough decisions and conversations that were essential, and these seven people put their nose to the grindstone and were determined to make this a successful event, and it was.  Thanks to them for their professionalism and dedication to our school and ultimately our students.

Read more »

Impressive View

Oh how I wish this image inspired such musical memories as, "Our house...in the middle of our street...our house..." or maybe "she's a Brick...House...she's mighty mighty..." or "Doo doo doo, lookin' out my back door."  But alas, it does not, dear friend.  It inspires me, however, to vacuum the house...the ENTIRE house in less than a day!

Read more »

Our Loss at Belmond-Klemme

After not quite eight months of working with Diane Trampel, she has permanently left her position as the Business Manager of Belmond-Klemme CSD.  Diane worked for our schools for 23 years, originally for Klemme and then for BK when the schools merged.  In our short time together, we had the opportunity to share in many conversations of school, philosophy, family, and countless other topics.  In such a short time it was easy to realize that she was committed to family and friends, cared for her school, and knew that life was a gift.  Her family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances will grieve her absence in our lives, but we will also cherish and respect the time we were able to spend with her.

Read more »

Get it together...whatever "it" is

As I sit here following a cancellation of classes today and the same for tomorrow, the many scheduling issues that need to be addressed have accumulated.  It is hard to imagine that there is ever "time" for educational leadership among all of the duties that are continually happening in a district.  That's actually an easy copout...if someone is serious about their position, they find a way to do it.  Maybe what I'm concerned with is finding the right "system" to make it all work.  People's time is so valuable but they are also so needed for conversations and decision-making.  Finding the time to meet with small groups of people is as hard as making the decisions.  With so many things flying around and seeming somewhat random, how does a person organize them into a pattern that makes sense and prevents - or at least limits - the omissions that may occur?  And when that pattern gets established, what happens with a disruption like snow days?  Not my typical item here...just have more questions than ideas this evening.

Read more »

New or Old Leadership?

As of today, the state of Iowa has a New Governor...or an Old Governor...or a Recycled Governor...ok, so we have a Former Governor entering as a Newly Elected Current Governor.  Not that we need to make politics or legislation any more complicated, I just like the terminology game.

What lies before us is again going to take turns and twists to adjust to the beliefs and philosophies of another individual and party taking "control" of the decisions our state has to make.  Although I have never been a very politically involved person, I am very aware of how it impacts our educational system and the students we serve.  With lots at stake for our schools and students, my hope is that we have upcoming years of common sense, communication, and concern coming from our state leaders.

Best of luck, Governor Branstad, it's an opportunity that we all hope goes well for you and, in turn, the residents of Iowa - especially our youth.

Read more »

Appreciation

Some things in life seem so incredibly simple.  When someone holds a door for you, a nice, "thank you" seems to be appropriate.  If you receive a gift for graduation, your birthday, a wedding, etc. there is nothing wrong with a nice little note of thanks.  On top of that, there are the exceptional efforts of individuals that simply go beyond what is expected.  These are the people that clear a driveway following a snow, those that leave their intended pathway to carry groceries to the house of a neighbor, or "pay it forward" in so many other ways.  In this category are two individuals that I am proud to call both "friends" and "mentors" for me.  Although both will humbly describe what they are doing for me as part of "their job" it is the intensity with which they approach our meetings that truly demonstrates how exceptional these two leaders are.  It's the situations like these that appreciation can really not be expressed to the appropriate level.  We have all been in the position where someone has done something wonderful for us, and all we can really do is say a heartfelt "thanks" and try to do the same for another person we may encounter.  With thatexplanation, THANKS, Bob and Dennis, for challenging me and having the confidence in me to make your time valuable.

Read more »

Who's the Teacher?

As I started to get into blogging, it was my belief that I understood technology relatively well and was open to the possibilities of its use.  No fear of it, and I'm a believer.  I do the basics and would like to feel more comfortable in doing more.  The teachers in the district are strong in general, and they challenge me to stay up.  There's the background.  Basically I like tech and feel comfortable with it.

Until tonight...

My daughter, in fifth grade, sat down with me and proceeded to demonstrate to me what a true digital native does.  She just did it.  Didn't consider it, think about it, ponder its outcome...just did it.  Oh, and when something didn't work...a quick grumble and on to the next thing.  Water off a duck's back. 

It is that mentality that I wish I could master.  Go for it, try it out, fail...fail big even, and then go try again.

No disrespect to the exceptional educators from whom I have learned so much in formal settings, but ...Thanks, Kennedy, for being one of the best teachers I have ever had in my life.

Read more »

Winter in Iowa

As the warm summer days have turned cooler, it is with dread that I anticipate the snow and cold that typifies an Iowa Winter.  This is never my favorite time of year.  The motorcycle essentially stays in the garage (I try to brave the cold/snow/ice one day a month for some inexplicable reason), the driveway will be in need of clearing as will the walkways, the yard becomes unusable, and I simply don't like being cold.  Some people love it and always will.  This is not my category. 
This year, however, I am able to add yet another piece to the "anti-winter" stance that I maintain.  As Superintendent of Schools, it is my responsibility to determine whether the roads and weather are in such condition that delaying or cancelling school is necessary.  Typically I like to have the responsibility placed on me and accept the blame when it goes wrong.  However, I'm not really a weather-watching guy on my own, and this whole prospect is a little unnerving.  This may be the one factor I now dislike the most about winter. 
There is good news in two parts.  One, it is no longer the "Lone Ranger" approach of driving a few back roads (hopefully with success) to determine passability.  Access to information abounds, and most superintendents across the state communicate with others in the area to discuss pros and cons of such actions.  The second piece is that it isn't really something new to me.  I have made the call several times in the past when our Superintendent was not available, so there is some comfort in having that experience (a bonus is that each decision was essentially good or at least I'd make the same call again in hindsight-that won't always be the case). 
Now that it is my responsibility, however, I find that my nights are a little less restful when the wind blows or the report indicates ice is on the way.  The irony is that there isn't even any snow on the ground right now, but I worry about what I may have missed.  I'm an early riser most of the time, but I'm sure that one time that I sleep in to 6 AM or something will turn out to be the morning that we get 8 inches of snow and high winds with a temperature of about 28.  Those are the days that really require some conscious thought and communication, and I hope that there are enough safeguards in place that will alert me to that situation so I don't sleep through the opportunity.

Read more »

Job Description

After spending the last 14 years in administration at the building level, this year moves me into a district view.  I have loved the opportunities that I have had in a HS, and I believe that the job I did was a good one that benefitted students.  In short, I'm proud of what I have done, what my educators have done, and what my students have accomplished.

In my fifteenth year, my focus has changed.  Although the opportunity to lead is still there and the challenges of that opportunity are still invigorating, the vantage point has changed a bit.  What I use to do well and had a comfort with has now become new, unsure, clouded, and unfamiliar.  Normally that is exceptionally refreshing for me.  This is, to a degree, similarly refreshing.  The part I was not expecting was that the challenges are so different from what I have done that it has been hard to keep up.  The support here has been outstanding, and I am so very proud to be working with and for this community.  My desire to be as good as I can be, however, causes me to be concerned when I fall short of my own expectations. 

There are days that I long to return to the principalship and feel a comforting level of security in my capabilities.  Then there are other days that I am thrilled with the challenge and believe that I'm doing an acceptable job so far.  My expectations include my personal improvement and continued learning and experience to be able to provide leadership for this district and the students and community that we serve.

Read more »

Let the Beatings Stop

Although I originally loved the creativity and fun of the title of this blog "Beating the Dead Horse" as it was an attempt to drag conversations into the depths of challenging our own beliefs.  I still look for those opportunities and cherish those moments and hours where that has been achieved. 

Following a move to a school system where the Bronco is the mascot, the reference takes a new twist.  What once was fun and playful is now potentially offensive and derogatory to a degree.  Although not intentional, it is appropriate to move the site.  So feel free to join me at Bronco Bits, the new option.  URL is http://broncobits.blogspot.com/ if you are interested...

Read more »

It's All About the Benjamins (Repost)

Back in April of 2010, I posted the below on another site.  That was as a High School Principal.  Now as a Superintendent, it seems to be consistently relevant.

I'm sure that many people out there would agree that we really work hard in education to provide the best possible education for our students. I have believed this for a long time and still do. With the current status of economy across the nation, however, it is my observation that what I have long believed to be a staple belief is being eroded by another key belief...survival.

Survival is one of the initial instincts that we all have. It spans across the personal barriers of eating, reproduction, learning, loyalty, interdependence, and so many other concepts. As institutions or businesses, survival is key to being able to do anything positive for society. Look at mission statements and visions that promote the "grander thinking" of humanity in terms of what a company or organization can provide. Think about it...no survival, no anything. It suddenly becomes "all about the Benjamins" in order to finance our efforts.

So when the economy takes a dive, schools and educational supports are hard hit - not without an understanding of the long-term effects this will produce, but in a survival mode. Our government needs to survive too...keep that in mind...and without the government's survival, where do we all land? So education takes a 10% rap on the proverbial head, which is handed out at the district level. Seeing about 75-85% of all current funds for each district are tied to salaries, what is the natural response? Survive! Cut staff! Trim the fat! In order to "make it" the belt will again be tightened around the concept of doing more with less.

Now that we take a huge whack (again) at the individuals responsible for learning, what happens? Some leave the field, some become unemployed, some move to another position. Whatever they do, the hard part about reductions is that it is unlikely that the only individuals removed from their current positions will be those that are less effective with students. Due to contract language, we WILL be losing some of the most excellent educators across the nation. At the same time, there will be individuals that maintain their positions with less than stellar performances. That's the system, and there is a contract involved. For those that have the option to retain the correct people in the correct places, my hope is that they have the intestinal fortitude to make the calls on behalf of students. That can be a lonely place when it may involve a lot of battles, but it is necessary to place the students first if that is truly the cause in which we believe.

Now that we have eliminated a large part of our expenses and reduced the number of people working for the schools to do so, we face the next step of the spiral. With less local individuals making a salary, the tax base shrinks. Do the math, and yep, less money again. Less tax means less government ability to support anything, and I'm sure we'll look for another cut in the future. More spiraling.
There isn't an easy answer, but as a nation, we need to look at our most valuable resource - our kids - and think about them in our quest to survive financially. When we talk about the Benjamins, my hope is that our decisions reflect that it truly is "all about the Benjamins." But I hope that these Benjamins have a face and a last name and that they represent every child we touch, even those not named Benjamin.

Read more »

I LIKE STRESS

Much like that famous quote from the movie Wallstreet, "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good,"  I think I like stress.  Taken alone and out of context, it really appears to be one of the worst concepts imaginable, like greed being good.  I have to admit, though, that when I'm stressed, I do better.  When lots of things are happening, I get focused.  When pandamonium erupts, I become effective.  When things look the most bleak, I personally find some hope and energy.  That must mean that, "stress, for lack of a better word, is a motivator".  I think you can/should quote me on that.  So, should I go looking for more stress in my life?  Do I need to sit down and create a list of wants that I don't really need so that my greed can increase?  Can I find ways to worry about how to get what I need to provide what I want?  That seems like the ultimate compilation of stress and greed, so it must be perfect!  Of course that sounds ludicrous, but it also seems like there has got to be a thread of truth in there too.  Somehow, somewhere stress is serving a function, and I think I LIKE IT.

Read more »

Kept?

During a presentation, a man that I hold in high regard and for whom I have great respect stated essentially the following (quoting as best I can from a couple years ago):


Educators are basically “kept” individuals that typically have never had to venture out on their own. When we were children, our parents cared for us, we attended college where necessities were provided, and then we were hired into a field that provides income, insurance, support, training, etc. We have never, as educators, had to create or re-create anything in order to survive.
As the individual stated the above, he also was very careful to apologize and state that he wasn’t meaning to be offensive or say that educators are lazy or incompetent (as some naturally bristle at anything) and was including himself in the mix. I remember the statement’s core message and some of the following conversation that ensued, but it wasn’t a turning point in my life or even an “ah-ha moment” for me.
Spin the hands of time forward about two years now, and this statement really started to make more and more sense. Due to budget reductions, one of the actions of my school was to reduce an administrator. That burden had to fall somewhere, and it landed on me after 8 years with the district, which left me out of a job with a family to support. That also meant no health care through the system and even a limited professional sense of who I was. That part surprised me.
I flashed back to this statement, and realized the truth in it more than ever. It was a realization that my employment really is much like my parent or guardian, making sure that things get done and are accounted for accurately. It provides structure and security as well as challenges and income.
Since that point, it has been my fortune to interview at several schools across my state and enjoy the learning and exchanges that occur in those settings. A few times I saw some positions that seemed to be a very good fit, but the district found an educator that they saw as a better fit. Other times at the end of the interview, I knew the phone would not ring with good news as the fit was clearly not there. The part that I liked is that they saw me for who I was and what I stood for.
As the season for hiring was well underway, there were several opportunities still waiting and still being hired, but it seemed to me that they were less plentiful and maybe even less of a fit. At some point, I decided maybe it was time not to be “kept” and began talking to a few people out of the educational community as I continued to interview and submit applications in the educational field. Although it was certainly an interesting option, most of what I heard was not overly appealing and lacked a certain level of challenge that I have come to expect and enjoy. It would, however, be a job and I could support my family.
I don’t know how many times I heard about doors closing and windows opening, but it was frequent. I appreciated the concept and believed that it was true-that the right thing would be out there. It’s amazing how that happens sometimes as ultimately a district and I found a mutual fit that I anticipate to be a great opportunity for myself, and it is my belief that the district will also benefit from my efforts. Although I would have taken a few other positions had they been offered, this position is clearly one of the top two for which I applied and was interested. So good, solid doors closed on me (ouch, by the way) so that Garage Door of Opportunity could open and beckon me in to a challenging and rewarding position that I look forward to starting. What a relief and burden was taken from my shoulders when that occurred.
Once again I will be the “kept” individual in a system that values students and learning. I can live with that.

Read more »