The "Book"

As a heavy equipment mechanic, it was not uncommon for for my father to come home at night soaked in fuel, oil, mud, or grease.  For over thirty years he worked in a shop and on construction sites repairing earth-moving machines that can literally move mountains.  Whether the company was laying pipe, building a road, or constructing a landfill or waste-water treatment plant, it always seemed like Dad came home each night with a new story about how a machine broke either buried in mud or deep in a hole.  Of course, the machines never broke while on a flat, dry piece of ground or in the shop!  And yet, Dad made sure the bulldozer, crane, or backhoe was repaired and repaired well.

Some of my fondest memories as a young boy were being able to "help" Dad on Saturday mornings whenever he had to go to work to get a machine ready for Monday.  Usually early in the morning, we'd reach the job site and figure out what was wrong with the machine.  I'd pass him tools or hold a flashlight, and after the machine was repaired he'd get a gleam in his eye and say, "Let's see if this thing works!"  First he'd set me in the seat and show me how to start the engine.  Then he would hop down to look for oil leaks.  Once all was clear, we'd dig a hole or push some dirt just to "make sure" the machine was really fixed.  As a 7 or 8 year old boy, I was in heaven.  Who wouldn't enjoy operating machines the size of a small house!  It really was a great feeling, and I cherish those moments with Dad.

Then, the "book" arrived.

Apparently new repair manuals were printed that stated how long replacing a certain part or completing a maintenance procedure should take.  As you can imagine, time is money in the construction business, and Dad's bosses understood the faster a machine could get fixed, the faster it could be working to make money for the company.  The only problem was the people who wrote the books and defined the time it took to fix the machines never talked with the machines!  The writers forgot how much time it takes when you need to walk more than 100 yards to just get to the machine or if the machine is upside down (That's another story.)?  Sometimes the machines were so hot that Dad couldn't even touch the engine.  The "book" became almost a joke during our family dinners because Dad would explain why it took longer than what the book said to fix the machine.  Now, Dad had to explain to his bosses the same thing.  I vividly remember the "book" being a source of frustration for Dad.

I'm lucky.  I don't usually come home soaked in oil, dirt, or grease.  (You just never know what's going to happen tomorrow!)  And while Dad worked on machines that could change the world by moving mountains, I get to work with professionals and young people who are changing the world in their own way.  I love my job as a principal and teacher, and I am grateful for what both of my parents sacrificed so my sister and I could go to college.

Now, however, I'm feeling like a "book" has arrived in my own profession.

Educators are being held to higher and higher standards.  We are accountable for more and more growth of our students.  I need to be 100% clear on this point...I do not shy away from being held accountable.  While I'm not a fan of competition between schools, I will put the emotional and academic growth of students in my school or district up against any school in the country, but I do worry a cloud is hovering over our profession that is forgetting we work with young people who are unique individuals.  In other words, how do we ensure a teacher and principal are held accountable while at the same time recognizing some students come to school hungry, or impoverished, or without support at home?

I work in a relatively economically affluent district, but I still have worked with homeless families and children whose parents are unemployed, have died, or are going through divorces.  I also get informed quite frequently of students who miss school for tournaments, competitions, or even extra-long or early vacations.  I completely understand if a student is absent a few days or if he or she is sick, but we would be naive if we thought regular situations like I listed here did not impact a student's achievement.  But... in two years 50% of my teachers' (and my) evaluation will be based on our students' growth and achievement.

Has the "book" arrived?

I hope not.  In fact, I see hope each time I visit a classroom and see a teacher conferencing with a student so that student can get as much individualized attention as possible.  I see hope when I see my staff working together to share resources, brainstorm solutions, or plan interventions.  I see hope when I hear or our school secretaries-who are balancing answering phones, handling students' bumps and scrapes, and managing the never-ending interruptions from my teachers (or me)-stop to greet and help a new family to our school...with a smile.  I see hope when I see staff members give of their own time and money to pursue additional, specialized training to better help students.  I see hope when I see community or PTO members actively volunteer to help our students.  I see hope when I read regular newsletters from teachers to parents that highlight the activities of the week but also preview the learning targets for the upcoming week and how a parent can help their child be more successful.  I see hope when I see teachers intentionally teaching routines early in the year so they can efficiently use those routines all year long.  I see hope when our school system works together as a school district rather than a district of schools.  Quite simply, I choose to see hope every day.

Has the "book" arrived?

As people who care deeply for young people and the future, I believe we need to continue to focus on students as individuals not as machines and surely not as machines who are broken like any "book."  Let's not shy away from being held accountable, but let's also stand-up tall and do and advocate for what we know is best for students...our students.