Mandatory Parent Meeting

Do you have certain "roles" in your home?  Let me explain.

In our house I'm in charge of grilling, but my wife does the baking.  I keep the bathrooms clean, but my wife does the dusting.  The vegetable gardens are mine, but the flower gardens belong to her.  We do, of course, share many projects, but I've learned over the years that many families run like this.  We have another role that has been very successful since we've been parents:  Whenever something says, "Mandatory Parent Meeting," my wife attends.

As much as I love our daughters and as involved as I am at my own school, I'm not super-involved with "mandatory" parent events for our girls.

This changed last week.

Our daughters are involved in their schools' robotics teams.  Little did I know how big of a deal these high school extra-curricular activities are.  (Learn more here.)  Significant financial resources need to be raised, but the students learn many, many valuable skills.  We received a note from the school about a "mandatory" parent meeting.  The note was quickly shuffled to my wife's calendar, and I thought we were set.  That morning, however, Kim shared she had a work commitment that was going to go later into the evening.  The conversation went something like this:

"Kim, It's not a problem.  I can go to the parent meeting.  It's probably just about completing permission slips and getting a schedule."

"You're right, but there's also a Booster meeting after the parent meeting."

"That's OK.  I can go to the Booster meeting too.  It will be fun.  What does the Booster group do, and how can we help?"

"Jennifer's a 9th grader, and we're new to this.  I don't fully know what the Booster group does.  I'd guess they raise money and support the students with food, travel, and volunteers."

"Great.  What can we do?"

"Well-don't commit to anything yet, but you can probably sign-up for cookies.  I will get caught up later to make sure we're helping."

I was right.  The parent meeting was about permission slips.  I completed the forms and submitted them.  I was feeling proud of myself for helping Kim (and our daughter) at a "mandatory" parent meeting as I headed to the Booster meeting.

Let me pause this story just a bit to applaud all parents who support students.  My school and school district is a remarkable place to be.  Our PTOs and booster groups do so, so much to help kids.  I have seen over and over again that our most successful students have families who are connected to their child's school in at least some small way.  Usually, however, I see more moms than dads being that connector.  My family is the same way.  And while I'm not trying to be critical of all of us fathers out there, I do think about what we could do if our dads were as actively involved as our moms.  I get it.  Life is a balance, and "connecting" to school does not always mean serving as official boosters or attending parent meetings.  All parents have an obligation to model a love of learning or to read a good book with our children.  All parents should find joy in working through a little homework or listening to a child be excited about a school project.  All parents can probably do something more to help our children be successful.  I know I can, but I don't always take the opportunity to be "that" parent.

As we look at closing 2014 and starting 2015, I encourage all parents--especially us dads--to take a more active role in supporting our children and students.  It can be through boosters or PTOs.  be a coach.  Try being a mentor.  Volunteer at school.  It can be through little or even small projects.  It can even be in the simplest of ways, but I know it makes a difference.

As for me---I'm the new president of the robotics parent booster group!  (Fortunately, I have a great vice-president---my wife!)  Happy New Year!  The best is yet to come.

What do you find?

Before you start reading this entry, please know both sets of parents have given me permission to share these stories.

He's a kindergartener.  She's in 3rd grade.  In their own ways, both students are extraordinary.  They are also very typical of what I see each day in my school.  

First our girl:  What would you do if you had over the elbow casts on both of your arms?  We had a 3rd grader accidentally fall off a playground structure this fall and return to school with just that-- two casts.  She couldn't do anything for herself--or so we thought.

Think about having casts which kept your elbows bent at about a 90 degree angle on each arm.  Would you be able to dress yourself?  How would you feed yourself?  What would you do in the restroom?

Let me give you just one example how this girl inspired me.

She struggled to feed herself since she could not reach her mouth with her hands.  With her parents' help, we arranged to have a couple of friends eat with and even help feed her in our office conference room.  Our conference room was busy one day, and I suggested the girls use the table in my office.  I was replying to emails at my desk as they started their lunches, but then I was disrupted from my favorite sound--giggling.  I looked up to see three girls using long bamboo kabob skewers to poke chunks of cheese, ham, fruit and even chocolate covered caramels.  All of us erupted into laughter.  I was quickly reminded that children can take almost any hurdle and make it into a fun, learning opportunity.  Children, when given the chance, are amazingly resilient.


Now our boy:  He is a kindergartener who was born with a "stub" of a right arm.  He wears a prosthetic arm, but at this point it is only a cosmetic arm.  One would think he would want special accommodations since he has only a partial right arm.  How would you cut a piece of paper or open a glue stick if you did not have two hands?

But, to watch this boy is simply remarkable.  He is independent--almost to a fault.  He is innovative and creative in how he uses his prosthetic arm.  He perseveres--with a smile.  He shows great determination to solve daily problems for himself.  He even laughs at his prosthetic arm when it falls off.  (He's delightful as can be when he's waving it around with his other arm while asking the teacher to help reattach it.)  He is not embarrassed at all by what most people would see as a disability.

While chatting with his parents about his soon-to-be "bionic" prosthetic arm, I commented how impressed I was with how they are raising their son to be so independent.  His father shared, "Mr. Ascher, we found that in him.  Even as a small child, our son said he must learn how to handle things by himself because other people won't always be there to help him."  That's a statement from a 5 year old!


In this season of Thanksgiving, I am reminded that parents and teachers have an obligation to "find" what is good in our children and students.  Do I only "find" my daughters' messy rooms?  Do I only "find" the one area for improvement on a report card and not all of the areas where a student may be excelling?  Where we focus tends to drive what we find.  Both of these students reminded me that we will find what we choose to find.  More often than not, my students (and daughters) help me find hope and inspiration.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Learning for the Sake of Learning

"I wonder what's at the border?"

"What do you mean, David?" my wife replied.

"Well, when we actually cross from Montana into Alberta, Canada, I wonder what we will see?"

And then from the backseat our 12 year old daughter confidently stated, "All of the trees for a 20 foot line will be cut down.  You should be able to see the border very clearly."

"How do you know that?  We are in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mountains and huge trees, and you're telling me all of the trees will be cut down at this border?"  I asked.

"Dad, I follow this video blog, and they share all sort of neat information.  I'll show the blog to you when we get back to civilization and wifi."


As you can tell, we were traveling.  My family and I were visiting Glacier National Park in Montana, and we had planned to cross into Canada to see the Canadian Waterton National Park.  I live about 45 minutes from another international border with Canada that is easy to understand.  The Detroit River marks the border, but I had no real idea how the border looked in the mountains.

When we crossed the border we saw a line about 20 feet wide cleared of all trees.  The line went directly over mountains in both directions.  Jennifer was correct.

She later showed me the video blog  (Please watch.  It's fascinating.) and said she follows other blogs on topics that interest her.  She was learning for the sake of learning, and I clearly had a lot to understand.

I got to thinking that our daughter knew things that neither my wife nor I had taught her.  She also didn't learn about international borders in school.  As an elementary school principal and teacher I have a fairly good idea of what kids should know at certain ages--especially when they are in the younger grades.  Jennifer had gotten to the point when I no longer controlled or even knew all that she knew.

Our district has worked for 5 years to clearly articulate our curriculum.  In other words, we have worked to identify what kids should know and be able to do.  You can see that work here.  You can see essential questions, key concepts, and a general calendar of when those concepts will be taught.  Our curriculum website has transformed our school system and helps us focus resources and training so all students can be more successful.

I'm fairly certain, however, nothing in our curriculum website states, "We want students to be able to learn for the sake of learning--not just because it might be on a test."  I'm being sarcastic here, I know.  We do need to teach specific concepts and skills, and schools should be held accountable for that teaching and learning.  I worry, sometimes, that we get so hyper-focused on specific skills and concepts that we are missing the larger point of learning for the sake and joy of learning.  We need to find a balance.


As we teach and raise children to be successful in the 21st century, I caution all of us to be sure to help kids desire to learn and to not just learn because it's on a test.

Deciding or Doing?

Have you ever decided to lose weight?  How about to exercise more?  What about to be more active in a community organization?  Of course, many of us make decisions to be more healthy or to be more active.  I suppose each New Years Day many of us make resolutions to be or to do something better for the upcoming year.  Making decisions to be or to do something better is a great step.  In fact, it's probably the best first step, but is it the only step?

I was recently given a flyer that included "The Riddle of the Twelve Frogs."  It basically goes like this...

Twelve frogs are sitting on a log.  Twelve frogs decide to jump into the pond.  How many frogs remain on the log?

The answer?  Twelve.  Twelve frogs remain on the log because there is a clear difference between deciding to jump and jumping.  If you are going to lead, you not only have to decide, but you also have to make the leap.

I've decided to lose weight in the past.  I've even decided to exercise more.  Unfortunately, I've not always been successful at losing the weight or exercising more.  As the story of the frog goes, deciding to exercise more and actually going for a walk, a run, or even a swim are entirely different steps.  I suppose that makes me human.

This year I did decide to be more positive.  This sounds painfully simple, and I must confess up front that being positive in Novi and at Novi Woods, where I am principal, is actually quite easy because of all that is happening.  Regardless of our professions, however, everyone seems to doing more with less.  And between balancing work and a busy life at home with two teenaged daughters, remaining positive can get to be tricky.  But, deciding to be more positive and actually being positive...

In the front lobby of our school, we have a Paws for Great Leaders! board.  (We are the Novi Wildcats which explains the paw connection.)

Staff gives students small certificates when they see someone doing something extraordinary.  I'm not big into giving students rewards, but we do want students and visitors in our school to realize we are focusing on the positives that students do.  We send home one certificate and then put one certificate in a small box by the office where they eventually get placed on our board.  Throughout the year and at our regular all-school Leadership Assemblies I select 3-5 students to recognize.

I usually ask the students what they did to earn a PAWs card.  Then I say something to the entire school body like, "Great leaders are prepared and ready to learn-even without being asked.  Can you be prepared and ready to learn-without being asked?"  The students reply, "Yes," and we are finished within 3 minutes in order to get to the main event of our assembly.  It's a nice reminder to highlight what is good and extraordinary for all of us.

This year we have taken our PAWs cards one step further.  I am personally calling each student's family  that earns a PAWs card.  I've made well over 100 calls, and it's only the middle of October.  I hope I can get to over 1000 by the end of the year!  First, it's a way for me to establish one on one communication with a family.  With almost 500 students, creating and maintaining that communication is important to me.  Next, I strongly believe that if students know they are cared about or if they know they are learning in a supportive community, they will work even harder.   More  importantly, I get to spread even more joy about the student earning a PAWs card.  Inevitably I end up leaving a message, but I often hear back from the parents or from the student thanking me for the call.  Those parents usually share how much they appreciated my call, how much their child is learning at school, or they highlight the work we are doing at Novi Woods.  In my quest to be more positive, people are actually showing me what I should be positive about!  It's a wonderful circle.

I encourage all of us to move from deciding to doing.  To move from just thinking about taking that step to actually stepping--even if it's a tiny step.


(Today, I'm skipping the candy bar as an after lunch snack, by the way.  I'm working on eating healthier!)

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Do you remember Cheers?  It was a popular sitcom on television in the 1980s about the exploits of a retired baseball player-turned bar owner-in Boston and his employees, friends, and customers.  While I'm not condoning drinking ina bar, the theme song was entitled, "Where Everybody Knows Your Name."  You can listen to the theme here.

I always liked that song.  Everyone should have a place to get away--where everybody knows your name.  You should feel comfortable and welcomed--where everybody knows your name.  You should be able to be yourself-where everybody knows your name.  It's a nice idea.

We live near a large grocery store which was built about the time our now teenage daughters were born.  Grocery shopping is not one of my favorite activities.  I keep going back to that store, however, because people know me there.  In fact, one of the employees, Denise, always asks about our daughters and marvels at how much they've changed since they were babies and in the infant carts.  I remember one time my parents, who do not live locally, took our daughters to that grocery store.  Denise recognized out girls, called them by name and asked, "Jennifer, who are you with today?"  Jennifer, in her three year old confidence, said that she and her sister were with their, "Nana and Papa from Wisconsin."   The shopping trip finished, and all was well.  The next week I saw Denise who told me, "David, I was worried that I didn't recognize who was with your girls.  The girls looked happy, but I still asked just to make sure everything was OK."  Denise, a grocery store check-out clerk, was making sure our 2 and 3 years old daughters were not with strangers and were safe.  The relationship my family has with Denise is why I shop at that store.

Schools are similar.  Recently a family stopped at the end of the day to say hello.  The children had been all the way through our school and no longer have students here.  They were moving to a different state but didn't want to leave without visiting our school secretaries. 

School secretaries are amazing people, and I am and have been privileged to work with many, many wonderful examples.  School secretaries welcome new familes and help those families navigate all of the necessary paperwork to officially register new students---while graciously answering phones that seem to never stop ringing.  School secretaries act as nurses, mechanics, eyeglass repair folks, and computer technicians.  School secretaries help keep our schools safe, ensure resources are available for teachers to teach, and maintain accurate paperwork for the countless reports that need to be submitted.  School secretaries are often counselors, social workers, and sometimes assistant principals.  School secretaries offer smiles, hugs, and even that unmistakable look that says, "You can do better, and I'm going to check on you later."  School secretaries listen, share, suggest, and implement.  School secretaries are accountants, custodians, moms, dads, and occassionally realtors.  School secretaries are constantly looking to learn new ways to be more efficient so they can help our schools be even better. 

But more than anything else...school secretaries build relationships.  They build relationships with students, teachers, colleagues, and parents.  They build relationships with caregivers, grandparents, service providers, and babysitters.  Our school secretaries make our school a place, "Where Everyobody Knows Your Name."  Those relationships, I know, positively impact student achievement, and I am grateful for all of the school secretaries that make and have made my schools better places to learn.

Lessons from the Dishwasher

"Dad!  Something's wrong with the dishwasher."

"What's wrong?"

"The little wheelie thing falls off each time the big rack slides out."

"You mean one of the wheels that guides the top rack is broken?"

"I guess so.  It doesn't look right, and the rack keeps falling down on the floor.  How are we going to wash the dishes?"


You guessed it.  Our family's dishwasher broke about three weeks ago.  Our daughter discovered that one of the wheels that guides the top rack was cracked and falling off.  This resulted in the top rack not sliding in or out.  After reminding our girls that humans have washed dishes by hand for generations prior to the invention of the dishwasher, I decided to take a look.

First, I noticed the plastic clip that held the wheel was broken off.  It wasn't something I could fix, but I could order a replacement piece and repair everything myself.

Once the replacement parts arrived, I was quick to open the package and get started.  Now, I'm a relativley handy person.  My father and grandfather were both mechanics.  They taught me how to handle tools and pay attention to details whenever considering taking something apart.  In fact, my father is still fond of saying, "Anyone can take something apart.  It takes someone with some know-how and determination to put it back together." 

Fixing the dishwasher got me thinking about school.  I don't come to work to "fix" things.  Rather, much of my job is about allocating, acquiring and aligning resources to help teachers and students be successful.  Sometimes, however, things go a little less than perfect.

• Sometimes students or teachers are balacning difficult personal situations.
• Sometimes students don't always learn what was taught the first or even second time a lesson was taught.
• Sometimes the proper resources to help are not always available.
• Sometimes giving up seems easier than persevering, but we know this is not what is best.

I suppose the list of what can possibly go wrong in a school is endless.  I choose to focus on what is going right, and think of my Dad and grandfather when they are not.  At our school we work together to overcome obstacles, and we don't give up.  It's not always perfect, but our students learn valuable lessons about determination and the real road to success.


PS--I had the dishwasher repaired after 20 minutes; ten minutes to "fix" it incorreclty, and an additional ten minutes to actually read the directions to make sure all of the clips aligned to each other--correctly!  As my wife says, "Some things never change."

Organizing for a new year is more than sorting and ranking

There's something human about wanting to organize things.  We like order.  Think about a kitchen.  We like our silverware drawers to be sorted into forks, spoons, and knives.  Our spices don't usually go with casserole dishes.  We don't store plates and bowls with dry goods.  (Just in case your kitchen is not sorted, please don't be offended.)

What else do we sort?

• Our clothes are usually sorted.  I have a sock drawer, and a shelf for sweaters, etc...
• Perhaps you sort important papers?  We have a file cabinet organized with birth certificates, mortgage papers, will, and other important documents that never gets mixed with junk mail or bills.
• I like my music collection organized.  Whether hard copies on discs or albums or electronic versions, sorting helps me find exactly what I want--quickly and easily.

You probably have things sorted in your home or business.  We sort because it makes things easier for us.  We sort because chaos is not helpful or efficient.  We sort because sometimes we can.  Not everything, however, is as easy to organize.

Our state department of education attempts to sort and organize schools and school districts.  The formula is an attempt to organize,  rank order, and score schools.  Unfortunately, the metrics used are not terribly useful or do not always convey an accurate picture of what a school or district is really doing.  Dr. Steve Matthews, the superintendent of our school district, recently posted an article attempting to explain our state's system.  Please read it here.

I understand the need to be held accountable.  As a school principal, my staff and I have a moral obligation to run the best school possible.  We are charged to help our community's most precious commodities, our young people, to be safe and successful.  I do not back away from these responsibilities.  Dr. Matthews makes an interesting point at the end of his post:

But, in my opinion, the rating ignores many of the factors that make schools truly great.

As we start a new school year, I've been thinking about the factors that make my school "truly" great.  While much research has been conducted explaining what makes for a "quality" school, here is my "unscientific" list for a new year!

• Community:  Our students need to understand that they are learning in a community with other learners.  Those learners include other students, educators, and parents with different backgrounds and experiences, but we are a community with a common goal.
• Safety:  It goes without saying, but safety is more than just fire or tornado drills.  Safety means we have the tools and experiences to respond appropriately in emergencies.  Accidents (and unfortunately emergencies) happen, but having plans in place helps us stay focused.
• Systems:  A school is part of a larger system or district.  Our district helps provide common assessments of our programs or protocols and processes that help make the system better.  Together we are stronger.
• Expectations:  High expectations for all--for ourselves and our students--are critical.  It's easy to say that we have high expectations.  Continually monitoring those expectations is the key.
• Commitment:  Quality schools don't say, "That's good enough."  Good enough is never good enough.  There's always more we can do individually or together to reach excellence.  Excellence, however, is more than just academic achievement.  We have commitments to develop the entire child.
• Teamwork:  Educators can not work in isolation.  We need to be able to collaborate, to lean on each other, or to even celebrate together.  1+1 equals more than 2 in a positive team.  Schools have multiple teams, and teammates.  At our school, students, teachers, parents, noon aides, bus drivers, secretaries, para-educators, maintenance workers, and all of the support networks that work in a school and district are part of our team.  
• Voice:  Everyone deserves a voice.  Regardless of what language is spoken at home or what holidays are celebrated, everyone deserves a voice.  Regardless of the color of skin or what style of clothes are worn, everyone deserves a voice.  Regardless of socio-economic status or learning style, everyone deserves a voice.  The best voices, however, are also great listeners.  
• Leadership:  Everyone is a leader in one way.  We teach our students that they are the leaders of themselves.  I'm fortunate to be the "leader" of a great school, but I'm even more fortunate to be surrounded with teacher leaders and so many other people who willingly accept leadership positions or roles to ensure we are moving.
• Passion:  Not unlike commitment, passion reminds us that it's OK to get frustrated with ourselves because we are not achievening the necessary results.  It's OK to be so focused that we forget what time it is.  It's critical we are doing our jobs for the right reasons.  Education is a passionate career.
• Dialogue:  Teachers, principals, and parents need to respect each other enough to be able to have deep conversations about children and their learning.  We don't always need to agree, but we do need to be able to discuss even difficult topics for the sake of our students.
• Fun:  Learning should be fun.  Learners should have fun.  Learners need to take some time to do something fun so they can return to the task.  When we don't have fun, we lose our passion.  Fun helps us maintain momentum.
• Achievement:  In the end, we are responsible for achievement.  We are held accountable by state and federal assessments.  We measure our achievment by nationally normed and local assessments.  Sometimes, however, we measure our achievement in smaller but more poignant ways.  We might measure achievement in smiles.  We might see achievement in calmness or emotional maturity.  A colleague regularly reminds me to measure achievement in baby steps.  She is wise.

This is definitely an unscientific list, but I am super-excited to start a new school year.  Let's make it a great one!!

Nuance

nu·ance

 

: a very small difference in color, tone, meaning, etc.

 

CloseStyle: MLA APA Chicago

 

Full Definition of NUANCE

1: a subtle distinction or variation

2: a subtle quality : nicety

3: sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate shadings (as of meaning, feeling, or value)

 

"Nuance" is a word I don't use very often, but it's come up in two recent conversations I've had with teachers in my building.  In both instances we were discussing student assessment data.  Our teachers, of course, regularly assess our students.  For clarification, we tend to group assessment into two separtae categories; summative and formative.

Summative assessments are used to measure progress at the end of a learning cycle (a unit, a term, a year, etc..).  Traditional "final exams" are just one example of a summative assessment.  In other words, a summative assessments measures how much a student has learned after all of the teaching is completed.  Summative assessments are sometimes thought of as assessments "of" learning.

Formative assessments are used to measure progress thoughout the learing cycle.  Our teachers use formative assessments to plan their instruction and to give immediate feedback to a student.  One way to think about a formative assessment if that it is used "for" instuction.  Our teachers use quizzes, an end of the lesson exit slip, or even a conversation with a student as formative assessments in order to best plan the next instruction for that student or the entire class.

A nice summary of the two types of assessment can be found here.

I'm grateful our teachers see almost every assessment as a formative assessment.  Teachers conference with students in order to individualize instruction.  Teachers even use end of unit assessments as tools to identify re-teaching topics for specific students.  Our teachers do not grade on a "curve" where only a select number of students can earn the higest mark as I experienced in college.  Our teachers plan for and expect every student to master the learning targets as presented in class.  In fact, the state and national "systems" expect all students to be proficient on standards as aligned to state expectations. 

You can read more about our district's aligned curriculum here.

At the same time teachers are collecting assessment data on our students, we must also report that data.  What the data is and to whom we are reporting the data impacts the way we report.  Of course, we use parent-teacher conferences and traditional report cards to share with parents.  State and national assessments come with "parent reports" that our teachers can talk to but are also relatively self-explanatory for parents.  Under new legislation, teachers must also report their students' achievement data to the state through our district.  Our district has anonline "data warehouse" where we log assessement information from K-12 for every students.  Our building has just begun using a data wall so we can better identify specific needs for specific students--over time.

Data is powerful.  It can suggest trends.  It can summarize information.  It helps us make decisions.  But I'm not convinced data ever tells the entire story.  I never want any child to become a simple summary of data from assessments.  Our teachers are masters at understanding the nuanced decisions it takes to help children be successful  Our teachers understand that one assessment can never best demonstrates a child's true proficiency level.  A student's ability to deonstrate his/her knowledge is a collection of nuances...a sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate shadings of value. 

In other words, our students are too valuable to be put simply on a spreadsheet or report.  Teachers, parents--adults--must share and listen deeply to the nuances that each child exhibits in order to best help every child be successful.

A Superpower? Hmmm?

Recently I was asked which superhero I would like to be.

Hmmmmm....?

A superhero with superpowers...?

Flight, super-strength, super-speed, invisibility....?  The list is endless, and  I'm sure you've thought about the same question at least once in your life.

Regardless of your answer, I'm fortunate to get real inspiration each day because I work with superheroes.  In fact this year we've had about 480 superheroes walk the halls of our building each day.

• Superheroes take risks and don't always know the outcome before it will happen.  Our students do this each day.  Our teachers challenge them to solve math problems in new ways or demonstrate new writing techniques.  This is a good lesson for all adults.  Everyone should see learning as an opportunity and not a checklist.
• Superheroes stare down and overcome obstacles.  We have students with special learning needs, yet they persevere each day...with a smile.  Unfortunately, some of our students also manage emotional concerns.  Perhaps their families are in turmoil?  Financial distress, health issues, or emotionally-charged decisions made by adults impact our youth in ways we might not always see, but students prove to me again and again how resilient they are.  
• Superheroes reach farther than expected.  When was the last time you learned a new language?  Over 30% of our students are learning English.  Their growth over a year is remarkable.  What's even better is our students who are not "officially" learning English grow because they've helped their friends.
• Superheroes forgive.  Mistakes happen.  Sometimes a friend or a teacher has a tough day.  Everyone is human, but the students I work with forgive with great prowess in order to focus on learning.
• Superheroes laugh at and grow from adversity.  The diversity in our building and district is remarkable.  Of course, our community sees this as a strength, but our students live it.  Our students could teach the United Nations a few lessons about peace, empathy, and how to build positive relationships.
• Superheroes inspire others.  Our students...my students...inspire me each day, and it is a privilege to be their principal.  They make me want to:
• take risks
• overcome obstacles
• reach farther
• forgive
• laugh
• grow
• inspire others

For all of the students at Novi Woods this year, thank you for being superheroes.  You make the world a better place.  You make my world brighter, and I am grateful.

For all of the superheores who will be at Novi Woods next year, get ready.  The best is yet to come!

Have a great summer!

Finally, there must be something about this time of year because I wrote a blog entry about other  superheroes in our school almost a year ago.  It's still fitting, and you can read it here.  Many thanks, however, to Mrs. Marroni, Mrs. Carroll, and Mrs. Long who are retiring this year.  Novi Woods is better because of you, and you will be missed by students, staff, and our community.

And..my Dad is still a hero to me.  I love you.

What's the Target?

Do you want to be held accountable in your job?

That's a loaded question, isn't it?  Let's be honest.  There are days when all I'd really like to do is read a book, lounge by a pool, and listen to music.  I suppose that makes me 100% human.

In any career, however, I've found that most adults really do want to be held accountable.  We want the satisfaction of a job well done.  We want the recognition that we have made a difference for another person or for the organization.  We want to know that we matter.  And...if we've not been successful, we want to understand a clear target so we know where best to improve.

Teaching, as you can imagine, is no different.  Teachers, administrators, and all staff in a school or across a school district want to be held accountable.  We want our students to be successful.  We expect our students to reach farther, and we work with them to accomplish more than they ever thought was possible.

Success, when working with young people, is measured by more than academic progress, but our state is at a critical crossroads in how we measure our academic progress that will have far-reaching implications.

Let's think about assessment.  Does one assessment equal a measure of success or progress?  Of course not.  People have good days and bad days.  Some tests are not as good as others.  Many factors impact how well an assessment (or test) measures what a student knows.  Our students are not robots on an assembly line.  They are living and breathing individuals.  An administrative colleague in our district explains quality assessment is not one photograph but rather a collection of photographs--over time.  In fact, we should have an "album" of assessments that gives us a better indication of progress.  In other words, I'm sure you have pictures in your family albums that show a person blinking at the wrong time.  Does that photo mean that person always blinks during a photograph?  No.  We take many photos over the course of our lives.  One photo does not measure a person, and one assessment should not measure a student's knowledge.

Our school district uses multiple assessments to measure progress for our students.  The most useful assessments I recognize are the anecdotal observations our teachers use to measure how well a student can demonstrate his/her knowledge.  Our teachers regularly conference with students in one on one situations.  They discuss the student's progress, strengths, and challenges with the student.  This contextual, real-time assessment is powerful.  Yet, we also have an obligation to administer local, state, and national tests to help measure our progress against other indicators.  Our teachers then use all of this data to better inform their instruction for the class and for each student.

Those local, state, and national assessments are how others hold us accountable.  Our country's Constitution does not specifically claim responsibility for education which means states are responsible.  In Michigan, therefore, education is the responsibility of the state.  Michigan even goes so far as to rank schools and label them as priority, focus, or reward schools based on one test.

Here's where it gets tricky.  In fact, it's probably best if you read the following article about the recent history in how our state legislature wants to holds schools in our state accountable.  Please read this article.

Did you catch the part that our state keeps shifting the target for success?  First we had the MEAP.  Now we are piloting the Smarter Balanced.  Now we're possibly going back to the MEAP.  Really?

I'll be honest.  I'm not a real fan of the MEAP.  We administered it in October, and we didn't get any scores back until March.  Is that useful data for educators to make any real changes in instruction?  At least the Smarter Balanced test would give us instant scores that would be useful for the students in front of us.  Regardless of the test, however, I just want a clear, non-moving target.  Our students will hit it.  Our teachers will move mountains to help our students.  Our community will and does collaborate to help our students.  A moving target, however, is just not fair.  In fact, it feels like a political game to make our schools and students look bad.

You might be asking yourself what the big deal is.  Just reinstate the MEAP.  Remember, we've been aligning to the Common Core (Smarter Balanced) for three years, and no funding has been kept in place by our state to maintain the MEAP process.  I don't have hard numbers, but maintaining the MEAP for our state is an expensive and time-consuming task.  You can see this link to better understand what our district has been doing to align our curriculum to the Common Core.  This work has transformed our district into an even better system, and now it is in jeopardy of needing to be reworked.

So what are we going to do?  The sun is going to come up tomorrow.  Our students will come to school.  Our teachers will teach.  Our students will learn...

Our assistant superintendent for academics regularly reminds us we must build a "robust internal accountability system" so we are not at the whim of the state.  I'm grateful I work in a district that understands this.  We understand assessment is more than one test from the state.  At my school we have a data wall near our front door where we post our scores in relation to other schools in our county, our state, and even our country.  I recently shared this information at a PTO meeting.  We choose to hold ourselves accountable, and we are proud of our work.

Our state, however, needs to do better.  Our students deserve that non-moving target.

Organizational Quality Makes a Difference

Recently I had to call our family's three credit card companies.  You know how those calls go.


"Thank you for calling ---------------------.  Please be sure to listen to the entire message as some of the choices have changed.  For balance on your account, please dial...  For the customer rewards program please dial...  For lost or stolen cards, please dial...  For customer service, please dial..."

(Did you ever notice whatever the option you need in the automated menu is always the last option?)

"Thank you for calling customer service.  Our current volume of calls is extrememly high.  Please leave a message with your name, reason calling, and phone number, and a customer service representative will return your call as soon as possible.  You can also remain on the line for the next customer service representative....  You are number 7 in the cue."

(If you choose to stay on the line, you get to listen to some rousing muzak until finally the phone clicks and a real voice answers...)

"Thank you for calling.  This is William in Ohio.  How can I help you?"

I understand why large companies have call systems like these...  I just don't like them.  I find myself pushing zero in hopes of getting to a real person sooner...  It doesn't work.  Sometimes I use speaker phone so I can do the dishes or something else while I am waiting.  Sometimes I just give up and forget the call.

The hard part sometimes starts when you get to the real person.  In my case, I had to inform the companies we were taking an international vacation.  Since I have had bad experiences with cards being turned-off, I try to make these calls before any major trip.  Plus I had a couple of questions regarding the potential transaction fees on international purchases.  Each call was a unique experience.

• The first call had a bad connection, and the representative suggested I call back.  I pleaded that I could hear him just fine (I couldn't.)  because I didn't want to go through the automated menu again.  He laughed and was able to help me.  He actually anticipated my question about the international transaction fee, and I was off the phone in a matter of minutes.  I was hopeful my other calls would go as well.
• My second call wasn't quite so positive.  Even though this agent was reading from a script, I could tell from his voice he was having a bad day.  I asked the same questions I had asked the previous company, but it was as if I was speaking from a different planet.  He didn't seem very interested in helping me, and I almost asked to speak to the manager.
• My final call was OK.  I basically wanted to get off the phone as quickly as possible so I could tell I wasn't the greatest customer either.  The representative, however, was friendly and tried to engage me to answer my questions.  She even offered a protection plan for a slight fee.  I declined...politely.

Expereincing three different levels of organizational quality from three different companies got me thinking about one our district's goals regarding organization quality:

The Novi Community School District will improve organizational quality and customer service by creating common standards, systems, and principles.

As you can imagine, this is a lofty goal.  We should have common standards, systems, and principles, and our district has worked to standardize and provide training for staff  regarding many of our systems including hiring processes, staff evaluations, and curricular implementation.  We always need to get better through better and more clear processes.  Getting better helps our students be more successful.

What was missing from my credit card experience was the relationship.  We are the Novi Community School District.  By definition our name implies we are a community.  Communities work together.  Communities support each other.  Communities grow together and work as teams.  I am fortunate to see this at all different levels.  For example, I see teachers and parents calling each other in the evenings to help a child overcome potentail anxiety concerns.  I see building-level secretaries who go above and beyond to help new families to our district feel welcomed.  I see students who greet visitors each morning with a happy, "Good morning.  How are you today?"  My list is endless.

Unfortunately companies don't have those types of relationships.  When I get in an automated caller menu, I feel like I am a number and not a customer.  Actually, I feel more like a number than a real person.  I never want to teach in a disrict that treats kids and families like numbers.  Each of our students are unique.  Yes, we crunch data and post charts.  We share trends and use overall averages to guide some of our work.  I never want us to forget that behind each of those numbers is a child...a child with hopes, dreams, and goals.  Our district's organizational quality goal should help us get better at serving our ultimate customers...each and every student.

 

 

How do you learn?

How do you handle learning something new?


It's an interesting question that I've been thinking about quite a bit recently.  Our school district is in the process of changing our e-mail platform.  We are moving from Outlook which I've used for over 20 years to Google which I've had a smattering of experience with for about two years.  The concept is basically the same in both platforms.  The new format is not terribly hard to learn.  I've had some hands-on help, and I've watched a couple of tutorial videos.  I'm going to make it, but the Google platform is still new for me.

A long-time colleague shared with me today that she can now do everything she could do in the old format, but each step just takes longer.  We laughed and replied to each other that our "learning curve" is steep!  I recently opened my Outlook account, and the settings are changed where I can no longer receive any mail there.  I commented to the person who was helping me that I actually "missed" my old account.  What did I miss, however?  Did I miss the comfort of what I could do?  Did I miss the fact that I really didn't need to think about what I was doing?


Let's shift gears to a recent conversation I had with a new student and her teacher. 

I was talking with a student who had just joined our building about how the transition to our school was for her.  The first thing she said was that she wasn't very good at reading.  Her teacher was quick to respond to both of us that she just hadn't learned everything yet.  The little girl then told me she couldn't do her math.  Her teacher replied even faster that we don't use "can't" when we are learning.  The new student then jumped into her math to get to work.


Learning anything new is a challenge, and it can be frustrating.  When I walk the halls in our school, I am still in awe of what our students are learning.  We ask them to live in a world where they are always learning something new.  We build scaffolds and supports to help them be successful.  We "pick them up" when they make mistakes, and we encourage them to learn from those mistakes.  We want kids to take risks, and we help them.

Do we model this for our students?

As I move into a new "in the cloud" method of computing, I'm grateful I work in a school where it's OK to not know everything yet, and we don't use "can't" when we are learning.

Permission to Talk...and Listen

Before you continue reading, I want to ask permission to discuss a very important and potentially sensitive topic.  I promise you in advance that my intent is only pure, but I also recognize this may be a difficult topic to share.  I also ask for forgiveness if I offend anyone.  Over the last year as I've been writing this blog, so many people have shared supportive comments.  Today's topic will be potentially challenging for us.  I trust our community, however, to listen, reflect, and take action...for our kids.



As a young teacher in Indiana I was deeply impacted and involved with my community's efforts to deter the racist efforts of the Ku Klux Klan.  This organization has a long history of advocating for hate, racism, segregation, and fear.  It was easy for our community to unite to stand against the KKK's form of racism.

Now, however, our generation is faced with another form of racism.  While this form of racism is not blant and intentional like the KKK, it is no less real.  Quite simply, there is an achievement gap between our African American students and other students in our schools.  Perhaps you've read about these gaps?  (While I know Wikipedia is not a scholarly journal, I encourage you to review the information shared on this page for an introductory discussion of achievement gaps based on race and other characteristics.  In fact, our district has gaps between other ethnicities as well.)  Unfortunately, these gaps are a national, state, and local trend.  The causes for the gaps are complex and not fully understood.  In some cases researchers feel like the gaps start even before children enter school.  The gaps seem to be not as noticeable in the lower grades, but they become more obvious as the students get older and progress through the educational system. 

I was made aware of the gaps in our district and county when I first became a principal about 7 years ago.  While sitting in a workshop about how to better use data, I was in disbelief.  "This couldn't be happening in my district...not in my school..not in my classroom.  I'm not racist." This workshop was the beginning of an ongoing journey self-exploration, education, and reflection on my own attitudes and beliefs.

I believe our students' achievement is impacted by the unconscious racial attitudes and sensitivities brought to school by each person in an entire community--black, white, or any other color.  As a whole, I believe our country is not comfortable discussing race on a personal level.  We say things like, "I don't see color," or "I treat everyone the same."  And yet statistics would say otherwise. All of the students in our schools are not treated the same--at least as measured by academic achievement.  Are all students afforded the same, high expectations?  If we say, "We do not see color," do we really see the student--or do we project our personal experience on a student without fully understanding that student's background?"  If we don't see the student, do we understand the student?  Are we able to have a relationship built on trust with that student?  These are difficult questions to answer.  I know.  I/we struggle with them each day.

While we don't know exactly what will close these gaps, I do know what doesn't work.  Most of all, apathy is dangerous.  Trying to think these gaps are not real or that someone else is responsible will not make a difference.  There is room for every person in our community to be engaged to help every student be successful.  Placing blame or feeling guilty does not help move us forward.  Being critical or attacking will also not work.  If we only point fingers and don't listen to learn from our mistakes--conscious or unconscious--then gaps persist.  Hiring practices to ensure we have teachers of color to match the diversity of the student body does not work.  From what I understand, having students in classes with a teacher of their race is not the deciding factor in a student's achievement.  (On a personal note, I do believe we should work to be more  inclusive in our hiring practices, but I do not feel like this is to close achievement gaps.  Rather, a more diverse staff should mirror our community.)  Stereotyping individuals does not help.  We must remember that each student-of any color-is unique and does not represent all that is negative or positive in any statistic.  Finally, fear does not help;  fear of being called a racist or even fear of offending someone. I am embarrassed to say that in the past I avoided making much-needed statements to help specific students because I worried I would be called a racist.  In fact, by treating kids differently and having different standards, I probably was being racist.

So, what should we do to make a difference in these gaps?  First, it's important to set clear goals.  It's cliche to say it, but without setting goals you don't know where you're going.  As noted in the following links, our district and county have set goals to close achievement gaps.  These goals drive our practices:

...practices like partnering with parents.  Our school district partners with many amazing parent groups and organizations, but Parents of African American Students in Novi is an official support organization as recognized by our Board of Education and is dedicated to helping all students achieve in our district.  

...practices like committing to teaching our community that each person has a voice.  We call this the social justice pillar in our district.  As part of this pillar, our K-6 schools are actively teaching students Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Additionally, our high school students have opportunities to participate in youth dialogues on race as facilitated by the University of Michigan.  Also, our staff has opportunities to receive intensive development as facilitated by the University of Michigan's School of Social Work.  These series of capacity building workshops have transformed how many of our staff view themselves and our students.  Our superintendent recently wrote a column for our local newspaper regarding our district's commitment to social justice and diversity.
...practices like ensuring each student has a teacher or teacher who is using research-based instruction to teach and assess a rigorous curriculum.  Our district has recently aligned our curriculum.  Knowing what we are supposed to teach and making sure our teachers are as effective as possible is crucial to our students' success.  In addition to the regular support teachers receive from each other and their principals principals, our district has an instructional coaching staff who are dedicated to working with teachers to become even better teachers.

Most importantly, in addition to our goal-driven practices, what I believe our district and community needs to do more of:

• We must talk.
• We must listen.
• We must understand.

Schools, parents, communities...must become more comfortable discussing our perceptions, roles, and attitudes.  We must talk about how we can change and improve the overall system.  We must never judge someone based on one assessment.  We must reflect on how the assessments are written.  We need to not blame others-students, parents, teachers-others.  Sometimes this talk will be clumsy.  I know.  Talking about racism and achievement gaps takes courage.  You will feel uncomfortable.  I feel uncomfortable.  We will make mistakes.  We will offend.  We will potentially be offended.  Courage, however, does not mean everything will always be perfect.  Rather, courage means we will humbly ask forgiveness, give forgiveness, and persevere for our children.  Not talking about racism is like saying, "Not talking about cancer will make it go away."  I encourage everyone in our community...in your community...to find a way to unite--to talk, to listen, to understand.  Not unlike fighting against the KKK, we have a moral obligation to combat these gaps for our children..for all children.



For anyone near my school community of Novi, Michigan, please feel free to contact me if you are interested in ways to engage more in these conversations.  I have a shelf of books and articles that may interest you, and I am happy to share.  I am also connected through our school district with other professionals and community members who are working to talk, listen, and understand.  You can email me at dascher@novischools.net

A couple of titles that are great resources:

• Can We Talk About Race by Beverly Tatum.
• Are We Born Racist? edited by Smith, Marsh, and Denton.

A.P.I.

While my family and I were cleaning our kitchen after dinner last week, our middle school-aged daughters, my wife, and I were dancing and singing to music to make the job go a little faster.  The shuffle play brought up "Chain of Fools" by Aretha Franklin.  If you're not familiar with the song, you can hear it at this link. The song is a family-favorite, but I was taken back when our 8th grader responded, "You know, for the longest time I thought she was singing, 'Chain of Food.'"  We laughed,  but then I started thinking that this happens in songs all of the time.  What is heard and what is actually said are two different things.

I have different example from my childhood.

As a young child, my parents, sister, and I lived only about three minutes from my Grandma Ascher's house.  On many evenings after work and dinner with our family, my father would take my sister and me to see his parents.  (I learned later that this was to give my mother a break from us kids!)  Luckily for me and on most visits, my grandparents were still eating dinner when we arrived.  Grandma--never one to miss an opportunity to feed someone--always offered us food.  Never one to turn down food--I would sit and have another meal with Grandma and Grandpa. 

After awhile, my mother found out that I was eating two dinners a night.  My mom jokingly told me to be sure to tell my Grandma that I did get fed at home and that she didn't need to feed me again.  I reported to Grandma on my next visit, "Mom says I can't eat here anymore, Grandma."

What was said and what was heard were two different things.

Grandma, of course, quickly reached for the phone to talk with her daughter in-law on why she couldn't feed her grandson at her home.  Fortunately, mother in-law and daughter in-law clarified for each other what was really stated, and they both laughed.  In fact, this  is still a little family joke after over 40 years.  My mother was fine with me eating at Grandma's house.  Mom just wanted Grandma to understand that I was also getting fed at home.  As you can understand, a hungry boy is not always the best at delivering messages between adults.  Fortunately, my mother and grandmother have always had a trusting relationship, and I have always been well-fed at both homes!

I find some of the same miscommunications happen at school.  In this day of email, voice mail, cell phones, newsletters, social media, video conferencing, blogs, text messages, and so many other ways to share information, it seems like the real meaning or the intent of our message gets lost at times.  I was, however, recently reminded by a colleague something that really struck me.  If you always assume positive intent, the conversation will go much better.  She shortened "Assume Positive Intent" to A.P.I.

As schools we have many opportunities and responsibilities to communicate with parents and families.  Many of those communications are positive.  I'm grateful my teachers regularly call home or write notes to share successes our students are having, and I also know we can and should do more.  There are, of course, also times when difficult messages need to be shared.  Sometimes kids make mistakes or have concerns that need to be addressed.  Most are small, but some are serious.  Schools have an obligation to work with families to help children improve or to learn from their mistakes.  The messages, of course, go both ways between home and school.  In some rare cases, what is said is not always what is heard.  And then...schools and families need to re-clarify for each other.  (I personally advocate for a phone call or an in-person conversation.  It's hard to hear empathy over an email.)

When we assume positive intent I find this clarification much easier.  Plus, I genuinely believe the intent of any communication is to help the child.  Schools only want the best for their students, and parents only want the best for their children.  It's what we do.  There are always a few missteps along the way, but in this season of spring parent-teacher conferences, I encourage all teachers and parents to assume only positive intent.  It's what our kids deserve.

Sometimes You Have to Do It

In a previous entry on this blog, I shared that I stutter.  For whatever reason, I struggle with specific words.  The most troubling word happens to be...library.  It's crazy.  I know.  And--talking on the phone about a library puts this stutterer almost over the edge!  As you can imagine, I have nothing against libraries.  I actually love libraries.  My family is an active supporter of our public library where we live.  My wife served on the library board.  I've been on a visioning team for our libary, and our entire family uses the services our library has to offer all of the time.  It's no surprise that when asked to be on a citizens committee to help pass an operating millage for our library, I volunteered.  The final task our little committee had to do was to run a phone bank to call potential voters to remind them to vote to support the millage.  So, I had to call complete strangers and ask them to support our library.  You can't imagine how many times I had to stumble through that crazy word...on the phone!  I've learned to laugh, but really....I won't be signing up soon to serve on any library phone banks! :)


Do you ever have to do things that you don't like to do?  Of course.  Everyone does.

I've been working with a class of fourth graders who have been learning to master long division. This class happens to meet at a time of the day when my schedule is usually flexible. After visiting, the teacher welcomed me to be an extra pair of hands for future lessons. I genuinely miss the close relationship classroom teachers build with a small group of students, and being able to directly help-even just a bit-helps keep me in touch with the real work in my school--teaching and learning. Plus, it's fun to work with the kids.

I'm lucky. Teachers in our school help make topics like long division fun through rhymes, chants, pneumonics, and a general "We can do anything if we put our mind to it" attitude.  In fact, I'd say most of these kids actually enjoy doing the long division, but there are a few students who would prefer to not have anything to do with division or math for that matter. And yet, we persevere with them. We teach them that they can do something they don't like to do. Even more, we expect them to do things that make them reach or make them feel just a little unsure of themselves.

Supporting libraries matters to me.  I want our daughters to understand that you need to actively support causes that matter...even if it means you have to stumble through your fears or troubles.  I also want our students to understand that even if you're not super-excited to learn a topic, sometimes you need to just do it. 


PS--The millage passed, and...our students were successful with their division test.

Lessons Learned from Space Invaders

Christmas 1980--
The greatest gift of all time (from the eyes of this 4th grader)--
Our uncle purchased an Atari 2600 for my sister and me!


An Atari 2600 was probably the first, successful home, video game console.  Considering this was a time when our family still had a black and white television, no cable, and only one corded phone in the house, having an Atari was cutting edge for the day and for our family.  I remember thinking my uncle was the coolest guy-ever.  To this day when I think of video games, my mind goes to classics like Pitfall, Pac Man, Combat, Donkey Kong, and...Space Invaders.

The concept of Space Invaders was pretty simple.  Alien "invaders" gradually slipped towards the ground where the player was equipped with one "gun" that was controlled by a joystick and one button to shoot bullets at the invaders.  The player moved the gun back and forth with the plan to shoot as many invaders as possible.  As you moved along in levels, the invaders approached the ground faster and faster.  The goal, of course, was to shoot as many invaders as possible.

I don't recall how we learned this trick, but we did.  (Remember, this was long before websites that might share tricks on how to win at video games.)  Somehow we learned that holding down the game reset switch while turning the on the console resulted in two shots being fired at once during the game.  In essence you could shoot down twice as many invaders and double your score.  I can't belive I found this link, but check out this youtube clip to show how Space Invaders worked without and with the reset trick.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQJnZZ1bRic

Thinking about how to improve at Space Invaders got me thinking about how we improve at anything else.  Let's face it, there are no magic tricks or reset buttons to get better at our jobs or even our hobbies.  How do musicians get better?  While we know there are a few documented cases of absolute musical gifts, the majority of musicians get better by practice and determination.  Simply put, they practice more.  I suppose we could say the same thing about athletes?  How do athletes become Olympic athletes?  They practice more.

One of the great gifts I get as a principal is to have students share their work with me.  Kids will share their tests, homework, or projects with me, and I love to see the smiles on their faces.  I am fond of saying back to our students, "How did you do so well?"  When they look at me a little perplexed, I share, "Well, you either got better by accident or hard work!  Which do you suppose helped you?"  The students always reply, "Hard work, Mr. Ascher!"

The most successful students (and teachers) I've ever worked with understand this to their core.  In other words, they understand that to get better at anything they must work hard and smart.  They are not successful by accident.  They intentionally put in the time to sharpen skills, to learn new strategies, to push themselves to the next level, to take risks.  And...they don't wait to be challenged.  They intrinsically challenge themselves.

The key seems to be to find balance in our lives.  I worry when I see teachers regularly at school at 8:00 or 9:00 PM or when I see students who are overscheduled.  I know I'm guilty of justifying these behaviors even for myself andmy family.  At the same time, I worry when I realize students might not be doing anything academic outside of school.  Our students are supported by amazing families, but I know we have students who are not reading at home or who are not practicing their math facts. 

As much as I wish I could find a "Space Invaders reset button trick" for our teachers or for our students, I know better.  In the end, I encourage all of us to continue to work together to find balance so all of our students can be successful.

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

"The Drop-Off/Pick-Up Line Starts Here"

These words are posted on the large, official, blue sign at the far end of our school's front sidewalk.  Each morning another staff member and I do what I call the "Novi Woods Shuffle" to get parents to quickly, efficiently, and safely drop-off their children in the front of our building. 

Car duty, as you can imagine, is an important job at many levels.  First, we need kids to be safe.  Next, if we are not quick about drop-off time, students will be late to start their day.  Finally, if our drop-off line gets too long, traffic on the road is backed-up which means our buses can't get to our school on time.

We ask parents to stay in line, pull up as far as possible, and have their children exit on the right side anywhere along the sidewalk.  I've actually made it my little mission to be as efficient (and fun) as possible by wearing funny hats, waving my arms like someone guiding airplanes on the runway, and playing music over our public address system.  We greet kids, unbuckle car seats, and say good morning or wave to everyone.  Despite the occasional glitch, the process works well.  I'd challenge any school to do this any better.  In fact, I was touched last week when a parent commented out her window on a particularly cold and windy morning, "Bless you, Mr. Ascher!"

Everything works like a charm until...

Rain, cold, wind, or any other weather extremity enter the equation.

If the weather is too extreme, parents tend to only want to drop their child at the one, absolute front door spot along the sidewalk even though I am outside with an umbrella, raincoat, galoshes, winter boots, mad-bomber hat, thermal gloves, or any other weather gear you can imagine.

Now, I'm a generally cheery person.  I try not to pass judgment when parents don't pull up as far as possible, but I'm also not opposed to running back to that car and asking the parent to pull up all of the way the next time.  Sometimes parents don't listen.  Most of the time, parents just seem to forget or are only focused on their child and not the super-long line with other children.

This has been an exceptionally frigid winter where I am a principal.  In fact, as I am writing this, our school is closed because of wind-chills of -30 degrees.  No getting around it, it's cold. 

Yesterday was cold as well, but fortunately we were still in school.  We started our normal car routine a little early, and the line was moving well.  I was waving, smiling, helping, and getting the day off to a good start, and then a car stopped at the very front of the building. 

Oh my.  I started running back to that car while I was waving.  (To be honest, I was a little frustrated because it was so cold.)  Just before I got back to the car to ask the parent to pull up farther, out poked a straight leg and two crutches from one of our students.  She had hurt herself over the weekend, and there was no way she was going to be able to get into school without some help over our snowy sidewalk.

Seek first to understand and then to be understood.  Don't judge a book by its cover.  Listen more, and talk less.

I caught myself...again.  How many times do I pass judgment without trying to better understand the other person's point of view or context?

Social Justice is a pillar in our district.  We have partnered with The University of Michigan, our intermediate school district, and other neighboring districts to strategically ensure "everyone has a voice."  We have led capacity building workshops for cohorts of teachers, secretaries, and administrators.  Students and staff across the district have been engaged in learning about how to better applying the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  We've worked with our community.  Our older students have participated in regional "Youth Dialogues on Race."  I can't even begin to count all that we are doing or have done to make sure we are working together. 

Last week I was privileged to be part of a training with our transportation department--our bus drivers.  Over 35 drivers spent the morning exploring how to better listen and work together, how to more fully understand students, and how to be an even better department.  I've known many of our drivers for a long time, and they are a fun, dedicated group.  I don't know, however, what I was expecting before the training, but I do know I was not expecting what I discovered.  Discussing social justice issues can be a touchy subject.  It's personal, and it can make many people feel uncomfortable.  And yet, I heard over and over from our drivers, "These are our kids."  "How can we help our students?"  "How can I get to know my kids better?"  "What can I do to make sure my kids have a great day and they are ready to go at school?"  Whatever I had expected to hear from our drivers was replaced by a genuine passion and compassion for students--their students--our students.  I should not have been surprised.

Seek first to understand and then to be understood.  Don't judge a book by its cover.  Listen more, and talk less.

As much as I try, I'm fairly confident I will never be perfectly socially aware.  I also know our district won't ever "arrive" at being 100% socially just, but our social justice work has better informed our lenses as we work with each other.  And while, unfortunately, a 4th grade girl in crutches might not be the most socially unjustly treated individual in our school or district, I'm grateful that I work in a district and community that is committed to facing challenging issues.  It's really the only way our world will get any better.


PS...After the crutches appeared, I asked the mother if I could carry her daughter into our school.  She smiled and agreed.  I used a rather large bear hug to get her daughter over the snow, ice, and salt.  Later and at pick-up time, I talked with the mother of how embarrassed I was about not seeking first to understand.  We laughed, and I carried her daughter back to her car.  It sounds like there could be as much as 6 weeks of carrying and lifting to remind me to seek first to understand.  The student is going to be fine, and I'm going to see each day as a learning opportunity.

It's Just Wire and Wood

As part of our music curriculum, our 3rd and 4th grade music students learn how to play the recorder.  It's an exciting time for them to learn "real" songs as they master more and more fingerings for specific notes.  I was fortunate to catch a lesson last week when a 4th grade class was practicing "Ode to Joy"--a timeless classic.  Hearing twenty-five 4th grader students perform Beehthoven on recorders reaffirms what is good and great in this world, and it reminds me of hope.  I'm grateful our music teacher opens this part of the world for our students.

I asked the class, however, "Do you ever get frustrated because your brain knows where your fingers should go, but your fingers just don't go there?"  The entire class smiled and raised their hands.  I shared with them that I was given a guitar for Christmas.  I've always wanted to learn to play a few chords to hum to some simple songs.  I joked with my wife that I would do this once I retire.  She thought I should get started long before I retire, so a guitar showed up under our tree.

Wire and wood.  Basically, that's all a guitar is.  It's wire and wood, but put together in the right hands, wire and wood can make beautiful music.  In my hands, it's not quite so beautiful...yet.  I know where my fingers should go.  I understand the rhythm and basic notes.  I can tune the strings.  I even understand the beginning concepts of strumming.  But right now, all I seem to be able to get out of my fingers and the guitar are a few, almost solid chords, a bunch of missed strings, and an occassional, "You've got to be kidding me!" from my mouth.  Now, I've had these fingers all of my life, and my brain has told my fingers what to do for my entire life.  Why can't I get them to do what I want them to do when I want them to do it?

The kids and their recorders, and my guitar and my fingers reminded me about changes and how we implement change.  Think about how you handle change?  Do you get excited and master everything right away?  Does it seem to you changes are coming faster and faster?  Do your "fingers" frustrate you because the change doesn't go the way you wanted.  If I'm honest with myself, I handle change in all of these ways.  Sometimes I'm excited.  I cope with different changes in different ways, and sometimes I just get frustrated.

• Ancient Greek philospoher Heraclitus wrote, "Nothing endures but change."  He lived over 2ooo years ago.
• Isaac Asimov, noted 20th century author and thinker proclaimed, "The only constant is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be."

Clearly humans have been coping with and even recognizing change forever.  As I ponder changes in my career, I'm happy I work with young people who always bring a fresh face to changes.  I'm also grateful to work with a staff that understands change is a part of life.  At our school, we support each other through each and every day and through the many changes that keep coming at us. 

Now, if my fingers would just "listen" to my brain more, the changes between my guitar and me would sound much better!

The Jukebox of Life

Records.  Remember them?  For that matter, do you even know what a record is?

Years ago...before downloadable music or even compact discs...people purchased records in order to hear their favorite music.  Rather than a digital player, music was transferred through a needle on a record player from a continuous groove of sound cut in a vinyl disc.  Records came primarily in two speeds.  Long play albums played at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute and had multiple songs on each side.  Singles played at 45 revolutions per minute and had just one song per side.

Everything worked great until the vinyl disc got  a scratch in it or dust on it.  The sound was compromised.  Records used to "skip" if the scratch was deep enough...meaning the continuous groove of sound was broken...which meant the phrase would repeat over and over.  Despite the technological limitations, playing or listening to a record was an experience like nothing else.  The analog playback brought forth a richness that just can't be repeated in a digital format.  The sound was not perfect, but it was true.  It was true to what the musician really played or even heard.  For that matter, even the occasional scratch or pop just made the experience all the more genuine.  Records, I realize, may be technology from the past, but they seem to be making a comeback.  Audiophiles look for albums and some current artists are even releasing songs and albums on vinyl.

My family and I own a jukebox which is a machine that stores and plays 45 rpm records.  I restored our 1954 Seeburg about 15 years ago.  Ironically we don't play it all that often, but I was reminded recently of why I still love records.  Over our holiday break and when my wife and daughters were not at home, I turned on the jukebox, made several selections, and let the sound rattle the windows in our house.  I have eclectic tastes in music, but some songs are just meant to be played loud and in a jukebox...Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis, I Walk the Line by Johnny Cash, Shop Around by The Miracles, Splish Spash by Bobby Darin.  I have a jukebox full of records that our daughters tolerate, but they also need to be played and played loud  (That last part is what my wife doesn't like.).

Listening to the jukebox got me thinking about why I still enjoy hearing records if the sound is not perfect.  I have all of the songs on my MP3 player.  They are remastered, digital, clear as a bell, and absolutely...perfect.  Maybe I like records sometimes to remind me that life is not perfect.  Life has scratches and dust.  Life is more analog than digital.  Life is more like a record than an electronic file.

I have had students who have been afraid to demonstrate their knowledge because their parents tell me their child is a perfectionist.  Unfortunately, I can see how this can happen.  In this day of word processors where we can create and publish perfect-looking works of writing, learning how to edit and revise is a challenge.  When our society bombards us with media that shows airbrushed and seemingly perfect images of what our bodies should be or how our houses should look, or what clothes we should wear, I can understand why we would not settle for any imperfections.  In this day of music that can be downloaded, shared, ripped, or even auto-tuned, I can understand why our young people might not understand that life's most important lessons might be learned from its imperfections.  Think about yourself.  What lessons have taught you the most...your perfect decisions or your poor choices?   Finally, if you're only making perfect decisions, I wonder what you really are doing?  As a principal, I encourage my staff to take risks.  I don't want them doing the same thing over and over just because it's safe.  Wisdom, I believe, is learning to know when to try something new at the risk of making a mistake while recognizing what will work.

I'm not suggesting we should throw away our computers or get rid of our MP3 players.  I'm not suggesting we shouldn't strive to always be a little better each day.  I'm definitely not suggesting we shouldn't have high standards for ourselves and our children.  Rather, I wonder what real or implied lessons we are teaching our young people when everything looks perfect or is expected to sound perfect.  Maybe a few mistakes...when it's safe to make a mistake...or even listening to some records could help teach all of us some valuable lessons?