“STARS OF EDUCATION”

1. “STARS OF EDUCATION” DELAWARE STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY DOVER DOWNS, DELAWARE APRIL 17, 2010

9. RACE TO THE TOP: YOU’RE NUMBER ONE

10. VALUES-BASED LEADERSHIP: PRINCIPLES-BASED ADVOCACY! Doug Christensen, Ph.D. Emeritus Commissioner Of Education (Nebraska) Professor Of Leadership In Education, Graduate Division, Doane College dougchristensen111@gmail.com

11. Common Core $$$$$$ National Testing RTI NCLB Excellence and Equity ARRA/RTTT Diversity Vouchers/charters The Perfect Storm

12. THE QUESTIONS FOR YOU ARE THESE: HOW DO YOU USE YOUR NEW STATUS AS A LEADER OF THE REFORM EFFORT? HOW DO YOU LEVERAGE RTT TO CHANGE EDUCATION IN WAYS THAT MATTER? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF DSEA?

13. Getting to a better place . . . Where? How? With whom? ……..

14. Help? See old things in new ways See new things had not before thought about Challenge our theories and myths Pose questions

15. My remarks……. Values-based Leadership: Principles-based Advocacy

16. Common Core $$$$$$ National Testing RTI NCLB Excellence and Equity ARRA/RTTT Diversity Vouchers/charters The Perfect Storm

17. The coming tsunami….. Burned-out, worn-out educators Disaffected, disheartened educators Educators with low sense of “life” value Educators not regarded as professionals Distrustful public(s) Jaundiced students

18. Good News Education center stage $ flowing Ed an instrument of social policy Equity + Excellence

19. Bad News… Compliance viewed as the primary strategy of all reforms Testing tied to accountability viewed as the primary “technology” of improvement Tests accepted as the measure of learning Indicators displacement of outcomes Practice that does not align to intentions

20. The Best of Times…The Worst of Times… Chaos, confusion and conflict create fertile soil ready for planting new seeds Chaos clears the land making it ready to build new foundations

21. This is the moment…this is your moment… to Think big Vision large Act bold Think power in partners/hold hands tight

22. You have choices… Do nothing Join the partisanship and find political safety LEAD

23. My formula for leading… Leadership = f(vision/purpose + principles + values) + passion + courage

24. And, it works like this… Vision based on a public, servant purpose created on a framework of principles and values. From the vision, purpose, principles and values comes passion. From the passion comes courage.

25. Leadership…enables The capacity to turn to the danger (not away) The courage it takes to live the values no matter where they may take you

26. Seize this moment!

27. Let’s talk advocacy… Is it clear who you are? Is it clear what you stand for? Is it clear where you will stand? Is it clear what you will “die” for?

28. ADVOCACY… To work … on behalf of another To work … for a cause

29. Advocacy is not… Representation of a specific group at the expense of another Representation of self interests Influence “pedaling,” promoting…selling

30. An Inconvenient Truth… For others/for the cause Special/self interests The Advocacy Model There is a critical connection….

31. Or, … Advocacy Leadership Lobbying

32. TOP TEN RULES OF ADVOCACY #1: Seek higher ground • Consensus models create common ground • Dialog in search of a center

33. Y Z X C A B

34. x a B y z c COMMON GROUND

35. If not common ground… • Then … higher ground • Where everyone can stand • Where differences add value • Where conversations are … • Collaborative • Adaptive • Center-driven

36. Y Z X STUDENTS CLASSROOMS TEACHING/ LEARNING C A B

37. #2: Lead for the long term…(not the short term) Winning “battles” requires management—techniques and strategies Winning “wars” demands leadership—vision, passion, courage…

38. Advocacy…something you do all the time Who you are What you stand for yesterday, today and tomorrow

39. #3: Enter the Conversation and Be Heard… Old saying… “when soul enters the room, people listen differently.”

40. #4: Travel in Groups… • Never travel alone • Find partners • Hold hands • Think … • Stakeholders • Shareholders

41. #5: Remember the Nobility of Our Work Job #1 Planting trees Leaving more than footprints ….

42. Warren Buffett “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it”

43. PARKER PALMER…LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK You do not choose the values you will live your life by Your life, what you do and how you do it, defines your values

44. ISSUE #1: CENTRALIZATION Centralization and standardization do not work and never have Do not create efficiencies or effectiveness

45. Policies that come from outside… • Purposes fade over time • Processes live on and stick • Kick educators to the curb • Nothing left at the classroom level but to follow/removes discretion at all school levels • Management of external policy is a function of prescription • Create the prescriptions • Demand fidelity

46. External policies have effects… Remove discretion from the levels where the work (teaching and learning) is done Diminishes leadership Stifles innovation Rejects professional experience and expertise Easy…too easy Reinforces the hierarchy of the system Creates bureaucracies Does not result in system change

47. #2: Systemic Change Not a function of force, finance or fear Not a function of regulation, reporting and consequences

48. …systems… Every system is designed to do one thing and do it well…and most do it well To change the system, you have to get down to its pathology

49. Board Superintendents Principals Teachers Local Structure

50. Governor Legislature State Board/Commissioner State Department LOCAL State Structure