Chuck Schwahn Schwahn Leadership Associates chuckschwahn@yahoo.com

1. Strong from Start to FinishMAISA Summer ConferenceJune 21, 2007Seizing the Opportunities a Crisis May Offer – A Vision for a 21st Century Education in Michigan Chuck Schwahn Schwahn Leadership Associates chuckschwahn@yahoo.com

2. “Act always as if the future of the Universe depended on what you did, while laughing at yourself for thinking that whatever you do makes any difference.” Buddhist advice from Finding Flow

3. Acting on what we will discuss today requires both WILL and COURAGE. • At the end of today, there are two questions. • One, do you believe that an information age delivery of education is the direction we should/must take. • Two, if yes, are you the one to do it . . . that is, the one with the Will and Courage to go for it. • If not, what then?

4. MICHIGAN is to the UNITED STATES today . . . as • IRELAND was to the EUROPEAN UNION 20 years ago.

5. The Irish Phenomenon . . . • From the bottom . . . to the success story • From Industrial Age to Information Age • Because they faced reality • Because they had a future-focused vision • Because they had courageous leadership • Because they gave up some old ways • Because they EMBRACED CHANGE!

6. Today’sAgenda • About CHANGE • About FACING REALITY • About a SPECIFIC CHANGE

7. Today’sOutcome . . . • That you will have the desire, the will, the courage, and the skill to repeat this presentation. • Anyone who wants this power point presentation can have it for the asking . . . please give credit. • Modify it to fit your group and your style. • Contact the MAISA office or chuckschwahn@yahoo.com

8. And, YOUR Responsibility? To apply IT ALL, to: • Our Profession • Your Organization • Your Leadership Team • Your Particular Role • To Think, “ What If ?”

9. Part I . . . About CHANGE . . . . • From an Individual’s perspective • From a Total Leader’s perspective • We will be applying these two frameworks in Part II when we Face Reality, and in Part III when we encounter a Specific Change.

10. TQM/No Child Left Behind is . . . High Class Tinkering Getting better at “doing schools” is simply polishing the last patch of skin on the Industrial Revolution’s souring apple. Tom Peters applied to US Education

11. Blanchard on CHANGE . . . • We, the change agent, usually begin by attempting to convince you of all the benefits of the change that you are being asked to make. • Yet, it has been found that the benefits – the impact and the “why” of the change is the fourth-ranked concern people have during change.

12. More of Blanchard on Change . . . • People are first interested in information concerns . . . “Tell me what you have in mind. What is needed? What is wrong with the way things are now?” • Next, people are interested in personal concerns. “How will doing this affect me? Do I have what it takes to integrate the suggested change in my life?” • Third, people have implementation concerns. “What do I do first, second, third, etc.” • The impact and the “why” of change is the fourth-ranked concern people have during change.

13. Leadership 101 Strategic Design • Strategic Direction • Beliefs/Values • Mission • Exit Outcomes • Vision • Strategic Alignment • People • Practices • Policies • Structures

14. STRATEGIC DESIGNRequires STRATEGIC DIRECTIONRequires STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT Requires + AUTHENTIC LEADERS Who DEFINE PURPOSE VISIONARY LEADERS Who FRAME VISION CULTURAL LEADERS Who DEVELOP OWNERSHIP QUALITY LEADERS Who BUILD CAPACITY SERVICE LEADERS Who ENSURE SUPPORT + + + + TOTAL LEADERS Creating PRODUCTIVE CHANGE

15. Key Domains of Total Leaders VISIONARYVision SERVICESupport AUTHENTICPurpose CULTURALOwnership QUALITYCapacity

16. PURPOSE - - The deep and compelling reason an organization exists and what it is there to accomplish. VISION - - The clear picture and direction that guide an organization as it defines and pursues its preferred future. OWNERSHIP - - The emotional and motivational commitment by staff to accomplish the organization’s vision. CAPACITY - - The knowledge, skills, and abilities of the organization's staff to achieve its declared purpose and vision. SUPPORT - - The organizational structures, processes, and resources made available for achieving its purpose. LPC . . . The Five Essential Bases of Change

17. Purpose - “It has meaning for me!” Vision - “It’s clear and exciting!” Ownership - “I want to be part of it!” Capacity - “I can do it!” Support - “Our leader is really helping!” The 5 PILLARS of PRODUCTIVE CHANGE

18. Part II . . . About FACING REALITY . . . The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. Max DePree, Chairman and CEO, Herman Miller CONFRONTING REALITY is based on the principles of Courage, Responsibility, Awareness and Respect.

19. Facing Harsh Realitiesthe “Stockdale Paradox”from Good to Great, Collins You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end – which you can never afford to lose – with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever it might be.

20. Harsh Reality #1(Purposely left in stark black and white.) No one thinks that we are doing a good job in preparing our students for a successful future. Everyone . . . other than educators . . . is critical of our performance. We rank near the bottom of nearly all international rankings. Authors that used to devote a chapter to the needs of education now dismiss us in a paragraph.

21. Reality 2: We are Industrial Age Organizations existing in an Information Age world. Our Instructional Delivery System is an assembly line where time is the constant and quality is the variable.

22. Reality 3: We are bureaucratic monopolies existing in a world of customization and service. Our policies and practices are chosen for “administrative convenience” and are inconsistent with our most basic research regarding students and learning.

23. Reality 4: We are an “industry,” existing in a world that requires a profession. We are union contract driven, controlled by outside forces, and seldom remove underperforming workers.

24. Reality 5: We are managers in a “profession” that requires bold and courageous leadership. Tradition trumps innovation, security trumps change, and goal setting trumps vision.

25. This may be too harsh . . . but given today’s definitions of leadership and management . . . “educational leaders” may be an oxymoron.

26. My (CJS) take . . . Public education cannot improve significantly if we continue to function in our present Industrial Age Instructional Delivery system. And I have little motivation for the care and maintenance of a dead horse. Present reality demands significant change in how we do business.

27. Schwahn Ranch Advice . . . from Jerry and Sheri Schwahn “When your horse dies, for God’s sake, dismount!

28. “Harsh Realities” Discussion . . . • Do you agree? Which ones? Too harsh? Too mild? • Could you make a sound case for these realities . . . and for the hope part?

29. Part III . . . About a SPECIFIC CHANGE . . . . • Information Age Instructional Delivery • Future-focusing and learning from the successful • Visioning an Information Age learning organization • Cross-industry learning and transfer • Starting a dialogue about seriously restructuring education

30. Impact of the Info Age . . . • The Info Age didn’t change WHAT products and services were provided to customers very much. • The Info Age did change HOW products and services were delivered . . . for everyone. • Except for education.

31. My role today . . . • Not to preach . . . but to invite you along on a journey. • To invite you to see the potential in a new structure for education . . . and to want to be part of a significant change. • I invite your thoughts and extensions . . . orally today and in writing at anytime. • WHAT IF????

32. A few Definitions and Clarification of Terms

33. Industrial Age Structures and Practices • An graded k-12 assembly line . . . everyone moves at the same pace • When there is a problem on the assembly line . . . students are moved to “rework” • A,B,C grades . . . some lemons come off of the line and we give them “Cs” • Time is the constant . . . quality learning is the variable • Our profession/industry is heavily unionized • School Districts are more “managed” than “lead”

34. The BIG QUESTION -- Do you think that education is going to get better if we continue in our old Industrial Age paradigm?

35. Information AgeStructures and Practices • Transformational technology • Learning rate tailored to the individual learner • Learning style tailored to the individual learner • Learning interest/content tailored to the individual learner • Standard for mastery . . . the learner has mastered the outcome or “they are not finished yet” • Leaders create innovative future-focused organizational visions and manage toward their implementation

36. Contrasting INFORMATION AGE and INDUSTRIAL AGE Paradigms Industrial Age Paradigm of SCHOOL Information Age Paradigm of LEARNING SYSTEMS Specific Students can learn Specific Subjects in Specific Classrooms on a Specific Schedule in a Specific Way from a Specific Teacher Anyone can learn Anything from Anywhere at Anytime in Anyway from World Wide Experts

37. Imagine Education…….. Organized Around Instead Of Future Conditions Life Ends Competence EQ and IQ Outcomes Learning Research Potential The Past More School Means Curriculum IQ Time Teaching Precedents/Standards

38. Industrial Age Words Information Age Words Schools Classrooms Students Instruction Teachers Curriculum Tests Learning Systems Learning Environments Learners Learning Learning Opportunities Learning Outcomes Performance Assessments

39. Levels of Info Age Application: • Totally online. The learner determines the rate, the content, and the learning style. • Totally online. The system determines the learner outcomes, rate, and the content. • A balance of online and teacher facilitated learning . . . based upon best approaches to learning. • Instruction is classroom-based with opportunities for online support. • All instruction is school/classroom-based.

40. Motivation to learn is NATURAL if: • Learners have the prerequisite learnings • They are met at their “developmental learning level” • The new learning is challenging • The learner has an established record of successful learning • And it’s also nice if the learning fits the learning style and interest of the learner

41. . . . from our present Industrial Age Delivery of Instruction . . . to a future-focused Information Age Instructional Delivery System. Please help me to come up with a shorter, catchier, and stickier name or label for this.

42. The problem is not that schools “are NOT what they used to be”….. The problem IS that schools “ARE what they used to be!”

43. Your organization is perfectly designed to get the results that you are getting.

44. About YOUR STRUCTURE . . . • Many people . . . maybe unconsciously . . . assume that an organizational structure is permanent. • In many cases, the structure no longer serves the business . . . the people are serving the structure. • Less effective leaders tend to let the structure drive their decisions rather than adapting the structure to meet the ever changing needs of the business.

45. The Deming 85% - 15% Rule* “85% or more of the problems in any organization are caused by the organization itself. 15% or fewer are caused by the workers.” *Late in Deming’s career, he changed his figures to 94% -6%.

46. MANAGEMENTis all about - - and nothing more thanALIGNMENT* Structures* Processes* Practices* PeopleManaging for Alignment is where the heavy lifting takes place

47. A New Way of Thinking . . . A New Way to Begin Strategic Planning . . . • First Question: What must learners know, be able to do, and “be like” to be successful in the world in which they will live? • Second Question: How can learners best learn that which we want them to demonstrate? • Third Question: Is the intended learning/ demonstration best learned by an individual alone, in a small group, or in a large group?

48. If 50% -- 60% of what students need to learn to be successful after they leave school can be learned alone via technology . . . . We have just dropped the student/teacher ratio from 26 to 1 to 13 to 1

49. We have not served the “fast runners” well . . . • This is not an either/or position . . . it is a both/and position . . . • The two most memorable and most costly federal initiatives of my time were the ESEA Act of 1965 and the No Child Left Behind legislation. • Each of these programs targeted the real needs of learners who were not achieving. • There was/is a little money for Gifted and Talented, but that was a small “pull out” program with no research based definition of “gifted and talented.” • Truth is, we really can’t identify our gifted and talented learners . . . but we can identify our “fast runners.” • Our Industrial Age Instructional Delivery System limits the potential of our fast runners. • We need a “continuous progress” Instructional Delivery System that allows our highly motivated, hard working, high achievers the opportunity to move at their own rate . . . and all with little or no additional cost to the system.

50. Make sure that you don’t miss the opportunities that a crisismay offer. Think “Leapfrog”