NCDPI SUMMER INSTITUTESUSTAINING SUCCESS; BUILDING ON ACHIEVEMENT

DALE COLE

PRINCIPAL-SOUTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL

2013 WELLS FARGO PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR

REGION 1-WE MUST ALL BE LEADERS

Special opportunities over the last year https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_MaJDK3VNE

Region 1 is unique. Make time to reflect on the big picture.

The following slides cover some suggestions from my reflections on the needs of my school, district, and region over the last year.

Teachers must be futurists; that is the nature of our job.

Have well-thought-out opinions and perspectives. Be prepared to answer questions honestly without getting upset. Be leaders, not martyrs.

Cultivate relationships with your elected leaders. Be courageous with this.

We have to make up for a lack of volume and votes with a clear message.

COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION ARE CRITICAL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR0lWICH3rY

Combat the “Triangle” mindset together by speaking the same language and sending the same message.

Pool resources where you can (Cross-school and District PLCs)

Never miss an opportunity to learn from one another about what works for our students and communities.

Leverage social media-Twitter is the best staff development tool ever, but there are plenty more (Pinterest, teacher blogs, Youtube, RSS feeds). Find great principals and teachers and follow them.

Explore the web pages of high achieving schools and teachers.

WE MUST LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY BETTER

Tell your elected representative-Internet access is the new county water!

We will ALWAYS need more bandwidth!

Devices are the new textbooks.

Our policies must be re-thought.

We need an LMS,we need to Flip the Classroom, and we need to Share (Schoology, Canvas, Haiku, Edmodo, Google Apps) so that instruction can break the bounds of time, location, resources, and face to face time with you. 90 minutes isn’t enough!

SOME EXAMPLES FROM BCS

BCS Teachers Technology Showcase

Flipping the Classroom with Holly Patrick, 4th Grade teacher at JSS

SHS students created a video for our school board to show how Chromebooks and the Schoology LMS were changing instruction for the better. This was paired with several teachers and students attending a board meeting to answer questions and make the case for more technology and better training for our teachers. Now, if we could just convince our county commissioners…..

Paying teachers to develop online credit recovery courses

WE MUST BUILD A COLLEGE-GOING CULTURE

Think about your own experience if you grew up in this region. Why did you go to college when so many of your classmates didn’t? How can we bridge that gap?

Stop asking the wrong questions and be personally responsible! Instead of asking “Who should be responsible for this?” start asking “What can I do to make it better?” (QBQ-The Question Behind the Question)

“Success doesn’t come from excuses.” David Dixon, WHS Construction Teacher

Expect success. Don’t allow excuses.

SOME IDEAS AND THOUGHTS ON THIS

Do we ensure that we build informed academic pathways leading to college for all students?

Do we help to build college-going peer groups, maybe through social media when necessary?

Do we help our students and parents through the application, financial aid, and college research process?

Is writing a college essay embedded into your English curriculum?

How about if we set our homerooms at the high schools so that the same teacher had the same kids for 4 years? Would this help to build a mentor/advocate relationship with the students and their parents?

DON’T FORGET CAREER-READY

Review your CTE programs

Do they all lead to a work credential?

Do your programs align with the needs of your community or region?

Are you or someone else speaking to employers about what they need and cultivating partnerships and internships?

Are you making sure that these students understand a pathway to further educational opportunities in their interest area as well?

How about Personal Finance for ALL?

WE ARE THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brNX4xqlXJE

We know the path to safety and success because we study it every day.

We aren’t equipped to do battle because that isn’t our job.

Many of the people we deal with and answer to feel they know our jobs better than we do.

It is our job to illuminate the path to safety and success, and, sometimes, that means telling them things they don’t want to hear. However, we still have to do it for their own good.

GROWTH IS A MUST FOR ALL- EVEN US

We need to upgrade our lights when better technology is made available, not keep the same old ones because we are used to them.

We need to upgrade our maps as the sands shift, and the sands shift constantly.

We need to be sure as lighthouse keepers that our knowledge of the area stays up to date by paying close attention and asking for help when we need it.

If we don’t, our lighthouse will quickly become irrelevant and useless, and , worse, unable to do its job of ensuring a safe and successful transition for our sailors (legislators, business owners, parents, students).

“You don’t fail until you quit, you woosy.” Buddy Cole

TRADE THE CONCEPT OF FAILURE FOR “ITERATION” Jaime Casap

Edison didn’t fail on his first try. His first iteration of the light bulb was unsuccessful.

DPI didn’t fail with Powerschool on the first try…

DPI didn’t fail with True North Logic on the first try…

Your first attempt at teaching 7th graders to calmly debate both sides of the 2nd Amendment wasn’t a failure. It was unsuccessful in its first iteration.

We should always expect improvements because we look through the lens of growth. Let’s grow today. Have a great conference!