Monthly Archives: September 2015

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Culture is Everything – Relationships are Everything – #Engage109

“The test of a leader is taking the vision from me to we.”
– John C. Maxwell, Leadership expert

In the Deerfield Public Schools – District 109, one of the “BIG 5” initiatives under which we operate is Organizational Culture. Our unwavering focus on employee engagement and satisfaction is demonstrated in our annual measure of culture and the individual school action planning around measures of culture at each school. It’s also felt each and every time one walks the halls of our schools or interacts withPeter-Drucker-Culture-Strategy our amazing teachers, support staff, administrators, board members, students, and members of the community. With a strong organizational culture reflecting intentional relationship building, our District is humbled and proud of the three year culture trends (see below from a recent Board presentation from one of our research partners):

All school teams deserve a lot of credit for identifying culture dimensions in need of attention. It is essential to replicate that which works and to remediate that which does not! Our aim is success for all students and staff and community. Our Board of Education continues to lead strategically and govern from “the balcony” allowing staff to do the necessary work on behalf of student learning. As a futureleadership team we have been in office for 26 months and a tremendous amount of positive growth and change is underway. I cannot thank our administrators, teachers, support staff members, students and board members enough for their dedication to intentional and deliberate excellence!

At the most recent school board meeting I shared a highlight of where we have been, where we are and where we are going organizationally. See below for details:

ENGAGE, INSPIRE, EMPOWER

ENGAGE, INSPIRE, EMPOWER

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Most Likely to Succeed – Screening coming to DPS109 11/9/2015

“The future cannot be predicted, but futures can be invented. It is our ability to invent the future that gives us hope and makes us what we are.”
– Dennis Gabor

In DPS109, and across the nation leaders are working to transform education and to re-imagine education for our nation’s students. In DPS109 we have launched a series of instructional and operational initiatives in our school district these past two years that directly tie to innovation. Our tag line is Engage, Inspire, Empower and this year’s Big 3 Focus areas are PIE: Personalization, Innovation, and Engagement

Often I write and those I read write about the need for education to focus on the future of futureour children as opposed to education focused on our past. As Most Likely To Succeed’s Twitter image reads “Our School System Was Designed in 1893” … that in and of itself causes me to pause and consider the implications of a system designed so far in the past and the impact on the present and in our future.

As a solutions focused person I look for ideas, plans, systems and structures to improve. I am not one to “admire problems” or focus on the negative. In that regard, our District is partnering with our local high school district to host a ittakesavillagescreening of the documentary film Most Likely to Succeed since it takes a village to raise a child – this film screening at Deerfield High School will be open to the community. Together we can form our own “committee of ten” as suggested by the co-author of the book, in an effort to improve education and sustain our future.

From the authors of Most Likely to Succeed

We made the film Most Likely To Succeed to help school leaders effect change. We’re seeing inspiring examples all over the country where a leader brings their community together to watch the film, hosts a vibrant discussion after the film, and polls attendees on questions of relevance to their go-forward strategy. After seeing this film, the audience understands the urgency for moving forward, and is inspired by what is possible. What we hear back is that the film enables bold initiatives to take place — at the school, district, or state level — that otherwise would shrivel on the vine.

I’m sharing a link to a TED Talk by @mltsfilm producer Ted Dintersmith

To highlight the power of connected educators, I received this link today via a friend and colleague from Virginia, Pam Moran, via a Voxer group to which she and I belong.

ENGAGE, INSPIRE, EMPOWER

ENGAGE, INSPIRE, EMPOWER

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A Labor Day Message

“To those who will, the ways are never wanting.”
– Unknown 

 

Labor Day ImageToday those of us who serve our communities in education in the USA have a vacation day today in honor of Labor. While we take a day “off” from work and we reflect on the value of our work it’s a good idea to remember why we are celebrating. So I visited the US Department of Labor website and I am re-posting a message I read via Twitter from Bill Durkin, President and Founder of One Positive Place .

From the United States Department of Labor website:

LABOR DAY: WHAT IT MEANS

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

LABOR DAY LEGISLATION

Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From these, a movement developed to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

 

 

Sharing A message from Bill Durkin www.onepositiveplace.com
In 1882, the Labor Day Holiday was created by the Labor Movement to celebrate the contributions blue collar workers made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country.
In my opinion, the day should be honoring any worker, union or non-union, who does a “good job” serving others while working toward the accomplishment of a worthy goal. It doesn’t matter whether you are swinging a hammer to build a house or balancing someone’s books. You are transforming your time and talent into a product or service that creates value for someone else.
For too many Americans, the first Monday in September has just come to mean an extra day off and recognition that the summer is ending and a new school year or football season is beginning.
This weekend, take a moment to reflect on the labor you have chosen to do and answer two simple questions. (The dictionary defines ‘labor’ as one who exerts one’s powers of body and mind to do work for which he or she is being paid; any human activity where one works hard to provide the goods and services in an economy; to strive toward a goal.)
1.  What are at least three things you have done well at work this year?
 
Unfortunately, we have a tendency to focus more on what went wrong than what went well. Focusing on negative events creates anxiety and depression, and it brings out the worst in ourselves and others. We all need to develop the skill of accentuating the positive. This Labor Day Weekend is a great time to practice the habit of savoring memories of good things you’ve done this year.
2.  What do you want to do better in the future?
 
Making the commitment to get a little better each day at your work is essential to reaching your potential and increasing the value you bring to the people you want to serve, regardless of the color of your collar.
Have a great Labor Day, and thank you for the contribution you’ve made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country.
Let’s Get Better. Together!
Bill Durkin