Tag Archives: Collaboration

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2025 Year in Review: Steering Through Change, Staying Grounded in People

2025 Year in Review: Steering Through Change, Staying Grounded in People

Dr. Michael Lubelfeld | December 2025

As we approach the end of another year, I am filled with pride and gratitude for the collective achievements and impressive spirit of our students, staff, families, and community. The period from January to December 2025 has been marked by significant progress, innovation, and recognition for North Shore School District 112. It is my pleasure to share some of the highlights that have defined our year and reinforced our shared commitment to excellence.

This was a year of doing many things at once—strengthening the fundamentals that families rely on every day, while also pushing the system to adapt faster to what’s coming next. Not because change is trendy, but because schools can’t afford to be late.

The headline of the year: “Who decides?”

Our most defining work with artificial intelligence wasn’t really about AI tools—it was about governance.

We reframed a common question (“How do we use AI?”) into a better one:

Who gets to decide how we use AI in school?

That shift changed everything. Instead of treating AI as just another ed-tech rollout, we approached it as a learning-and-leadership challenge grounded in people, ethics, equity, and genuine student agency.

Student voice moved from “input” to “co-authorship.”

A major focus in 2025 was making student voice authentic—not symbolic.

That meant creating structured opportunities for students to:

  • test and learn within clear guardrails,

  • build AI literacy through real tasks (not hype),

  • shape norms and expectations around responsible use,

  • and contribute meaningfully to how we think about AI in learning.

When we treat students like partners in the work, trust grows faster—and the quality of the work improves.

Adult readiness: momentum, mixed feelings, and honest concerns

We also observed an increasing use of AI by educators for planning, differentiation, productivity, and operational support. At the same time, staff and community concerns remained real and worth addressing—not to be dismissed.

In 2025, we had to hold two truths at once:

  • AI can help teachers and students in practical ways.

  • AI also raises legitimate questions about privacy, integrity, equity, and environmental impact.

My stance stayed consistent: cautious optimism with guardrails.

Culture and community: the work behind the work

Innovation gets attention. Culture determines whether innovation survives.

This year included steady, unglamorous work:

  • tightening communication rhythms,

  • reinforcing professional learning and expectations,

  • listening through disagreement,

  • and leading with clarity when consensus wasn’t available.

Public education is not a “make everyone happy” business. It’s a “be coherent, transparent, and student-centered” business.

The program reflection stayed on the table

2025 also included continued reflection on academic programming—asking hard questions about sustainability, access, and long-term direction. That includes dual language conversations and how we evaluate programs through the lenses of equity, design, and community needs.

Program evaluation is not a verdict. It’s a discipline.

Our district’s dedication to academic excellence was prominently recognized this year. On the 2025 Illinois School Report Card, all nine of our schools earned one of the top two state designations. We are incredibly proud that Braeside Elementary School achieved the highest possible ‘Exemplary’ rating, placing it among the top 10% of schools statewide, while our other eight schools earned strong ‘Commendable’ ratings. This is a powerful validation of our educators’ hard work and our students’ perseverance. It also reflects the impact of our focused instructional efforts.

Across the district, we have now seen over four years of continuous growth in literacy achievement, laying a strong foundation for student success. We remain sharply focused on our “Wildly Important Goal” (WIG) of improving English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency. This year our students performed in the 88th percentile statewide in ELA and 90th percentile in math

Modernization and sustainability remained part of our identity

This year marked a historic milestone in our long-range facilities plan. In August, we celebrated the grand reopening of Ravinia Elementary School, a project that transformed our oldest school into a state-of-the-art learning environment.

The multi-million-dollar “gut rehab,” made possible by our community’s overwhelming support of the 2022 referendum, has beautifully blended the school’s century-old architecture with cutting-edge features. A highlight of this modernization is the installation of a pioneering geothermal HVAC system – the first of its kind in a U.S. public school – which is expected to significantly increase the building’s energy efficiency.

Our commitment to providing modern facilities continues with the modernization of Sherwood Elementary School. Following a groundbreaking ceremony in February 2025, this project is now more than halfway complete. When finished, Sherwood will feature a new gymnasium, a redesigned main entrance for enhanced safety, a new library, and its own geothermal heating and cooling system.

Meanwhile, we also initiated a major renovation of Braeside Elementary School in August 2025, marking the start of the final phase of our facilities plan. 

A personal note: leadership beyond the district

Outside the district, I continued to learn publicly—through leadership networks, national conversations, fellowships connected to AI and education, and ongoing writing. I don’t separate “district leadership” from “field leadership.” If we’re learning something that matters, we should share it.

What 2025 taught me (again)

If I had to sum up the year’s lesson, it’s this:

Change is coming either way. The question is whether we lead it—or let it lead us.

I’m grateful for the students, staff, families, and community partners who stayed with us—especially when the work was complex. That’s what real progress looks like: not perfect agreement, but shared commitment to moving forward responsibly.

From my internal “End of Year Message to the Community”, sharing video messages from Symvol.io in both English and Spanish

3-minute Video Message in English from Letter (AI Created)

3 minutos Mensaje de video en espanol de una carta (creado por IA)

As we celebrate these many successes, I am also mindful of the challenges we have navigated along the way. Every achievement this year – whether a student’s academic breakthrough, a finished building project, or a community event – was the result of hard work, collaboration, and the resilient character of our District 112 family. It is truly an honor to serve a community that is so deeply invested in the success and well-being of its children.

The achievements of 2025 are a direct result of the powerful partnership among our dedicated educators, talented students, engaged families, and supportive community partners. Thank you for your support, your trust, and your shared commitment to our mission. Together, we have made this year one of incredible growth and pride for our district.

As we look ahead to 2026, I am filled with optimism and excitement for what the future holds for District 112. Wishing you a joyful and healthy new year!

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Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today – New Book Alert

Nick Polyak and I are proud to announce that our 5th book is just about on the marketplace! Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today, Bloomsbury Academic Press, will be available October 16, 2025 – it’s available for

Book Cover

Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today

preordering today directly from the publisher – visit https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/leading-for-tomorrows-schools-today-9781475874877/

Here is a cool, “AI” Generated Video that took the preface and introduction and made a 3-minute overview – HT to Dan Fitzpatrick for the tip to use Symvol.io

https://app.symvol.io/videos/file-1fd5 (link) or see the embed below

Overview

Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today is a forward-thinking guide for educational leaders navigating the rapidly changing landscape of 21st-century schools. Authored by seasoned superintendents Mike Lubelfeld & Nick Polyak, this book offers practical strategies and insightful reflections on how to lead effectively in times of change and uncertainty. Drawing on years of experience and a deep understanding of the educational field, the Promo for Bookauthors provide a roadmap for fostering growth, embracing innovation, and driving meaningful transformation in schools. The book emphasizes the importance of change and growth planning, highlighting proven approaches to cultivating a positive school culture, empowering teachers, and enhancing student outcomes. With a focus on both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today equips leaders with the tools and mindset necessary to create learning environments that prepare students for success in a complex and dynamic world. This book is an essential resource for current and aspiring school leaders committed to shaping the future of education.

Tom Murray wrote the Foreword!

Glenn Robbins, Zandra Jo Galván, Gladys Cruz, and Jeff Dillon wrote Vignettes!

Table of Contents

Foreword by Tom Murray

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

List of Tables & Figures

Section 1: Leadership is Change 

Chapter 1: Cultivating Change 

Chapter 2: Selection of Staff, Who, How, and How Long?

Voices from the Field: Leading Transformation in a VUCA World: A Progressive Vision for Brigantine Public School District by Glenn Robbins, Superintendent

Section 2: Go Where the Smart People Are – Learning From Others

Chapter 3 : Networks and Professional Organizations

Chapter 4: Language Matters

Voices from the Field: My Journey of People-Centered Leadership as Superintendent by Dr. Zandra Jo Galvan

Section 3: You Can Do It

Chapter 5: We’re Not Broke, We’re Broken

Chapter 6 Transformation: Flip the Mindset

Voices from the Field: Expanding Pathways to Success by Gladys I. Cruz

Section 4: Change Faster – Embrace Your Context – Revolutionary Change

Chapter 7: Bomb Threats and Social Media

Chapter 8: Artificial Intelligence & Innovation

Voices from the Field: The Student’s Bill of Rights by Jeff Dillon, 

Conclusion

References

Appendix A Interviews from the Pandemic Era-Use Case for Generative AI and Leadership

Appendix B (Teach AI Guidance)

Appendix C Listing of Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools Used Throughout this Book

About the Authors

We’re grateful to our testimonial endorsers too!!

Thank you Luvelle, Joe, Courtney, Chris, & Lupita!!

The vast amount of professional experience and talent that exists with Mike Lubelfeld and Nick Polyak is on full display in Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today. They inspire me and others through research, practical frameworks, and case studies that reveal  strategic and successful approaches to innovating in school. Their text should be required reading for any leader wishing to be highly effective with change management and the implementation of generative artificial intelligence into their practices.

Luvelle Brown

Superintendent, Ithaca City School District

Founder/CEO Love2Achieve LLC.

Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today provides a rich blend of real-world experience and practical insights from two seasoned superintendents who have navigated and led change in schools for nearly 60 years. Through compelling stories, Mike and Nick emphasize how creating supportive conditions and fostering innovation leads to long-term success. The book offers lessons that extend beyond education, making it a valuable read for leaders in all fields of leadership. Mike and Nick provide a clear framework for understanding and managing the complexities of organizational change. This is an inspiring and practical guide for anyone looking to lead purposefully and prepare everyone in their organization for the future.

Joe Sanfelippo

Superintendent, Author, Speaker, Wisconsin

In Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today, Polyak and Lubelfeld delve deep into the realities of leadership, embracing the chaos and resistance that often accompany the drive for change. They do not shy away from the difficulties but instead confront them head-on, offering a wealth of success stories that illuminate their points, offering real-world examples of how visionary leadership can yield remarkable results and a candid exploration of the obstacles leaders face. Polyak and Lubelfeld urge us to adapt and be flexible, framing leadership as an evolving journey rather than a destination.Their approach is both pragmatic and inspirational, thought-provoking yet practical, encouraging leaders to view challenges as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable barriers. Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today is a vital read for anyone in educational leadership. 

Courtney Orzel

Superintendent

Lemont Bromberek Combined School District 113A, Illinois

Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today by Nick Polyak and Michael Lubelfeld offers a robust framework that has become a cornerstone for how we approach change management in our AASA Redefining Ready work. The practical tools and insights in this book have directly supported our mission to redefine what it means for students to be college, career, and life-ready.

Polyak and Lubelfeld’s CHANGE Framework—Challenge the Status Quo, Have Open Conversations, Adapt and Be Flexible, Navigate Obstacles, Generate a Shared Vision, and Enjoy the Journey—is particularly valuable in guiding school leaders through the transformation required in our AASA initiatives. We’ve applied this framework to help districts across the country rethink outdated measures of success, shifting focus to real-world indicators such as career pathways, internships, and dual credit programs, which better prepare students for life after graduation.

Their use of the Satir Change Model has given us a structured process for managing resistance and chaos that inevitably arise when implementing new readiness metrics. This model provides the emotional and psychological scaffolding that leaders need to navigate through disruption and arrive at a new, more equitable status quo—one where students are assessed not just by test scores, but by their demonstrated readiness for the future.

Additionally, their call for embracing AI and innovation mirrors the cutting-edge work we are doing in Redefining Ready to prepare students for the future workforce. Their emphasis on future-focused leadership is critical as we guide districts in integrating technology and real-world learning experiences into the curriculum.

This book is not just theory—it’s a playbook for action. It has been instrumental in shaping our strategies, and I believe it’s a must-read for any school leader looking to foster transformative, sustainable change in their district.

Christopher Nesmith

Superintendent 

Elma School District, Washington

Dr. Michael Lubefield and Dr. Nick Polyak are nationally renowned and highly esteemed leaders. They are masterful at fostering strong relationships on behalf of their school district communities. Through their co-teaching of both aspiring and current superintendent classes, they effectively impart their extensive knowledge, experience, and expertise to many leaders.

Their book, Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today, is a valuable resource for all leaders working in different organizations including school systems. It serves not only as a comprehensive guide but also as a compelling call to action, emphasizing the critical role we play in shaping the future of our students. Leadership at all levels matters tremendously!

I was particularly impressed by their authenticity and their ability to provide real-life examples of challenging situations. They effectively demonstrated how they employed successful strategies to motivate staff and achieve positive outcomes across different school systems. Their commitment to generating clarity, fostering a shared vision for success, and encouraging constructive dialogue to challenge the status quo highlights their dedication to forward-thinking leadership. This approach is crucial, as it underscores our responsibility to build future-ready schools that meet the needs of ALL students.

Gracias!

Dr. Lupita Ley Hightower

Superintendent/Treasure Hunter

Arizona Superintendent of the Year 2023

Tolleson Elementary School District, Arizona

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What are DMGroup Breakthrough Teams Results in D112? #112Leads

In the 2021-2022 school year, we chose to implement a robust planning and results-oriented project at both K-5 dual language (Spanish/English) schools in the District, Oak Terrace and Red Oak. Our main work has always been to create conditions that support student growth, learning, and teacher collective efficacy. In this post, I’m sharing some images that show graphically how incredible the student growth, learning, and performance was in this 10 week initiative last year.

The results focused approach, led by a team from strategic partner DMGroup (from Boston, MA), helps teams of leaders, teachers, and educational support staff refine their sense of urgency and target professional efforts to impact student growth and learning. We worked with DM Group on a number of challenging projects over the past few years (reopening in COVID, Student Services/EL audit, MTSS planning and implementation).

Firstly, in District 112, our motto is Inspire, Innovate, Engage; and we firmly believe each child can learn and grow – every day. We stand firmly for equitable access to educational opportunities for each child every day. We take pride in the excellence of our teachers, administrators, support staff, parents, and Board.

 When we learn how to do better – we do better. When we make a mistake, we own it – explain it – and learn from it (and take efforts not to repeat it). After the devastating impacts of the COVID global pandemic (on society, learning, social connection, etc.) we reached out to experts in strategic leadership to see how we could improve and enhance our impact on learning to help our students emerge successfully.

Student success and district success are measured in multiple ways.  Pleasesee a previous blog post to get a sense of how I measure “success” (culture, engagement, service, assessment, etc.). Search Results for “Measure succes” – Mike Lubelfeld’s Blog

The point of working with the DMGroup on Breakthrough Teams comes from their motto: “Successful Change Programs Begin with Results”. The focus of the initiative is to focus on results – not barriers; not challenges; not the “why nots;” not the “yea buts;” but results.  Let’s make an impact.

 They acknowledge psychological, organizational and cultural (org. Culture) barriers such as: “I’m doing all I can;” “It’s overwhelming;” “It’s not MY problem;” etc… .  And then share a team of strategic consultants to support the existing organizational structures and  help guide questions to and for student learning/growth and teacher learning/growth to work around, through and over those barriers to ultimately bring them down.

The cool part about working with the DMGroup on Breakthrough teams is that we had the opportunity to take existing structures (teacher team planning/group thinking time) student learning (using assessment tools), instructional coaching (District teacher leaders), administrative collaboration (co-designing and considering solutions) all to help us do our work better.

 

The DMGroup Breakthrough Teams program is focused on 10 weeks of intense, targeted, focused planning, ideation, succeeding, failing, learning, and re-ideating. The District, the School and the Teams work together to make the best decisions with the information at hand in real time on behalf of the learning. It’s an amazing professional experience – and, in D112, it yielded groundbreaking results for kids (and teachers) last year at Red Oak and Oak Terrace Schools.

We focused on our dual language schools with multi-lingual students in the District’s historic and long running magnet/choice instructional program. English Learners in the District have traditionally had challenging performance on standardized assessments, and the focus on their learning and needs, first, with this innovative program, proved that every child (regardless of “box to check”) can learn and grow in the proper conditions. We helped our teachers create the proper conditions and focus, and we co-created professional planning space to establish a results orientation.  And the results justify and support this effort.

As mentioned, in this post, I’m sharing some slides that show graphically how incredible the student growth, learning, and performance was in this 10 week initiative last year.

On April 11, at an upcoming school Board meeting, I will share a detailed presentation with two of my colleagues, Lilli Melamed (Principal at Oak Terrace School) and Colleen Goodrich (Associate Principal at Red Oak School last year and Wayne Thomas school this year).

 In June, we’ll share this year’s results from this year’s Breakthrough Teams experience at the five K-5 schools with traditional (English only) education, in grades kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.

Thanks for reading the blog! Check out the podcast, our upcoming board meetings, and general District communications as we share our journey of leadership, experiences, learning, growth, and results oriented focus.

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Final Reflections – DR Service Trip 2022

“I cannot do all the good that the world needs. But the world needs all the good that I can do.”– Jana Stanfield

August 10, 2022

Justin and I finished our amazing adventures and life-changing trip with so many peak moments on Saturday, August 6. We left Constanza around 6am and headed down the mountain for under 4 hours. We spent some time in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic. We toured the old city, flew to Miami, then to Chicago, and arrived home around 1:30am. We were energized (though sleepy).

Before we headed to the airport, we visited the old colonial city, the oldest fort in the Americas. We saw a raucous public demonstration regarding immigration policies headed for Independence square, where we had just visited.

To spend this time with my son was incredible and fun and a huge proud, peak moment for me. As Justin enters his Freshman year of high school and I as I start what is very likely my 4th to last year as a full-time public educator, we both got to laugh, enjoy each other’s company, serve together, work together, experience life together, and so much more!

Ideally, he and I will have more opportunities like this! Ideally, he has the confidence to travel and serve as he goes from young adulthood to adulthood. He is an incredible young man, and I am proud to be his dad.

As a life-long educator, I see firsthand how education with emotion and education with hands-on experiential opportunities becomes lifelong learning. Thanks a ton for following our adventures! Thanks a ton for letting me brag about my son 🙂

Finishing up an amazing week with Justin! In Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic- First Nation Columbus came to the Americas. Culture and history end our adventures here! 

Sharing some images. The first cathedral, live protest March heading to Independence Square, 16th Century city walls.

Oldest fort in the Americas! Wow! So much history… need to come back!! 16th Century-20th Century. In use for various purposes. So many socio-political implications here!!

Thanks to World Servants, LifeTouch, the AASA, Cecaini Foundation, and so many others who, together in service for humanity and in furtherance of the dreams and visions of Pastors Angel and Jacqueline Moreta, have built schools and changed lives — forever!! Including those of my son and me.

Gun Turret in the oldest fort in the Americas, La Forteleza Ozama

Beautiful view on the way to the airport in Santo Domingo

One of the cannons – one is Spanish, and another is English – so much history!

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4th in a series -Dominican Republic Service, Mission, Culture Trip Reflections 2022

In this post, I am sharing more reflections, thoughts and images from a LifeTouch Memory Mission reunion trip to the Dominican Republic, to Constanza, La Vega, to the Cecaini School in Rio Grande. On these several blog posts, I’m sharing my reflections.

Once major personal “peak moment” for me on this current trip is that my son came with me! With words and images, I am trying to do my best at telling our story — of our life-changing, humbling, impactful, and seriously amazing set of experiences! Thanks for reading 🙂

Back in 2016, I was lucky enough to be a part of the LifeTouch Memory Mission trip to the Dominican Republic and I was a representative of AASA, The Superintendent’s Association. I wrote about that set of life-changing experiences on my blog — BLOG POSTS ABOUT TRIP IN 2016

August 2, 2022

What a day and night we had today! We put in a full day’s worth of hard labor at the Rio Grande Cecaini School — it was amazing and fulfilling on many levels.

A mural in the cafeteria painted by Ken, the amazing painter, teacher, and friend!

Justin painting and learning a lot of Spanish from Ken

Time with the children of Rio Grande was a highlight for each of us every day!

Nick and Domingo removed the well used rim and net in preparation for replacement “break away” and new nets.

Pam was an amazing painter!

We all helped wherever we could.

Friendship between our two nations.

As we enter Rio Grande, the sign by the bridge!

The building behind the basketball court was built just before and just after the Pandemic. It will house a library, computer lab, infirmary — for the school and the community. We finished this building (paint, window guards) on this trip.

The beautiful views of the countryside were breathtaking.

Our awesome crew with representation from all over the USA! New Hampshire, Minnesota, Arkansas, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, Minnesota

Jan was an excellent painter!

I spent a lot of time back here – moving rocks, raking rocks, moving dirt, moving sand, making planters out of tires, pouring concrete, learning a ton from Domingo.

We made a lot of concrete. We used cement mix, water, sand, rocks, and dirt. And we mixed it A LOT

Every morning we started by gathering as a group, getting instructions from our Dominican hosts and experts (Ken and Domingo) and establishing our work teams, expectations and goals!

By the end of the trip each room was painted well, cleaned up and the window frames/decorative and security bars were installed.

Tonight’s Face Book post had less text and more photos – it was more of an Insta Gram type post vs the “blog” type posts I have shared the first few days of our adventures on Face Book.

Justin and I, along with our new friends and community are humbled by so much we are seeing, doing, and learning in Rio Grande, Dominican Republic. Today we were able to apply learning, enter into new cultural space, learn, do, build, create, play, speak, and engage with an entirely new set of people.

It’s fun to paint, to sand, to scrape, to fix up, to mix concrete, to put glue on PVC  pipes for plumbing, to move rocks, to move dirt, to connect PVC tubes … that’s all  a lot of what’s depicted in the pictures.

It’s also nothing short of amazing to walk the street leading up to the school with the neighborhood kids who waited hours to play with us and to hang out with us and to speak with us and learn about our families and share with us about theirs!

Today we started with a quote from President Ronald Reagan, “live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest of God..” The word for today was generous. While it might appear that we were generous, I submit that the people of Rio Grande at Cecaini School are the ones who are generous. Ken the head painter – he is amazing. Domingo the head engineer – he, too, is amazing. They and the entire community shares their generosity allowing us into their culture, their school, their homes — their generosity is humbling and powerful.

Tonight we reflected on our experiences, we discussed the applications for learning. We enjoyed being in our collective and individual spaces. Until tomorrow

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Post 2 of 2 – Global Service – Dominican Republic- IASA 2021

Post 2 -IASA Global Service Trip – Dominican Republic October 2021

This is the second post describing and documenting a global service trip I had the opportunity to attend in the Dominican Republic with 30 colleagues. Each member of this international travel experience was a school superintendent, school or district level administrator or elected member of a Board of Education. Under the exceptional guidance and care of our team from Education First and the Dominican people, we led, learned, served, grew, opened our minds and hearts and set the foundation for student learning and teacher learning opportunities at home.

In this blog post, I will share the rest of the story that was started in the first blog post about this incredible set of adventures and experiences. As I left off in post #1,  this post will highlight our visit to Santiago (the 2nd largest city) visiting the historical district and learning about street art history and culture. I’ll describe the visit to the artisan area in Moca where we learned how to use pottery and bricks for stoves that help reduce the use of wood and lumber by 70% in the mountain areas, our adventures on the north coast of Cabarete, the Dream School and Inspire DR.

Thank you for reading the posts about of our journey in the Dominican Republic! Below I’m showing some photos from the Environmental institute I wrote about in the first post.

Trail “oasis” “after” completion

Tree Nursery

Hands on service!

Trail “oasis” “before” work

Trail Restoration Project

Creative reuse of plastic bottles to insulate wall of outdoor greenhouse

Discussing environmental possibilities

The journey from Jarabacoa towards Santiago afforded us the chance to visit with a local artisan and engage in several workshops and hands on learning experiences at a pottery shop. The artisan was located in Moca, Dominican Republic, and at our briefing we learned cultural and historically significant information as well as sustainability and direct impact on rural Dominican homes as well as the greater environment, health, and wellness.

Briefing at artisan site

The cultural lessons centered around a faceless doll. This was a special art project that originated in 1977. Essentially, in a nod to the complex and mixed ethnic and cultural and racial ancestry of the Dominican people, with 2% Taino (native peoples), 23% Spanish, and 75% African heritage and DNA in its citizens, the artisans wanted to make a statement about the pride and complexities of the mix. Therefore, the idea of the Faceless Doll of a Dominican women was born. A proud, interesting, and creative example of telling a highly complicated and high level concept (ancestry, heritage, etc.) in a clay doll. Beyond our new learning and appreciation for the progression of “who am I” and “who are we”, we actually had the chance to make a doll (though it’s really not easy! And the art teacher was as patient as anyone could be with our amateur creations).

Attempt at making faceless dolls

Artisan pottery – chimney brick project

Brick stove with chimney – transformation

In addition to the Faceless Woman project, we also received a briefing on the stoves in the homes of folks living in the rural, mountain areas and the toll on health, especially for women and children that their old, traditional stoves were taking. For example, cooking indoors with wood, fire, and no chimney or ventilation system led to severe impact on trees (wood for cooking), severe impact on lung/respiratory health of women and children (traditionally in the home while the men go in the fields and work) and skin issues due to the smoke and its carcinogenic properties. So at this pottery artisan production center we visited in Moca, they also make bricks for new rural stoves that use bricks and chimney design to ventilate the toxic smoke, and it has benefits on health, the forest, and lungs! These brick ovens reduce the wood usage by 70% — this is already having a positive impact on the island.

Proud to learn and serve making bricks for brick stove

 

 

Our work in brick makingThis focus on sustainability is also impacting the Haitian side of the island. Together in partnership we all benefit. We on this trip are planting seeds of international cooperation and respect that we will ideally recreate so that students in our schools can learn, do, experience, and we can all pay this forward. The artisan shop is also an example of supporting the local economy as there are locally produced handcrafts for purchase.

 

 

After we visited Moca’s rich artisanal history, and experienced projects of value and of meaning for us and for future student groups, we headed to the nation’s second largest city Santiago. In Santiago, there is a recently restored historic neighborhood with incredible street artwork. I’m sharing a bunch of photos from this visit – I feel that the imagery is far more powerful and descriptive than my words can be.

This visit to Santiago shared for us urban redevelopment in the historic district as well as a visual representation of culture, history and the society over time. The streets on which were were walking are centuries old and have stories of their own.

From Santiago we headed into Puerto Plata on the north coast of the island nation. Our destination was Cabarete. Cabarete is a culturally significant city with a cosmopolitan and international flair. Cabarete and the Puerto Plata coastal area was the original spot for Dominican tourism prior to Punta Cana’s creation on the southeast side of the island. Cabarete is known for international visitors and “expats” as well as kite surfing and surfing on the Atlantic Ocean.

In Cabarete we visited and served at a community center/Montessori-inspired school called the Dream Center School, and we also visited Inspire, an after school and year round STEAM/Shop/Culture/Values program for boys 18-25 years old. Here are some photos of Dream Center and our on site, hands-on beautification service projects. 

 

Fixing up the recycling and trash receptacle after relocating

Our take aways, amens, and epiphanies are many and varied. With the school sites, the after school social organizations, the community library, and their integration and interdependence to supplement and in some cases supplant the overall social-educational systems in place, we saw firsthand how EF works with value and mission driven local organizations and groups so our students can be part of something much larger than their typical education/school experiences. We adults were highly moved and  affected by our service, the informational briefings, and the reflections We got to experience what our students will go through. The Dream School Center allowed us to see how a private school interacts with the public school system.

Finished project!

We saw how early childhood education up through grammar school is organized in very similar fashions to our US educational system. Montessori philosophy is popular in many settings around the world. The Dream Center shares a STEAM classroom with the local public school.

The Dream library is a community library, they have a “book mobile” as well and their outreach is community-wide, not just for the students in the school or special programs. Their Bachata sister academy for older youth (High school ages) demonstrated some Bachata music in an impressive display of musical talent!  As the photos show, we helped them with requested beautification projects and functional projects designating space for motorcycle parking, movement of a recycling and trash receptacle to the back of the grounds, as well as touch up painting throughout the classrooms.

Finished project!

The service elements, similar to what our students will experience, showed us that a group of people may start as strangers, yet they emerge as friends in part due to the opportunities that forge authentic bonds. The problem solving, skills development, team work and overall satisfaction with jobs well done meant a lot to each and every one of us every day on this fantastic set of adventures.

We left the Dream Center feeling a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction and reward. We finished up our exploration and inquiry at an after school program for boys (though they are also adding girls programming) InspireDR – Free After-School Programs in Cabarete, Dominican Republic This private foundation “NGO” community based center offers swimming instruction, computer literacy, health education, wood shop, economics, a dojo for marshal arts, and more. We were truly inspired by the emphasis on technical life skills, problem solving, positive, moral, ethical, community focused learning and living. These boys and young men were learning English, swimming safety, and we were able to engage and interact with them on site. In addition, they teach public speaking and communications. This free (privately funded) community center has a waiting list of 90 students and they are serving as many as they can free of charge. This and so many of our new discoveries would each and all make great fund-raising, sponsorship, visit/exchange, education, and of course service projects for our own youth, Rotary and other civic organizations and other foundations.

We also ate lunch at Water to Wine, a water purification team — the opportunities to serve and make our world a better place seemed to be never-ending.

As I close the photo journal and documentary accounts of our incredible 2021 IASA Global Service Project, and as I again thank Dr. Polyak and our business partners, I’ll share some final thoughts, reflections and comments. In North Shore School District 112, we are going to explore the possibilities we can create with our own local partners for a student trip and relationship moving forward. Inspire…Innovate…Engage – our aspirational motto — in action!

Captivating natural beauty

We had so many “to do” or “do now” opportunities. We had so much history and culture learning and education experiences. We were not blind to the irony of our service during the Indigenous People/Columbus Day observances (at home and in the DR). It was not lost on us that we were meeting in Columbus Park for our Santiago art/history walking tour.

We learned and lived and engaged and built lasting relationships in a relatively short period of time.

Our world is complex. Our work is complex. Our past is complex.

In order that we support and facilitate the support for teachers and students to create conditions for a sustainable and globally connected world, we must get out of our safe and small circle of our worlds at home and jump out of comfort zones and live, learn, do, think, be open minded to change, and to lead.

With experiences in the educational, social, cultural, artistic, political, geographic, environmental, and service genres (and more), I simply say Thank YOU to all who put in so much effort to create the spaces where we and I could enhance ourselves and our worlds.

Here’s to the next time … truly we are all unfinished! Opportunities like this help us frame our paths to become the next versions of ourselves.

For nearly 30 years I have been serving public education and schooling in suburban Chicago, Illinois, USA. I’ve been a public school superintendent for 12 years (so far). Each year, each job/role, each child for whom I lead, each adult with whom I lead, each family I serve, each community I serve — each one enhances my sense of self and my body of work. My answer to the call of duty in an ongoing and unfinished, never ending cycle of service is to serve, to lead, to push myself and to make my wife, my children, and my community proud and respectful.

Proud and grateful to sponsor partners

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Unlearning Leader – Sharing a Mindset

“The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who can learn, unlearn, and relearn.” – Toffler

Nick Polyak and I wrote the Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today (2017 Rowman & Littlefield) and we have had the good fortune to speak about the messages in the book all over our home state of Illinois, around the USA, and overseas as well. We did not “invent” the concept of unlearning, of course, and we’re not the first authors to publish on unlearning, either. We are called to UNLEARN in our service to Students, Communities, Boards of Education, Educational Support Staff, Teachers, Parents, & Society in general!

In this post, I’m sharing an excerpt of the book for reference, as well as an audio file from a recent keynote address Nick and I presented in Chicago. If you would like to read an article about our book, use this link from an article published in the Spring 2019 Update from the Illinois Association of School Business Officials.

We would love your input and insights on the concept of unlearning in your own leadership and in support of your own journey. Please comment and if you have read the book and you like it, feel free to share an Amazon comment/review.

Click the audio player to hear the Keynote address Nick and I presented at Cognia Connect Midwest, in Chicago:

From the Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today – Preface:

Preface:
The Time is Now
In some school systems, executive leadership still does not understand or value current methods of communication, especially technological methods. Their relative lack of knowledge about social connectivity can become quite detrimental to a school system in search of change, innovation, and leadership. We want to help school leaders unlearn their current approaches to leadership in how they “connect”, lead, support student learning, transform schools, and impact organizational culture.

We wrote this book to celebrate the connected leader, show case study examples of change and modern change processes, and to help leaders unlearn to relearn! The premise of this book is that we all need to unlearn. Our landscape is applied to leadership, classrooms, pedagogy, and education in general. In order to change and prepare for tomorrow, we submit that much of what we have learned must be unlearned as we aim to create a new tomorrow for our nation’s children.

Our current public school system was essentially created by ten university leaders in the 1890’s. A lot has changed since then, yet our structures in public schools seem unable to unlearn the structures and conventions from the 19th Century. Our purposes include supporting leaders to lead and enabling leaders to lead for tomorrow’s schools. There is an urgency for change.

Futurist Jack Uldrich has made presentations across the country about the concept of unlearning. While at a Future Ready Summit in Illinois, we participated in an activity that has been practiced across the country from Jack and others. We were asked one simple question, “What color are yield signs?” Sounds simple. Uldrich asked the audience to raise their hands if they thought yield signs are yellow and black.

The majority of those in the audience raised their hands in a sign of agreement that yield signs are yellow and black. That was the correct answer, many years ago when members in the audience first learned about yield signs. Years after the audience members learned the yellow and black color scheme the yield signs across the country changed to red and white.

Folks knew intellectually that the signs were no longer yellow and black, but they “learned” this earlier in their lives and knowledge proves difficult to unlearn. This provides a powerful lesson about our need to unlearn old knowledge in order to modernize our thinking as to what is true today. And it shows the challenge. That which leaders learned early on in their careers, or in leadership schools, often stifles their growth with their inability to unlearn.

The world is changing at an exponential pace, but oftentimes our educational leaders and our educational systems are not. This experience (with the yield sign) was an epiphany of sorts for both us that has led us to look at educational leadership through the lens of unlearning.

Horace Mann is credited with saying
“Education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery.”

Now, more than ever, with the nation becoming an ethnic “minority-majority” leaders need to unlearn and to unleash powerful innovation in the new reality. Today is far different from yesterday. Leaders must get out from behind their desks and integrate doing and empowering others with managing and leading from a 30,000 ft. view.

Since 1983 our nation’s schools have been at risk. Since 2002 we have been leaving no child behind. Now with ESEA reauthorization, we are getting ready for every student to succeed. In order for every student to succeed, school leaders must unlearn the old ways and learn and practice leadership through innovative methods and courageous actions.

Representing careers in leadership and public education spanning many decades and impacting thousands of K-12 students and teachers, we are sharing a passion for excellence in education with the leadership lessons and insights throughout this book. We serve as educational leaders as part of a larger calling to serve. We wrote this book as part of this calling.

Students in each grade level have but one chance to experience that grade level. Students don’t have time to wait. We mentioned a sense of urgency – the urgency is that the 19th-century structures no longer serve as relevant to the needs of modern society. Why has it been so hard to change structures in schools? We submit that it is part of the challenge of unlearning. “Everyone” has attended school – they have a construct as to what it should be.

We are learned leaders in the education space. We too were schooled in traditional, 19th-century structures though we have enjoyed success and fulfillment. And we are from another era than our students. It’s incumbent upon us as leaders to demonstrate organizational agility and flexibility so that the current needs of children are reflected in the nation’s schools. We have a moral imperative, an economic imperative, a pedagogical imperative and leadership imperative to unlearn.

Just because our teachers, leaders, members of elected boards of education, parents, grandparents, and the community at large learned what school is – in another era – that does not mean we current leaders need to lead for nostalgia. Nostalgia has a place – in museums and other venues, but not in schools. Unlearning an individual’s experiences proves quite difficult. Learning is wired and challenging to unlearn.

Policymakers don’t know what is current in education – they know what made them successful and happy – they don’t know what is needed now since often they are many levels removed from schooling. Yet it is policymakers who are credited with legislating mandates, standards, expectations, training, rules, etc. yet they base their views on their own construct of education and schooling – that of nostalgia.

We wrote this book because nostalgic policies might be destroying public education. Nostalgic experiences are actually incongruous with the information generation. Voices in telephone devices can restate the 50 state capitals – that doesn’t mean it’s not important to learn the 50 state capitals, it means that memorization is not the only form of “learning” anymore. Just because you, your mother, your aunt, your grandfather, and his great grandfather also memorized capitals in 4th grade does not mean that it’s relevant for today’s youth.

We wrote this book because leaders who unlearn and innovate make possible opportunities for children. We wrote this book because leaders can unlearn ways of the past to create new and relevant futures. We wrote this book because so many great coaches and mentors and friends guide and support our unlearning and we feel called to share and illustrate how unlearning is impacting systems in our care. The time is now to change, unlearn, create a new system and a new construct of structures for schooling – we have the knowledge and we have the will, let’s unlearn together!

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Global Leadership at International Conference – #112Leads

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.” -Lao Tzu

Joining educational leaders from across the United States, China, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia, Costa Rica, Finland, Singapore, & Canada, I represented North Shore School District 112 at the Fifth Annual Conference of Global K-12 Education Research Association in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China.

 

( Their website will be updated with information from this conference within a few weeks).

Through my leadership roles within the education community, including training aspiring superintendents, teaching at the graduate education level, presenting at conferences, and authoring books & journal articles, I am informed about conferences & symposia on global education issues.

I learned about this particular educational conference from the (AASA)American Association of School Administrators (AASA).

Together with superintendents and educational leaders from the nations mentioned above, and leaders from the following states in the USA: IL, MA, IA, CT, VA, AZ, OH, MD, VA, & WI, I was invited to present a speech to an audience of local (Chinese) educators, administrators, & local civic officials. Many of us presented speeches and shared presentations with one another and our Chinese hosts and local educators.

This year’s conference topic was Cultivating Student Leadership Skills. This topic is near and dear to me as I recently co-wrote the book Student Voice: From Invisible to Invaluable (2018 Rowman & Littlefield) with fellow Illinois superintendents Nick Polyak and PJ Caposey.

Coincidentally, and unrelated to this conference, our

Draft of Chinese Language Edition Book Cover – Student Voice: From Invisible to Invaluable

book is being translated into Chinese through a partnership between our publisher and Hohai University Press in China. The Chinese version will be released within the year.

 

The family with two children (pictured here) invited me to their home for dinner and a visit. This was one of the highlights of the experience!

 

In addition to the honor of speaking before my peers and international colleagues, I had the additional benefit to learn and grow as a leader and as a person through the depth of knowledge of the other speakers, the cultural learning opportunities, including a visit with a family whose

children attend the school we were visiting. This was my second trip to China on an international educational experience. My first trip was with the College Board, and it focused on forming partnerships to establish a Chinese language program in the school District (this is still on my vision/plan for our District as we expand our global learning opportunities).

For this trip, the primary goal was to gain more leadership and practice insights into cultivating student leadership skills to bring back and apply in the school District where I serve as the superintendent. One of the presenters from whom I learned is a professor at Harvard University’s school of Education, Dr. Randolph-Michael Testa. And another distinguished speaker was 91 years old Chinese educator Dr. Gu Mingyuan. In addition, as this was the 25th anniversary of the Shijiazhuang Foreign Language Educational Group (SFLEG), our host institution, we learned from their principal and others from the school. One of the delegates is a professor and administrator at Drake University in Iowa as well.

The overarching theme was Cultivating Student Leadership Skills and many of the presentations discussed research, practice, and programming PK-12-university-post baccalaureate with respect to that cultivation (the student is a child of ages 3-18 and an adult ages 19-??).

Throughout many of us identified what leadership is to us. for example, the professor from Harvard University stated that leadership is “helping other people to be better as they serve others”. Overall messaging was related to we leaders brining in joy to our communities through service and capacity building. Through moving from “why” to “how” we are able, in our own unique ways, to make the world a far better place for us all.

One of the greatest reinforcing “takeaways” for me is the synergy between the school (District) and the local governments, the civic groups (eg Rotary), the local businesses (eg Chamber of Commerce), students, teachers, staff, administrators, parents, grandparents, and the overall entirety of the community.

My view is community capitalism (of course where I was visiting has a slightly different view of community) — nonetheless, regardless of political ideology or economic system orientation or preference, this professional learning experience reinforced for me the need for global communication, partnership, study, relationship building, and dialogue.

Through travel, relationship building, open mindedness to new people and ideas, we leaders can help our local communities see and hear views

Practicing Tai Chi at the “playground” (stadium) at the school in the mountains that partners with SFLEG (our host school group). We had the opportunity to experience education, culture, history, and engagement.

via other lenses and viewpoints. We highly value diversity of thought, opinion, and experience; through opportunities like attending and presenting at this conference, I can “walk the walk” with other leaders by doing the learning in support of my leading!

As a point of reference, scale in China is HUGE from my mid-American perspective. Overall, it is the most populous nation on earth, it is one of the oldest cultures on earth, and it’s cities are among the world’s largest.

The scale of the airport (in Beijing), the high-speed train stations in Beijing and in Shijiazhuang were massive. The traffic and the orderly flow of life with so many people is mind-boggling and quite impressive. The scale of the school campus, itself, was massive. The campus hosts about 10,000 students in grades PK-12. There are buildings that resemble college campus buildings and museums. I’m sharing some images to attempt to show and explain the scale about which I am writing:

Their “playground” area that looks like a college or even professional sports complex.

Photo of our group of delegates in front of one of the buildings – the school buildings – on campus.😒

View of the train station in Shijiazhuang (high speed trains that travel around 300km/h)

View in the intermediate building from the middle gallery/display area.

Me at the entrance to one of the buildings on campus.

View of the senior high school building on campus.

Image in the Beijing Airport

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are activities for kindergarten-12th grade students that are also awe-inspiring. These include woodworking and culinary arts for K-12 students, art galleries of student work that rival museum and art gallery displays and the sheer size of the logistics and operations. Students are in school for many hours compared to our standards, for example, the children in high school are at school from around 7am to 9pm daily – then they study until about 1 or 2 in the morning … 5-6 days per week. Again – the “scale” is simply very large and quite different from our system.

So, “at the end of the day” so to speak, what does this all mean?

  • Well there are many meanings – first, and foremost, we educational leaders are lifelong learners and we demonstrate that by attending and participating in conferences and symposia like this one to learn and apply that learning to our local settings.
  • There are universal desires in terms of maximizing student success and learning at the K-12 level from leaders in the east, west, and in between.
  • We can only get better by learning and sharing perspectives with people from all parts of our globe.
  • When a mission statement calls for global competencies, it’s incumbent on the leader to actually go out into the globe …and learn so that the competencies may be developed and refined.
  • In our school District, we’re on the path toward greatness with our motto of Inspire, Innovate, Engage!
  • In our School District, this year’s “Big 3” focus areas are aligned with international best practices and implementation areas.
  • Finally, it takes a village (of the right people) to raise and support a child — every child is a winner and every child deserves equitable access to excellent educational opportunities.

 

Through leadership opportunities and experiences like those in which I have just participated at the K-12 GERA, our District, its schools, the students we serve and the teachers and support staff we support will become even better and stronger and more impactful than if we limit our views and experiences through narrow lenses of local existence and paradigms.

I’m grateful to the Board of Education for supporting broad-based educational experiences for our students and its leaders and educators. I’m grateful to the professional leadership organizations for unending support and creative growth opportunities. I’m grateful for outstanding superintendents, professors, headmasters, principals, and others for supporting my leadership and stretching my points of views and skill sets.

Stay informed about our District via our website, Twitter hashtag #112Leads, Podcast, Lighthouse 112, Facebook Pages, and news & information!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lighthouse-112/id1448905937

 

Listen to a Podcast episode containing the audio transcript of the speech I presented:

 

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Thankful for our success #Engage109

“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual.”
– Henry David Thoreau

Happy Thanksgiving!

In our school district we have so much to be thankful for. As we approach the end of calendar year 2017, it’s nice to reflect upon how we are meeting the needs for ALL children in the Deerfield Public Schools District 109. As we reflect upon the transformational changes in our district over the past five years, including but not limited to:

Full day kindergarten, Transformative technology/1:1 environments, Instructional coaching structural changes, Communication Media Arts and Science Technology Engineering (the arts) and Engineering (STEAM), Construction (science labs, SMART labs, libraries of the future, engaging classroom furniture, National Blue Ribbon awards, award winning administrators, strategic plan, and more!)

we say THANK YOU to the Board of Education, Teachers, Support Staff, Students, Parents, and all engaged in the District 109 journey!

Sharing a note of thanks I sent to the DPS109 community earlier this week:

Dear District 109 Parents, Grandparents, Staff and Community Members,

In our District and the communities we serve, we have an abundance for which to be thankful. Thank you all for your support, communication, respect, and partnership in the education of our students. The success of our schools is directly related to our many connections and positive relationships.

At last week’s Board of Education meeting, the administration presented an overview of our award-winning student performance as shown on the official Illinois Report Card. The report card provides a variety of information about the District, and each individual school, including demographic information, finances, average class size, and the academic progress of our students.

You can view the 2017 report cards:

The information on academic progress is primarily based on the results of the PARCC test for our students in grades 3-8, specifically in the areas of mathematics and English language arts. But please know that the PARCC results are just one data point; we rely on multiple methods of review and assessment including MAP assessments, the BrightBytes survey, student engagement, and organizational culture. Each child is far more than a test score!

Some report card highlights in our District include:

Closing Achievement Gaps: Over the past three years, our focus on helping all students succeed has led to a drastic drop in achievement gaps.

Exemplary Performance: All six District 109 schools are in the top 80 schools in the state (of almost 4,000 schools ranked), and Walden ranks 13th. These rankings include magnet schools that admit only high-achieving students. You can view a summary of the results, which Dr. Anthony McConnell, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning & Innovation, presented.

5Essentials Survey
You’ll notice one set of measures missing from our reports on the Illinois Report Card under school environment the 5Essentials results. We are required to distribute the 5Essentials survey to parents, staff and students (grades 3-8) every two years. Last year, we did not meet the response threshold to have results included on our report cards. We believe that this is an important measure, and we will again ask our community take this survey.Here is an in-depth description of the survey from the University of Chicago/5Essentials website:

5Essentials is an evidence-based system designed to drive improvement in schools nationwide—it reliably measures changes in a school organization through the 5Essentials Survey and provides individualized, actionable Reports for each school. The 5Essentials system is based on more than 20 years of research by the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research on five components found to be critical for school success:

  • Effective Leaders
  • Collaborative Teachers
  • Involved Families
  • Supportive Environment
  • Ambitious Instruction

Parents and staff: please look for the link to the 5Essentials survey in the coming weeks, and take a few minutes to share your perspective. (We don’t yet have a date for the release of the survey, but expect that we’ll send it to our community sometime in January.) Students in grades 3-8 also will receive an email with a link to a student survey to their school email address. Parents of students in grades 3-8: Per Board Policy 7:15, if you do not wish your child to participate in the 5Essentials survey, please email Cathy Kedjidjian (ckedjidjian@dps109.org) by end of day on Monday, December 4, with your child’s name, school and grade.

Transportation Fee Review: Your Input
Finally, we are asking the Board of Education to review the District’s fee philosophy in general, and transportation fees in particular. Please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey about transportation fees; the Board of Education will carefully review and discuss the results at an upcoming meeting.

Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you for allowing us to engage, inspire and empower our students, our community, and each other!

Sincerely,

Mike

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The Wow Factor – #engage109 #suptchat

Great things in business are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people.”
– Steve Jobs

Every day in every classroom everywhere, student voices should be filling the halls, rooms, gymnasiums, cafeterias, playgrounds, buses, everywhere with “WOW” language.

At some recent professional leadership learning conferences I was WOWED with the experience, the possibility for extending that “wow” to all of the students and staff I serve, and reminded we CAN and we MUST WOW our communities!

As educators we have a gift in our calling to serve, teach and lead. The gift is creating the WOW every day for every child. Each child has but one year to spend with us (typically we have children in our grade level for one academic year). We adults get “do overs” annually but the children have but one time to be a 1st grader, an 8th grader, etc. Thestudents do NOT get “do overs” – we owe them WOW moments.

I believe we owe the students WOW moments all the time. My role as a superintendent of schools and a national leader affords me incredible opportunities to both have and create WOW moments. Wow moments for my own development as a leader, wow moments for colleagues and peers through national, statewide and regional leadership, and most important – helping others create WOW moments for students and staff.

Todd Whitaker (highly respected educational leader, professor, author, and speaker) says “10 days in a row” – meaning we must engage, inspire, empower – every day – every child – every learning encounter. In education our profession is too critical to mess up – to create wow moments 7 out of 10 days for example. 10 days in a row … we must do this because the students rely on us to be ready for them and to provide limitless opportunities for them every day.

The past few weeks have been quite busy for me professionally as I have participated at the state superintendent conference, an executive briefing at Apple in Cupertino, CA, I also attended a Visible Learning conference with John Hattie (himself perhaps the greatest research aggregator of our modern times), and I co-led the American Association of School Administrator (AASA) Digital Consortium Fall Conference in Seattle, WA with my good friend Nick Polyak.

At the Digital Consortium Fall Conference we spent time at three schools in the Highline School District; we also spent time at the Museum of Flight and Boeing in Seattle, WA.

So at Apple and at Boeing we educational leaders got to learn first hand what jobs are needed today as well as tomorrow at two of the planets most impactful companies. We got to see what a modern, contemporary workspace looks like. We got to see what a factory in 2017 looks like – it’s a lot different than the factory of 1917 for which the foundation of US public schooling is built. We thought leaders are doing great work disrupting archaic organizational structures in preparation for 2017 – and for 2020, 2025, and beyond.

At Apple and at Boeing I was WOWED around every corner – I cannot share photos because we are not permitted to take or share photos (corporate protection is real and necessary) though I can share with you how and why I was wowed – but more importantly and far more impact-fully I can share how and why we can and must provide WOW moments for every student every day.

I can share photos from the Museum of Flight – I am sharing photos throughout the text of this post.

While we were engaging in US and world history discussions as well as science and technology history discussions and math and engineering discussions, we were WOWED.

We learned about sociology, manufacturing, coding, computer programming, photography, digital photography, national security and more. We were engaged in our learning. We were provided both whole group and small group learning experiences. Our docent was able to differentiate, individualize and even personalize our experiences. We were learners – we were learning – we were engaged, inspired, and empowered. We connected our own interests, knowledge, and thoughts with the content (the exhibits). We were able to imagine, think, … learn.

In our 30-60 minute lesson at the Museum of Flight, and during our visits to the innovative schools in Highline, we were wowed and we saw wowed lessons and experiences. These experiences included students explaining to us what competency based learning means (i.e. take a year of Spanish in a few months for credit and advancement at the high school); what individualized pacing with artificial intelligence looks like (i.e. with advanced curricular resources); in addition, we learned about how the principals and teachers were building cultures of excellence and managing change. On behalf of Students, Staff, and community!

Our challenge, and as Nick and I write about in the Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today, and what Nick and PJ and I write about in Student Voice: From Invisible to Invaluable, is to provide true and meaningful engagement for ALL students – every day.

We can do it – we have the knowledge and we must have thecourage. As always, I welcome comments!