Make sure to read the Article "The Power o PLCs" lised below...
Do we as a school understand the key concepts necessary to make progress as a PLC?
Have we come to grips with the current reality of our school? Good and Bad…
Are we “seeing with new eyes” are we ready to “confront the brutal facts”?
This article talked about the power of teachers leading teachers. I worked at a very large high school in Los Angeles
Here I am again:) I just finished the article and I left with two thoughts...I have heard so many of these things this last year and YEAH, we are not the only school that has had to overcome such objections. We know who we are...who is acting as a road block, who just needs a little push and who is already in the driver's seat.
ReplyDeleteOur staff needs to see and understand what a productive PLC is...we all need a reminder that it is not just sitting and talking about an assignment or a few people creating some great stuff and the rest just using that. It is a group working together with student achievement at the core.
I have said before that I believe our school has a lot of people that want to learn better ways of teaching and assessing students and I believe we have a lot of people on our campus that truly want to move into this process. However, we have a small but loud group that believes they are already doing the best for kids and they do not need to change. I think that is facing the brutal truth:) Just like we try and teach our own children, we keep moving forward. We refuse to let a small group of negative people keep us doing the same old, same old. I have found myself banging my head against a wall, literally at times, because people have used the term PLC as some new "mandate that is going to make us work even harder then we already are." I absolutely believe that once we as a staff committ to the process it will make our teaching lives easier. What could be better then more ideas and authentic ways of working with kids?
I struggle with the leadership part at times...I tend to be very vocal but I have a hard time with people being "upset" with me. I know personally I need to take the training I have been gifted and stop allowing others to hinder the process. I need to care a lot less about what the negatives say and be honest when we are talking about what is truly best for the kids. We need to spend more time in PLC's then we have...there needs to be a set agenda and a clear action plan and then time to truly look at the results and make changes from there. This is something I pray for...thicker skin. Our students deserve it...my daughter is a Ustach student and deserves it. As Laura reminds me often, if change was easy wouldn't everyone do it! As a leader, I would like more time to come together with other leaders, even once a month, to go over challenges and achievements. Am I getting too preachy? Okay, I will stop.
In answer to your questsions:
ReplyDelete1. No, we as a school do not understand the key concepts. Some of us get it and some of us don't.
2. Yes, deep down I think we all know the good and the bad at our site. However I think we tend to spend a lot more time working with the good and brushing aside the bad.
3. No, we are not all seeing with new eyes, some are and some aren't.
and lastly
4. Are we ready to lead? Yes, I believe that we have a good core group of teachers who are actively trying to make changes to help our students, however, we as a leadership team have to find a way of presenting the true core ideas of PLC to the rest of the staff in a way that doesn't make it seem like just another gimmick that will be rolled out and then dropped in a few months due to lack of interest (we have seen many concepts come and go in the last 11 years). There are teachers who are resisting the change and it is not fair to place all of the responsibility for encouraging these teachers onto the teacher leaders, the administration is going to have to step in and let these teachers know that this is the way that we need to go if we are to truly help all of our students. After just one year I am already weary of the struggle and we are still in the early stages of the process.
From Nick Stever:
ReplyDeleteLisa,
I agree with you that it is time for the administration to lead. I also agree that we have some very strong teacher leaders that are ready and willing to lead but just need to be clear on the direction. That lack of direction is not unique to the Stach. We need to spend some quality time discussing the key concepts of PLCs as a leadership team and then equip ourselves to tackle the rest of the staff. This will be a struggle but if we stick together and do what is best for students, it will turn out to be an incredibly rewarding year!
Enter Yvette!!
ReplyDeleteAs I read “The Power of PLCs” article, my mind drifted back to my days at Riverbank High School. We had a WASC accreditation self-study looming, and I was asked by my principal to be a self-study coordinator. Accepting this task, along with 3 other colleagues, thrust me into a “teacher leader” position. The WASC self-study process was like the PLC process because it required the entire staff to work in focus groups to “see with new eyes,” “confront brutal facts” and see the current reality with “new eyes” regarding all aspects of the comprehensive school program from curriculum to expected school wide learning results to school climate and culture. The WASC self-study process is teacher-led, and culminates in a 100+ page TEACHER WRITTEN document that examines the “state of the school” and then articulates an action plan to improve student achievement.
We were scared out of our minds. Really? As three new teachers, and the equivalent of teacher “tweens” were going to get people like the math teacher who had been at RHS since 1967 to confront the brutal truth? To reflect on current practice? To see the 2002 picture in the 1967 frame? Sure, whatever. We banged our heads together, ate chocolate, and slept little as we planned meetings with tasks, discussion points, and outcomes for THEM.
RHS also had a history of administrative turnover, and during my 6 year tenure at RHS, I worked under 3 principals. The WASC process started with principal #1 and ended under principal #3. That said, there was no “Big Brother” to hold us accountable for even completing the WASC process. The teachers, though, cleaved to us self-study coordinators, and completed their thoughtful examination of our school and what we needed to do to improve. This was no miracle. RHS, like Ustach, believed in doing what was best for kids, and RHS was not going lose its accreditation, not on our watch. To date, the WASC self-study coordinator experience is one of the highlights of my career.
While the WASC process, does have a follow-up process, it is different than becoming a PLC which asks us to change the way we do business on a day to day basis.
I shared the RHS story to make the following points related to Ustach and “The Power of PLCs article”:
1. It ain’t easy to be a teacher leader. Nick has a structure in place for this coming year for he and I to support you. We have faith in you. Proximity is your friend, and as “The Power of PLCs” article suggests, teachers are influenced more by their departments, and as Nick said, lasting, effective change is teacher-led.
2. Nick and I have been told that we are administrators #26 and #27 in Ustach history. As “The Power of PLCs” article states, we are charging the staff to not just “do a PLC” until we leave, but to “BE A PLC” no matter who the administration is.
Ultimately, I want each of you to know that as we continue the journey, please know I am here to support you, and I have been and am “still in your shoes.”
Comments from Linda:
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line for me.
1. I believe PLCs are effective. I want to improve student education, so I am willing to make improvements myself and be involved in the PLC at Ustach.
2. SUSD wants PLCs. This is not an option for teachers, so let's get yer done! (that's suppose to be funny)I am committed to my students,co-workers and administration to get this going at Ustach.
I look forward to a productive year and working with all.
1. I can't speak for the school as a whole, but as Lisa stated "some get it and some do not."
ReplyDelete2. Come to grips? I think those that have been around know how best to work with the different departments and individuals, after all is said and done I tend to agree with Lisa that we as a school tend to work more on the good and tend to overlook those bad or negative things that stop us from being productive.
3. I have not been in the trenches. I don't know what the brutal facts are, I can only say that I am open to working with others for the common good of our school. Again, I agree with Lisa we can be ready on our end as teacher leaders, but administrative support will be key.