Leadership and Planning - Week 3

So, after reading the Tune In article, I remembered that I was a member of Generation X. I remember hearing that term in college and I didn't think much of it. After all, I was never really into Pearl Jam or Nirvana, was not a latch-key kid while growing up, and certainly did not reject the rules. I just didn't seem to fit that group.

I look at the description of Millennials, and I see that in some of our newer teachers. They are really team-focused and generally upbeat. We are now working on taking a few of the stronger people and mentoring them for leadership roles within the schools. Hopefully, we can make them into long-term faculty at our school and they can become our future leaders.

I really enjoyed the Who Moved My Cheese video. It was fun matching up people I know and work with to the characters in the story. As I spent time with people today I found it hard not match them to one of the characters.

For the next couple of classes we need to be online early. I am looking forward to the lessons and wonder what could be in store. Talk to you all next week.

Leadership and Planning - Week 2

Data. It has become a really important part of how schools operate in today's environment. We have spent a lot of time in the last year looking at scores and focusing on data driven instruction (DDI).

We recently invested in some software to help us analyze and compare scores. We will be able to quickly look at scores of standardized tests, school tests, term grades, and more. We will also be able to look at data based on gender, grade level, ethnicity and compare scores to absences and disciplinary records. We will be able to use this data to not only check our proficiency in different areas but we will also be able to watch trends so we can see who is at risk of dropping out so we can step in to help. This part of the program will look at live attendance, disciplinary, and grade data so the results may change day-to-day.

This is a new process this year and the software is going to be put into place this spring. Over the summer and into next fall our teachers and administration will be spending a lot of time sifting through data and looking to fill holes in our curriculum. This will be a big project and one that will hopefully make a positive difference in the performance of our students.

Leadership and Planning - Week 1

How do I lead in my school? Well, that is a question that is changing for me on a daily basis. For the last 10 years I have been the Director of Technology. I have been in charge of many large projects and initiatives. I have led our staff through changes to our student information system, changes with technology in the classroom, and professional development sessions regarding a number of different topics. I have improved many processes and procedures along the way like student registration, parent/student/teacher communication, and more.

Over the past 6 months, I have been asked to lead in different areas. In the last issue of our alumni newsletter, the Messmer Today, I was added to the list of administration for the first time (inside of the front cover). This spot has always been reserved for the very top leaders of our school.

I am now being asked to take over the disbursement of our Title funds, oversee additional personnel and departments, and taking on some larger, long-range projects. It is an exciting time and I am enjoying the changes. It will be interesting to see where this goes from here.