Positive Brand Advocates for Education

As instructional leaders, principals, teachers, and school employees, we must be positive, "net promoters" of our schools and professional organizations. Public education has been the dumping ground for far too many people. As professionals, it is our duty to deflect detractors and negativity being said. People are quick to be critical of education, our schools, and our professional organizations. It is our duty as ambassadors to our students and advocates for our schools to bring to light all the amazing practices that are taking place in our schools.

We are in the business of human beings, and for most of us, these are our little human beings. In addition to teaching them content, standards, and skills needed in the modern world, we are also modeling and teaching them how to be good, empathic, contributing citizens. Furthermore, we are dealing with more trauma, mental health, and social/emotional well-being than ever before. This is no easy task, but as professionals, we face and accept this challenge. Educators work unflaggingly to accomplish these important tasks by combining and intertwining content standards and expectations, individualizing and creating authentic, relevant, and meaningful experiences. On top of this, we are working to learn about and understand each child while providing care, understanding, challenge, and holding them to high expectations. Educators wear more hats and love more people in a day than most people do in an entire year.

We cannot allow people to continue to pass judgement and taint the climate and culture of education. We all need to work to be a part of the solution and not add to the problem. Are there ineffective teachers and leaders? Just as there are incompetent professionals and parents, it is the same for people working in the field of education. We don't categorize all doctors or parents as unqualified because of a few. The majority of educators does not fall into the classification of ineffective. We want to grow, develop, better ourselves and our students. What does this all mean?

We have to STOP being negative about our schools, our teachers, our leaders. We need to build bridges, not walls and support one another. We need to not give others permission to speak badly about education by adding to the negative dialogue. We need to cheer  out for our students, our staff, our teachers, and our districts. We need to bombard meetings, social media, inboxes with all of the amazing teaching and learning that is happening. We need to promote the amazing, collaborative professional learning we are experiencing and how we are applying it in our districts. Being a neutral or passive promoter is no longer enough to combat the negativity.

Speak up; share. Be an upstander for education, our professional organizations, our schools, and our teachers. Yell it, tweet it, snap it, post it. A great deal of love, care, innovation, and dedication is present in education. People are only going to know what they see and hear. What type of message are you sharing?

Positive Outcomes of the 2014-15 School Year

After a great deal of reflection, analysis, and assessment of this past school year, I am quite pleased at all of the gains our staff and students have made. It has not been easy. We have had our fair share of challenges especially those placed on us by legislative mandates, but we have worked together as a team to overcome those challenges and show outstanding growth in so many areas.

Teachers have been working for four years on aligning curriculum to career and college readiness standards, and for the last two years, they have been putting this curriculum in maps to pace the content, develop activities and assessments to secure the needed skills, differentiate to the needs of all students, and incorporate 21st Century Skills: collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. All of our teachers made gains on transforming their instruction. 

The outcome of all this work is our students excelling in their NWEA map testing. Our student averages are above grade level and the majority of our students are proficient across all subjects.

On top of assessment data, we have 19 students who maintained high honors all 4 years of middle school. This speaks to the work-ethic and determination of these students. 

All staff have worked to understand and participate in our new safety protocols, including A.L.I.C.E drills, the required state safety drills, first response drills, and health-related awareness training. 

Families have worked hard to keep their students in attendance during the school year, and our daily average attendance has increased in all grades to an outstanding 98% in 5th grade; 96% in grades 6 and 7; and 95% in 8th grade with a building average of 96%. We even had four 8th grade students receive four years of exceptional attendance awards. Attendance does matter and is directly related to student achievement, and our families and students are working hard to establish this strong foundation. 

We continued our efforts with Olweus bully prevention by having weekly classroom meetings. Our students reported a decrease by 50% in being afraid of bullying at school, and our 2nd year data reports that now 7% of students fear of being bullied at school. We had six confirmed cases of bullying and consequences included parent contact, reflection forms, detentions, and two cases of suspension. In addition to our classroom meetings, the staff and students worked on service projects to help teach empathy to students. The middle school developed strong connections and supported our Manchester community, other local communities, and even venues across the world. 

Along with student council, Manchester Voices, FUPT60, and Buildings Club we continued to work with the community to build student leaders. This year we had students win state, national, and international awards and recognition. We are so proud of our students.

The 2014-15 school year has been a success. We have enjoyed our students, pushing them to be their best, and hope they have made you as proud as they have us. I appreciate the staff--all of the staff involved in supporting our students and helping them be successful this year. From the very first smile on the bus by the driver, to the support staff and teachers bonding on a daily basis, to the help with lockers from the custodian, and serving the lunches with a smile and the comment "enjoy," the MMS staff care,  and I am sure they are as proud as I am in all the accomplishments they have had this year. Have a great summer! 

What a Great Start to the New School Year!

Staying positive is easier when you focus on positive people, positive situations, and positive outcomes. For this blog, I want to focus on some of the positive influences and practices in our district.

First, it is exciting to have many of our initiatives and leadership roles being streamlined. For the first time in years, it feels like we are working smarter and not harder. Our main district initiatives are focused on student achievement through technology integration, curriculum mapping, and data to drive instruction which are all a part of the teacher evaluation systems AND supported by thoughtful professional development. This sets the framework for a successful year.

Second, the right, qualified staff members are falling into place. Starting the year out with three staff members down was a challenge, but I am very excited about the people we have to fill those positions. The building feels ready to tackle the new school year and make the best of it.

Third, staff and students are back with smiling faces. Being happy, having fun, and laughing are all key to being positive and in turn having a successful, rewarding school year. I will continue several initiatives and create new ones to continue to foster a culture of happy, positive employees and students.

• We will continue our "Caught Being Good" student program where teachers submit student names for being good. We recognize them on the PA system and give students a prize.
• We will continue our "Golden Apple Award" for staff who are team players and go above expectations for our students.
• We will continue our "Successory Program" where students submit slips for staff who have helped make them more successful.
• I will pass out positivity cards with personal notes of appreciation.
• I will send home postcards to students who stand out.
• I will encourage staff and students to laugh, enjoy education, and have fun.
• I will model positivity to all.

Here's hoping all those in the field of education have a positive and successful 2014-15 school year! 

Starting a Positivity (Successory) Program

While we are using the "Successory" [Suhk-ses-uh-ree] program in the educational setting, it could/should be applied to any organization to promote positivity and recognize people.

During a John Draper's engaging presentation on public schools to county-wide educators (teachers, support staff, and administration), he mentioned that we need to work harder at sharing the positive word. Too many people are talking negatively about our teachers, students, and the institution of public education, and it is our job as public educators to not get sucked into that practice. While we may have difficult, burdensome jobs, we are in it to make a difference. Instead of talking about all the struggles (and we know that legislative reps have added to our burden), we need to focus on sharing the good, positive, and accomplishments that happen each and every day in our classrooms, buildings, and districts. Administrators have the job to be a positive ambassador of the schools/districts, but our teachers are the front men and women that the public find the most creditable.

Last year, we started with a "caught being good" program for our students that helps recognize students who are nice to others or doing something that demonstrates good character. This year, we started the "successory" program for our staff, and it is a wonderful way to recognize all that our teachers, support staff, and even administrators are doing.

Our student council group leads the "successory" program at Manchester Middle School. Student reps went to their advisory classes to explain the program and actually have all students in their class write successory slips to a staff member. The reps defined successory (someone who has helped me on my way to success) and then collected the slips which included the following content: I am:, I want to thank ____ for helping me!, Thank you for:, a signature, and a date. Student council also talked about the drop off boxes and extra slips in the office, media center, and cafeteria where students could complete the slips anytime. For our first delivery, student council reps decorated envelops for the slips and made sure everyone had some. One 5th grade teacher received over 60 from all grades in the building, including from 8th graders! Our office staff, bus drivers, food service, paras, and custodial staff all received slips. I was even quite surprised to receive four slips myself. Student council tries to distribute slips about once a marking period so that everyone can be recognized. The program is very cool, but the effects are even more rewarding.

Many of the slips made staff cry; it was the most appreciated they have felt in years. Even though I and the parent group also try to recognize staff and tell them how much we appreciate them, it was getting the recognition from the students that made the biggest impact. Many staff members hang their slips by their desks to help remind them of their influence and that they are making such an astounding difference. Even staff are completing slips for other staff. HERE IS THE BEST PART, I decided to start spotlighting a staff member on our school Facebook page and include a couple of student comments for that teacher each day. I am advertising all our successes; parents and students are liking and commenting on our staff; and the positivity is spreading. Here's an example of a Facebook update.

I encourage you to implement this program in your building/schools ASAP. Help spread the positivity. 

Sample Form