Welcome back!

What is that I hear? It's like a buzzing sound...laughter....energy....teachers....yes; we are back in action! These first few days officially back in school never get old. It's like a new beginning. I heard words and was involved in conversations this week centered around: belief, students, goals, and focus. Twitter is lighting up with positive celebrations coming out of each of our @WaukeshaSchools.

Principal leadership and teacher leadership does have an effect on student outcomes. We know this. Your leadership matters! Your capacity to believe in your shared vision, work as a team to create ownership, and then commit to these actions with each and every student that walks in our doors next week....is what makes the true magic happen!

You are needed and valued. Needed not just by that student who walks into your building next week, but by that teacher across the hall from you, that assistant working with you and that administrative team that has prepared a pathway to success. Be ready, be your best....and Waukesha leaders....be ready to change the world!

Connecting in the 'Sha

Last week in the 'Sha, was full of positive energy as we welcomed new teachers to the School District while connecting and learning together during our PSI Learning Institute.

"Captain Redshirt....Be the Tortoise....Be here when the kids are here...read the CONNECT....check your email....The School District of Waukesha is a WONDERFUL place to teach, work and lead!"

#countdowntogreatness  #connecting  #learning  #leadership  #wevalueYOU

Countdown to Greatness

It was the week before our August Learning Institute and all through the 'Sha, the Administrators and Coordinators were giving it their all! A sad opener with a holiday rhyme, but it came to me..just in time.

Monday and Tuesday of this week, every school Principal in Waukesha presented their School Improvement Process, along with Coordinators presenting their department goals. Each plan was grounded in leadership actions around vision, high leverage practices, professional development, progress monitoring and data communication (L1-L5).

Some of the highlights from our reviews together include:

* A district-wide focus on literacy and math achievement for all students.

* A focus to build the capacity of teachers to meet students needs and grow opportunities for the teaching and learning community.

* Every school is operating off of a similar school improvement format that is connected to Educator Effectiveness and the SLO framework.

* Professional sharing and collaboration is strong among school teams.

* School improvement plans are focusing on maximizing student achievement at every level.

We know that any improvement process takes focus and hard work on, "keeping the main thing, the main thing".  Having every leader in our district focus on literacy, and every teacher leader focusing deeply on refining specific strategies related to literacy and inquiry-based classrooms, our students are sure to benefit!

Each leader in our district is focusing on implementing the priorities we already have in place. Looking at the change model image above, we have always been good at continuously initiating things, but the true mark of greatness, is to have all schools living in that next phase of implementation and then eventually refining our work so that it becomes fully integrated into all classrooms and schools across the system.

Our focus is to keep our organization moving forward on a positive path of growth. The only way to really successfully and sustainably move our schools forward is to work together, as a team. I look forward to supporting you on your journey to integration, student growth and achievement! 

#Countdowntogreatness