Leading for Coherence

Coherence in a word is impact.

One of my main leadership priorities is to help create conditions so that as a system we have the capacity to continue in a strong direction when it comes to our school improvement efforts. SAIL has helped build this leadership capacity through common structures and continuity across our district. We need to build a focused direction..where less is actually more.

How are you personally building your leadership competencies for whole system improvement?

Leadership as Learning

Leadership as Learning 

"Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing 

Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results"

 Through No Child Left Behind, the federal government encouraged our investment in  an unproven but ambitious belief that if we test children and hold educators responsible for improving test scores, we would have almost everyone scoring as “proficient” by 2014. Thus, we would achieve “equality.” This approach has not worked-it isn't working.  For many of us the National Crisis of education impact on students of color and others, suggests that we might be missing something. 

Here in SDW there are Leaders and Educators coming together to take a deeper look at the ways educators approach teaching and how practice directly impacts learning.  Pictured above, Coordinators, Teachers and Administrators collaborate around instructional rounds-engaging in deep conversation around access to learning.  These leaders are in a unique setting as they examine accessibility for students who are multilingual-and as such, these leaders are putting themselves into multilingual environments through the eyes of students and one of the predominant ways these students learn: through Oral Academic Language.  Academic Language Learners are all of us; however, the invisibility of the language needs of seemingly fluent speakers has caused the potential where the expectation and supports do not lead to learning.

See the Oral Academic Language Adult Learning Continuum HERE

The commitment and collaboration to this work will create the skill and the will to LEAD for access and equity.

SAIL & Serving ALL students

The way we teach individual students can vary greatly based on many factors.  How does the student learn best?  

Access - auditory, visually, kinesthetic, etcetera

Expression - speaking, writing, art, movement

Engagement - connection to the content, relationship with the teacher, social-emotional needs

Addressing individual needs can be daunting when there are 25 or more individual minds in the room and then some of those students have Individualized Education Plans and others are English Learners, and some have social-emotional needs, and others are gifted and talented. . . .

If we keep our head ‘in the game’ and consider the possibilities, what can we accomplish?  Consider your mindset and how that can affect your own engagement in the work.

Across the district, several school SAIL plans include components of inclusive practice.  The mission is to foster collaboration to narrow the achievement gap.   Consider how the Growth Mindset can impact the mission of every teacher in the school . . .

Leadership for Equity and Excellence

Chris Hedstrom and myself are in the midst of visiting all first year staff and I am just thrilled to see the hard work happening across classrooms and schools in our district! In my second year as Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, it feels so much better this year getting into more classrooms across our system. Last year at this time, I was helping to support 14 new Principals, but I am happy to say that our Administrators have stabilized and as we continue to support their leadership, we are also better able to integrate into classrooms to see the wonderful teacher leadership happening there as well!

SAIL teams remain focused on the clear instructional priorities set up for their schools and this consistency is helping bring coherence throughout our system. Our responsibilities as educators is huge and the only way that we can tackle the achievement gaps that persist, is through teamwork and a tight collaborative environment.



The climate of high expectations for all is a core value in the School District of Waukesha. To create equitable and excellent classrooms and schools, we need to make the commitment to this important work at the heart of all of our efforts.  Every day, every week, there might be an excuse that creeps in that poses a potential barrier to our high expectations for all students. However, those who succeed at any great endeavor know that we must be the ones to stay positively focused on changing the life trajectory for each student that comes before us. When we provide caring, respectful, appreciative, high-quality instruction for our learners, they respond. Thank you for leading with equity and excellence!

SAIL & Coherence - Cultivating Collaborative Cultures

“Using the group to change the group.” This is a quote that continues to stand out to me as I deepen my own learning around this important quadrant of Fullan and Quinn’s (2016) research regarding system coherence in conjunction with our collective SAIL work. This particular driver of collaborative culture is a dynamic force that leverages our collegial relationships and shared experiences in order to turn complex and fragmented “silos” of work into a focused, coherent force for positive change. There are four main components to hone in on when fostering a collaborative culture within your school building, which we can all contribute to and further develop.

1. Culture of Growth: Growth mindset anyone? We have all heard it and hopefully by now we all are on board with the fact that our mindset can make all the difference. Every action taken by our staff, especially those in shared leadership roles, can send ripples throughout the entire school building and system. Whether intended or unintended, we must be continually conscious of our and ensure we are supporting learning, innovation, and action that builds a culture of growth.
2. Learning Leadership: Shared leaders at all levels (system, district, school) must continually influence processes that support learning and working together in purposeful ways at every level of our school system if we want to produce great learning in students. It is essential to continually and intentionally orchestrate the work of all staff in order to maintain focus on collaboratively improving student learning (sound familiar?....SAIL!).
3. Capacity Building: Fullan defines capacity as the “capability of the individual or organization to make the changes required and involves the development of knowledge, skills, and commitments.” Collectively, this speaks to the necessity of all educators at all levels of the system making instructional adjustments required to raise the bar and close achievement gaps for all students.
4. Collaborative Work: Improving and entire system (school building) requires that every member of that system shift their practice in an aligned manner. Meaningful work done in collaboration with others is a natural motivator for human beings. If we want to move our buildings in a positive direction, we must pay attention to the degree of collaborative learning of the adults as well as the quality of capacity building at the individual level and as a whole.

CAL Summer Institute Returning Summer 2018

Global Education Quick List-Easy access links

Principals, counselors and teachers have now all been shared essential tools and resources to engage
9-12 students with the opportunity to earn the Wisconsin Seal of Biliteracy or/and the Global Scholar Award.  This year 29 States offer the Seal-our SDW students were the first in the State to earn it.

ALL SDW students have the potential to earn both or either awards.  Last year we graduates 47 students, this year there appear to be well over 100 who are already prepared to earn!

Special thanks to 9-12 School Counselors and Global Ed Leaders: Maria Meyers, Tim Smilanich, Leslie Abruzzo and Melanie Forman (these are your site contacts)

In the future, work will be underway to build the continuum of Global Education and pathway awards in grades 6-8 and K5-5th.

Global Education Quicksheet 9-12
Item	Purpose	Audience
Student sign up	REQUIRED student sign up link.  This sign up is the only way we will be able to ensure each student takes the required assessments.  It also serves as a communication tool between sites.	Students
Seal of Biliteracy 2017 Celebration Youtube	Celebratory video.  SDW graduates in 2017 were the FIRST and only graduates in the State of Wisconsin to earn this award.  29 states recognize their multilingual graduates.	Everyone, but particularly parents, students and staff
Youtube Video for Students and Parents in English Powerpoint for Parent Presentation	Information Video to stream to students with voice over, or for Staffing viewing in  preparation for Powerpoint Presentation to Parents	Students, Parents, Staff
GEAC/SEAL Pathways/courses Posters 9-12	Posters to place within schools/classrooms to publicize and inform about the two awards. Posters clearly outline requirements, criteria and courses for each award 9-12	School Community
sdwglobal.weebly.com	The Official Global Education Website.  The History, Awards, Student Portfolio Resources and Forms are all here.	Everyone, public
Global Ed Awards at a Glance	This information is posted on the website, but this is a quick glance sheet	Staff

First 100 days of SAILING.....A Time to Reflect

With September and 1/3 of your schools 100-day plan in the rearview mirror, take a few minutes to reflect on what it is that you set out to accomplish. 

• Theory of Action- Is it clear, concise and known by all?
• Milestones: Are they being accomplished with each passing week?
• Deepening Learning- Is new knowledge available for your journey toward increasing student achievement?
• Successes- Are great things occurring as a result of your efforts? How do you know? What does it look like?
• Celebrate your Accomplishments! Are your parents, students, and school community aware of your successes?

Celebrating a Reduction in Teacher Turnover!

From 2014-2017 the State has provided us with Waukesha data around teacher turnover. We are celebrating huge decreases in this area which we have a need to celebrate!

www.dreamstime.com

2014-15 10.64%  
2015-16  8.94%
2016-17 5.71%



The School District of Waukesha has been committed to recruiting and retaining high quality staff and our strategies and systems are working! One of our intentional strategies has been to visit all first and second year teacher classrooms in which we are doing through the months of October and November.

I love to be in gemba! Thank you Jeremy for reminding me of this term. Gemba (現場, also romanized as genba) is a Japanese term meaning "the real place." 
Our classrooms are the places where hard work and real action is occurring and so we are committed to supporting you in the place where you need it the most!

Thank you all for continuously increasing your levels of performance and engagement so that together we can increase student achievement across our system for all learners.