Mentions: latoyadixon5

Cognitive Engagement-The Missing Part of Professional Development

A week ago, during my participation in #leadupchat, I tweeted:

76 likes and 57 retweets later I recognized this resonated with my PLN and I began to wonder why it had such an amazing response from so many people. In addition my tweet was acknowledged by @BAMRadioNetwork as the top quoted tweet in education for the week. See more here: http://www.bamradionetwork.com/top-10-education-quotes/3600-top-10-education-quotes-this-week

This tweet is a reflection about my own cognitive engagement in my leadership and work. I’ve become a dedicated participant in #leadupchat because it cognitively engages me. Regardless of the topic, I find myself being able to deeply think about my work and my leadership when I participate in this chat every Saturday morning at 9:30 EST. However, I realize this kind of critical thinking doesn’t always happen for me during what I’ll call traditional style professional development. In fact, in most face to face PD that I’ve experienced I feel like an audience member being trained on what to do or focusing on making sure I am exhibiting good listening behavior. I’m ashamed to admit that sometimes I spend more time and effort in ensuring I am giving the impression that I am paying attention, rather than engaging in what’s being presented.

So after so many acknowledgments of this tweet, I began to think about how professional development has changed since the start of my career as an educator in 1999. I was stunned when I realized that other than the edcamp model, PD hasn’t really changed. It still follows the model of a presentation and listening style. We sit as audience members while someone trains us, shares with us, or shows us how to do something. We occasionally get a turn and talk opportunity with a partner or participate in a gallery walk to review the ideas or answers to questions posed to us written on large sticky note paper. These things are great ways to document conversation, but does it push us to think insightfully and critically about our work?

What’s Missing?
What happens when we disengage from years of the same “I do-you watch” style of professional development? Do we lose our empowerment to act and to enter into the cognitive space that leads us to believe that our actions impact our work?  When we fail to empower others, do we create doers or thinkers?  You know, those who say, “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it’?  Is this the prevailing feeling after a professional development session in education? Are we training or developing capacity in others to lead, think, and problem solve? Are we presenting a narrative of problems and directives? Or are we inviting others to think through and problem solve with us? Are we silencing the voice and thoughts of others because our focus is training and not development?

Somehow, I think we’ve missed the mark on this. Isn’t it odd that we push the methodology of the mini-lesson, guided practice, independent practice model in the classroom with students, but in our teaching of teachers, we abandon this approach all together? If being a reflective practitioner is an empowering way to improve our skills as leaders and learners, why do we leave this exercise as an independent act to be done after work? Is there a way for us to create an opportunity for teachers to do this as an embedded practice of professional development? I find this especially needed for administrators.

Leading is thinking and doing, yet an incredible amount of time is spent simply on doing. Have we emphasized the cognitive side of school leadership enough in school administration? Or have we created a situation that has pulled us away from being able to differentiate between the ability to get things done and the ability to do things right? Is there a better way to cognitively engage teachers and leaders so that it allows them to innovate and improve their efficacy? Are we really training instead of developing others? Training focuses on telling individuals what to do, while development gives individuals the opportunity to think about what to do, how to do it, and connect it to why it needs to be done. How often do we get the opportunity to work on our thinking? How does traditional PD perpetuate the doer vs. thinker model? Is it our allegiance to the presentation PD model in education that keeps us from breaking free from this? And if so, why? The process matters as much, if not more than the product.

What If…?
What if we approached professional development with a problem based or project based approach the way we approach student learning? Would teacher engagement increase? Would teacher innovation and efficacy increase? Would we develop more teacher leaders and improve the leadership efficacy of administrators? What if we applied the same methodologies for engaging students in the classroom to adult learning in professional development? What if we added more choice, differentiation, and more opportunity to actively learn and reflect on our individual preformance? What if we abandoned any professional development that followed the presentation style model of presenter speaks and audience listens? Last, but not least what if I’m wrong about this whole thing? I highly doubt that, but you never know.

As evidenced, this has led me to more questions than answers. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Tweet me @latoyadixon5 or leave your comments on my blog!

I’m on a never ending quest to improve my ability to think critically, insightfully, and reflect appropriately. Perhaps together we can create an opportunity for cognitive engagement for educators everywhere!

Until next time-be you, be true, be a hope builder!
Latoya
@latoyadixon5

Reflections on Accelerating Team Growth!

This morning I participated in #leadupchat. It’s every Saturday morning at 9:30 EST. I love it. When I start thinking about what I like about it and why I love it so much, I realize it’s mostly because it makes me think! Today’s topic was about accelerating the growth of team, identifying potential barriers to team growth, and monitoring the progress of team growth. I wanted someway to capture my thoughts so below you will find a compilation of my tweets from this morning’s chat:

1. We must remember the talents of an individual will never supercede the work of a team. One is never greater than ALL!
2. We need to remember that intellectual conflict is about attacking ideas, not people. I question ideas, but it’s not about you!
3. When you’re smack dab in the middle of something your view becomes routine. New eyes see things we overlook. Perspective matters.
4. Embrace conflict. Harmony feels good, but conflicting perspectives make collaborative solutions. Don’t be afraid of it.
5. Invite all perspectives to the table-even those we don’t understand/agree. The best compromises are born out of conflict.
6. We need analytical thinkers to make us better, not a bunch of “yes men”!
7. We’ve got a real problem in education with confronting the brutal facts. We end up working on symptoms instead of root causes.
8. Real problems call for real solutions. Don’t use band aids when you need an antibiotic. Be brave enough to face the facts.
9. Be honest about your current reality. Don’t use the “we need to be positive” to avoid dealing with the brutal truth.
10. Goal setting is a simple way to monitor progress. Set a goal, be strategic in action steps to reach it, check progress, repeat.
11. Selflessness takes intentional practice. Understand excellence isn’t about you! It’s about the organization. Team before self.
12. Comparing ourselves or our organizations to others also slows growth. Make the standard the mirror not the telescope. Look inside first.
13. Nothing slows down team growth like a lack of FOCUS. Trying to do it all instead of do it well. Quality trumps quantity every day.
14. Selfishness prevents team growth. Professional jealousy is poison to organizational excellence.
15. To achieve team excellence we must work on changing mindsets from believing success is luck to believing success is the result of intentional and deliberate action.
16. Inspiring others to believe that they don’t have to settle for average is leadership. It is possible to be excellent and to be the best.
17. Making people uncomfortable with the status quo is an art. We must move them to believing and not wishing. Understand that success is addictive and once experienced it is likely to create a desire to experience it again.
18. Excellent teams understand everyone has a role. No point guards trying to play power forward! Get in where you fit in & work!
19. Team growth happens when we capitalize on the strengths of members of the organization & combine those to achieve excellence!
20. To accelerate team growth, we must master recognizing untapped potential. Organizational excellence is team excellence.

I don’t know about you, but I believe these are 20 good thoughts worth remembering about working toward team excellence. Join the tribe next Saturday at 9:30 EST for another great and inspirational #leadupchat!

Until next time, be you, be true, be a hope builder!
-Latoya
@latoyadixon5

Teachers Are The Real MVPs!

Because Teachers are the MVPs!

This morning I was scrolling along my Twitter feed when I saw a tweet from a teacher on our staff:

“Forget losing teachers to other states, why are we losing teachers to other professions? #wedontvalueteachers #evenpennieshavevalue”

It sparked a flurry of tweets from me because when we get right down to it, whether we are talking about improving achievement, improving our schools period, and helping students reach their maximum potential…
TEACHERS ARE THE MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS!
When the rubber meets the road, nothing good happens in a school  without a relentless dedication and commitment of teachers. No initiative succeeds unless teachers make it so. You name it-PLCs, Responsive Classrooms, Whole Brain Teaching, Collaboration, Common Assessments, RTI, and anything else you are trying to implement in a school and the defining factor in fidelity of implementation and quality of implementation is the TEACHER.
It’s high time we value teachers in every way. In NC, where I currently serve as a coprincipal of a middle school, teacher pay ranks 42nd and per pupil spending ranks 46th. As coprincipal, I can organize meetings, complete evaluating and observations, conference with parents, and so much more but the reality of it is this TEACHERS make it happen. My coprincipal and I can work collaboratively with staff to develop a collective vision for the school but TEACHERS are the ones who carry it out day in and day out. The daily grind of the hard work belongs to TEACHERS.
TEACHERS deserve more. None of us chose the profession because of the money, but none of the teachers I know agreed to take a vow of poverty. The service orientation of our work does not mean teachers are ok with being poorly compensated. Many of the teachers in our school have second, even third jobs. I am constantly torn when I ask them to do more when I know they are working every hour of every day, except when they are sleeping. How can we give our students the best in every way when we treat those who serve them as if their work is a sort of sacrifice in which one diligently exerts effort, time, and talent all while struggling to make ends meet? Get married and have children and the struggle intensifies. That’s why I cringe when I hear others say: “I don’t know how y’all do it! My hats off to you!” Because I want to say, it’s very apparent that many don’t know how we do it, don’t have a clue what we are dealing with daily, and are pretty much comical when they talk about what needs to be done to “fix” schools-especially when the conversation comes back to accountability and firing of bad teachers.
I don’t have the right words or enough of them to adequately provide a written description of how urgent I believe it is that we do something major to demonstrate the following:
1. Education is a profession worth pursuing.
2. Teachers are valuable to our schools and communities and deserve to be compensated accordingly.
3. If we want to recruit and retain the best and brightest, we must provide a competitive compensation package that encourages such instead of doing the opposite.
Some days I feel our profession is under siege in every way. But all I know to do is fight hard, work hard, and be courageous enough to speak the truth. Sometimes my courage scares me. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but I can’t help it. I lead and work with my heart. It’s my blessing and my curse-and also my gift. One thing I know for sure, is somewhere some teacher is reading this and nodding and saying “Amen!” (I’m from the South!) and so glad that I finally wrote what’s on their mind and in their heart every single day like it will be tomorrow…when we go back to school and keep trying to MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Until Next Time-Be you. Be true. Be a hope builder!
-Latoya

An Open Letter Regarding The Flint Water Crisis and the Children Affected

To Whom It May Concern:

I am deeply disturbed by the news regarding the Flint, Michigan water crisis. I have been reading about this a great deal. Articles abound regarding the high levels of lead in the tap water and some sources are alleging that a variety of officials were aware of this and took no action. The pictures of the water alone will move you. Google “Flint Water Crisis” and read from reliable sources. Article after article appears with pictures of the water and of those affected. A few of those links are listed here:
1. From CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/13/health/flint-michigan-water-crisis/
2. From NBC:http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/michigan-prosecutor-opens-probe-flint-water-crisis-n497286
3. From the NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/16/us/flint-water-michigan-attorney-general.html?_r=0

Exposure to high levels of lead can have a variety of effects on people, none of which happen to be good. Researchers at Virginia Tech conducted a study on the water crisis in Flint. Dr. Marc Edwards is the primary author of the following article that describes the timeline and inquiries that lead to the present state of affairs. Researchers began making their inquiries regarding lead levels far before now.
At some point, I look forward to the whole truth of this crisis coming out, but this article by Dr. Edwards is interesting to say the least: http://flintwaterstudy.org/2015/12/michigan-health-department-hid-evidence-of-health-harm-due-to-lead-contaminated-water-allowed-false-public-assurances-by-mdeq-and-stonewalled-outside-researchers/ Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital has a great article that details how lead poisoning can impact children titled, Neuropsychological Effects of Lead Poisoning on Child Development. You can read it by clicking on this link: http://www.mwph.org/programs/lead-treatment/effects

The following is an excerpt from the article on their site:

Checklist of Possible Neuropsychological Problems Associated with Lead

  • Delayed language or motor milestones (infant, toddler)
  • Poor speech articulation
  • Poor language understanding or usage
  • Problems maintaining attention in school or home
  • High activity level (hyperactivity)
  • Problems with learning and remembering new information
  • Rigid, inflexible problem-solving abilities
  • Delayed general intellectual abilities
  • Learning problems in school (reading, language, math, writing)
  • Problems controlling behavior (e.g., aggressive, impulsive)
  • Problems with fine or gross motor coordination

Real-World Outcomes of Lead Poisoning in Children

  • Learning Disabilities
  • Problems Paying Attention
  • Disorganized Approach to Learning
  • Poor Work Completion
  • Increased Risk to Drop Out
  • Communication Deficits
  • Impulsive, Hyperactive Behavior
  • Problems Sharing and Taking Turns
  • Increased Aggression
  • Increased Need for Adult Supervision

What Can Be Done?

  • Lead-safe housing
  • Education of public, medical and educational communities
  • Universal early identification
  • Lead-safe housing
  • Aggressive early medical treatment
  • Aggressive early behavioral treatment
  • Rehabilitation and special education services
  • Adequate nutrition

It is the law of our land that all are innocent until proven guilty, however I cannot help but think about this from the educator’s perspective. Is this an isolated event? Could this be happening elsewhere? And if it is, do the victims even know it?

As I think about those affected by this, my heart breaks at the thought of the children in Flint who may have been exposed to or have high levels of lead in their bodies. They will all enter the classrooms of teachers who will be held accountable for their learning or lack there of, for their test scores, for their growth from the start to the end of a school year, etc. If the children have difficulty learning, they will be expected to find and use a multitude of academic interventions to change their learning trajectory. If they have difficulty behaving, they will be on the never ending search for a different set of rules, a different reward system, a more engaging strategy or methodology to increase their compliance so that they might learn at the rate required by district, state, and federal expectations. As teachers sit across the table from their principals to discuss their student learning outcomes, they will rack their brains thinking of what else they could have done, should have done, or need to do to improve test scores and increase student achievement. Their principals will do the same as they are held accountable for student achievement of students within their schools for all students. They will scratch their heads, attend conferences, read more, research more, and learn more so that next year’s results will be improved and their jobs won’t be jeopardized. While I don’t presume to know the outcome of the future for the children of Flint, my heart goes out to those who will have the distinct opportunity to teach them. The children’s struggle will become that of their teachers, as it happens for educators all over the land.

When we talk about holding educators accountable for student learning,we treat accountability as if it is a singular responsibility, especially if students don’t learn at the rate and levels that we expect them too. I’ve yet to see an EPA official or health department official sitting at the table discussing test scores and explaining why student outcomes in learning are what they are or are not. The accountability table is a lonely one that only teachers and administrators seem to be invited to sit and chat. If the children of Flint have neuropsychological effects of lead poisoning that impact their learning, who will be held accountable? That is an important question that I, and others I am sure, anxiously await to be answered.

With love for the children, parents, and educators of the children of Flint,

Latoya
@latoyadixon5

Balance-The Goal for 2016 and Beyond

We’ve all heard it before: Too much of anything is not good. Despite how healthy, how passionate, or how great a habit might be, a balanced life is one well lived and enjoyed. Balance gives us an even footing. Living and working in a balanced fashion gives us the best of both worlds and an opportunity to not sacrifice one aspect of life for another. As we enter 2016, I’ve reflected on what is most important to me at this stage in my life, and that is balance. I want to live a balanced life. I desire to not allow one thing to take precedence over another, but to live and work in a way that is balanced and harmonious. So I guess my one word for 2016 is balance. How will I improve this in my life? Well, below are a few thoughts.

I recently took a 30 day hiatus from Twitter, Instagram, and all social media-including this blog. What I found astonished me. I was more present in my conversations with family and friends. There was not a feeling of being less informed as I had initially thought. In fact, I was less stressed, my thoughts were clearer and my reality less interrupted by the latest tweet. I was present and I liked it a lot. I’m trying to decide how I might utilize social media in a more balanced fashion instead of just reading Twitter at the first instance of downtime. I’m thinking of creating a set time to review Twitter but not an everyday, throughout the day routine anymore. I want to be present in my reality as much as possible and to do that I can’t share all my “moments” with Twitter. I also placed an automatic reply on my email which helped immensely. In a world where everything has the potential to be  convenient and quickly addressed, we find ourselves so committed to being available to everyone else that we aren’t available to ourselves, our families, or our friends. While I understand the necessity of communication, I will work to be more balanced which might mean not being available 24/7. In all reality, who can be present to everyone and everything all the time? When we commit to doing so, we inadvertently make ourselves unavailable to someone or some thing. There has to be a better way.

I began running and exercising on a more routine basis this past June. As my workouts became more routine, I noticed a greater spiritual and physical balance. I saw my anxiety reduced, stress decreased, and overall mood and attitude improved. On top of it, I lost a few pounds. While I don’t desire to become obsessive about excercising, I want it to become a part of the balance in my life. This year I plan to make working out a routine part of my balanced life because it is good for me physically, mentally, and spiritually. I also have high hopes of eating a more balanced diet. Being a principal makes that difficult. Long hours and late nights can make a drive thru attractive and seem necessary. I’m going to do my best to make good choices about what I eat all the time for the sake of balance.

I’m also going to take the time to enjoy things outside of work. While I enjoy working very much, the social aspect of our lives are often what gets us through the tough times of life. When I began working on my doctorate in 2009, I became a principal by day and student by nights and weekends. Now two years after I’ve completed my degree, I find myself catching up with dear friends who I’ve seen minimally because of work or school. That’s going to change. If life is about relationships, which I so deeply believe, I’ve got some work to do to maintain and grow some of the dearest friendships I’ve made this side of heaven. I realized recently that my best friends since my freshman year at Clemson will celebrate our 21st year of friendship in August. We’re all busy with work and life, but that deserves celebrating. So we are making plans for a celebration, and I will be present sans Twitter, email, etc. so that I don’t miss the moment.

Until Next Time-be you, be true, be a hope builder!
Latoya
@latoyadixon5

Working Through the Tough Times

Lately I’ve found myself overwhelmed. I’m embarrassed to admit it. I’m especially embarrassed to admit it on this blog, but the reality of it is that it’s true. As I have worked so diligently to take a really deep dive with our student achievement data in the last few weeks, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into a less positive state of mind. I’m not sure why that is although I suspect a number of reasons for this. None of these reasons may be correct and I’m not sure they even matter, but I’m going to share them anyway. So here goes nothing.
Am I discouraged by the research? 
I’m a voracious reader. But every since the initial days of my Ph.D. program I haven’t really read fiction. I’ve come to enjoy reading research studies. I particularly enjoy reading about economic mobility, anything related to education and poverty, and early childhood education. When I read the research, I see the same recurring theme: What happens from conception to five matters and the further down the road in a child’s educational journey, the more it matters.
While I’ve read study after study, and been fascinated with what I learn in each one, I’m still left with the same question I think of everyday as a coprincipal of a Title I middle school where we are working our hearts out to increase student achievement: What do I do now? While I have lots of ideas of what might help and some of which I know will help, I can’t help but question is overcoming a multiyear learning gap possible? And if it is, how can it be done? What I know for sure is a traditional approach to teaching and learning is limited in its’ impact and although we have and will continue to positively impact student achievement, will it be enough? High school graduation isn’t that far away for our students and our time is limited.

Do I have the right  perspective?
I’ve also been fussing at myself for being what some might call negative-I like to think of myself as a realistic optimist who can be brutally honest. Many of my colleagues have encouraged me to focus on the positive. And yes-there is lots of positive to celebrate. I’ve just been unsuccessful at ignoring the harsh reality of what it means to improve the proficiency of a group of students who are more than three or more years behind where they should be in reading and/or math. How do I do that? Can I do that? Do I have the skills and expertise to lead that charge? What resources do I need? Will I be able to obtain them? Am I too focused on the reality in a way that I am not balanced to have a healthy perspective? Am I too negative? Does focusing on sunshine and rainbows make you more productive? Does focusing on the opposite paralyze you from acting? Again, I don’t know which is best. All I know is from my own experiences.
In my previous principalship, I had the same issues. Always looking at what I could do better or improve and never stopping long enough to celebrate the good that we had accomplished. But that mindset led us to remarkable results. We saw improved student achievement for five consecutive years. No flunctuating-just up,up,up and I am very proud of that.
Do I take my work too personally?
Do I take my work too personally? As a child of poverty, looking at my students who are in the midst of poverty in an objective manner seems nearly impossible for me. I look at them and I see me. In reality, I know they are not me and I am not them, but in my heart we are one in the same. I can’t help it. I owe it to them to help them in every way I can, and I can’t do that by just thinking if I only help one then I’ve done well. They all need my help. They all need our help. The baggage of being poor has never left me. Read through my previous post and you’d agree. I even wrote a post titled, Why I’m Stiil Just A Poor Kid From The Projects! I guess that’s because under all the degrees and professional success, that’s what I am. I work hard out of fear of having to experience poverty again. Some would not understand that but once you’ve been poor and made it out, you never want to go back. I want the same for my students. I want them to make it out. It’s that simple. And I know that it was education that set me free from the projects and from poverty. Breaking the cycle of poverty isn’t as simple as pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. It’s far more complex than that but that is for another post. 
I had a very dear friend tell me recently to try not to let my work define me. I reflected on that advice and I think she’s right, but I’ve yet to be successful at doing that. That’s something I certainly need to work on and improve.
Is my best enough?
For so long I’ve been one to say if I only make a difference in the life of one student then my work has mattered. However, as I work in a high poverty school where student needs in the social emotional realm are as great or greater as their academic needs, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I need to impact more than one student to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and help my students help themselves beyond their K-12 educational experience. I’m doing my very best everyday. My momma used to always say as long as we did the best we could at something we could not ask ourselves of anything more. I know that I am giving my all!  But I guess I am just afraid that my best may not be enough and that makes me incredibly sad and disappointed.
I’ve grown so much as a person and a principal in my current role. The experience has been one that has taught me many things. I’m sure there is more to learn too. Mostly I want to overcome this feeling of being overwhelmed but not by ignoring the issues. I want to overcome it by making a difference for all students, but a difference that will matter for generations to come. In a world where a high school education or less negatively impacts your health quality, quality of life, and more we are charged with doing more. Our students may not see the impact that right now will have on their future. They would never imagine how heavy they weigh on my heart or how often I wonder, what are they going to do as adults? Only time will answer that question and lately I seem so impatient.
I am proud of myself however for sharing my vulnerability via this blog. No matter how things may seem, I’m only human. I think all educators experience these feelings that I have but we are not “allowed” to acknowledge them. This work we do is incredibly harder than even I imagined when I made a decision to become a teacher in the early 1990’s. I never expected it to be easy. I realize that I am not alone in this. All across the country and world, many educators are feeling this. Some might see this post as negative but I see it as brave. I’m brave enough to say-I’m trying really hard and I’m worried my best efforts may not be enough. Is there something wrong with that? I don’t think so and I don’t think I’m the only one. And so I shall continue to plug along…hoping it all turns out ok.
Until next time-be you, be true, and be a hope builder,
Latoya

Poverty and The Miracle Workers: We All Bear the Burden

A miracle is defined as an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause (according to dictionary.com). I may be way off, but sometimes when I think about education and the achievement gap, I feel that as educators we are the miracle workers. That’s not because we are solely responsible for the success or the lack there of for our students. And it’s certainly not because we are actually working miracles on a daily basis. I mean, sometimes we are foolish enough to believe we have supernatural powers-but most of us know that we don’t.  Mostly, it’s just because we are more in tune with the struggles of poverty that our students face on a daily basis, yet we are working our hearts out (quite literally) to help them defy the odds. 

Essentially, we are trying to work miracles. I’m certainly not saying that it can’t be done. If I didn’t believe what we did makes a difference, I wouldn’t still show up everyday-seventeen years later after I started. We work hard everyday. We tell children that the odds are in their favor, even when we know they have so many stacked against them.  We persist and ask them to do the same, even when things are hard. We build hope every minute of every day. We don’t let test scores, school report card grades, or school to school unfair comparisons discourage and define us. We march forward in spite of it all, sometimes pretending to be oblivious to what is really being asked of us and what our students are really facing outside of the school day. However, it’s high time all of us (educators, policy makers, community members, and everyone else) take a deeper look at poverty and its’ layered and complex impact on public education.
Last weekend, I read an article on the implications of poverty on children and their school achievement. The Early Catastrophe, You can read more on this study here. The article describes a research study by Hart and Riley in which they studied 42 children beginning at birth. They specifically sought to find the difference in language and vocabulary acquisition and expression at various income levels. What they found, astonished me. By age three, there was nearly a 30 million word gap between children of affluent families and their impoverished peers. Some have criticized their study noting that the methodology was flawed while others have cited it as clear evidence that the achievement gap begins in the womb. While research is an important piece of information that assist educators in our decision making in schools, the personal narrative of teachers, principals, and students cannot be ignored. So often we hear the importance of triangulated data, yet as schools we are judged on one quantitative measure. The personal narratives matter too.
This morning I read an article that nearly brought me to tears. The article, in today’s Washington Post, Graduate, but to What?, paints the bleak picture of a high school senior’s journey to graduation and his quest for life afterwards trying to find a job. It seems life dealt him a bad hand from the moment he entered the world. He left the hospital with his grandmother from birth. Never receiving the nurturing and love all kids need from their mother, for its’ the natural order of species on earth. The article goes on to cite roadblock after roadblock, some caused by poverty, some by poor decision making that he faced. Summarily, it gives the reader an inside view to how intergenerational poverty and where you grow up poor, has far deeper implications on the future of children as opposed to circumstantial poverty. This quote from the article, moved me so deeply: “Here in the Deep South, poverty perpetuates from generation to generation like in no other region of the country, data shows, and the obstacles that hold back new high school graduates shine a light on a vast economic struggle that differs in its expansiveness from the concentrated problems seen in urban hubs.” It’s an article worth reading: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/business/2015/10/17/poor-students/
I have worked as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, and principal with students in the deep south, many of them from poverty. Perhaps it is the personal narratives that came rushing back to me from students whose hope I am working to restore or build or maintain, because no matter how positive I am, trauma, poverty, violence, and mere chaos surrounds them every minute that they are not in school. Poverty matters and so does a quality education. Over my seventeen years in education, I’ve heard many say, “Look at you. Being poor is not an excuse.” They are right. Poverty is not an excuse, but it is an explanation. While it may not be the only explanation, to dismiss it as an excuse and not give any credence as to the role it plays in the lives of our students is abysmal. It matters, just as high quality teaching, great leadership, and focused efforts matter. It matters too.
It is an explanation for why obtaining a high quality education is so much more challenging for students of poverty than for others. It is an explanation for why paying attention in class is difficult when you are hungry, or cannot see, and do not have the glasses you need. It is an explanation for why your papers are not signed by a parent, because they are working multiple jobs and are only home to sleep. It is an explanation for why studying is difficult when there are not lights in the house because some other priority (food, shelter, transportation) took precedence over the electric bill, and the person who should help you can’t because they do not know how to help, not because they do not want to do so. It is an explanation for why bringing in your project proves to be not worth the trouble of explaining to your teacher why you did not follow all the criteria on their list because you used what you could find to complete it rather than having all the requirements that the other kids parents did for them anyway. It is an explanation for why some students are quick to anger, cry, or have trouble placing the trauma they face from home (abuse, neglect, drug addiction, domestic violence, alcoholism, unemployment) on “the shelf” for seven hours so they can focus on their education to get out of the situation they are currently in right now. It is an explanation for why I graduated from Clemson University, with several thousand dollars in student loans, and used a great portion of my income to further my education for all three of my graduate degrees. It takes money to borrow money. Some people just don’t get that. I’m proudly Dr. Latoya Dixon, but that title has a $30,000.00 price tag along with the hardest academic work I’ve ever done. 
So I agree. Poverty is not an excuse. There were no excuses made for my sisters and me. My mother would tell us, “an excuse is whatever you want it to be”. However, poverty was an explanation of why my mother begged the used car dealer to give her the loan on a 1987 Ford Tarus in 1991, even though her credit did not warrant such, and even after he said no, so she would have dependable transportation to get my sister to college and back home. Sad part of this is that the car broke down on us taking my sister back to college after Christmas of her freshman year. And so the cycle of fixing the car continued taking priority over other things that we needed. It is an explanation of why I began working at McDonald’s at age 15 and saved as much money as possible until the summer of my sophomore year in college, because I knew to become a teacher, I would have to do student teaching and catching a ride was old. People get tired of taking you and they overcharge for gas money because they can. It is an explanation for why my sisters and I sharpened pencils with butter knives, and made glue with flour and water, and used shoeboxes and coat hangers to do our projects for school, instead of the beautiful three section backboards that were often required in our projects-taking a lower grade for not following directions when we did the best we could. In a recent conversation with one of my sisters, I said to her, “Thank God we grew up poor where we did.” As I continue to read more research about economic mobility and intergenerational poverty, the more I believe that if my mother had raised us in a different geographic area of the country, our story’s ending might not be quite the same. 
So no, poverty is not an excuse for why students are not performing as others say they should be or to the standard required by state policy makers. It is, however, most certainly an explanation for why their performance so greatly differs from others who are not experiencing the trauma and crisis that often comes with being poor. To simply dismiss it as an excuse is wrong (in my humble opinion). It’s like dismissing addiction because we know that cigarettes, drugs, and alcohol aren’t good for the body or mind. While we realize that smoking can cause lung cancer, we don’t bother to help those who desire to quit and can’t because they are addicted, because addiction is no excuse for continuing to smoke, or drink, or do drugs for that matter. Make sense? It doesn’t to me either.
WE are the miracle workers in education. We don’t just talk about the issues. We work to make things happen. We are on the ground level day in and day out helping our children in a world where it might seem impossible to them that they can make it out of their situations. We are the miracle workers who come in early, stay late, give of our personal selves and resources, to make the educational experience the best it can be for all of our students. And yes, it is our job and professional responsibility, but some days it seems the moral obligation of such belongs only to us. 
In a discussion on twitter with my co-principal and a fellow administrator in a different state, we began discussing our reactions to The Early Catastrophe. When my co-principal posed the idea of universal early childhood education, the other colleague asked, “Should tax payers bear the burden?” I don’t think I ever answered him, but here’s my honest answer:
We all bear the burden. We build schools and give our best effort to build productive, contributing, and productive citizens in spite of all they face. When we create a more educated society everyone benefits. Personally, I’d rather bear the burden of building a preschool instead of a prison. While I don’t have all the answers for how we combat such an overwhelming problem with sobering statistics, I certainly know that I’ve had the opportunity to serve with some of the most committed, dedicated, and hardest working people who are trying to work miracles, in spite of the accountability rhetoric that names our schools as failing, and our children as numbers in a data set. Behind every number there is a story…and WE are the miracle workers.
Until next time-be you, be true, and be a hope builder,
Latoya
@latoyadixon5

Our Pain is Our Power.

Today I listened to a great keynote speaker at the Responsive Classroom Leadership Conference. The speaker was Ceasar Cruz. He was awesome and inspiring. What I liked most about what he shared is that he was honest. Sometimes his honesty was painful. He crammed so much information into an hour and fifteen minutes and I have a new list of books I want to read. But mostly, he helped me to reach the realization that often it is our pain that gives us our power.

I, too, like him have spent time sharing the story of my childhood and how I grew up and into who I am with multiple audiences. People are inspired when they hear how my sisters and I trudged our way through a life of poverty to accomplish a great deal. I go through all my barriers-single parent home, absent father, rebellious child, basketball playing curious girl who wasn’t a bad rapper, growing up in the projects in South Carolina. I’ve often looked at so many of my obstacles as pain, but Cesar Cruz helped me realize that my pain is now my power.

Growing up the way I did taught me many things: Efficiency. Determination. Resiliencey. Courage. Focused. Delayed Gratification. So much can be learned from the absence of what we believe makes a well rounded childhood. And I’m not sure the presence of what we believe to be the necessary components of a stable and productive childhood are a garauntee for success either. What I am sure of, is that growing up in my circumstances gave me a sense of power that others don’t always have and can’t produce.

When things go awry, I often remind myself, “This is nothing,” because usually it is no comparison to the things my sisters and I faced and overcame. Not having my father around taught me one thing-Do it anyway. No matter the circumstance you face-Do it anyway. No matter the situation-Do it anyway. So what if people don’t believe in you or aren’t sure you can accomplish the goals you have set for yourself. Do it anyway. Figure out what you want and go for it!

Not having money taught me something else-Figure it out. I am a creative problem solver. I know how to “make do” as my mother would say in a way I would not otherwise know and I recognize that it is not the end of the world. There is a way around almost everything. If you are faced with a situation that requires your creativity, you instantly become a lot more creative.

Growing up in the projects gave me something else-A sense of intuition that I have a hard time verbalizing. I read people well and I sense things around me and in others that are not spoken aloud.  Developing an appreciation for Tupac’s linguistic abilities and attempting to imitate him in my own raps that I started writing in 5th grade taught me that I can be an intellectual who loves rap. I do not have to choose to be one or the other. I can be both-and my students appreciate that although I am not sure others understand it or even desire to see the complexity of layers within my personality.

For a long time in my life, I saw my obstacles as pain, but I have learned to use them as power. I recognize that I have developed a tenacity that cannot be inspired in someone, but only earned through experience. I have a determination that I have developed over time by facing obstacle after obstacle and overcoming each one. So my pain is my power. Now, all I have to do is figure out is how to get my students to see their pain as their power. Ideas anyone?

Until next time-be you, be true, be a hope builder,
-Latoya
@latoyadixon5

Tradition-The Enemy to Great Schools? Part 2 #imaginary schools

The more I think about this topic, the more ideas I have. To rethink how we operate within the educational institution, would mean totally scrapping everything we know about how teaching and learning should occur. This is a grand task. In a conversation with my co-principal, we recalled that between that we’ve each had 34 first days of school. After experiencing school in it’s traditional fashion for over 30 years now, I’ve decided that what we need is a real shake up. Not an innovative way to do things that we’ve traditionally done, but a true way to do the opposite of all we’ve ever known. I continue to look at the traditions that keep us from being truly innovative.

Tradition #4 Personalized Learning with Generalized Accountability
Why is it that we have spent so much time on the whole child and personalizing the learning experiences that we provide for students, yet generalizing their academic success or lack there of? I find it quite interesting that although we know students do not begin their academic journeys in the same place, we make no adjustments to the finish line. Proficiency has no personalization. The emphasis on standardized testing and student achievement create this oxymoron.  But in my imaginary school, taking into account the needs and styles of a variety of learners won’t end at the learning experience. We’ll extend that to personalized academic goals. Mastery will be our focus and we’ll accept that mastery may happen at different times for different students at no consequence if the “end of year” test arrives and students just aren’t there YET.

Tradition #5 Academic Priority before Social, Emotional, and Leadership Learning
Why is it we squeeze out time to provide students with direct instruction on self regulation, making and maintaining eye contact, tracking the speaker, and other pro-social and pro-learning behaviors? We’ve become so hyper focused on test scores and data, that in some ways, we’ve sacrificed these important skills. Also, why aren’t we teaching students what it means to be a leader and what leadership looks like? Oh, wait, we don’t have time! We’re so busy being sure we are teaching content in time for the assessment! But in my imaginary school, we’ll start our day with this kind of teaching and embed it though out the day. Learning behaviors that help students succeed will be more important than the academic content itself because we know the second cannot happen without the first. Our work won’t be driven by test scores in my #imaginaryschool.

As I continue to think about how we might reinvent school, I get more excited about thinking about breaking all the rules. I keep sharing the #imaginaryschool, and I’ve already got some folks who have tweeted that they’d love to join the movement. I wonder what we might come up with if we can just keep thinking about what we’d like for our imaginary school to be for ourselves and our students. I’m guessing we could blow ourselves away. Tweet your ideas with the hashtag #imaginaryschool. I can’t wait to read them.

Until next time-be you, be true, and be a hope builder!
-Latoya
@latoyadixon5

Tradition, The Enemy to Great Schools? #imaginaryschool

I’ve been thinking. I do that often these days. I recently posed a question to myself. What are the traditional measures of schooling that impact our ability to do what the research says we should? I have a few theories. Bear with me.

Tradition #1: The Faculty Meeting

We know that collaboration is key to improving teacher efficacy and student achievement, yet we fill up teacher time to do this with meeting after meeting. And we don’t dare not use the all the time that’s alloted for these staff meetings. After all we know teachers work best after teaching for 7 hours and are bright eyed and ready to learn after school.

What if we cut faculty meetings to the bare minimum? Meet once a month and utilize technology for communication beyond this monthly meeting. How might this give more time for teachers to actually plan instead of sitting and listening to all the things they need to add to their to do list? What if we didn’t try to get the attention of teachers after a full day of work? I haven’t worked outside of the education realm, but I’m wondering if corporations like Apple, Google, and Amazon schedule their meetings after work. I’m guessing the answer is no. I’m always amazed by the educators who talk about Google’s 20% time they provide to their employees, and then claim to implement the same thing in their schools but conveniently forget the autonomy to work on what you want to work on that comes with it. Are you mad at me yet?

Tradition # 2: The Planning Period
If we want teachers to be designers of engaging, authentic, and rigorous curriculum, we might want to rethink the traditional planning period. I remember my first encounter with this thought. As a new elementary school AP, I wondered how teachers of all subjects for 20+ kids design work and plan in 45 minutes? Take away the time it takes to escort their kids to art, music, etc, to use the bathroom, and to return a parent phone call, and you can easily watch 45 minutes become 25 minutes. Add to that a grade level meeting and there you have it-no planning. We continually ask teachers to design quality work that is challenging and engaging for students, yet give them little time to develop it. Designing this type of work should mirror the same rigor and challenge we want students to experience when they engage with it. This takes time and lots of it. I’m baffled by how we ask teachers to do amazing things in ridiculously small amounts of time that’s often compromised with duties, meetings, and more.

What if we moved to a 4 day school week and the fifth day was a full day of collaborative planning for teachers? What if we held no more than two formal staff meetings a month? One might be a faculty meeting and the other a grade level or department meeting.  What if we stopped being suckers for education publishers who promise they have the best worksheet aligned  to our standards, even though they have never met our students? If we gave teachers the time they needed to plan, we’d call the planning period the meeting period with a bathroom break and move to a four day school week with a full day planning period. Are you imagining this yet?

Tradition #3: The Solo Principalship
Although we know collaboration is critical for our professional development, we continue to make administrative roles solo ones. Other than our traditional monthly principal meetings, we don’t create structures for principals to collaborate. The same is true for assistant principals and other administrative roles as well as for our fine arts teachers in many instances. We expect a single person to increase the individual efficacy of a dynamic and complex group of people. Realistic? Not at all.
If collaboration is good for classroom teachers, isn’t it good for everyone else?

I continue to believe more and more that we need to rethink how we do school. This means moving away from the way we’ve traditionally conceptualizer education and thinking about this differently is a real challenge. That’s why I’m creating an imaginary school in my head. There’s no model for me to reference so I’m starting from scratch. Too often in education we go searching for an example of what we’d like to see. This forces us back into traditional thinking and doesn’t push us to be innovative. Tweaking an already established idea isn’t innovation. It’s replication with a twist. So my challenge to educators is simply this: Let’s redesign school and totally forget everything we already know. What’s there to lose! If you’re interested in being a part ofmy imaginary school, follow me on Twitter @latoyadixon5 using the hashtag #imaginaryschool and tweet your thoughts and ideas. Ready to join? Let’s start a movement!

Until next time- Be true. Be you. Be a hope builder!

Latoya
@latoyadixon5