The following is from Jonathan Martin's "7 Steps for 21st Century Learning." Jonathan is Head of School at St. Gregory College Prep in Tuscon, AZ. I thought so much of of his post, I decided I would comment on two of his points here:
"Leadership is, more than anything else, a project of managing change." I have always felt that leading is often managing, and in independent schools managing the talent is a huge part of the process of change. I find leaders in our schools don't need to push and prod faculty as much as facilitate and clear the path for them to innovate and grow.
"Celebrate Success; Showcase What’s Working. We should always be proud of our schools and excited about our school’s successes. Accentuate the positive and celebrate every event which exemplifies the learning we seek for our students." I could not agree more with Martin here. Our families need to hear what we are doing and it is easier than ever to communicate what is happening with email, video and text. There is no excuse for leaders not to showcase the great things teachers and students are doing each day.
For more on Leadership in the 21st Century go to:http://21k12blog.net/2011/02/20/7-steps-for-leading-in-21st-c-learning/
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Independent Schools are not the real world
Yesterday, dozens of anxious students sat for MPH’s annual Scholarship Exam. It's an amazing scene, where hopes and fears are evident on almost all the faces in the room. The test is only part of a lengthy process which also involves interviews, teacher recs, writing submissions, and even a fine arts showcase. But the test is real and so is the pressure. Score well and you might get a chance at a merit based scholarship which is essentially a ticket to attend the only independent school in CNY. My wife thought it sounded similar to something out of Charlie and Chocolate Factory. I suppose there is an element of Wonka involved, but certainly, it isn't as easy as pulling a golden ticket from a candy wrapper.
During the morning while the students were taking the exam, I had the chance to talk to loads of parents, answering their questions and sometimes even countering their remarks. One gentleman came to me and stated clearly that he was a supporter of public schools. I stated with equal clarity, so was I! He then asked me if I thought private schools somehow shelter children from the "real" world. I said, half jokingly, “what is so great about the real world?" The American status quo is not so incredible. It’s a place where the dominant culture is full of cynicism, mediocrity and bad behavior. Do we really need to place our children there if we don’t have to?
I recalled reading a post from Pat Basset on this real world issue for our schools. I tracked it down on his blog and here it is:
"Myth #2: Independent Schools are "not the real world."
Fact: Of course they are not, thank God. The real world is, sad to say, unsafe, unstructured, and — worse than values-neutral — values bereft. The independent school culture is, ironically, counter-cultural in the sense of establishing a values matrix that runs counter to the child-toxic values of the popular culture and amorality and immorality that surrounds us.
While independent schools are "not the real world" themselves, they prepare students exceedingly well for the real world(s) of college, the workplace, and life in general, as the National Education Longitudinal Study from NCES demonstrates: independent school graduates in disproportionate numbers earn college and graduate degrees, report high career satisfaction, vote and engage in civic activities, exercise, and generally contribute to make the real world a better place."
I stated as much to the gentle man at the exam, though not quite as eloquently. Pat's words speak for themselves. I don’t have any problem with independent school’s giving families an option counter to what may be available in their neighborhood. Choice is good, particularly when the status quo is not.
During the morning while the students were taking the exam, I had the chance to talk to loads of parents, answering their questions and sometimes even countering their remarks. One gentleman came to me and stated clearly that he was a supporter of public schools. I stated with equal clarity, so was I! He then asked me if I thought private schools somehow shelter children from the "real" world. I said, half jokingly, “what is so great about the real world?" The American status quo is not so incredible. It’s a place where the dominant culture is full of cynicism, mediocrity and bad behavior. Do we really need to place our children there if we don’t have to?
I recalled reading a post from Pat Basset on this real world issue for our schools. I tracked it down on his blog and here it is:
"Myth #2: Independent Schools are "not the real world."
Fact: Of course they are not, thank God. The real world is, sad to say, unsafe, unstructured, and — worse than values-neutral — values bereft. The independent school culture is, ironically, counter-cultural in the sense of establishing a values matrix that runs counter to the child-toxic values of the popular culture and amorality and immorality that surrounds us.
While independent schools are "not the real world" themselves, they prepare students exceedingly well for the real world(s) of college, the workplace, and life in general, as the National Education Longitudinal Study from NCES demonstrates: independent school graduates in disproportionate numbers earn college and graduate degrees, report high career satisfaction, vote and engage in civic activities, exercise, and generally contribute to make the real world a better place."
I stated as much to the gentle man at the exam, though not quite as eloquently. Pat's words speak for themselves. I don’t have any problem with independent school’s giving families an option counter to what may be available in their neighborhood. Choice is good, particularly when the status quo is not.
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