Why change when you have been so successful? Think about Blockbuster and Borders … change or – well – you know! – Mike Lubelfeld (via Tweet on 11/5/2016) – (challenge for most people is justifying change – especially in high performing venues)

I just attended the 52nd annual national conference of the Suburban School Superintendents. Inspired leadership lessons from experts like George Couros, Carl Hooker, Hall Davidson, and others helped my colleagues and I frame, reframe, affirm, reject, think, and plan on many levels. The conference was held in the state capital of Texas – Austin, Texas. Austin is an amazing venue and it formed a powerful backdrop for our journey into innovative and meaningful leadership.

In this blog post I am (hopefully) drawing connections between the rich and diverse history of Texas with the need (in my opinion) for structural changes to public schooling and for innovative instructional practices to become the norm and not the exception. In addition, I am a strong advocate for meeting the needs of ALL learners through integrated practices and not through segregationistic practices that plague our school systems at present. The school system we have was built in 1893; just as I do not think Texas should leave our union and become an independent nation (as it was from 1836-1845) I do not think we should remain stuck in a 19th Century mentality with respect to how we “do” school.

Texas has a rich and varied history. The image at the left shows the six flags that have flown over Texas since 1519. The flags of Mexico, France, Spain, The Confederate States of America, the Republic of Texas, and the United States of America.

Texas has undergone many changes and innovations in its long and storied history. As times and circumstances changed, so did Texas. As part/parts of two kingdoms, two republics and as an independent nation, Texas has re-iterated, re-designed, transformed, and remained proud, powerful, and unique.

As times and circumstances changed and as technology and technological progress impacted governance and structure for Texas, I wonder why the governance and structure of our nation’s public schools still remain rooted to what many, including myself, consider to be an outdated factory model.

It’s no longer relevant for Texas to be an independent nation (in my opinion) as its place in the USA is what is now just and right for our time. But in the past it was relevant for the Texans to exist as a separate nation. Just like the fact that we no longer use check imprint machines like the one shown (from the old Texas Treasury office) I wonder why we still “do” education in an outdated 19th Century factory model.

Just like technology, progress, and innovation caused us to print and perforate checks more efficiently with technology, and just like the technology, progress, and innovation caused Texas to iterate through six nations, so too, I believe the time is now for education to progress and innovate into new and better structures of organization and implementation.

I often write about personalized learning (which I acknowledge has many interpretations) and meeting the needs of all learners. I study, read, research, reflect, learn and lead based upon the evidence of others’ experiences and work as well as my own experience and work. One of the most read blog posts based on readership statistics, that I ever wrote was about John Hattie’s research findings and the impact of strategies, structures, and practices in education. Often I ask the question “If we know what works, why aren’t we universally doing what works?”

Based on these readership stats I can conclude or infer that there is interest in the meta analyses and their implications for change and review of schooling. Just as the Battle of San Jacinto, where Sam Houston and his Texan forces defeated the Mexican general Santa Anna and declared independence from Mexico in 1836, the past few years in education have felt like a revolution of sorts.

With so many school districts “going one to one” and infusing technology and technological tools into instruction. The modern realities of progress and change are becoming normal. In addition, with groups like Education Reimagined, change efforts are about to become as normal in our present as fixed rows and desks in the teacher centered design from the 19th Century have been from our past.

The past few years have seen change and change thinking as the norm, and with a major emphasis across the continent on classroom redesign efforts as well as films like Most Likely to Succeed and Beyond Measure challenging the practices of education, it feels in some ways similar to the 1830s when “change agents” like Sam Houston re-created Texas in a new frame by declaring independence and starting over anew. The Texans did not like the structures imposed upon them and they revolted. Of course I am NOT suggesting armed revolt as an ideal in the public school change process, I use this as an example of change from my recent visit to one of the most significant state capitols in the USA and the fascinating history of the Texan people. I apologize if this is too much of a stretch!

I welcome comments, challenges, affirmations of my ideas, rejection of my ideas, all thoughts are welcome. My charge is to lead and support leadership as the lead learner in the community where I am privledged to serve. Leadership is not doing what’s popular – it’s doing what’s right!

Thank goodness we have outstanding educators in the Deerfield Public Schools District 109 who challenge the process and model the way and who demonstrate the capacities to unlearn that which worked yesterday so that we can create tomorrow.

 

 

 

Below I’m sharing some additional images of the majestic Texas Capitol; if you visit Austin, I encourage you to visit and learn about the unique history of Texas.