Professional Growth

Professional Sharing – The #Engage109 Story – National Reach – Lead, Learn, UNLEARN, and re-learn

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“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.”
– Mother Teresa

As part of my work as a superintendent of schools, I have the honor of sharing the powerful impact of our work and our world with the nation and world. As a student of EdTech and of leadership, I seek friends and contacts in the context of continual improvement. That which I can learn and apply in my community comes from many sources. That which makes education better for our local setting come from engagement and learning from leaders around the nation and world.

With this blog post I’m sharing a “guest post” I wrote for the EdTechTeam relating to a recent professional experience in which I contributed. The Engage, Inspire, Empower mantra from our district is now on the national stage! How we make the world of public education better and more relevant is now part of the leadership and EdTechTeam tapestry!

 Thursday, March 16, 2017

EdTechTeam Leadership Symposium Ohio

On March 10, 2017, at Avon Lake High School in Avon Lake, OH nearly 100 educational leaders gathered for a day of learning, discovery, exploration, reflection and energy. With a leadership conference for leaders with and by leaders, the excitement and anticipation was palpable. I had the honor of presenting three times, two one hour break-out sessions and the keynote presentation. Together with some rock star edu-leaders, I was able to carry out the high calling of inspiring and empowering leaders!

From EdTechTeam: “The EdTechTeam Leadership Symposium is designed with the leader in mind. Our one-day event will energize, encourage, and inspire you as you confront the unique challenges of guiding a school or district into tomorrow.”

As a member of the presenter team I had the good fortune and honor of helping set the tone and the pace for discovery, discussion, dialogue and discourse with respect to provocative and replicable leadership tips, tricks, and ideas. The sharing of real stories impacting real educators and educational leaders across the nation helps to inspire change and those charged with leading change. I was affirmed by the comments, questions, interests, and post-session commentary. The keynote experience was pretty cool because I got a chance to highlight the great work of my teammates and Board and students and teachers. The opportunity to teach others, for an educational leader, is pretty awesome because it brings us back to our roots so to speak.

The EdTechTeam Leadership Symposia are going to become part of the leadership landscape all across the USA and the world. The EdTechTeam is celebrating ten years of inspiring and empowering teaching and leading in the ed tech landscape; I’m thrilled they are taking their successful progressive approaches into the leaders world too. Leaders who get the chance to be focused on their own growth for an action packed day of learning are better leaders.

Leaders who get the chance to select in what workshops and breakout sessions they can engage are leaders who experience personalized professional learning first hand – these are leaders who can replicate the experiences for their teachers and staff! The EdTechTeam is a “pay it forward” organization in which I am honored, privileged, and humbled to be a part of! I cannot wait for the next symposium. Please visit https://www.edtechteam.com/ for more information!

Information about me for your review, information, etc.

Michael Lubelfeld Ed.D. has served as a public school superintendent in suburban Chicago, Illinois since 2010. On July 1, 2013, he became the superintendent of schools in Deerfield, IL (DPS 109). His 25-year educational career has included serving as an assistant superintendent, a principal, and middle school teacher. In addition, he has worked as an adjunct professor, advisor, and supervisor at Chicago-area Universities in the Department of Educational Leadership. Earning his doctorate in education in curriculum and instruction allowed Lubelfeld to test theories of learning in action. He was named one of the top 5 Bammy Superintendent Finalists in 2015, he is an advocate for Illinois Vision 20/20, he was honored as one of three finalists for the 2015 NASS (National Association of School Superintendents) superintendent of the year award. Mike is an advocate for integrating educational technology throughout instruction. He is the co-moderator of the Twitter chat #suptchat with Nick Polyak, and he and Polyak co-authored the book The Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today (Rowman-Littlefield Publishers 2017).

Why be/become a connected educator? Why are we in DPS109 Connected?

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“Never lose your sense of wonder.”
– Unknown

Many are writing about “connected educators”. The educators and educational leaders who are learning and growing through multiple digital learning networks. These personal and professional learning networks allow people at various levels to share links, blogs, journals, research, tips, tricks, etc. These networks allow for virtual relationships to develop between and among professionals at many levels. These networks are the wave of the present and future – not the past. These networks are revolutionizing professional development and conferences. Now terms like “un conference” or “ed camp” are becoming the norm. Now “experts” – meaning professionals at every level – are facilitating sessions and sharing creativity.

Through our journey into the connected world, we have discovered that in some school systems the top leadership does not understand or value these new types of learning. Their relative ignorance about social connectivity can become quite detrimental to a school system in search of change, innovation, and leadership. Students today will be competing for jobs that do not yet exist. Students today will be connecting in ways that generations of senior leadership do not understand. Therefore, I believe that it is incumbent upon senior level leadership to connect, to open up, to model, to essentially lead in a culture of connectivity.

I am proud to report that I am a connected superintendent who leads a connected leadership team and a connected faculty and staff! At @DPS109, #Engage109 we challenge you to resolve to become more connected in 2015!

Why connect to others? Why seek out a professional and personal learning community?

Connected educators are educators who:
· Organize the entire community around specific and focused goal areas
· Build relationships constantly
· Seek feedback, shares feedback and incorporates feedback into actions
· Communicate by listening first, processing, and responding
· Stay focused on the big picture, medium picture, and details
· Respect the Board of Education and connects with the Board professionally
· Learn about the formal structures and the informal structures and moves all forward
· Reach beyond the “walls” of the school District and community to learn, grow, & share
· Respond to all inquiries in a timely and respectful manner
· Connect to the modern day technology as an accelerator for teaching, learning, and leading
· Measure culture and reports on culture and deliberately work to improve organizational culture
· Keep students, staff, and community at the forefront of all decision making
· Communicate over and over and over again – clear messages, brands, modes of communication

In DPS109 we Engage, Inspire, Empower – each and every child – each and every day!

We Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, Encourage the Heart (Kouzes & Posner, The Leadership Challenge)

Leadership Lessons in Real Time – Life Long Learning via Professional Associations

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“Education costs money.  But then so does ignorance.”
– Sir Claus Moser

Like other educational leaders and public school administrators I learn a great deal about the “state” of education and the “state” of policy and leadership from membership in professional associations. From time to time I have shared blog posts about leadership benefits I have gained and the District has gained through programs and partnership in organizations like the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). In addition to the current National Superintendent Certification Program in which I am enrolled through AASA, I recently completed a two year leadership program with the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA): The Illinois School of Advanced Leadership (ISAL). My aim is to model the way through life-long learning so that I may have current, fresh, meaningful and evidence-based support for leading initiatives.

In education we often mention that “life long learning” is a value for which we have great respect. One way to model or demonstrate life long learning is through leadership programs, graduate coursework, teaching, seminars, reading, etc. I have been blessed with mentorship and coaching and guidance from many along my career journey and for them I am eternally grateful. Often I have sought out multiple perspectives on issues large and small so that I may be best informed as decisions need to be made and as educational growth and leadership must take place. In addition, in today’s digital world I am an advocate of video, audio, imagery, and “instant access” to timely and relevant information.

In this blog post I am sharing a link to AASA Radio (click the box below) of an interview with AASA Executive Director Dan Domench and the 2014 US Superintendent of the Year Alberto Cavalho. Please take a few minutes and listen to leadership and education perspectives on a national scale and if you like what you hear you can subscribe via iTunes at the website.

“Alberto Carvalho became Superintendent of the nation’s fourth largest school system in September 2008. He is a nationally recognized expert on school reform and finance who successfully transformed his district’s business operations and financial systems with the implementation of a streamlined Strategic Framework focused on a singular goal of student achievement.”

End of Year Message in Staff Newsletter

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As our school year comes to an end, and we prepare for a summer of construction, maintenance, cleaning, professional development, study, learning – and rest and recreation, it’s nice to reflect on some amazing accomplishments, as we prepare for the next school year!

I’m sharing a column I just wrote and shared with all staff in the Superintendent’s Column of our staff newsletter.

DPSLOGO

June 2014

Mission:
Provide educational experiences of the highest quality that engage, inspire and empower each student to excel and contribute in a changing world.

Vision:
District 109 students will excel and contribute when they have the knowledge and skills to be:
• Lifelong, self-directed learners
• Critical and creative thinkers
• Effective communicators
• Collaborative team members
• Respectful and responsible members of society

“Do what you love and make sure that your heart is in your work.”
– Bryan Dodge

This year has been a resounding success by so many measures, and we close out gradebooks and clean out our classrooms and offices energized for even more successes together. As we reflect and celebrate on our awesomeness, I offer some highlights. This year we:

Connected: We solidified PLCs in our buildings, at Deerfield College, and online through Twitter, making us more informed education professionals who are better connected to each other professionally – and personally.
Took Risks: Our 1:1 pilot, and the ultimate approval of 1:1 teaching and learning District-wide required teachers, administrators and Board members to move out of their comfort zone and take a leap of faith. You also all took a risk to trust me as your leader, and I will forever be thankful and will continue to work every day to earn that trust.
Laughed: Family Feud at the Inaugural Teaching & Learning Conference gave us a chance to all laugh together – and every day, whether I was was in the District Center or in a classroom or hallway, I heard so many heartfelt laughs. We really do enjoy what we do, and we enjoy doing it together.

This year we also re-engaged on an organizational culture journey towards healing and trusting. We have made GREAT progress and while we still have a ways to go, we are moving in the same direction toward a successful future together. This year the Superintendent’s Task Force for Middle Level Education, a community engagement process with more than 140 stakeholders (parents, teachers, administrators, students, community members), met and recommended immediate changes in our middle schools. STEM and Communication Media Arts programming will become an embedded reality for all 6-8 grade students. Their future is now!

Sixty-year-old science classroom laboratories will become BRAND NEW in 2014-15 with construction that has already begun! Plans are moving forward for social emotional, fine arts, and gifted/tracking program reviews as well. And while “it all started with French” so to speak, we have a 6-8 grade French/Spanish program with plans for a complete review of 1st-8th grade world language programming on the horizon.

Architect presentation to DPS109 Board of Education Facility Development Committee outlining ideas for science lab innovations!

“Anything worth having is worth working for. Change is worth the effort. When you begin to change, you’ll discover a world of opportunity you never dreamed possible. If you resist change, you’ll find yourself living far below your potential.”
– Rob Ketterling

I know that, amidst the many changes this year, all of those things will continue next year. I have asked, “How’s it going?” You have replied, “It’s going great but please slow down!” We have been listening and your direct feedback is outstanding. Even when we do not agree or even if your input is different than the ultimate decision I make, know that you are being listened to! Next year we are committed to the Big 5 from this year – NO NEW initiatives are coming down the pike with respect to large-scale change. We must hold each other accountable.

We want 2014-2015 to be a year of implementation and review and refinement. What is working will be replicated and sustained; what is not working should be terminated and ended. Systems are in place, technology is and will be in place, training and support is and will be in place. You have spoken and we have listened and conversely we have spoken and you have listened. Our mission is to Engage, Inspire and Empower. Our purpose is for student learning and student growth. Our passion is preparing for the future!

We have done so much together to move our students forward to be the most engaged, inspired and empowered learners they can be; I know they are eager to return – but … we all do need a break! Thanks for an amazing first year as your leader – I’m looking forward to year two and beyond.

Keep Connected this Summer!
While there won’t be another issue of 109 What’s News until September, the action continues in the District over the summer! You can keep informed through Board Briefs that summarize Board of Education meetings; this blog also will include information specific to the District, as well as general news on educational leadership, teaching and learning, public policy related to education, and more. You can also follow our Facebook and Twitter feeds as well as our Twitter hashtag #Engage109 (which I hope you’ll use, too!).