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Eddy Turns

 PLCs and S.M.A.R.T. Goals

What is the relationship between professional learning communities (PLCs) and S.M.A.R.T. goals? One way to think about this is from the perspective of a school’s organizational capacity for change, learning and improvement.

In schools that function as professional learning communities there is strong organizational capacity. In these schools you’ll find teachers who:
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RtI, the SMART Goals Process and bridging the parental divide

Prior to the start of the current school year, our district decided to add accelerated classes in 9th & 10th grades notwithstanding the potential loss of some cherished electives classes at upper grades. This decision caused an uproar that revealed a philosophical divide within our community. Some parents are concerned their children aren’t being challenged enough while others believe heterogenous classes are critical to keeping diversity alive and well. 
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Initiativitis? Not in Gilmer ISD!

Have you heard of “initiativitis,” the disease that contributes in significant ways to our nation’s continuing achievement gap?

Schools and districts with initiativitis pursue program after program in a desperate and frantic effort to improve performance. What they get instead is overwhelmed teachers and administrators and flat or even declining student results.
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Thinking about Checklists in the North Woods

My family and I recently spent a week off the grid, deep in the North Woods of Wisconsin where the brilliant stars and a waxing moon were the only lights, and the eerie cry of loons, yips of coyotes and hoots of owls were the only sounds. You wouldn’t think I’d read a book about checklists in that environment, but that’s exactly what I did—and it was a page turner.

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Testing is not the problem

I’m gravely concerned about a recent posting in Teacher Week by Renee Moore, a former Mississippi state teacher of the year and Milken Award winner. In a post entitled “Fixing NCLB: How Testing Hurts Disadvantaged Kids”, Ms.
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We need methodology not wishful thinking

I happened to catch Diane Ravitch on public television recently describing her positive reaction to the expressed desire of the Obama administration to eliminate the draconian punitive measures in No Child Left Behind. In her view, we aren’t helping students learn by threatening their teachers and administrators with school takeovers, staff firings, and the like.
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Specific and Strategic Courageous Action

“To set and work toward any goal is an act of courage.” -- Stephen Covey

Dennis Sparks recently wrote in his blog about the power of setting incremental goals, saying

Large goals can overwhelm school leaders who may not know where to start and how to maintain momentum over a period of many months and years. That’s why it’s important that leaders break large goals into small parts that can be addressed on a daily or weekly basis. ("Breaking big goals into small goals," April 21 - find a link to Dennis' blog in our Resources)
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Introducing Eddy Turns - our blog by Jan O'Neill

On one of our first dates, almost 25 years ago, my husband took me whitewater canoeing. Only later did we discover that the river he selected is one of the most challenging in northern Wisconsin; in fact, every year at least one person drowns on this river.

We were untrained, unskilled and not exactly well-prepared. We had the wrong kind of canoe (fiberglass) for what we were about to do and none of the required equipment (air bag, knee straps, helmets), and we failed to put on our life preservers.
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