ADDING VALUE TO STUDENTS

1. Identify the Essential Learning Outco es

Effective teams develop and agree to provide all students with Essential Learning Outcomes. In the absence of learning outcomes students receive a disjointed curriculum experience. From my observations, developing essential learning outcomes involves trust, conflict, debate, time and the ability to come to consensus. If teams lac one or more, it will be difficult if not impossible to identify essential learning outcomes. !. "e #roacti$e Identify academic and behavior support and intervention that can be provided in a timely manner. !ather than waiting until the end of the first nine wee s to tell a student and his family that the student is struggling in a particular subject, provide timely academic support and additional opportunities for practice and instruction. %. Start an Ad$isory #rogra "o you want to invest in students# "o you want all students to feel li e there is one person in the $%school who nows their name and an adult they can go to for advice# "o you want students to have someone they can spea with when they are struggling with their grades or when they need help navigating the course selection process# & structured advisory program can include topics such as college readiness, interview tips, personal financial literacy, study s ills, character education, cyber bullying, career options, public spea ing s ills and more' Fre(uently, schools identify what students should now and be able to do. One of the side effects of high sta es testing is that critical life s ills are often untaught. If you see to add value to students and want to reach every student, develop a robust &dvisory )rogram and ta e your school to the next level' &. E$aluate Grading #ractices *rading is one of the forbidden topics in most $%school. )rincipals and teachers ali e fear the topic when it is typed on a meeting agenda. It could be said that grading is the most overused and misunderstood practice among teachers and administrators. It is difficult for students to understand the meaning of a grade when they have five teachers and each teacher provides a different rationale for grading student wor and assessments.

SOLVING T'E #(O"LE)S O* +OLLEGUES

"e Accessi,le and Ad$ocate

$e pro%active in ma ing yourself visible as much as possible around the school. Let it be nown that you are there to support and be of service to the teaching staff. +,ee to understand- and be a good listener to teachers. .elp resolve issues or problems with students or content or, in some cases, personal issues in their lives. /eep an open door policy for your teachers. 0eachers have urgent and immediate needs and re(uire a response from you as an administrator. 0here should be no barriers preventing teachers from tal ing to you when they need you. If we want teachers to teach, then support them, listen to understand and get them what they need so that they can carry on with their teaching.

"o not eep your teachers waiting to tal to you. &lways respond to (uestions or concerns they have communicated with you via e%mail with concrete examples and suggestions they can apply in the classroom. &dvocate for teachers when they are faced with non%constructive criticism. 1or with teachers, other staff, students and community people to hear and resolve concerns in a way that is best for students. &ttend community functions where you can tal about the wor your teachers are doing and their dedication.

+reate a +ulture of Su--ort that "uilds Teachers. 'igh E/-ectations

0eachers need to know, not just believe, that you support them in meeting their top priority2 to teach. 0eachers are at the forefront each day before every period, and there is little time to waste. In essence, they need all the support possible. Limit the classroom interruptions from the office or the )& system. Limit interruptions to emergencies only or very urgent matters. ,upport your teachers on discipline issues. 0eachers cannot teach when there are constant disruptions. "eal with the discipline problem and do not send the student bac to the classroom right away. *et the assignment from the teacher and place the student in the vicinity of your office. 0a e the time to have a good tal with the student and contact the parents if necessary. 0eachers need to now that you will support them. *ive office staff very specific directives to provide assistance to teachers when they need it. 0ime is precious to teachers, and they occasionally need things immediately. 0elling a teacher that the copier is bro en or that the office does not have time to prepare materials is not acceptable. ,et up some bac %up systems to meet the teacher3s immediate needs. !emember, teachers should be in the classroom teaching and not having to worry about their materials being prepared or available in time. 0here is no time for office politics when our focus is children. 4lerical, custodial and office staff must understand that they are support personnel to the teachers and must provide immediate assistance. 0hey should be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Ac0no1ledge Teachers and #ersonali2e Su--ort

)repare cards, in your own handwriting for a personali5ed touch for special occasions, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. 0eachers appreciate this very much. 4all teachers at home when they are out ill. "id you ever get a call from your principal just to in(uire about how you were feeling and to be assured that things would be ta en care of in your absence# 0hey need to now that you are calling because you are concerned about their health rather than just as ing when they will return. &c nowledge and reward teachers at least once a month. &lways have coffee, hot water for tea, and filtered or bottled water. $ring some goodies, such as fruit and granola bars. If you have a parent%teacher organi5ation, as members to help you sponsor a luncheon every six or nine wee s for recognition of your teachers. It is not that expensive, and it goes a long, long way.

"uild Su--orti$e Leadershi- A ong Ad inistrati$e Staff

$e a role model and mentor to all teachers and staff, in particular, the newer ones who need coaching, mentoring and validation. 0rust teachers and ma e them feel li e the professionals they are. 6any have great ideas, abilities and talents that you may not now about. 6any demonstrate great leadership with new and refreshing ideas that can certainly contribute to the school culture. 0his also enables them to buy in to a process, especially when the ideas come from them. )rovide opportunities for leadership among teachers. !otate department heads, assign projects to certain teachers, give additional tas s to those wor ing on an advanced degree, but ma e sure that you support them in all phases. &llow all teachers an opportunity to participate in the hiring of other new teachers and staff, specifically when it is in their department. )rovide information on the latest research. &s teachers wor ing on an advanced degree to share new information or findings they have come across in their studies, especially as it relates to the issues your school is currently wor ing through. )rovide teachers and staff with all possible data available about your school. $e the leader, and show them how to use the information so they can get true pictures of strengths and wea nesses. 0eachers in site%based management should be involved in true decision ma ing and should be ept abreast of what is going on in the school. 4ontinue developing your professional learning community teams so that learning can be shared among staff. )ractice the principles and support them as they themselves develop the process by providing the time to meet. It is also critical that administration attend as many of these meetings as possible. $e an advocate for professional development and allow your teachers to attend professional development of their choice. &llow some each year to attend national or state conferences. "o not eep teachers for training after school. If you are providing them with the support they need, they are teaching and wor ing hard all day. &t the end of the day, they are tired and need to ta e care of their personal lives. ,aturday3s are days that can be used for training, but sparingly. "on3t forget that teachers have families and other obligations. unity Su--ort

"uild #arent and +o

$e a role model in valuing parents. 4reate a parent engagement and involvement process that supports the school, students and teachers. 0eachers need to now that parents also value their efforts in teaching their children and that they will support the teacher as an additional partner while wor ing with their child. .ave parents become active participants in your site%based committee. 0hey can become great leaders and advocates for your school and staff. 7ou want them as partners in education not just as fundraisers. 6a e the schools parent friendly and do more than posting signs in other languages. 0rain your office staff to welcome parents respectfully at all times. )rovide immediate assistance to parents. 0his means do not eep them waiting, have someone available to spea their language, and if they wish to see a teacher, set up an

appointment with the teacher first. Interruptions in the middle of the class period are not acceptable.

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