Monday, June 25, 2012

Change comes from the Top Down and Bottom Up

In this terrific and timely ASCD Express article, Partnerships that Improve Education, Phillip Jason Caposey reminds us that the success of any initiative depends upon teacher buy-in. As he puts it, "True school improvement only occurs when the goals of the individuals involved match the goals of the organization."

Caposey points out that many educators feel that new initiatives like the Common Core are being done to them. In response, he advocates for an implementation approach centered on collaboration between teachers and administrators. And he points out that "Collaboration is a learned skill that needs to be taught for education partnerships to work." Caposey suggests using the norms below to build greater collaboration:
  • Common purpose and objectives for meetings must be established and articulated.
  • All conversations must relate to the common purpose.
  • Data and research must be valued above belief or judgment statements.
  • Keep disagreements at a professional level, not a personal one.
  • Once consensus is achieved, all must support the decisions. 
How is your district achieving greater collaboration? 

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