Threats

It's seem recently it's been open season on school administrator. Where is this coming from? Does one every think to themselves, WOW I might get shot over this. Doubt it.

When does the greater good not work?

Recently was put in a position where a valued member of my team was asked/pressured to move sites. At what point do you say No? This person woud be great wherever he/she goes but is it good teamwork to remove him from one site to another?

Good Ideas, Bad Implementation

Too frequent in education do we have great ideas that get destroyed in the implementation stage. Either they are rushed out or we wait till they are perfect and the time isn't right anymore.

If you consider yourself a cautious person, find someone that is bold to bounce ideas off. If you are the opposite find someone tht is cautious.

A year gone

Wow a year gone since I posted last. I'm feeling really guilty now. It's been a strange journey with some wins and some losses. My xmas gift to myself will be to be more diligent in posting.

Where is......

My first teaching job was in LAUSD. I spent 13 years in LAUSD. I had learned to navigate the organizational complexities and knew where to find answers to my questions most of the time. If I couldn't find the answer, I knew who to go ask.

On September 1, 2009 everything changed. With my move to a new district I am on the back end of a learning curve. Each district has it's quirks but unfortunately I'm finding myself asking Where is..... a lot. It's not a bad thing it's just different.

As always, I am dedicated to making my organization the best organization it can be. If I can help in any way I do so.

Now, where is............

Different Direction

Technology, like in life starts and stop and sometimes the anticipated direction of a project is not the direction life takes it. I guess what I'm saying is this blog is taking a right turn and changing it's direction.

When I first started it I was going to put down my thoughts on the changes that I see going on in LAUSD. My view would be as an outsider but with inside knowledge. Sometimes the most dangerous of opinions. I've come to the conclusion that I'm not doing anyone any good by watching the train wreck named LAUSD. It's like watching COPS. It can be entertaining at times but how many wife beater shirts can you see. It appears no matter how many different cities COPS films in the same yahoo keeps getting caught.

My new year's resolution is to use technology as a reflective tool.

Number 10?

Although I'm no longer in LAUSD I feel like I'm in let's make a deal. Let's see what is behind door #1! Article in the LA Times today exposing that the person in charge of the school reform, aka take over, of the lower performing schools is not even being paid by the district. He's being funded by a grant.

Normally it wouldn't matter. Many people in large districts are funded by grants but a person with as much power as Matt Hill to not be funded by the school district he is going to reform. PLUS the grant is coming from Eli Broad that once tried to take over the district.

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck.. it's a chicken right?

3 Months and counting

Well, it's been a very long time since I posted. It's been a wild ride but a good one. I will make sure I post soon. The basics are GHS blowing up, MHS moving in the right direction!

A historical perspective on ?????

Well let's look at the sequence of events:
1: Mayor ties to take over school district
2: Mayor fails
3: Mayor supports board members and gets 4 members on the board
4: Partnership formed with mayor and Boyle Heights Collaborative to take over certain schools in Boyle Heights area
5: East LA collaborative formed. It's goal is to reform Garfield High School
6: Small schools initiative formed to reform large schools. But didn't get much traction
7: Motion put before board to allow alternative, charter, governance for 50 new schools. Motion was tabled. Mayor comes out in favor of motion.
8: A revised motion put before board that increases the scope of alternative governance to all PI 3+ schools.
9:Special Task Force formed to study teacher evaluations

10:?

Here is a quote from a recent LA times article:

The program launched by Supt. Ramon Cortines is mandatory for two officials; 17 others can participate if they wish. Cortines hopes the move might pave the way for merit-based pay.

I don't know how everyone feels about merit pay but offering it to a couple people closest to the highest levels of the district does not seem to be the most effective way of doing it. I guess it is business as usual. Trojan horse the the sucker and I'm sure there is a clause in what the board passed that allows expansion of the program without board approval.

Trojan Horse?

Well, it appears Villaraigosa's Trojan horse was invited in today. With a 6-1 vote, the Los Angeles Unified School District decided that what it was doing wasn't good enough and will be handing over it's schools to other agencies.

LAUSD is a screwed up district. Don't get me wrong, I do think the district needs to be overhaulled but I'm not sure handing it to others piece by piece is a viable alternative. Many of the things that cause the most frustration to most of us were rules imposed by the board and/or people that were long gone. I believe in the system but if things are not working, let me have the flexability to innovate and if it doesn't work hold me accountable.

I am only 1 of the many that will leave the district soon. LAUSD will see a brain drain the likes that has not been seen since East Germany in 1945. I wonder how the Board is going to build a wall around itself.

I am looking forward to being in a distrct where I can talk to the Superintendent as easy as I can to my secretary. I am not afraid of accountability as long as I am provided the means to do what is right.

Press Release

Well, today I experienced my first small district versus large district thing. When people are selected as principals in LAUSD little is said or done. Many people do not even know there is a change of bodies in the chair. In MPUSD, a press release was sent out announcing me as the new principal and it was picked up by a couple local newspapers. You can read it HERE and HERE.

Very Cool!

New Beginings

It is rare in life these days where new beginnings happen to occur. Change that when you are on the cusp of it you know your life will never been the same. I am on one of the cusps. In less than 2 weeks I will be the new Principal of Monterey High School. I am looking forward to the experience and I hope to use this blog to document and discuss the similarities and differences between MHS and my past experiences.