Better Schools-Summer 2018

SUMMER 2018 | CCOSA.ORG

WHEN THE CRISIS ARISES | RESOURCES & TOOLKIT

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FAILING TO PLAN IS PLANNING TO FAIL

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SUPPORTING THE SUPERINTENDENT PIPELINE

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In this Issue 5-6 PAC & Voting Information 8-10 CCOSA Association Updates 12-13 When the Crisis Arises 14 Thought Leader Session Highlights 15 Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail 17 Thought Exchange 18-19 Supporting the Superintendent Pipeline | ELA

C C O S A E X E C U T I V E B OARD C HAI R J ul i e B l os s ( OAE S P) V I C E - C HAI R J er em y J ack s on (OAS S P ) ME MB E R S D r. J ohn C ox D r. G r egg G ar n C am i l l e Hol t Adam M cPhai l D r. D on R al ei gh Ly nn S chr oeder Tr acy M oot r y J os h Pi er ce K i m C oody J us t i n M ann C C O S A E X E C U T I V E D I R E CTO RS & AD M I NI S T R AT I V E S E RV I C E S TEAM D i r ect or s D r. Pam D eer i ng D r. G r aci e B r anch W i l l i am D. Par ker D r. D er al d G l oveer Andr ea Kunkel Hay l ey J ones S us an Har dy B r ook s , AP R F i nance M anager C y nda Kol ar Mem ber s hi p C oor di nat o r OAS S P, O M L E A, O D S S L aur a C r abt r ee C om m uni cat i ons C oor di na t or K ai t l y n Taggar t Adm i ni s t r at i ve S er v i ces Team OAS A, OAR S A, C E C : M cKenz i e Lum r y OAE S P, T L E : Ly nne W hi t e

@ C CO S A @ C CO S A S c h o o l A d m in is tra tio n ccosa_ok Articles submitted to Better Schools do not necessarily reflect the policies or beliefs of the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration. All articles are subject to editing. A publication of the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration Editor Susan Hardy Brooks, APR. Editorial and Advertising offices at 2901 N. Lincoln Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK 73105. Membership and advertising rates upon request. Better Schools is owned and published by the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration, Inc.

Members of the Emerging Leaders Academy (ELA) being recognized at the CCOSA Leadership Conference.

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PAC

CCOSA Political Action Committee

Advancing Legislation For Better Schools

C C O S A PA C I n f o r m a t i o n The Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration’s Political Action Committee (CCOSA PAC) is one of the most effective political action committees working to elect to state office candidates who will fight to safeguard and strengthen public education in Oklahoma.

CCOSA PAC is our voice at the state capitol– it speaks on behalf of you and over 2,500 active and retired school administrators from all five unified affiliate associations under the CCOSA umbrella. In addition, CCOSA PAC supports former CCOSA members in their campaigns for state office. Our ability to assist candidates and their campaigns allows us to develop meaningful relationships with legislators and other state office holders.

Our Voice CCOSA PAC provides direct financial support to recommended candidates for statewide office, the Oklahoma House and the State Senate who will fight to support students, parents and educators. Your donation to CCOSA PAC stays here in Oklahoma where it can do the most good for our students and their schools! We do not contribute to candidates for federal elected office.

Every member who contributes to CCOSA PAC does so voluntarily. CCOSA does not use dues dollars to support the CCOSA PAC. T h e I m p a c t o f G i v i n g t o t h e C C O S A PA C The life of every CCOSA member and his or her family is impacted each day by decisions made by politicians in Oklahoma City. From assessment and accountability requirements, the number of students in classrooms, the way administrators evaluate teachers, the amount of funding made available to support school programs, the Reading Sufficiency Act and even the size of an educator’s paycheck, important decisions about your life and career are made every day by elected officials. If you join together with other CCOSA members to make your voice and concerns heard, you can help elect state officials who will positively impact your work, your students, your schools and your communities. The CCOSA PAC Board urges you to consider making a voluntary contribution to support CCOSA PAC today! Your donation gives you the power to support the election of pro-public education candidates who will represent your values and concerns in all aspects of Oklahoma government.

DID YOU KNOW? If every CCOSA member donated just $25, the cost of giving up your favorite Starbucks drink for one week, we would have over $60,000.00 to donate to candidates.

If you would like to donate, log-in to your member account at ccosa.org/

Together, as a united voice, to safeguard our children.

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Be the change. Vote for #oklaed Supporting the 695,000 school children of our state fuels our unity of purpose as educators.

Let's build on the momentum we are experiencing in support of public education and get out the educator vote in upcoming elections. Make a commitment to "Be the Change" for #oklaed. Let's stand united and make election day the most powerful day of the year for public education!

Here's what you can do:

• Support pro-education candidates with your time and money.

• Share the voter registration dates and information with every school employee.

Primary Run-off

Last day to register to vote: Aug. 3

Deadline to request absentee ballot: Aug. 22, 5 p.m.

Early voting: Aug. 23-24, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Aug. 25, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

General Election

Last day to register to vote: Oct. 12

Deadline to request absentee ballot: Oct. 31, 5 p.m.

Early voting: Nov. 1-2, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Nov. 3, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

• Host voter registration drives at school events for parents and students.

• Encourage educators to vote in primary run-off elections in August.

• Schedule an in-service day for Election Day in November so educators can vote

conveniently.

If every educator votes, we can change election outcomes and the future for our students. Every vote counts!

Fo l low us on Fa cebook an d Twitter fo r th e latest in fo rmatio n !

BETTER SCHOOLS | 6

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CCOSA A S S O C I AT I O N U P DAT E S OA SA

Dr. Pam Deering, Executive Director • The State Superintendent of the Year, Assistant Superintendent/Central Office Administrator of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award winners were announced at the CCOSA Leadership Conference in June. The State Superintendent of the Year is Dr. Sean McDaniel, former Superintendent, Mustang Schools, now Superintendent of Oklahoma City Schools. The Assistant Superintendent/Central Office Administrator of the Year is Rob Miller, former Assistant Superintendent, Sand Springs Schools, now Superintendent of Bixby Schools. The Lifetime Achievement Award winners are Dr. Joe Siano, former Norman Schools Superintendent; Mike McClaren, former Claremore Schools Superintendent; and, Rick Kibbe, former Catoosa Schools Superintendent. We congratulate all of these exemplary education leaders!

• The OASA Executive Committee voted to appoint a committee to study and to make OASA Governance recommendations that could include, but not be limited to the criteria for service as OASA district directors and officers; alignment and number of OASA Executive Committee Director Districts; representation of types of members on the OASA Executive Committee.

Recommendations would be made to the OASA Executive Committee no later than the October, 2018, Executive Committee Meeting. Recommendation to chair the committee would be the OASA Immediate Past-President as of July 1, 2018, Rick Garrison.

• The OASA Executive Committee voted to direct the Constitution and ByLaws Committee to study and to make recommendations for possible Bylaw changes to include, but not be limited to: OASA Governance study and recommendations; AASA Federal Representation Election Process; Annual Supt. and Asst. Supt. of the Year Awards process and criteria; Clarification for OASA Officer and OASA Director Position Election run-off process; Service Awards process and approval; voting electronically to make Constitution and By-law changes rather than having to wait for face to face meetings; and other items deemed necessary to clarify, update, or change the OASA Constitution and By-laws. Recommendations will be made to the OASA Executive Committee no later than the November, 2018, Executive Committee Meeting.

Dr. Sean McDaniel, OASA Superintendent of the Year

Rob Miller, OASA Assistant Superintendent/Central Office Administrator of the Year

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! OASSP & OMLEA 2019 LEADERSHIP & LEARNING CONFERENCE

OMLEA & OASSP will be hosting their first joint secondary principals and educators “Leadership & Learning” Conference at the Moore Norman Technology Center South Penn Campus on Thursday, Feb. 7-8, 2019. Day 1 is hosted by OASSP and focused on “Lead for Excellence” featuring keynote speaker Jeff Zoul, the co-author of Start. Right. Now: Teach and Lead for Excellence. Day 2 is hosted by OMLEA and focused on “Reclaiming the Joy in Middle Level Education” featuring keynote speaker Jack Berckemeyer, co-author of Taming The Team and Deliberate Optimism.

Spread the word to secondary principals and middle level educators about this great conference!

BETTER SCHOOLS | 8

OASSP & OMLEA

Will Parker, Executive Director High School Principal of the Year Kimberly Coody, principal at Glenpool High School, was named the 2018 Oklahoma High School Principal of the Year by the Oklahoma Association of Secondary School Principals (OASSP). Kim was recognized at CCOSA’s Summer Leadership Conference and attended the NASSP National Conference in Chicago, IL, in July 2018.

Middle Level Principal of the Year Diana Lebsack, principal at Yukon Middle School, was named the 2018 Oklahoma Middle Level Principal of the Year by OMLEA and OASSP. Diana was recognized at CCOSA’s Summer Leadership Conference and will attend OMLEA’s national conference in Orlando, FL, this fall.

Kimberly Coody, OASSP Principal of the Year

Congratulations 2018 CCOSA Scholarship Winners!

At the CCOSA Conference, seniors were recognized and awarded schlarships: CCOSA/OSAG/Gene Keith Scholarship: Anna Antuono, Lone Grove HS CCOSA/MGM/Harvey Reimer Scholarship: Rylee Detrick, Ringwood HS OASA/Horace Mann/Pete Rhames Scholarship: Allison Ragsdale, Tuttle HS OASSP/RedSky Constructors/J.B. Flatt Scholarship: Hannah Reynolds, Midwest City HS CCOSA/OSIG/Randall Raburn Scholarship: Ethan Renner, Deer Creek HS CCOSA/Renaissance Learning/Steven Crawford Scholarship: Brendle Wilson, Byng HS OAESP/Horizon Financial Services Scholarship: Isaac Eichelberger, Harrah HS OMLEA/RedSky Constructors Scholarship: Hayden Burt, Fort Gibson HS OSAG Northeast Region Scholarship: Cheyenne Hale, Sapulpa HS OSAG Northwest Region Scholarship: Faith Reed, Hobart HS OSAG Southeast Region Scholarship: Matthew Rattan, McAlester HS OSAG Southwest Region Scholarship: Molly Biggs, Frederick HS Thank you CCOSA officers and members who read applications and to Lynn Schroeder, John Cox, Chris LeGrand, Will Parker, and Adam Beauchamp for interviewing senior finalists for this year's student scholarships. Out of 50 applications, 15 seniors were interviewed as finalists. Our interview committee reported that it was an inspiring day to be reminded what great students we have in Oklahoma schools!

Diana Lebsack, OMLEA Principal of the Year

Spread the word to secondary principals and middle level educators about the OMLEA & OAESP 2019 Leadership & Learning Conference!

OAESP

Dr. Gracie Branch, Executive Director We had a great turnout at the OAESP Breakfast at the CCOSA Conference. OAESP would like to thank Istation’s Chris Blevins & Heather Tennyson for sponsoring the great door prizes. Our two candidates for President-elect were introduced to the membership: Skeeter Sampler is the principal at Cache Intermediate and Donna Boles is the principal at Perkins-Tryon Intermediate. Voting will take place later in the school year by electronic ballot. Our Administrators of the Year were also honored: Janalyn Taylor, OAESP Administrator of the Year/National Distinguished Principal; Renita White, Principal of Excellence; and Jessele Miller, James Burnette Distinguished Principal. Six retiring OAESP members were also celebrated for their notable careers: Donna Edge, Mark Van Meter, Christine Harrison, Jeanne Karns, Kelly Trumbull and Sheila Wilson. We wish them well as they enter a new and exciting chapter in their lives!

Stephanie Williams, OASSP Assistant Principal of the Year

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OAE S P, continued Please remember to sign up for CCOSA’s Recertification or New Administrator training which is designed to give: • The latest updates in teacher and leader effectiveness • Face-to-face training in a focused environment • Skilled trainers who can adapt the training content to meet specific needs of participants and give individual attention.

Finally, Lead Like Me is gearing up to move into its second year of providing leadership training for Oklahoma 4th – 6th graders and their advisors. We are in the process of finalizing the training schedule. If you are interested in hosting a Lead Like Me training, please contact OAESP Executive Director Gracie Branch: branch@ccosa.org or call (405) 524-1191. Remember as the host principal, you will receive five free scholarships for your school team! At the present time we have sessions scheduled for the following locations:

Janalyn Taylor, OAESP Administrator of the Year/National Distinguished Principal

DATE CITY HOST LOCATION

Tuesday, Sept. 11 Clinton Gene Ray Washington ES

Tuesday, Sept. 18 Tishamingo Melissa Ferguson Tishamingo ES

Thursday, Sept. 20 Cache Tara Gunnarschja 5th & 6th Grade Center

Wednesday, Sept. 26 Perkins-Tryon Donna Boles Oak Park Retreat Center

Thursday, Sept. 27 Woodward Tara Burnett/Bana Bogdahn High Plains Tech. Center

Tuesday, Oct. 2 Ponca City Carla Fry E.M. Trout ES

Thursday, Oct. 4 Enid Amanda Rader Garfield ES

TBA Putnam City Renita White James L. Dennis ES

TBA Altus Robbie Holder TBA Hope you had a wonderful and relaxing summer break!

ODSS

Andrea Kunkel, Executive Director Congratulations to the following worthy recipients of ODSS’ annual scholarship and awards!

Joseph Corley, a UCO student preparing to teach Oklahoma students with disabilities, will receive ODSS’ $1,000 Jimmie Prickett Scholarship.

Sheryl Hazelbaker won the Maurice Walraven Award for her many valuable contributions to the education of children with disabilities as a teacher, special education coordinator and assistive technology professional.

Sherri Coats, Director of Special Services for Byng Public Schools, is the 2018 ODSS’ Outstanding Director of the Year.

Sherri Coats, ODSS Outstanding Director of the Year For the 2018-19 school year, ODSS is fortunate to have the following talented leaders serving on its Executive Committee:

• Lynn Schroeder, Sequoyah, President • Tracy Mootry, Inola, President-Elect

• Michele Scott, Duncan, Past President • Angela Rhoades, Woodward, Legislative & Policy Liaison

• Vicki Hampton, Skiatook, TADSS leader • Scott McCall, Putnam City, Metro OKC leader

• Sherri Coats, Byng, Southeast leader • Leslie Burnett, Pryor, Northeast rep

• David McCune, Enid, Northwest rep • Teresa Golden, Kingston, Southeast rep

• Janelle Shepherd, Clinton, Southwest rep • Linda Coffman, Valliant, At Large

• Melisa Kifer, Stillwater, At Large In July, officers Lynn, Tracy, Angela and Michele attended the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) Special Education Legislative Summit. After intensive preparation sessions about IDEA priority issues, they met with members of Oklahoma’s Congressional delegation to discuss the needs of Oklahoma schools and students with disabilities. They returned home fired up and ready to teach their colleagues everything they learned. Here’s to another big year for ODSS! BETTER SCHOOLS | 10

When the Crisis Arises

by Susan Hardy Brooks, CCOSA Chief Communications Officer As school leaders you know that a crisis will occur at some point in your career. It might be a natural disaster, a school shooting, a bus accident or a reputational crisis. But the crisis WILL come.

What plans to do you have in place to make sure your students and employees are safe and secure and to minimize the long-term repercussions? According to Rick Kaufman, principal author of NSPRA’s Complete Crisis Communication Management Manual for Schools, effective crisis management focuses on three phases: Precrisis; crisis response and post-crisis.

In the pre-crisis phase, the goal is prevention (identify and reduce risks that could result in a crisis) and preparedness (an integrated crisis management plan with a clearly defined purpose and procedures for all staff and students to respond to an incident).

“Knowing what to do in a crisis can be the difference between chaos and calm, or even life and death,” he said in a recent NSPRA article promoting the newest edition of the digital crisis manual.

Many school districts have some type of crisis response plans, but Kaufman said they are often cut-and paste documents collecting dust on a bookshelf. The plans don’t usually include the collaboration and cooperation of local agencies that are so critical in an emergency situation.

The critical point about collaboration and cooperation was strongly reinforced by speakers serving on a Leading Through Crisis Panel at the 2018 CCOSA Leadership Conference. Former Newtown Superintendent Dr. Janet Robinson said a local school district facing a tragic shooting of the magnitude of Sandy Hook Elementary School had to depend strongly on relationships they had built with emergency responders and local and state authorities long before the crisis occurred.

Even with a sound crisis response plan, it is also important to practice. “When we train and drill we create the cultural conditioning to know what to do in a real-world crisis,” Kaufman explained. “This is what will save lives.” Saving lives is a powerful reason for training for incidents such as fire, evacuations, active shooter and lockdown drills.

The crisis response phase is actually implementing the plan when needed. And always, after a crisis, you want to debrief by asking “What did we learn?” “What could we do better?” “What were our greatest challenges in responding to the crisis?”

Recovery after a crisis is also challenging. Kaufman said the emotional toll of a crisis on an entire community can trigger short and long-term consequences for students, staff, parents and responders. Dr. Janet Dunlop, Superintendent at Broken Arrow Public Schools, actively sought the support services of external groups to deal with the emotional toll the death of a student and teacher in separate accidents took on her students and staff.

BETTER SCHOOLS | 12

Even natural disasters such as tornadoes and wildfires can take an unexpected toll on a school district. Coby Nelson, Superintendent at Vici Public Schools, was trying to finish out the school year when wildfires ravaged Vici and many other communities in western Oklahoma. In his case, keeping school in session and continuing school activities while fires loomed in the distance was the best way to maintain normalcy in his community. Schools are often the hub of a small community, and Nelson was able to align support and resources for families, other community groups and organizations throughout the crisis.

For more information on the Complete Crisis Communication Management Manual for Schools (4th Edition), visit NSPRA’s online store at nspra.org.

Former Newtown Supt. Dr. Janet Robinson discusses crisis management in the aftermath of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook ES. Dr. Janet Dunlop, Broken Arrow Supt. (pictured) and Coby Nelson (not pictured), also served on the crisis panel at the CCOSA Leadership Conference.

The 4th edition includes new guidance on crisis communication, using social media in an emergency, safe school assessments and security audits. Also included is updated information about school safety conditions, the Incident Command System, drills and exercises, and student reunification.

AASA Issues Toolkit to Help School District Leaders Address School, Community Crises Kit Includes Superintendent ‘Mentors’ to Provide Guidance for Security and Safety Best Practices In response to the growing violence in our public schools shattering communities throughout the U.S., AASA, The School Superintendents Association, has released “School Safety & Crisis Planning,” a toolkit for proactive best practices before, during and after a crisis.

Specifically designed for superintendents and other district administrators, the online resource features a select group of safety leaders throughout the country who are ready to provide peer-to-peer guidance about a variety of crises, including school shootings, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, suicides and other major incidents that arrive without a moment’s notice.

The toolkit also features a 24-hour hotline managed by Joseph Erardi, former superintendent of Newtown Public Schools. “The time is now to foster a district culture that makes student success and well-being a priority,” said Erardi. “I was privileged to spend my final four years before retirement in Newtown, postSandy Hook. I found the work incredibly complex and even more incredibly rewarding as the community rebuilt from such a heinous crime. We’re here to assist other communities rebuild as well.”

Resources were also contributed by the American School Counselor Association, the National Association of School Psychologists, the National School Boards Association and the National School Public Relations Association.

As part of the toolkit, CrisisGo, an AASA School Solutions partner, is offering an emergency planning and communications platform to AASA members at no cost. The “AASA Safe Classroom” app allows school safety leaders to send audible emergency alerts and enable twoway communications to every computer and mobile device in the school.

To access the School Safety & Crisis Planning Toolkit, go online to: http://aasacentral.org/school-safety/ 13 | CCOSA.ORG

Thought-Leader Session Highlights

by Will Parker, OASSP/OMLEA Executive Director

This year CCOSA offered breakout sessions before the general session on Wednesday, June 6, as well as great breakouts throughout each day. Two of these thought-leaders had messages especially relevant to daily practices of school leaders: CONNECT, INNOVATE AND LEAD FOR EXCELLENCE: START. RIGHT. NOW. Presenter, Jeffrey Zoul Jeff is a former teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent and now leads What Great Educators Do Differently Conferences across the U.S. and Canada.

In his session, leaders learned how excellent leaders challenge the status quo by connecting, innovating, and leading intentionally. They examined 4 key leadership principles and behaviors that truly exemplary leaders exhibit on a daily basis: Know the Way, Show the Way, Go the Way, and Grow Each Day. To inspire, empower, motivate, and lead others while navigating the change process effectively, truly excellent leaders know they must Start. Right. Now. In this session, they also explored the importance of leading from a framework of core values and discovered ways to act upon these values to improve the climate and culture of your school or district. School leaders must always stay open to learning new ways to inspire others, build capacity, model success behaviors, and grow professionally each and every day.

A commitment to this shared leadership is what it takes to raise expectations schoolwide and create an environment in which everyone—students, staff, parents, and the community—takes pride in supporting each other in their journey to excellence.

MARCHING OFF THE MAP Presenter, Andrew McPeak Andrew is a co-author with Dr. Tim Elmore on their latest book – Marching Off The Map. A millennial speaker and content developer with Growing Leaders, his experiences as both a presenter and curriculum designer have led him to become well versed in communicating to and about the next generation. In his role as Program Excellence Manager, he works closely with schools, universities, companies and sports teams on implementing Habitudes as a tool to teach life and leadership skills. This experience enables him to help leaders understand how to craft their message in a way that best connects with today’s student.

In his session on Marching Off The Map, Andrew presented information on the world’s newest generation of students (Generation Z) and helped educators understand how to best connect with and lead them in the classroom. Leading today’s students often feels like being in a new country. The population in this new land has different attitudes (many entitled and narcissistic) and speaks a different language (emojis and social media). Attention spans are six to eight seconds. They multi-task on five screens. They often possess multiple personas on social media platforms. Understanding and connecting with this generation is often times frustrating and draining. The old maps that helped adults navigate students through adolescence are now producing graduates who move back home, are afraid to take healthy risks, and are unwilling to start at the bottom of a career path. We’re in new territory and we must recognize the new landscape if we are to inspire students, teachers, and school communities in new learning.

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OP ED Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

Dr. Jim V. Myers Professor, College of Education, Oral Roberts University Former Superintendent of Tecumseh Public Schools

As educators, our aversion to planning that is truly strategic in nature, lies primarily in our thinking that it is too complex, time consuming and expensive. What is really too complex, time consuming, and expensive is rectifying the mistakes of failing to plan. There may be no old adage more critical to the future of public schools than that conveyed by “failing to plan is planning to fail.”

That great tapestry that was so symbolic of American public education is showing its age.

The results of the endless reform, redesign, and restructuring are evident in a general unraveling of the whole fabric. The frayed edges, the dullness of the colors, and the loss of innocence are all indicators that even the center, the historic heart of this country, may not hold. To lose the best of what public schools have done and can do, to lose its heart and soul, could result in the loss of a generation of students, a loss this nation can ill afford.

A myriad of educational decisions are made almost daily in the public schools of this country and the impact of those decisions on our students, for good or for bad, may be immeasurable. The potential risk of the loss of a generation of students due to faulty decision making should be a major concern to all of us.

Many school administrators had high aspirations for their schools, but those aspirations retired right alongside those administrators. Why? Because most of those aspirations were never fully communicated in a way that others could see, hear or believe. In the challenging and complex world of educational leadership, the ability to clearly articulate new ideas is critical. Only when new ideas are clearly communicated will educational communities fully understand those ideas and see themselves reflected in that context.

If I were able to offer one piece of advice to a new superintendent, it would be to make certain your school district has a good plan in place: not just any old plan, but rather one that is strategic in nature. I’m not talking about short or long range planning, nor am I suggesting just program or project planning. What I am recommending is that you engage your school district in a collaborative, consensus-building process whereby you concentrate all of your efforts, resources, activities,

and energies toward one goal – becoming the absolute best school possible and the absolute best learning community.

That approach to planning would be truly strategic and would define the means by which your school could create from within itself the ability to achieve extraordinary purpose. Look at the power inherent in that kind of process: To permit your school to become something different, something it currently is not, in order to better serve those it intends to serve. I’m talking about a type of metamorphosis, a transformation to become a truly great school and a truly great community of learners.

The strategic planning process is how you determine for yourself and your community what kind of school you intend to be. It is through the strategic planning document that you communicate that to others. Your strategic plan serves to remind you and your school community that “this is the kind of school we have chosen to be” and “this is the context in which we make all decisions.”

To not plan strategically may position your school and yourself to accept less than the very best. To have not taken your school and community through a planning process that is truly strategic may prevent your school from achieving true greatness. Great schools are what this country needs. Great schools are what our students deserve.

The transition from bad to good to great can be accomplished when we quit failing to plan. When schools plan strategically they position themselves to become the very best schools, the very best learning communities, they can be. They are then poised for the transition from bad or good to great.

Only when every school has made that kind of change, undergone that kind of transformation, will we have ended our reliance on the old adage and ceased planning to fail.

Note: The approach to strategic planning described in this article is based on the work of Dr. William Cook, Jr. and Dr. Lindsey Gunn of The Cambrian Group in Montgomery, Alabama. A further elaboration of their work can be found in Dr. Cook’s publication, Strategic Planning for America’s Schools (2001).

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Improving Engagement with

by Dr. Gracie Branch, OAESP Executive Director If you go to www.thoughtexchange.com, you will see the following by-line: Bringing people together.

10x more people. 10x more ownership. 10x faster.

Can Thought Exchange actually do this? According to school districts around the nation it does this and much more. Thoughtexchange software and professional services allow an organization to be inclusive, lead change and make decisions putting people first. Thoughexchange moves beyond traditional engagement methods, which typically do not reach enough people or hear beyond the loudest voices, to learn what is important to the whole community.

Whether an issue involves faculty, parents, students or whole communities, Thoughtexchange provides the technology to connect educators to their stakeholders. People confidentially share thoughts, appreciate other points of view and understand how perspectives connect to decision-making all from their very own mobile device. In addition, patented analysis and visualization tools provide the insights needed for school personnel to take action with confidence and assuredness.

During a presentation at the CCOSA Conference, Dr. Shirley Simmons, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, and Dr. Kristi Gray, Director of Advanced Placement and Gifted/Talented Programs, shared multiple ways that Thoughtexchange is being utilized by Norman Public Schools. From soliciting feedback on the district’s gifted and talented program to bond issue input, Norman Public Schools is engaging stakeholders in building for the future. Dr. Nick Migliorino, Superintendent of Norman Public Schools, described Thoughtexchange “as a digital Town Hall Meeting.” The platform engages more people on a topic to learn what’s important to everyone and allows a school/district to make informed decisions that receive community support.

important topic or ask an open-ended question to staff or students and quickly learn what matters to the group. The Thoughtexchange staff will help you craft your questions in a way to elicit productive feedback. The discussion forum will gather thoughts from a multitude of people and synthesize their thinking for you keeping district staff time to a minimum. “You are not just collecting data.

Thoughtexchange allows you to dig into the process to find meaningful information that is specific, descriptive and recommends a course of action,” said Superintendent Dr. Quintin Shepherd.

If you are a collaborative leader who is looking for a platform to engage with your stakeholders to gain buy in and inform critical decisions by bringing empowered communities together to work toward common solutions, then Thoughtexchange may be just right for you!

CCOSA is exploring Thoughtexchange as a tool for increasing member engagement in the strategic planning process.

For more information on how to engage your school community and find the plan that is right for your district, visit thoughtexchange.com.

Thoughexchange will help you: • Reach more people in less time • Engage more meaningfully • Learn what’s important • Make decisions that get support • Leverage diversity with more voices • Provide a fair process with actionable results Thoughtexchange helps you deeply engage an entire community in a two-way discussion about an 17 | CCOSA.ORG

Supporting the Superintendent Pipeline | Emerging Leaders Academy

by Kaitlyn Taggart, CCOSA Communications Coordinator

There are many strategic and practical aspects of the superintendent’s job that simply can’t be covered in the certification process. A powerful new Emerging Leaders Academy (ELA) is preparing Oklahoma school leaders to become effective superintendents by offering real-world, relevant content they can use from the initial job interview to managing a crisis and more.

The Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA) and the Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA) collaborated to develop timely sessions that give superintendentcertified principals and central office staff an advantage as they pursue the top jobs in school districts across the state.

“This program accommodates the needs for schools and prepares participants for the type of situations one will actually experience in a superintendent position,” said Pam Deering, executive director of CCOSA and OASA. 2017-18 was the first class of the Emerging Leaders Academy. Class size was limited to 20 to give participants a more in-depth and personalized experience. The group met once a quarter for a day and a half of professional learning that included topics such as leaders and leadership, finance, communication, community engagement and advocacy. Content for the sessions was based on research with superintendents and school board members.

“We got feedback from board members and it seems there are some core skill sets that board members are looking for and are not seeing in as many applicants as they would like,” said Stephanie Hyder, director of executive search services at OSSBA.

of those that live in the real world of the superintendency on a daily basis,” said Angela Grunewald, associate superintendent of educational services at Edmond Public Schools. “Not only are we learning things about the superintendent’s role, but we are developing those friendships and bonds that we can call on as resources.”

Here is an overview of the sessions: SESSION 1 Leadership and the Superintendent as CEO focused on developing skills to create a learning organization, developing skills to become an instructional leader, cultivating habits of healthy work-life balance, developing networks, and establishing influence and credibility in the superintendent position.

SESSION 2 School Finance was one of the most beneficial sessions, according to the evaluations. It focused on learning the legal aspects of school policy and board relations, learning about school contracts, employment, and worker’s compensation, how federal programs fit into school finance, and learning about the Oklahoma funding formula.

“This session was thought provoking and prepared aspiring leaders for what to evaluate financially when looking at a school district and what questions to prepare for during an interview,” said Scott Farmer, superintendent of Fort Gibson Public Schools.

SESSION 3 The third session helped aspiring superintendents engage in legislative advocacy, learn cover letter and resume writing techniques, develop interview skills and engage in mock interviews, and learn how to market themselves in an interview committee.

Prior to each of the sessions, selected superintendents from across the state were asked “We wanted a program that would be set apart to attend and speak on one of the topics based on from other leadership programs, that would truly their own experiences and expertise. be relevant to the leadership role,” said Deering. www. b reakfastinthecla m . o rgLeaders sets the stage to take the next “It was very powerful to hear from the voices ssro o“Emerging BETTER SCHOOLS | 18

step, so we can prepare aspiring superintendents for the job as much as possible.”

SESSION 4 The final session helped superintendents learn the importance of communicating between internal and external audiences, how to play the role of devil’s advocate to boost skills, crisis communications and understand the importance of key messages and visuals when communicating with the public.

“While it may not feel like it in the moment, a little bit of discomfort goes a long way in terms of personal development,” said Shawn Blankenship, executive director of administrative services at Piedmont Schools. “Learning experiences such as the news reporters and the mock interviews provided an emotional experience that I will remember for a lifetime.”

The real measure of ELA’s success is that two members of Class 1 have accepted superintendent positions for the upcoming school year. Jill Henderson will be the Canute Public Schools superintendent and Tim Argo will be Alva Public Schools superintendent. “I have always been told that when you surround yourself with good people, you give yourself a greater chance of success. I feel like I was surrounded by terrific leadership in each meeting and talented class mates. It was humbling to be a part of this initial Emerging Leaders Academy class,” said Argo.

Kristi Ferguson, another class member, will serve as acting interim superintendent of Newcastle Public Schools. There were also five to six members who were finalists for superintendent positions.

Gaining perspective from experienced superintendents was invaluable to ELA participants.

“The whole experience was informative, educational and expanded my professional toolbox to areas that I have limited exposure- like rural school systems, said Sheli McAdoo, Yukon Public Schools assistant superintendent. “The events that stood out for me include the guest speakers for each session.

Listening to superintendents who are in the field working now and hearing their perspective was invaluable.”

Although the 2018-19 Class has already been selected, aspiring superintendents who hold a superintendent’s certificate can let Deering or Hyder know now if they are interested in next year’s program. To apply, CCOSA and OSSBA hold an openapplication period. An application review committee focuses on aspects such as indication of readiness, a sponsor letter from their superintendent and experiences they have had in previous jobs that involve high-level decision making.

Deering and Hyder are presenting the ELA program at the Association of School Business Officials International Annual Meeting in September.

19 | CCOSA.ORG

2018 Legislative Session Produces No Big, New Special Education Laws

by Andrea Kunkel, ODSS Executive Director At the beginning of the 2018 general legislative session, I would have bet that the Legislature would pass a new law or two further regulating the use of physical restraint and seclusion for students with disabilities. However, despite three bills poised for passage at the beginning of the session, none made it through to the end.

Dyslexia has been the subject of multiple education bills over the last few sessions, but the only significant dyslexia bill this year impacted the composition and schedule of the Dyslexia and Education Task Force. House Bill 3313 passed, adding a speech-language pathologist to the Task Force and extending its work deadline from December 2018 to July 1, 2019.

The Legislature also passed Senate Bill 929, which updates disability-related definitions in the state

funding formula to more closely mirror federal definitions. It makes no changes in the category weights, however. Now that would have been a big deal!

Legislators introduced a crush of Lindsey Nicole Henry-related voucher bills. It’s fair to say, though, that most LNH bills have little to do with special education anymore. They either seek to expand the reach of vouchers to other populations or to require approved private schools to demonstrate that they can meet the unique needs of the students with disabilities they choose to accept. In any event, none of them became law.

In sum, special education was not a big subject for legislative policy-making during the 2018 session.

There’s nothing to worry about here. So, sit back, enjoy the summer and remember to register and vote!

Thank you for being a member of CCOSA during the 2017-2018 membership year. Our organization has experienced phenomenal growth – exceeding the previous year’s membership numbers and adding even more initiatives and networking opportunities!

We were recently reminded of what we already knew – that we are stronger together! In unity, we will continue to do what is needed for our children, educators and schools.

We hope you will renew your membership for 2018-19. Let’s continue growth and efforts to save our schools, together.

The importance of belonging!

Please renew your membership online at:

c c o s a. o r g

For more information, email: membership@ccosa.org or call (405) 524-1191.

21 | CCOSA.ORG

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