Better Schools Winter Edition 2019

WINTER 2019 | CCOSA.ORG

LEADING AND LEARNING IN THE SUPERINTENDENCY

5

CONTRADICTIONS IN SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

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The importance of belonging!

PRINCIPAL, OPTIMISTIN-CHIEF

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In this Issue 5-6 Leading and Learning in the Superintendency 8-10 CCOSA Association Updates 12 The Oklahoma School Report Card: Sharing What We Do Best 13-14 Contradictions in School Leadership

C C O S A EX EC UT IV E D IRECTOR S & AD MINIS TRATIV E S ERV IC ES T E A M D irec t ors D r. Pa m D eering D r. Gra cie Bra nch W illia m D. Pa rker D era ld Glover Andrea Kunkel

15 Care More. Serve Better.

16 Comprehensive Literacy Plans Take Root With YearRound Access to Authentic Text

Bus ines s Ma na ger C y nda Kola r Mem bers hip C oordina t o r O D S S Adm inis t ra t ive As s istan t La ura C ra bt ree C om m unic a t ions C oordina to r K a it ly n Ta gga r t

18-19 Principal, Be Your School’s Optimist-in-Chief 20 CCOSA/OTA Virtual Instruction Committee Identifying Model Programs 24-25 Meet Janalyn Taylor, Oklahoma’s 2018 National Distinguished Principal @ C COS A

C C O S A EX EC UTIV E BOAR D C HAIR Julie Blos s (OAES P ) V IC E C HAIR C hris LeGra nde (OAS S P ) MEMBERS D r. John C ox D r. Gregg Ga rn C a m ille Holt Ada m Mc P ha il D r. D on Ra leigh Ly nn S chroeder Tra c y Moot r y J os h P ierce K im C oody J us t in Ma nn

Adm inis t ra t ive S er v ic es Te am OAS A, OARS A: Mc Kenz ie Lu m r y OAES P, TLE: Ly nne W hit e OAS S P / O MLEA, C EC : C ha rlot t e M u r p h y

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.

@CCOSA Scho o l A dm inist rat io n

cco sa_ o k

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Leading and Learning in the Superintendency

by Kaitlyn Taggart CCOSA Communications Coordinator

After serving as a Superintendent for Pryor Public Schools for the past eleven years, Dr. Don Raleigh was nominated to be the 2017 OASA Superintendent of the Year, representing OASA at the national level.

Traveling to Washington D.C., Dr. Raleigh had no expectations, but said he felt extremely honored to even be considered from his district. He and each of the state superintendents of the year attended a gala where they were honored for their accomplishments. He also had the opportunity to meet with policy makers from all over the country to hear topics regarding education at the federal level.

“The networking and exposure to high level decision makers was very insightful and a rewarding experience,” said Dr. Raleigh, “It was an extreme honor to represent our state and very humbling to be selected from so many great educators.”

Prior to becoming a Superintendent, Dr. Raleigh served as a central office administrator and a high school principal at Sperry Public Schools.

He mentioned having very strong mentors that helped him along the way, and many of them having administrative roles. “Their direction gave me the confidence that I could make a bigger impact and drive positive change from the superintendency,” said Dr. Raleigh.

With the mentoring and experience he received, Dr. Raleigh has taken many steps to improve learning at Pryor Public Schools. They have focused on three main paradigms. The first is academic development for literacy, numeracy and STEM pathways. The second is character and leadership development, and the last is career pathways development. “Everything we do is wrapped in these three paradigms,” said Dr. Raleigh, “We call them our Tiger Tenets and

it has been our way of defining our message and communicating our priorities for learning.”

Implementing these paradigms into the school system, Dr. Raleigh has noticed a decline in discipline incidents and the type of infractions have shifted to much lesser offenses. He has also noticed students are involved in leadership opportunities at the city level and with the State Student Council Conference.

These paradigms have also allowed each of the sites to be named as State and National Schools of Character or as Lighthouse schools for the culture that is currently being implemented at each of the sites.

Dr. Raleigh often visits schools to see these steps in action. He tries very hard to be present in each school to see what is happening with both the learners and staff. “It is the most rewarding component of my position,” said Dr. Raleigh. He likes to show up unannounced and tries to visit when there are activities to see how students and staff are interacting.

Dr. Raleigh has worked hard to establish a staff that is curious about leadership and interested in forming relationships not only between each other, but with students as well. “We work hard for learners to ‘own’ their choices,” said Dr. Raleigh, “we hope to create an environment where they are expected to lead and provide children a safe, secure place where they can develop their leadership skills and core values.”

When looking for staff, Dr. Raleigh focuses on Pryor’s Tenets and expectations. Each staff member is required to participate in ‘Leader in Me’ training before school starts. “I am really looking for competent, professionals who love kids and are willing to do whatever is required to 5 | CCOSA.ORG

assist our learners to reach their full potential,” said Dr. Raleigh.

According to Dr. Raleigh, Pryor has a community that is very supportive of education and has a teaching staff that is full of exemplary professionals who love kids. He has worked hard to foster relationships throughout the community and in the district to be accessible as possible.

“Getting on the same page and seeking input from all areas has really helped me as a leader and hopefully built strong relationships throughout our community,” said Dr. Raleigh.

With his many years of experience as a superintendent, Dr. Raleigh has learned that no superintendent can do this job or move a district in a positive direction without many people working together. Dr. Raleigh highly values his staff that he gets to work with each day to make Pryor Public Schools a steadfast and continuous learning environment for all. “My biggest takeaway has been how much our success always comes down to having the right people in the right place and building relationships with them

BETTER SCHOOLS | 6

and others,” said Dr. Raleigh.

CCOSA honored Dr. Raleigh as OASA Superintendent of the Year in 2017, and CCOSA is proud to have him as a member who is continuously advocating for Oklahoma’s public schools. We appreciate all Dr. Raleigh has accomplished at Pryor Public Schools and the leadership qualities he has brought to CCOSA. Dr. Sean McDaniel, Superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools, OASA 2018 Superintendent of the Year will represent OASA at the AASA National Conference on Education.

“Dr. McDaniel embodies the criteria for this award with his successful, top level administrative experience,” said Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA executive director. “His philosophy of education begins with students and families as the ‘filter’ through which he sees everything else.

His decisions focus on equity and access to opportunities for all students. We are proud to honor him as our Superintendent of the Year.”

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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 ADVOCACY OASA approved their 2019 Legislative Goals. Our primary focus is a sustainable, long term funding plan along with a targeted focus on accountability and transparency for Virtual Charter schools. The CCOSA Virtual Charter response paper has been distributed to CCOSA members, key legislative leaders, and some reporters who are also writing about Virtual Charter schools.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING We completed our School Report Card Regional Workshops presented by Dr. Jeanene Barnett. They were very successful and we will offer another series in the spring in preparation for next school year. Our School Law Workshop focused on Superintendent Contracts, board agenda preparation and pitfalls and due process timelines for staff. We are offering something new with the opportunity for school superintendents to call in to Ron Stakem, HR attorney, for advisory services around contracts from December 10, 2018-February 14, 2019.

The OASA Legislative Conference will be held January 23, 2019. Conference agenda focus is on upcoming legislative priorities, a report from Colorado on the impact of marijuana use on policy and education, virtual charters, and advocacy from Oklahoma Pastors for Kids.

MEMBERSHIP OASA must continue to build membership. Our goal is to grow at least 8% each year.

OASA COMMUNICATIONS OASA released three THE School Leader Newsletters. These Newsletters are informative and valued by our membership.

OASA COMMITTEE WORK In response to our members, we have created an Assistant Superintendent/Central Office Committee to help draft a vision for providing professional learning for these members and for identifying ways to build membership for OASA. We have had the meetings that generated many ideas for professional learning.

OARSA—RETIRED CCOSA MEMBERS We have hosted two (2) meetings with an OARSA Advisory Committee. The purpose is to build relationships with our retirees and to use their experiences to build relationships with our members and potential members. They are excited to be a part of this committee and have suggested that they have a session at the June summer conference.

OASA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The OASA Governance Study Committee met during September to review the tasks outlined by the OASA Executive Committee in May of this year. The committee finalized the recommendations and submitted them to the OASA Executive Committee. The OASA Executive Committee and the Constitution and By-Law Committee approved the recommendations to be submitted to the membership for a vote in January at the Legislative Conference.

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OAESP

Dr. Gracie Branch, Executive Director PRESIDENT-ELECT Congratulations to Donna Boles for being elected to the position of OAESP President-Elect!

Donna is the principal at Perkins-Tryon Intermediate School and will begin her term on July 1, 2019. Thank you to all of you who sent in a nomination for our OAESP Administrator of the Year.

Applications will be sent to all of the nominees and a selection committee made up of OAESP board members will review the applications and select three finalists for site visits in the spring.

MID-WINTER MAGIC Plans are busily in progress for our Mid-Winter Magic Conference on Friday, February 1 at the Moore-Norman Technology Center Penn Campus. We have a current registration rate of $125.00 and a room block reserved at the Hampton Inn. Our keynote speaker is Michael Haggen, the chief academic officer at Scholastic. In addition, Scholastic Book Fairs will be providing free books along with cookies and milk to all administrators as they learn the art of book talking from Liz Wilmer’s education students from Oklahoma City University. Dr. Brook Meiller from the Oklahoma State Department of Education will be presenting on literacy standards and OAESP’s very own Kevin Wade will also be showcasing his magical talents. Our overarching theme is to bring back the joy and magic of reading to our students.

NAESP National Association of Elementary School Principals’ National Leaders Conference (NLC) will take place in Washington D.C. March 17-20. OAESP officers Josh Pierce, Glen Abshere and Julie Bloss will be in attendance as well as Executive Director, Dr Gracie Branch. We are very proud to announce that Julie has been selected by the National Association of Elementary School Principals as a candidate for President-Elect. She will be giving her campaign speech at the General Assembly at the Leaders Conference in preparation for the voting window to open immediately after the conference. We will be making every effort to have ALL NAESP members from Oklahoma cast their vote! It will be a tremendous honor to have an Oklahoma principal as an officer for NAESP. Also, the Pre-K – 8 Principals Conference sponsored by NAESP will take place at the Spokane Washington Convention Center on July 10-12. Please do not confuse this with the National Principals Conference which is sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). The Pre-K – 8 Conference sponsored by NAESP is the premiere conference for elementary and middle level principals.

OASSP & OMLEA

Will Parker, Executive Director OASSP UPDATE Advocacy In September, Glenpool Principal Kim Coody was recognized as Oklahoma’s High School Principal of the Year at NASSP’s Principal of the Year Awards in Washington, D.C. Kim Coody and Will Parker also met with Senator Jim Inhofe and Senator James Lankford to advocate for continued federal support of Oklahoma education programs.

NASSP & NAESP celebrated October Principal Month, and elementary and secondary principals were recognized by proclamations from Governor Mary Fallin and State Superintendent of Schools, Joy Hofmeister. On October 16, OASSP President and NASSP State Coordinator, Chris LeGrande, hosted Ryan Sproul, staff member of Senator Inhofe, for a tour of Guthrie High School.

Regional meetings Thank you to the following Regional Representatives and members for hosting several events this semester:

• September 27: John Potter, Bobby Kruetz, and Jennifer Turner hosted a Lunch & Learn meeting for Region 6 & 7

members.

• October 4: Valarie Farrow, hosted an OASSP update meeting for TPS Secondary Principals along with Robert

Schornick and Stacey Vinson

• October 9: Kim Coody and David Beiler joined Chris Johnson at Tulsa Technology to host a breakfast meeting

with Tulsa Area Principals and members.

• October 10: Bo Gamble hosted a Region 4 Lunch & Learn meeting in Stillwater

• October 17: Justin Kana and Tim Hightower hosted a Lunch & Learn meeting at Southern Tech in Ardmore for

Region 18 & 19

• October 30: Ead Simon hosted Region 20 members for a Lunch & Learn meeting at Pontotoc Technology

Center, in Ada.

• November 14: Todd Overstreet, hosted Region 9 members for a Lunch & Learn meeting in Guthrie.

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Awards & Recognition On November 16, Eliot Smith, Assistant Principal of Bartlesville High School was named the OASSP Assistant Principal of the Year. Mr. Smith will be recognized at the CCOSA summer conference in June and at the NASSP national conference in July. Congratulations Mr. Smith!

OMLEA UPDATE National Middle School Conference October 25-26 Justin Mann, Adam McPhail, Diana Lebsack, and Will Parker attended the AMLE National Conference in Orlando, Florida. Mr. McPhail presented a breakout session on “Culture Trumps Strategy.” Ms. Lebsack, Principal of Yukon Middle School was invited to attend as the OASSP/OMLEA Middle Level Principal of the Year.

Upcoming State Conference OMLEA/OASSP Leadership & Learning conference is scheduled for February 6-7 at the Moore Norman Penn Campus Technology Conference Center. This combined conference will include keynote speakers and authors Jeff Zoul and Jack Berckemeyer. Day 1 is a focus on Lessons for Leading High Schools and Middle Schools. Day 2 will be packed with breakout sessions on middle-level practices, including topics like: utilizing technology; public perception/perspective; diffusing disruptive parents; student achievement; branding your school; utilizing social media; dealing w/ difficult people; mentoring; social-emotional learning; innovative practices; trauma-informed instruction; and parent/community communication. We will end the day with a challenge to join together for a state-wide Middle-Level Kindness Challenge.

CCOSA’s Education Leaders Webinar Series Don’t miss out on presentations from award-winning education leaders on best practices in K-12 schools. Watch these live webinars or visit the CCOSA website for recordings of these free offerings:

• February 19, 2019: Cultivating Culture for Leading School Communities –Rob Miller, OASA

• March 19, 2019: Collaborative Leadership Drives Student Outcomes –Stephanie Wililams, OASSP

• Integrating Technology School-wide –Janalyn Taylor, OAESP (Was live on October 2)

• School Culture & Lessons as an ICAP Pilot School – Kim Coody, OASSP (Was live on November 20) • How to Lead Growth Through Instructional Leadership –Diana Lebsack, OMLEA/OASSP (Was live on January 15)

ODSS

Andrea Kunkel, Executive Director ODSS has completed two big projects so far this year – the ODSS Best Practices Conference on October 16 and its statement of Legislative and Administrative Priorities for 2019. Although the Priorities statement is complete, we’re working now to put our priorities into practice. CCOSA adopted most of ODSS’ legislative priorities and is working to implement them with individual legislators and the other members of the Oklahoma Education Coalition. ODSS works to implement its administrative priorities by sharing them with other stakeholder groups and seeking assistance and support from the Special Education Services section of the Oklahoma State Department of Education. These are just a few of ODSS’ administrative goals:

• Create additional paths to training and certification for teachers of students with visual and/or hearing

impairments and for orientation and mobility specialists

• Provide free/low-cost, easily accessible training (online and/or throughout different regions of the state)

designed to help school staff members at all levels work more effectively with students who have significant

emotional and/or behavioral issues that impede learning

• Collaborate with institutions of higher education to enable appropriately trained graduate students to provide

free/low-cost assistance and coaching to school personnel working with students who have significant

emotional and/or behavioral issues that impede learning, with the goal of improving outcomes for those

students and building school capacity. SDE’s previous Memorandum of Understanding with the University of

Central Oklahoma should be expanded to include other universities, if needed, to reach more schools and

students

• Provide more and varied free/low-cost, easily accessible training designed to help school staff members at all

levels across a broad range of disability-related issues, including selecting and providing appropriate

accommodations/supports for students with all sorts of impairments in the general education setting

• Collaborate (via inter-agency agreement or otherwise) to provide free/low-cost therapeutic services or links to

such services for students with mental health issues

• Reduce/combine special ed paperwork requirements to minimize teacher time away from instruction and

anticipate, prepare for and promptly and effectively address impediments to prompt access to accurate

student records and information maintained on EdPlan and other student data systems You can find the complete Priorities statement at: www.ccosa.org/ For further information about this work, please contact Andrea Kunkel or any member of the ODSS Executive Committee.

BETTER SCHOOLS | 10

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The Oklahoma School Report Card: Sharing What We Do Best

by Jeanene Barnett CCOSA Education Policy and Research Analyst In the fall semester, I had the opportunity to talk with educators from across the state about the new Oklahoma School Report Card. The sessions focused on helping participants gain an understanding of the new school report card and guiding them to find and ensure the accuracy of the related data. We had only a short time to then focus on what I believe was an extremely important part of our discussion: developing a plan for sharing our schools’ stories about quality, equity, and community --- what local Oklahoma public schools do best.

External Accountability: New School Report Card As required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Oklahoma state law (70 O.S. §1210.545), the Oklahoma School Report Card for elementary and middle schools is comprised of four indicators: Academic Achievement, Academic Growth, English Language Proficiency, and Chronic Absenteeism.

High school report cards include five indicators: Academic Achievement, Graduation, Postsecondary Opportunities, English Language Proficiency, and Chronic Absenteeism.

The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) will communicate this information in a dynamic, interactive web-based dashboard that also reports other contextual information, including enrollment, principal, and a link to the local school’s website. The OSDE website contains many resources that further define and explain the report card, including the most recent timeline for release of report card results: https://sde.ok.gov/accountability-assessments As the state complies with state and federal law about release of information that “meaningfully differentiates” schools to ensure equity of opportunity for all Oklahoma students, local education leaders have an equally important story to share: local stories and/or performance indicators to provide the appropriate context (quality, equity, and community) for the numbers and letters attached to our schools and students, what I call internal accountability.

Internal Accountability: Sharing Your Local Stories Finnish educator and policy advisor Pasi Sahlberg (2011) wrote about this internal accountability, calling it “trust, professionalism, and shared responsibility” (p.5). Internal accountability is comprised of this shared responsibility as well as a local school’s culture --- a shared set of beliefs, values, and assumptions held by all education stakeholders.

Internal accountability provides the rich context about individual students’ lives, schools and their communities. The school site web link on the new dashboard supplies an opportunity for schools to create their own landing page and report the unique contributions of their students and the cultural relevance within their communities. CCOSA is in the process of completing a template for schools to use as their own Performance Dashboard landing page as a weblink from the state report card overview page, so schools can share their own stories about quality (including energy efficiency measures, the local strategic plan, etc.), equity (safety in transportation, meals served, local backpack program statistics, mental health counseling, technology resources for all, etc.), and community (service hours, local scholarship awards, championships in academics, athletics, arts, career organizations, etc.).

Local Oklahoma public schools provide access to a good, quality education, the backbone of America and the basis for American democracy. All Oklahoma schools should stand up and share their stories.

Sahlberg, P. (2011). Finnish Lessons: What can the world learn from educational change in Finland. New York: Teachers College Press.

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Contradictions in School Leadership “Doing things better is good.

Doing better things is even better.”

by Jeff Zoul Author and Speaker Keynote speaker at the OMLEA/OASSP Conference The more I serve as a leader and study the world of leadership, the more I believe that leadership is a venture filled with contradictions. At times, I find myself believing in what can seem like completely opposing ideas.

Even the quote above is an example. Although I believe we should be doing the things we currently do in schools better tomorrow than we are today, I also believe this is no longer enough and that we should, in fact, be doing better things tomorrow than we are doing today. Here are four other contradictions I wrestle with when it comes to school leadership: Contradiction

1

Test scores matter. We should not focus on test scores. Although not everyone reading this will agree, I actually believe that test scores do matter. We are public servants paid by taxpayers and we should be accountable to these taxpayers in many ways, including student achievement on accountability tests. Whether it is fair and whether we like it, many parents use test scores as a primary reason for moving (or not) into a certain school district. Test scores matter. They may not matter to every educator, but they should, if only because they matter to many of our students and parents. At the same time, I believe we should not focus on test scores on a daily basis. Instead, we should focus on providing meaningful and engaging learning experiences throughout each school day that are aligned to specific learning standards and targets. If we do this intentionally and consistently, our students will learn and grow and show evidence of this on any test they must take. As a leader, I believe: Test scores do matter and we should not focus on test scores.

2

“If everything is important, then nothing is important.” - Patrick Lencioni “It’s all important. - Steve Jobs For many years as a school leader at the school and district level, I invoked Lencioni’s well-known adage often, suggesting we should not try to do it all and that less is more and that we must focus on what is most important. Over time, my thinking has evolved on this. I now believe that everything we do in a school is important and we must give it 100%. If it is not important, of course, we should stop doing it. But if we are doing it, we must give it our all. Here is the thing, though: Although we must consider every single thing we do in a school equally important in terms of our commitment to it, not everything we do in school is equally important in terms of how much time we should devote to it. As an example, I happen to believe that advisory programs are important components of any school. As leaders, we must ensure that every staff member in place implement any advisory plans with 100% commitment and fidelity. However, reading is even more important than advisory programs, in my opinion--not in terms of our commitment to it (in both cases, the commitment must be 100%), but in terms of time.

We should dedicate significantly more time to reading each day than we do to advisory programs. As a leader, I believe: If everything is important, then nothing is important and everything is actually important.

3

Trust in the process. Trust your instincts. This leadership contradiction rears its head in a number of school areas, in particular when it comes to the hiring process. It is important to have a process in place when selecting talent for any school staffing position. There must be procedures in place for recruiting candidates, screening candidates, interviewing candidates, and contacting references. Having said that, we

Contradiction

Contradiction

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cannot rely solely on the process or any associated quantitative measures about each candidate’s qualifications and probability for success. As leaders, we are not houseplants; we were hired because we are smart, qualified, insightful, experienced, and we exhibit sound judgment. Although a clear process for recruiting and selecting new employees can help guide us in making the best possible hiring decisions, we cannot be afraid to trust our instincts. We know our school community, we know what we need in every hiring decision we make, and we can typically discern which candidate among several seemingly similar candidates is the best fit for the school or district at any given time. As a leader, I believe: We must trust the process and we must trust our instincts.

4

Contradiction

Education is constantly changing. Schools today are largely the same as they were decades ago. This fourth contradiction is interesting. So many things have, indeed, changed over the years in our schools. Yet, so much remains the same. I could list hundreds of things that were different about my daughter’s high school experience from 2008 - 2012 compared to mine. However, I could list just as many things about her experience that were not at all unlike my own some thirty years earlier. We have made significant improvements to our schools, yet we have miles to go before we sleep. After all, here we sit in 2018 and we still have a 180-day student school year with an extended summer vacation in virtually every school in the land. Doing things because we have always done them can be a stubborn thing to overcome. As a leader, I believe: Education is constantly changing and schools are largely the same as they were decades ago.

Here is a final contradiction for now: Education and leadership are challenging undertakings in part because there is so little that is black and white and so much that is gray. At the same time, this very fact that makes these endeavors so challenging is precisely the reason they are also so rewarding. What we do is more art than science. At times, that can be discomfiting. Yet, it is a productive struggle and one we must recognize, embrace, and learn from. How can we thrive in an atmosphere where there are so many contradictions and so few obvious answers? Recognizing these contradictions and understanding that there is seldom one right way to act is another way we Teach, Learn, and Lead with Passion!

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Care More. Serve Better.

by Dee Ann Turner Keynote Speaker for Women In School Leadership 2019

Sometimes, teams and organizations find themselves in a place of losing their service edge. Often times, leadership rushes to the conclusion that employees simply need to serve better. To that end, more standards are put in place and training classes are assigned. Unfortunately, those activities rarely solve the problem. Service is not just a standard or the subject of a training class. Service is a matter of the heart.

If we want leaders in our organizations to serve better, then we have to help them care more. Service without care is simply fulfilling an obligation and a directive.

When we truly care, service is a resulting behavior that is authentic to the one who receives it.

For me, there is no greater example of care than what I experience in my own organization. Chick-fil-A franchisees have done a tremendous job of caring for their team members. How do I know this? I observe how much the team members care for their guests.

They not only know their names and their regular orders when the guest visits, they often know their story, too.

If you want to improve service, then care more at every level of the organization. Start with the guest. Is the guest being cared for well? If not, then perhaps, the team member is not being cared for well. Why is that?

Perhaps the leader of the team is not cared for well.

Maybe that’s because her leader is not cared for well.

Trace it through the chain of command until you find the gap in care.

Now that you have found the gap, how can you show you care ... more? There are many ways, but here are a few to consider: Engage with employees every day. One of the leaders at my company talks about, with fondness, his days as an hourly team member. He remembers that his boss spoke to every employee as they started their shift each day. He knew what was going on in their lives because he took time to listen. He had high emotional intelligence and knew that if his team members felt genuine care, they would serve better. At the end of the shift, this same boss thanked every team member for working and serving.

Identify a dream and make it come true. These can

be really small dreams and sometimes they are big dreams. Each leader has to identify the capacity available to help people’s dreams come true. However, most leaders can do something, no matter how small.

It could be that you have employees that dream of making an impact on others. You can provide the opportunity for them to serve and volunteer. It’s more powerful when you serve along with them, so consider joining them as they give back to others.

One of the franchisees I know grants the dream of a beautiful smile to his team members. He is grateful for his opportunity and his success and he shares it by providing orthodontic care to his team members. He cares so much that often his wife will even drive the team member to their appointment!

Remind employees of the value they each bring. At the Ritz-Carlton hotels, their employees are “ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” With this ideology, the Ritz-Carlton defines how they view the guest by starting with the honor to which they give the employee. Most leaders know and understand that every single person on the team serves a valuable and critical role, but sometimes we forget to express it. Valuing differences in skills, experiences, cultures and perspectives is another way to demonstrate more care. A restaurant franchisee in Atlanta has a very diverse team representing many countries. He regularly invites them to his home for a meal to learn about their culture. When their families visit from other countries, he hosts them at his home.

If you find service lacking in your business, then maybe it’s time to assess how much you demonstrate care to your employees. If they feel cared for, then they will care for your guests and better service will be a natural outcome.

Join us at the Women in School Leadership Conference on March 6 & 7 at the Renaissance Waterford Hotel in Oklahoma City.

Dee Ann Turner is Vice President, Sustainability for Chick-fil-A, Inc. She began her career with the organization more than 30 years ago and has spent the majority of her career developing and leading Corporate Talent. She has played an intricate role in growing Chick-fil-A’s unique and highly regarded culture while overseeing recruitment, selection and retention of corporate staff and the recruitment and selection of Chick-fil-A Franchisees.

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Comprehensive Literacy Plans Take Root With Year-Round Access to Authentic Text

by Michael Haggen Chief Academic Officer, Scholastic Education As we approach the one hundredth day of the school year, it’s a moment to reflect on our students’ literacy experiences so far. We know that many elements contribute to building students up as readers and helping them reach their full potential. As often as possible, we must ensure that students have plentiful access to authentic, powerful text.

Children deserve to spend time with engaging and authentic written language, encouraging them to think deeply about what they read, and how it relates to their own experiences as well as the experiences of others. This should happen both in and out of school, all year long.

How can we be sure that our students have abundant opportunities to interact with authentic text? It is by building lasting, literacy-rich environments in our schools and communities. Based upon years of research on language and curriculum, there are eight principles of comprehensive literacy teaching and learning that foster positive and encouraging environments for students.

Every comprehensive literacy plan should be responsive, embrace learning as it flows through language, recognize oral language as the foundation of literacy, establish reading and writing as

BETTER SCHOOLS | 16

purposeful and meaning-driven, view classrooms as vibrant learning communities, see students as self-directed learners who thrive with thoughtful instruction, respect families as their children’s first and most important teachers, and honor teachers as professional decision makers.

These principles are reinforced by ongoing professional development, inviting families and community members to be part of the education experience, integrating time for pleasure reading, and increasing access to books with the help of community partners and initiatives. Comprehensive literacy plans take root with year-round access to authentic text that helps students discover their passions and develop their individual reading identities.

Implementing a comprehensive literacy plan and prioritizing access to authentic text provides students the support they need to explore their interests, engage in learning, and grow their reading confidence while becoming the lifelong learners we want them to be.

Join me as I address these topics and more at the OAESP Mid-Winter Conference: The Magic of Literacy on February 1, 2019.

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Principal, Be Your School’s Optimist-in-Chief

by Jack Berckenmeyer Author, presenter and humorist

Your official job title might be principal or assistant principal, but that’s just an umbrella label for a slew of jobs, isn’t it? You’re expected to be a data analyst, cheerleader, PR expert, parking lot attendant, production manager, public speaker, educational leader, problem solver, conflict resolver, curriculum coordinator, chief hand-holder, and polished liaison to parents, community, and higher powers in the educational system—to name only a few. And, oh, you’re also the person who gets all the perks of suspending a student from school.

Yours is a formidable job. Most of the skills you need to do it well are not likely found in textbooks. More likely, you’ve learned them from trial and error and practice.

There are endless “top 10” lists of what makes a good school leader. Most lists have this at the core: the skills of optimism. In the midst of the realities of paperwork, media cynicism, parent complaints, a host of educational demands, and meager budgets, effective school administrators lead with optimism. Principles and actions of optimism are embedded in their lives and schools.

What does this mean? Optimism is more than encountering each day or situation with a positive attitude. It goes beyond just hoping everything will turn out all right. It involves a bundle of skills, including acceptance, curiosity, knowledge-seeking, empathic listening, problem-solving, caring, openness to new ideas, risk-taking, honesty, persistence, coping, taking responsibility, and heaping quantities of courage and hope. All its skills flow from these understandings: Optimism is realistic. To lead with optimism, the administrator has eyes wide open. She or he does not minimize, hide from, or sugar coat a situation— but acknowledges the actualities, no matter how messy or severe.

Optimism is intentional. An optimist is realistic about current circumstances, yet deliberately chooses hope. This is not a blind hope, however.

It is a mindset that faces challenges squarely and responds to them as opportunities. It follows a planned process of examining facts, viewpoints, background, and possible effects of a situation—and then figuring out what can be done about it. And this mindset includes purposefully choosing to fight hard, find a solution, and envision positive outcomes.

Optimism is active. An optimistic leader doesn’t BETTER SCHOOLS | 18

wallow in despair. Nor does the leader sit still and think positive thoughts. This leader learns everything possible about a situation, identifies options for response, makes a plan, and takes action.

We cringe when educators are demeaned or excoriated in the media. What’s worse is the bashing that individuals or groups within the school community dish out to each other. We’ve all watched this—the eye-rolling of staff members when someone else is speaking or the sidebar conversations where colleagues look for ways to put each other down. This can be passive or aggressive, but it goes on all the time. In our roles as consultants to educators, we have visited hundreds of schools and assure you that we (and surely others) can sense a school’s climate within minutes of walking in the door. We can see it on the faces of the staff members. We also can see what happens when a leader effectively builds optimism: The school culture changes. Optimism curbs the negativity. It replaces cynicism and distrust with hope and trust.

Good-News Flash! Optimism can be learned. As the leader of your school, you can develop and maintain it in yourself, spread the benefits of optimism around your school community, and help others build it. Here are a few suggestions of strategies to adopt in your role as the chief optimist. These will help to interrupt negative thought patterns, supplanting pessimism and fear with joy and confidence in working together for better possibilities.

• We’re all in this together—Adamantly believe in the philosophy: OUR kids, OUR school, OUR team, OUR class—and show that you believe it. Commit to helping students, staff members, and parents think of themselves as co-owners. We know a fantastic principal in Ohio who walks into the school cafeteria every day and shouts, “Whose school is this?” and the students shout back, “Our school!” Follow this example and encourage teachers, coaches, team leaders, and everyone in the school community to keep asking and answering this question. Lead the parade in taking the “our school!” answer beyond lip service and into visible action.

• Promote the “Five Principles of Optimism.”

Regularly teach and strengthen the following principles. Print them on laminated cards or posters for each staff member. Share them with parents and students. With your staff, choose a school-wide issue (start small) and use the principles to attack

the issue. Work through each principle together.

Practice this often.

1. Before acting or reacting to a situation, gather as much information as possible about it from as many varied sources (and people) as possible.

Get the real facts! Dissect the possible impacts of the situation (on students, staff, school, parents, and community) as it is now and as it will be if a change is involved.

2. Determine what is beyond your control and strategize how to minimize its impact on the lives of the people involved. Wringing hands over things you cannot change is a waste of time.

Instead of whining or being paralyzed, figure out how to go around the uncontrollable factors.

3. Establish what you can control. Seek tools and strategies to maximize your power. Remember, even when you can’t change a circumstance, you can always change the way you deal with it.

4. Actively do something positive toward your goals (from #2 and #3 above). Fight hard for the students, your school, your colleagues, and each other. Choose to assume that the bad won’t last long; interpret the possibilities optimistically. Put your power to work on a realistic, clear plan.

5. Take ownership of your plan and acknowledge responsibility for your choices. Stop any blaming, bickering, or excusing. Combine forces; take responsibility for your decisions; live with the outcomes; learn from your mistakes.

Encourage staff members to practice these principles individually and on teams or committees. Work together in various configurations to imagine ways out of problems and make (and follow) plans to act with optimism. Teach this to your students. With enough practice, these will become habits!

Optimism is alive and well within hundreds of schools. It is not dependent on your school’s demographics or staff longevity. It flows from the leader’s ability to demonstrate optimism in action, to inspire others to join in, and to teach them how to do it. When members of the school community have hope and confidence in favorable outcomes—even from difficult situations—a school culture becomes one of vibrant, joyful optimism.

Jack C. Berkemeyer and Dr. Debbie Silver – Authors, Humorists, and Sought-After Consultants Resource: Deliberate Optimism: Reclaiming the Joy in Education, (2015, Corwin Press)

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CCOSA/OTA Virtual Instruction Committee Identifying Model Programs

by Derald Glover OASA Assistant Director, CCOSA

CCOSA believes that Oklahoma schools must step in to ensure the highest quality virtual opportunities for our children. While virtual education is an innovative approach to learning, care must be taken to implement this type of instruction with fidelity.

Currently, there are some failing models of virtual(online) education being utilized in our state.

It is the education community’s responsibility to take the lead in developing and identifying model programs so that they can be replicated statewide.

CCOSA and the Oklahoma Technology Association (OTA) are working together to ensure Oklahoma students are provided the highest quality virtual instruction opportunities within their own school setting.

A committee was recently formed consisting of administrators and instructional technology experts from Oklahoma schools that have already implemented virtual classes for students. A survey on technology and virtual practices was emailed to all CCOSA superintendents with 135 schools responding. Out of 135 that responded, 28 schools indicated they used full-time off campus virtual instruction. About six offer internet access at home.

The majority of schools responding used either Edgenuity or Odyssey as their online classroom component.

The committee discussed the need to clearly distinguish the difference between a Learning Management System (LMS) and an online classroom tool.

Due to many concerns with the poor performance and practices of existing statewide virtual schools, the committee reviewed the CCOSA Response to Questions regarding Virtual Charter Schools. It was agreed that the commitment expressed by CCOSA, in that document, to work towards providing a

model for traditional schools to implement quality virtual instruction, was indeed needed. It was also agreed that CCOSA working alongside OTA could accomplish that purpose.

Members of the committee visited and interviewed several schools with virtual practices. Some commonalities found from these visits include: full time virtual instruction does not work for all students, blended instruction is best, time and touch points with instructors were vital, and without direct supervision cheating was more prominent, and pacing and accountability suffered. In addition, it was determined that offering counselors for pull out was vital. Some schools have found value in making virtual an option at school as well as at home.

The committee is planning the following next steps:

• Form a common vision/mission to move

CCOSA and OTA forward in developing

virtual instruction plans that fit in small,

medium and large school settings.

• Perform a complete analysis of the

tech needs and costs associated with the

implementation.

• Identify and develop teacher expectations

(student count, training, PD needs,

certification, etc.) that will ensure quality

instruction.

• Explore potential legislative needs that

might provide support.

Virtual instruction is here to stay. Although innovative, it has many pitfalls that must be considered. National Education Policy Center (NEPC) research says that virtual instruction is best served through the traditional school. It is CCOSA’s and OTA’s desire to put kids first and develop virtual programs that will be successful through the best instructional techniques and the best identification of students who can succeed in that setting.

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 February 7-8.

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

BETTER SCHOOLS | 20

Oklahoma School Assurance Group

OSAG FREE Safety Training Program

As a member of the Oklahoma School Assurance Group, your district has access to FREE safety training. Take advantage of any or ALL of the following: 1. Online Safety Video Library: Located on the OSAG webpage at www.okschoolassurancegroup.org . School-specific login credentials are assigned to every OSAG member. Credentials & instructions are available at 800-699-5905.

2. Onsite Safety Visitation: OSAG partners with the CompSource Mutual safety team to provide onsite safety services. These services include extensive campus walk through/inspections to determine areas that may need improvement, or classroom style training with a topic of your choice. Call the OSAG office at 800-699-5905 to schedule this service.

3. Safety Training Seminars: OSAG hosts four safety training seminars annually, with two in the fall and two in the spring. These three-hour seminars include an array of topics/presenters including fraud investigation, up-to-date workers’ compensation legislative issues & requirements, current claims handling procedures, legal issues pertaining to HR related topics, etc.

Training hours can be used toward annual education requirements for district employees.

4. Oklahoma Safety Council Membership: OSAG member districts can join the Oklahoma Safety Council for a discounted membership fee of only $99! This is a tremendous savings to our schools as membership fees are generally based on number of employees. Take advantage of this savings!

In addition, OSAG maintains a close relationship with the Oklahoma Department of Labor, Oklahoma Safety Council, and various independent safety consultants. If an area of safety training is not located in the OSAG training resources, we will assist our members in finding adequate training for that subject.

BETTER SCHOOLS | 22

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Meet Janalyn Taylor, Oklahoma’s 2018 National Distinguished Principal

by Kaitlyn Taggart CCOSA Communications Coordinator After 25 years as a teacher, Janalyn Taylor decided to serve on a larger scale and became a principal to work with teachers, families and students. For the past 12 years, Taylor has served as the principal at Nance Elementary in Clinton. She was honored in October 2018 as the OAESP Administrator of the Year and a National Distinguished Principal of the Year by the National Association of Elementary School Principals in Washington D.C. “When I was told I was a National Distinguished Principal I remember such a feeling of gratitude,” Taylor said. “I am so proud of our school, teachers and students, and the work that happens here. It was wonderful to know that the panel could see and feel that.”

Taylor’s success as a principal not only stems from her strong leadership skills, but her care and compassion for her staff and the children at Nance Elementary School. “One day as I was helping the custodian take out trash and I was unaware a teacher took our picture,” Taylor said. “She later tweeted a photo along with the message, ‘Our Principal leads by example!

Always! Makes perfect sense that she would be the Principal of the Year 2018,’” said Taylor.

After her trip to receive the award, Taylor said she felt the strong support from OAESP and CCOSA as a whole.

Networking with various talented people at the NAESP conference provided an unforgettable experience and once in a lifetime opportunity. “I was so humbled. On return, I was motivated and inspired to serve with more enthusiasm,” said Taylor.

OAESP Executive Director, Dr. Gracie Branch, described what an honor it was to see Janalyn Taylor being named the NAESP National Distinguished Principal of the Year. “I am extremely proud to have Janalyn Taylor as a member of our association and I know that she will continue to make remarkable contributions in her role as an elementary principal,” said Branch.

Taylor said she is still connected with the National Distinguished Principals Class of 2018. She communicates with them through email and Twitter.

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“Their valuable range of knowledge and input will continue to be a source of growth for me in my own career,” said Taylor.

Taylor owes much of her determination and success to her days before entering into the education world.

When she was a teenager, Taylor worked at McDonalds where she cooked, cleaned, served, and hosted birthday parties. She learned a lot during this time, and thinks her work ethic and communication skills originated at this job.

“There were so many things I learned during that time: be prepared for anything; every moment of every day is different; keeping calm and smiling affects others; be kind; watch for what needs to be done and do it, even if it is not your job. I believe all of those things greatly influenced the way I deal with people and situations still today,” said Taylor.

Taylor believes relationships are important between her and her staff. She recognizes her growth as a leader stems a lot from her staff’s support and encouragement. She wants them to know that she is willing to do any job.

“I am very grateful for the administration team in Clinton. Knowing the staff helps me to know what their strengths are. Relationships allow me to guide, push, step back, ask questions, and more. Relationships make the difference in how much others are willing to do and how much they are willing to give. When we feel appreciated and believe someone cares for us, we are more willing to work hard and do our best,” said Taylor.

Taylor builds leadership at Nance by providing opportunities to lead. Nance has committee leaders for activities such as Literacy Night, 100th Day, Grandparent Day, and Veterans Day. They have alternating leaders for PLC meetings and teachers who lead through grant writing. Taylor said that when the staff knows leadership is possible, they rise to the occasion.

Taylor gave the example of an assistant feeling that a handbook for support staff would be helpful for those

joining in the middle of the school year. She brought it to Taylor and asked to organize one. Taylor said the handbook has become a big part of the training and this kind of action happens often.

much about the technology being used at her school as her teachers so she can understand, implement the use into other classrooms, and continue to grow in the technology world.

“What makes me feel successful as a principal is building a learning place that feels safe and supported with high expectations for everyone there. This is what encourages me to be my best and expect the best from the staff,” Taylor said.

“Several apps are suggested for student learning, but Footsteps 2 Brilliance and Seesaw are required for student use. Footsteps 2 Brilliance benefits all students, but is specifically designed to help English Language students. Seesaw is a student online journal that has a strong parental involvement component,” said Taylor.

There are many qualities that make Taylor stand out as an outstanding educator, according to Branch. “She has constant enthusiasm and dedication to students, faculty, staff and the Clinton community; she has the ability to remain calm in the most adversarial situations; her push for development of the leadership capacity of her staff; her honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness; and her inspiration to others,” said Branch.

Although the position of being principal has its rewarding moments, there are also many challenging aspects of the job. “An observer once shadowed me for a day.

After about ten minutes into the observation she said, ‘Do you know how many decisions you have made in the last ten minutes?’ She was very surprised. They weren’t all huge decisions by any means, but anyone asking them was expecting a quick and thoughtful response,” said Taylor.

Taylor said this was one of the most challenging aspects of being a principal: having to make quick decisions that are best for everyone, but always taking time to do the research when needed can be one of the more challenging parts of the principalship.

Another large decision Taylor has made at Nance Elementary is the incorporation of technology into the classroom. “Each week I send a newsletter to the staff where I am able to share research and strategies. I also share regularly on Twitter. “Through technology, I have seen students do things that could never have been done in the classroom before. Technology is an important tool for differentiating learning,” said Taylor.

At Nance, educators are encouraged to work with Google Forms, numerous technology tools, and the use of iPads. Taylor said that she continues to know just as

Taylor has taken steps to improve the learning and relationships at Nance by putting into place the following best practices: 1. Establishing a tone where everyone, including staff, possesses the opportunity to teach and use technology as a means for creativity.

2. Giving students a voice and ensuring that each student’s basic needs are met by each person in the school.

3. Promoting collaboration and the initiation of needed physical spaces to help meet the needs of students with social as well as emotional challenges.

The Sensory Classroom is a physical space to help students cope with stress. A special education teacher, counselor, and physical therapist at Nance worked to write a Clinton Public School Foundation Grant, which would be awarded to build this classroom. Once the grant was accepted, the classroom was quick to start being built.

“Recently, I took a student to the Sensory Room. We talked as he explored the room. Without prompting from me, he told me how the wall felt and how the new foam smelled. As we were leaving, the kindergartener asked, ‘Did you bring me here to calm me down?’ Those are insightful words from a young child, said Taylor.

Taylor’s technology, relationships, professional learning, and stress-coping spaces are just a few of the many things that make her an outstanding educator. Because of her dedication to not only her school, but for all of Oklahoma schools, she has made a large difference in the education community and has brought so many skills that are of benefit to OAESP/ CCOSA. 25 | CCOSA.ORG

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