I'm really excited about my new job," my friend said. He had led his school for more than a decade but was making a change. "It's a new school for me, so I'll have an opportunity to start fresh." A big grin appeared on his face, "Of course, I hope I don't make the same mistakes again!"
"Getting a do-over is always good," I responded, and we talked about what he would do differently. His new school is significantly larger, with twice as many students, so he knows that he will relate differently to students and staff members than he did at his smaller school. At his old school, he met individually with each employee every summer, but he wondered whether that would be feasible in his new setting. Creating a strong academic program had been a priority at his previous school, so he spent a lot of time working with teachers to establish an engaging and challenging curriculum.
Significant improvements occurred under his leadership, and he hoped to continue with some of his successful strategies. He was particularly excited about forming relationships with the teachers at his new school. The longer we talked, the more enthusiastic he became.
That is a wonderful opportunity, I thought, and I found myself reflecting on my role at my school. Unlike my friend, I'm not going to a new school. I'm back where I was in June.
To be fair, that's not fully accurate. The comment of the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus about the changing universe is relevant: "No one ever steps in the same river twice." Likewise, no school is ever the same in September as it was in June. At a minimum, everyone has another year of experience; more likely, there are new staff members—as well as new technology, new curriculum, and new students and their parents. And sometimes even new paint!
But still, I was here in June (in my case, for lots of Junes) and am back again in September. I don't have the opportunity for a do-over. I'm enmeshed in personal and professional relationships, school procedures and classroom practices, and all kinds of norms and expectations. Indeed, many of these I helped establish.
But what if I could start fresh again? Forget moving to a new town or taking over a different school. What if I were named the new principal of my current school, coming in fresh but knowing what I know now? What would I do differently?
You can tell this is an important question because it's both easy and hard. It's easy because all of us have some things we know we'd like to change. From how the schedule is designed, to what is taught where, to which teachers we've hired, we all have sacred cows that we'd like to challenge. Sometimes they're simply too politically hot to handle, and at other times we try each year to change them, like Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill, only to see it roll down again with no progress. Identifying these changes is the easy part of the question. The hard part is to identify what we fail to consider changing because we take it as a "given."
We don't have the luxury of hopping into a time machine, but we can step back and consciously look at our assumptions and question our focus. It's something principals should do every year. One approach is to create a list of things that need changing and assign the items to one of three categories: (1) sacred cows, (2) full speed ahead, and (3) off the radar screen.
Sacred cows are untouchable issues—or individuals—that, because of history or politics, look to be beyond your reach. But are they? Sure, you may have to spend considerable political capital to make progress, but if it's necessary to improve your school, how can you turn aside? What do you need to do to turn that sacred cow into hamburger? Too often, we ignore the obvious because we're not prepared to pay the price. That may be a wise decision, but we should at least list the pluses and minuses for doing so. For me, our school calendar remains a sacred cow. I'd really like to add days and change the schedule, but that cow won't budge.
Full speed ahead captures the issues—or individuals—that await your leader-ship. Maybe a new principal wouldn't be aware of them for a few years, but you already know what needs to change. What steps should you take by the end of September? What will you do by winter break? These issues become harder to change over time. Now is the time to make a plan, and taking action sooner is better. Looking differently at how we structure faculty committees fell into the full speed ahead category for me.
The issues and individuals that are off the radar screen are the toughest. How can you work on things you don't see, even if they're all around you? It's only natural that fresh eyes will see things ours don't, and that's where soliciting input is essential. What would you learn if you asked your teachers what needs to change? What if you posed the same question to parents and to members of your administrative team? It would be helpful to hear what they say, and you may find out that a sacred cow isn't so sacred after all. Understanding that some parents saw our use of multiple intelligences as less than rigorous was off my radar screen until some of them shared how they felt.
So start over again, even if the faces around you are the same as they were last June. What needs to change, and how can you make a difference? I'll bet you'll hear some things that surprise you.
