Should School Change Be Organic?
by Antonio
I have recently found myself needing to reaffirm my belief that comprehensive school reform is a failed concept. In my previous work with the US Department of Education, I worked with schools that had been identified as low performing and as such, in need of comprehensive school change. While the goals of this project were admirable and in many ways, would have resulted and did in some cases, improve the experience of teachers, students and parents, the overall approach in my opinion is flawed. Mandating substantive change to occur in our classrooms by expecting that the approach be universal and common fails to recognize the unique nature and culture that is a school community. Walking into a school community is different than running a business or company. Many of you who read this blog will say, but wait, did you write about what schools can learn from Google and Apple? I did, you can read it here and I do believe that schools can draw from innovative and creative companies a great deal of inspiration and new ideas. However, when it comes to making school wide mandates that are intended to foster change, in particular, curricular reform, the whole school, comprehensive approach just doesn’t work.
Any school program needs to draw on the strengths, talents and passion of its faculty. Schools that encourage and support teachers to find the “innovation” that they are passionate about, and find ways to weave that experience into their classrooms create the “growing conditions” needed for organic change. More often than not, schools will decide to embrace a new initiative; technology, diversity, differentiated instruction, etc. We turn to our faculty and tell them that we want them to weave diversity and multicultural education into all their classes. This approach often fails because it mandates that change happen across the board and does not take into account that we must connect the need for change on a personal level. Faculty cannot be expected to do it all. Our contributions should each make up a part of the greater whole for any given student, making each student’s experience richer and fuller as a result of our ability to “innovate.”
By honoring these differences in each of us, it becomes possible for each faculty member to be able to connect with at least one key area of change. Be it technology, diversity, service learning, every teacher connects to one area of innovation, as a result, making the experience of each student rich and diverse. As this process continues to unfold, schools will find that they are on their way toward meeting their institutional and strategic goals, while at the same time, creating a dynamic, meaningful and collective twenty-first century student experience.
Some guidelines for schools:
- Comprehensive school change mandates do not honor the diversity in our schools. Technology mandates in particular, create anxiety, fear and self doubt.
- Strategic vision, mission driven decisions and institutional goals are non-negotiable. How we get to the final destination is filled with possibilities, open to conversation and collaborative.
- Establish a culture where creativity, innovation and the appetite to try new things are the norm. Never fear making mistakes enjoy the beauty of learning from it.
- Support the inventors, creative thinkers, risk takers, self-described “artists” and innovators with resources, professional development and public accolades.
- Don’t follow trends, create them.
So I ask those of you out there that have been in school settings where comprehensive change efforts have been implemented what were the results? How was it received and did it accomplish the goals it set out to? I look forward to your thoughts.
Photo Credit: Meredith_Farmer
Comments
I agree with your point. Especially this one:
Strategic vision, mission driven decisions and institutional goals are non-negotiable. How we get to the final destination is filled with possibilities, open to conversation and collaborative.
So here’s my question. If you’re at a school that does not have a clear mission what do you do? I would lump many schools today into this category.
I think that Christensen is right in Disrupting Class that we have to start looking at new organizations to redefine what it looks like to be a school. There are a number of schools that stand out for me: Science Leadership Academy, High Tech High, The Big Picture (The MET was their first school).
If we can’t radically change the culture of a school through comprehensive school change and many of the school that server the majority of our students are not doing what they need to be doing — producing active and engaged learners who will lead our country into the future — they don’t we need to start fresh in many cases? What do you think?
Your tweet reminded me that I never made it back here today to comment. Thanks for sharing this, Antonio. We’ve been discussing whether a mandate would speed up the changes our PLP team so eagerly awaits. Your point is well taken. So far, we have been supported by an administration that says try, don’t be afraid to fail, and take those leaps of faith. I’m sure this is why we are as far along as we are. But what a slow process! You are right, of course. A mandate wouldn’t help. We continue to try to change the culture and add more people to the tribe.
I do agree with Alex about starting over, though. Schools like SLA show what can happen when building from the ground up.
Thanks for your tweet!
There is no question that schools that start from the ground up have an advantage over schools with a deeper history. For example, The Bay School of San Francisco has been able to really create a culture where innovation and creativity are part of the fabric of the school. A school without a clear mission needs to start by identifying its core values. Your core values answer the question “What do we believe in?” and your mission should answer the question “Why do we exist?”
I think that as the future leaders of schools, change begins with us. We must model this philosophy to change and hold steadfast to the concept that certain school based goals and strategic priorities will be non-negotiable. Rethinking what those goals are and making sure that they are rooted to mission and core values will be an important first step. Susan, a mandate may create short term results, but lasting change will be much hard to sustain.
Alex, I have only started to read “Disrupting Class” but I am encouraged by the notion that it will take a bold vision and brave new leadership to articulate what the schools of the future will look like.
Love your list!