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Iowa Teacher and Principal Leadership: Description of the Symposium
As academic expectations grow for students in the 21st century, principals alone cannot provide all the leadership needed inside a school building to continually improve learning - from setting goals to analyzing data to field testing instructional strategies. Mobilizing the untapped talents of Iowa's many excellent teachers by redefining their roles and responsibilities makes sense. The question is how to organize the system to treat teachers as leaders.
Symposium speakers and panelists shared their thinking about shared principal and teacher leadership. They discussed different models in place in the state and nation, as well as in high-performing schools around the globe. They talked about how new career paths for teachers may fit with a new approach to compensation. |
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Dr. David Maxwell's Challenge
 The President of Drake University, Dr. David Maxwell, shared that we are not educating enough of our students because we are not a state-wide system. The quality, the access, and the completion of our students and their education varies from district to district and school to school.
Maxwell's Challenge: Return to being a national leader through a collective commitment. |
Comments of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds reminded us that our students must be critical thinkers and problem solvers - and we must act with urgency to achieve that. Other states are "outeducating Iowa." We have achieved the lowest gains in the nation - absolutely every state had higher gains than Iowa.
Governor Branstad emphasized that "great teaching is the game changer." He reminded us that 23% of our third graders are not proficient in reading - and 33% of our eighth graders are not proficient, up by 8% in one year.  He challenged us to better prepare future teachers and support those in our schools today. We must encourage and motivate those teachers. Collaboration, he believes, is too limited and this is having a negative impact on student progress.
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He believes that our "new path for Iowa" is promising. He did caution us on these:
- We have the highest cost for educating students in the world.
- Our wages are four times higher than those of Shanghai and yet they lead the world in reading, math, and science - and pay on average 1/4 of what we do.
- We buy Apple because it is "state of art" from beginning to end. We must be like Apple and become "state of art" through creativity and innovation.
- We have a "blue collar system" for teachers and principals;
- We must invent the future in both services and production. Top countries saw the future before we did. They asked themselves what they needed to do to prepare for that future. They determined that standards for the top are the standards for each and every student. They educate all; creativity and innovation are key, no matter what job each of their students go into. He reminds us that our mission must be educating all - not just the elite - and doing it without an increase in cost.
It's not about "tweaking" the system! It about creating a new system! We must match the top performing countries. We must learn from their strategies!
Lou's Comments: Be sure to review the following on our website.
- "How the World's Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better," often referred to as the McKinsey Report, shares how poor schools become good and how schools with good performance become excellent. There are accompanying video clips and webinars.
- "Choosing the Wrong Drivers for Whole-System Reform": This paper by Michael Fullan compares the "wrong drivers" often used in the United States with the "right drivers" that achieve the needed changes in the high-performing countries.
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Panel Discussion - ISEA, SAI, and IASB Join Tucker
Tom Downs of Iowa School Board Association, Dan Smith of School Administrators of Iowa, and Tammy Wawaro of Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) joined Mark Tucker and shared insights on the following:
- Success under the old system has made us reluctant to change.
- Smith shared that we must change the culture in our schools - we all must own the change. Collaboration is key.
- Wawro advocated for more collaboration, more time "to look into each others' classrooms."
- Downs noted that we must educate parents and the communities about the changes needed.
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 Tucker reminded us that the the goal line has changed - dramatically! He asked, "Are you getting teachers from the top one third of their graduating classes - like the top performing countries do?" He also shared that their strategy is paying off in the long run as teachers in those countries stay in education three times longer than those in the United States. He also shared there is no evidence that amount of time in school is connected with performance.
There was total agreement that we must advocate for change!
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Vivien Stewart, Senior Advisor of Asia Society
 Vivien Stewart, senior advisor of Asia Society, focused on the top countries' emphasis on elevating the teacher profession.
- Great teachers are key to the success in Iowa and the United States. We have been in a downward cycle and need to change that immediately.
- The top performing countries focus on the recruitment of quality teachers, assurance of teacher preparation programs, providing master teachers to those new in the induction, and professional development/support.
- Recruitment - we tend to recruit from the bottom half while the top performing countries start recruiting in high school and from the top 5-30%. These countries interview individuals to assure high academic and personal standards. They choose to have fewer high quality teachers based on these standards than to lower their standards.
- Induction: In top performing countries, they lose only 3% in first five years while we lose 50%. They attribute this to the master teacher working with the new teachers the first two years.
- Professional Development: They have various levels of teaching based on professional development completed and impact in the classroom. Collaboration in the content and grade-level areas is important; they observe teachers. There are no "closed doors" in the teachers' classrooms.
- Singapore has risen from the bottom in their teaching profession to the top. They benchmark their teachers - three career paths. Master teachers make as much as principals. They do no "teacher bashing," but see that their teaching building is really "nation building." Each teacher has personalized plan for growth, based on academic and personal growth of students
 , knowledge and practice of pedagogy, professional development aligned with personal needs, and work with the family and community. - Finland's teachers have a master's degree in content area. All elementary teachers are prepared in special education. High Quality + Well Trained teachers allows them to develop their own curriculum. They do not nation-wide assessment until the students are fifteen years old. Teaching is one of top 3 professions in Finland.
- Ontario: They focus on effective principals and select individuals based on their earlier demonstration of leadership. They are the instructional leaders - working with teachers and the community to drive performance. School boards have a "succession plan" for the principals in the district, assuring a quality system continues.
- Compensation: Distribute district dollars so that it makes a difference. Higher-performing countries work on entry pay and impact on learning.
- Top lessons
- Centrality issue - work on the quality of teachers and the quality of the system
- Focus on recruitment and mentoring
- Work on teacher preparation programs
- Provide career plans
- Assurance consistency of high quality - in every school in the system
- Multi-faceted performance appraisals - do intelligent ones to move the system
- Leadership!
- It's all a system issue - work on all the components. (Badly run schools win over the best teachers, so fix the system!)
- Change is possible!
- All sectors must work together!
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Panel Discussion - Bunz, Maxwell, and Miller
Cate Miller - teacher in Des Moines, Susan Bunz - Waukee school board member, and David Maxwell - President of Drake University joined Vivien Stewart and shared comments on the impact of professionalism in education.
- Miller shared her hope that all principals return to the classroom for a period of time in order to renew their license.
- Maxwell emphasized the importance of supports for teachers as they make the needed changes in their practices and impact.
- Bunz shared her learnings from her own human resources experience at Pioneer and the need for ongoing support beyond the principal's review of those teachers. Collaborative work and change are connected.
- Stewart reminded us that evaluation is not the "silver bullet." She believes in performance appraisal - but not narrow measures and not as a single way to change their performance. More than 3 billion dollars a year is spent on professional development and most teachers do not see it as helpful.
- Miller shared that teachers know what they need to get better. Des Moines is offering multiple ways for professional development this next year, rather than a top-down approach that has been used in the past. Teachers want feedback from principals when they come into the room; Miller wants the principal to get involved in the students' activities and learn what and how the kids are learning. We need clearly defined goals and work with us to get there - including the engagement of students!
- Maxwell recognizes the envy we have of the top-performing countries and their impact on the profession to assure students' success. He also reminded us those countries have a system - and we do not! How do we effect reform without becoming a system? It will take a cultural and attitudinal shift!
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 Maxwell is working with 50 CEOs and 50 University presidents to create a community-based approach to education. Louisville is a couple of years ahead in this arena; he announced that Des Moines will be a pilot this year.
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The TAP System - National Program
The Tap System offers a system with the following: - Multiple career paths for teachers with salary augmentation
- Continuous on-site professional development to meet the needs of teachers in the building - by teachers and for teachers within the building
- Development of collegiality within the system
- Performance-based compensation using multiple metrics
 Educators in the Tap System in Knox County, Tennessee, shared the following key points:
- The principal challenged us to hire the best teachers possible! Make sure your recruitment plan assures you hire the best! Do your interviewees have to teach a lesson?
- Master teachers are key to your school's success. Collaboration is a must in this system. The weekly leadership meetings are focused on growing the master and mentor teachers. Students and their work are analyzed weekly.
- Master teachers provide the support teachers need to implement their new learning. They know the strategies - they have field tested them before they teach teachers. They coach and evaluate at the same time, using a common language.
- A new teacher mentored by the master and mentor teachers said this "evaluation system" assures quality feedback with timely and specific information. The specificity results in changes in the teaching - and the learning.
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Des Moines Offers New System
Interim Superintendent Tom Ahart summarized two new major changes in Des Moines:
- Student Improvement Leaders was initiated in two middle schools as the "greenhouse" for developing principals. They know all the teachers and all the students; they emphasize how to eliminate barriers to students' success.
- Alternative Contract allows for additional pay on the front end, additional professional development, and opportunity to get a master's degree to teachers new in the district.
 One of the district's School Improvement Leaders shared that discipline referrals have gone down significantly since this model has been implemented. Achievement has increased, moving Des Moines from the bottom in the state to "middle of the pack."
The Alternative Contract allows new teachers to have an additional 90 minutes of professional development/support each week as well as 2 full days at the beginning of the year. These teachers will be pursuing a master's degree developed especially for Des Moines. The district plans to expand the alternative contract to veteran teachers in the near future.
Dick Murphy, Board Member from Des Moines, applauded the teachers and Tom Ahart for moving these two initiatives forward.
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Cedar Rapids Shares Their Story
Superintendent Dave Benson thanked the governor for putting education on the front burner. He emphasized Cedar Rapids is striving for the collective ownership that Tucker mentioned this morning. Key points in the Cedar Rapids presentation included the following:
- Employer/Employee relationships are crucial. The district purposefully works on relationships!
- Teachers like the salary structure because they can build their own through multiple avenues.
- Beginning teachers in Cedar Rapids make $40,000. This has been a "draw" for many and allows Cedar Rapids to select the best.
- The "resolution team" has been a remarkable addition; there are no grievances in Cedar Rapids because when the problem is recognized the team works toward resolution.
- Full-time mentoring and induction educators are available to support new educators.
- Cedar Rapids has 53 national board certified teachers and are looking to get more.
- Special Education Instructional Coaches are being implemented in 2012-2013.
The powerpoint used at this presentation is available on the web site. |
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The Toledo Plan - Peer Review
The Toledo team demonstrated their plan for peer review using consulting teachers, each having about 8 new teachers under their direction. They are responsible for mentoring and the evaluation of those teachers. The consulting teacher as well as the principal will take their recommendations to the "panel" that has 9 educators, including teachers and administrators. At least 6 of those educators must endorse the recommendation for the teacher reviewed in order for the teacher to remain in the district.
This process is used twice a year for the first two years the teachers are in the system. A rubric is used that is aligned with Ohio's standards. After that the principals are responsible for the evaluation.
The teachers and the administrators own the success of the educators. And they "love this process of peer review."
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Reflection of Iowa Leaders on Today's Symposium
Key points made by the Iowa leaders on the final panel:
- Ken Liethwood recognizes that principals
 are key to turning around a school. - Finland, Ontario, Shanghai, and Singapore use teacher leadership as an avenue to being the best in the world.
- We need to support the education of both public and non-public schools - they are here for our kids! Quality education is a must in every building in Iowa!
- Get about the business of improving our schools!
- We need to communicate and collaborate to make education #1 - and our students as well!
- Leadership and ownership of learning must include the students!
- Tucker reminded us that the goal line has changed!!
- Reform - we need to advocate with legislators now to help them understand what we need and why!
- Capitalize on teachers' expertise - by and for teachers!
- Role of principal is to develop the collective capacity of educators, which raises the quality of each and every teacher. Principals become the system designers!
- Formative assessment - key for learning and teaching for that learning.
- Ban the term professional development.
- We are in a whole new conversation - and time is running short!
- Identify tight ends and flexibility in achieving those ends.
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US Department of Education Senior Advisor Brad Jupp
 USDE Senior Advisor Brad Jupp shared we must create a movement of educators by educators. He complimented Iowa on its community- based conversations across the state. These conversations, he reminded us, will lead to debate and ultimately a decision. Jupp shared the following . . . - USDE wants to see post-secondary success like we saw 35 years ago.
- There are two million jobs in the United States that cannot be filled because we cannot find people with the skills to perform the jobs.
- The "system" must determine what we can do to make sure we are not failing our students - and our own future.
- We must look at 1) higher education - assuring safe student loans, 2) emphasis on early childhood education, 3) strong data systems so that all have access to great, 4) excellent teachers in every classroom, 5) turning around schools, 6) college and career readiness.
- We must be tight on goals and loose on means.
- We got it wrong when we focused on education as a civil rights issue and when we focused on closing achievement gaps. While they are good things, they didn't address "all kids." We must address the needs and success of each and every student - each must be challenged through high expectations.
- We also haven't gotten right on teacher evaluation. It cannot be the only thing on which we focus. We need to expand that thinking - for example, teacher recruitment, teacher support.
- We also forgot to focus on the big system; we spent too much time on a single system within the system.
- We have to focus on getting better and learn from our mistakes.
- DO focus on college and career readiness! (Be sure your teachers have the skill to prepare students for college and careers.)
- DO get real! It is hard; admit it and move forward!
- DON'T comfort people - don't say we are already doing it - no more "happy talk."
- DON'T wait to start using student data. Use formative assessments to inform decisions, to modify teaching, to predict the progress of your students toward proficiency.
- DON'T think you are going to get it right the first time out! This truly is about continuous improvement.
- DON'T get distracted by the debate. It will be awful and sometimes untruthful.
- DO keep your faith in all the people in the system! Stay true to your high expectation for kids and adults!!
Jupp shared that kids who get high scores on ACT are usually prepared for the college and career readiness expectations. Perhaps we should push more kids to take the ACT. Colorado requires all juniors to take ACT!
He is impressed with Tennessee's work on college and career readiness - especially in writing and math. Delaware has some great systems in place as does North Carolina. Florida should be looked at as well for their data systems. Watch for newcomers in this area!
Help teachers know what success looks like! And have confidence in!
Communicate with the communities what jobs you have available but cannot fill because of lack of skill of people applying for those jobs. This will help them see the urgency in our need for change.
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Closing Remarks by Dr. Jason Glass
Dr. Glass remarked . . .
- It is a global challenge for each and every student!
- Our schools can be better; we must have the courage to persevere. There will be no short cuts.
- Doing something vs doing something right! There is a difference and we must use various lenses to make the right decisions.
- Teacher + Student + Content: Everything we do must assure these get better! (See the work of Elmore.)
- We must use an evidence-based lens to assure calibration.
- Another lens is through the international benchmarking shared by Dr. Tucker this morning!
- We must be able to take our decisions "to scale."
- He suggested we look at Professional Capital by Fullan and Hargreaves - which address human capital, social capital, and decision capital.
- Our decisions must be authentic and sustainable.
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Iowa ASCD has provided this summary of the Symposium for Teacher and Principal Leadership for your review and work within your organization. We thank each of you who are members of Iowa ASCD. We also encourage those who are not to join us in the journey of creating the best education system in the world. |
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Iowa ASCD - Twitter!
Stay current with learning! Follow Iowa ASCD on Twitter! http://twitter.com/#!/IowaASCD |
 Iowa ASCD is the source for developing instructional leadership and translating research into daily practice. Serving more than 800 educators - teachers, principals, superintendents, directors of curriculum, technology specialists, college professors, AEA staff - Iowa ASCD strives to develop the collaborative capacity to impact the learning of each and every student in Iowa. |
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Iowa ASCD Contacts President Jason Ellingson Past-President Leslie Moore President-Elect Allan Eckelman Membership Information Bridget Arrasmith Secretary Marcia Tweeten Treasurer Julie Davies Members-at-Large Julie Grotewold Ottie Maxey Becky Martin Kevin Vidergar DE Liaison Tina Ross Higher Education Jan Beatty-Westerman Elaine Smith-Bright Advocacy and Influence Pam Armstrong-Vogel Susan Pecinovsky Curriculum Leadership Academy Sue Wood Fall Institute Kelly Adams Summer Institutes and Grade-Level Conferences Kym Stein Planning Chair Cindy Swanson Technology Chris Welch Membership Relations and E-Learning Amy Wichman Executive Director Lou Howell |
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August 9, 2012
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