One District’s Quest for Student Engagement

woman biting pencil while sitting on chair in front of computer during daytime

One District’s Improvement Work  Intro:  Learning by doing is key to improvement.  The Washington Superintendent Network meets quarterly to discuss key issues, share their work and learn from each other.  This month, Selah School District shared their improvement plan. I was impressed by their focus on purpose – equity, engagement and “growth producing relationships” –…

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More from my reading list

view of floating open book from stacked books in library

More … to read … and see With a brief note about what I found compelling in each. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It by Chris Voss, Tahl Raz  – 2016 Top FBI hostage negotiator tells great stories and day-to-day examples of how to negotiate well.  Even negotiating works better with…

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The Superintendent as Instructional Leader

man and woman sitting on chairs

21 ways to become a learning leader Superintendents and District Leaders Matter Teachers matter most in improving student learning.  Principals are a close second and are now expected to be instructional leaders.  What about superintendents and district level leaders.  Their role, though less visible, is every bit as essential in growing the culture and the…

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Review – The Infinite Game

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The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek Simon Sinek Famous for Start with WHY, Sinek has a new book out.  The Infinite Game compares two different ways of thinking:  The Finite Game where we play for victory.  Or the Infinite Game where we play for fulfillment. Finite Leaders: For far too long, he says, we have…

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‘Representing’ our Bosses

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Representing our Employer Promotions … require us to step up to greater levels of responsibility – and ambiguity. The higher we rise, the greater the obligation to speak for the common good of the organization.  We get promoted for being great technical experts.  Then we get promoted INTO jobs that require very different skills –…

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