Photo courtesy of the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA)

This past week I had an opportunity to spend time at the Oklahoma City Convention Center, networking and learning or as Stephen Covey says, “sharpening the saw”. The Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration’s (CCOSA) Summer Conference 2023, Courageous Leadership (June 14-16), brought together over 1,400 passionate educators and administrators from across the state for a transformative event. Through insightful sessions, dynamic speakers, and interactive breakout sessions, participants were inspired to embrace bold initiatives, foster innovation, and champion positive change in the education system. The conference served as a catalyst for empowering leaders to navigate challenges with resilience and to help create a brighter future for Oklahoma’s schools.

While there were a wide variety of great professional learning opportunities and rich content offerings, I was particularly drawn to the Opening General Session and the presentation of the keynote speaker, Inquoris “Inky” Johnson, a former University of Tennessee football player and Atlanta, GA native. Inky’s leadership story is one of turning pain and tragedy into purpose. Admittedly, I’m partial to biographies, keynote presentations, and real-life stories that are grounded in inspirational leadership and overcoming challenges. They connect with people on a personal level to help us think and feel empathetically, to bring people together, and to envision a future we all want to be a part of and make real. His remarks had many salient points but one theme that stuck with me most was his commitment to, as he says, “finish the dream”.

Inky Johnson’s leadership story is one of unwavering determination, caring adults, and resilience in the face of adversity. A talented college football player destined for a potentially promising NFL career, his life took an unexpected turn during a game on September 9, 2006. A devastating tackle left him with a paralyzed right arm and ended his football dreams. Rather than succumbing to despair, Inky used this life-altering event as a catalyst for personal growth and transformation.

Inky’s leadership journey is marked by his ability to find strength in adversity. He didn’t allow his circumstances to define him; instead, he embraced a mindset of perseverance and unwavering faith. Through his powerful speeches and motivational talks, Inky inspires individuals to rise above their own challenges and to push past their perceived limits.
What sets Inky apart is his genuine authenticity and his ability to connect with others on a deep level. His humility and gratitude for life’s blessings shine through his words, touching the hearts of everyone who hears his story. Inky teaches us the importance of embracing our struggles, using them as fuel to propel us forward.

Inky Johnson’s leadership story serves as a reminder that true leaders are not defined by their accomplishments, but by their ability to inspire and uplift others. His unwavering spirit and determination to make a positive impact in the world make him a beacon of hope and a role model for aspiring leaders everywhere.

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Lisa with one of her former 5th grade students, Adriana, a violinist and music major at the University of Central Oklahoma for her Junior Recital (April 2023).

My wife, Lisa, is a 6^th grade English Language Arts teacher and has been teaching for 29 years at the same school in Oklahoma City. After all this time, there is still a gleam in her eyes when she talks about her students. There is still a pep in her step as she leaves for school in the morning. So, you see, I have a front row seat and a daily reminder of how special teachers truly are.

As a twice renewed National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT), Lisa is committed to providing her students with an environment in which they can grow academically and acquire meaningful habits of mind that will serve them well in life. In addition to her teaching duties, Lisa is also passionate about being a teacher leader and supporting both new and experienced teachers. Her contributions were recently recognized as she was selected as one of nine finalists for 2023 Teacher of the Year for Oklahoma City Public Schools. I’m so proud of her achievements and endless contributions to her students.

There is an adage: “Kids don’t care what you know, until they know how much you care.”  As a district superintendent, deputy education commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and even now in my role as an education consultant, I have visited hundreds of classrooms. For each visit, that sentiment rings loudly in my mind. Within moments of walking through the doors of a classroom, the quality of the teacher standing before me will crystallize into focus. Of course, I am armed with rubrics and standards, but my key “look-for” is always the level of student engagement and teacher expectations for students. I am pleased and proud that most visits affirm my beliefs as to how much teachers do indeed care about their students.

The elevated level of teacher dedication and commitment is also apparent in their demands for equity and inclusion in public education. Across the country, teachers are taking on the role of advocates and change-makers in their districts, serving as leaders in the ongoing work of bringing about sustainable change in the efforts to close the education gap.

All of this is on top of the evolving demands that encompass teaching, including those that surfaced in the aftermath of COVID-19. Though the pandemic directed the nation towards a new-found appreciation for the challenging work teachers do daily, it leaves in its path a new consequence for teachers to face, student mental health. The American Psychological Association describes kid’s mental health as a crisis. Good teachers throughout the nation are clamoring to find out how they can help students in a meaningful way. It is just another example of how special teachers truly are.

While the challenges before teachers today are unlike anything the profession has experienced in the past, I am confident that this group of professionals is up for the challenge, not because they must, but because they care too much to stand by idly. That is why this week especially, it is important to show our support, love, and appreciation for teachers. And for those of us lucky enough to have one of our own at home, it is a wonderful time to shower them with their favorite things and show them how much we care.

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein

Nationally, 68% of all 4^th grade public school students are not reading at a proficient level (The Nation’s Report Card, 2022), and 54% of Americans between the ages of 16-74 read at a level below that of the sixth grade (Gallup 2020). Yet, the debate over how best to teach reading skills to children lingers on. The two main camps in this debate are the phonics-based approach and the whole-language approach.

The phonics approach (structured literacy) emphasizes the importance of teaching children the sounds of individual letters and letter combinations and how they blend together to form words. The whole-language approach (balanced literacy), on the other hand, focuses on immersing children in language-rich environments and encouraging them to learn through context and meaning. Proponents of each approach argue that their method is the most effective, and the debate has often become heated and contentious. Despite this, both approaches continue to be used in classrooms around the world and many educators advocate for a blended approach that incorporates elements of both.

Reading is a complex cognitive process that involves decoding, comprehension, and fluency. Decoding refers to the ability to translate written words into sounds, while comprehension involves understanding the meaning of the text. Fluency refers to the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and expression. These three components of reading are interdependent and mutually reinforcing, meaning that deficits in one can impede progress in the others.

Research in the field of reading science has identified several evidence-based practices that promote effective reading instruction. These practices include explicit instruction in phonics, which teaches students how to decode words by recognizing letter-sound correspondences. Phonemic awareness, which involves identifying and manipulating individual sounds in spoken language, is another important component of early reading instruction.

Other evidence-based practices include building vocabulary, promoting reading comprehension strategies, and providing ample opportunities for independent reading. For example, teachers can help students develop their vocabulary by explicitly teaching word meanings and providing exposure to a wide range of texts. Comprehension strategies such as making predictions, asking questions, and summarizing can also help students better understand what they are reading.

School leaders can support effective reading instruction by providing teachers with professional learning opportunities that focus on evidence-based practices. They can also ensure that teachers have access to high-quality instructional materials and resources, such as decodable books for the beginning reader to build confidence and leveled texts. Additionally, school leaders can promote a culture of literacy by prioritizing reading instruction, such as class libraries and book clubs, and by celebrating reading achievements. Our commitment is often evident not in what we say, but in our policies, resources and investments, and the practices we promote.

Recently while in Washington, DC, I had the opportunity to participate in a screening of the “Right to Read” documentary and a panel discussion about the nation’s literacy crisis featuring LeVar Burton (actor and advocate for literacy and reading science), executive producer Jennie Mackenzie, Emmy-award winning director, and Kareem Weaver, producer and lead character. The documentary is a powerful tool to help galvanize individuals, raise awareness in communities, and highlight the need for action on issues of literacy disparities in education. It’s time for communities and schools to come together around this shared crisis and act now!

Women’s History Month is a time of year set aside to recognize and celebrate women who have had a significant impact on the world, in our nation or within our own lives. For me, three women are top of mind this year. Though they are no longer with us, they made an indelible impact on my life. And their works and achievements will continue to impact the lives of countless others who may never know their names.

They are School Superintendent Arlene C. Ackerman, who won national accolades for improving outcomes for students in the District of Columbia (DC), San Francisco, and Philadelphia; Lillian Lowery, who was regarded as a giant in the field of education and eventually became the first CEO of educational nonprofit Future Ready Columbus, Vice President for PreK-12 policy, research, and practice at The Education Trust, and served as the chief state school officer in Delaware and Maryland. And last but certainly not least, Major General Marcelite J. Harris, who had a distinguished military career of many first to include becoming the first African American female general officer in the United States Air Force.

These women were the embodiment of excellence, conviction, and purpose. Our work in education, and more specifically, our work for educational excellence and equity is built on the achievements of women like Ackerman and Lowery. While Harris dismantled barriers of a different kind; paving the way for the students we serve as public school system leaders to find high-achievement success in military careers and beyond, regardless of race or gender. Their examples in executive leadership, life’s work, and sage advice served as a guiding light for many.

I am eternally grateful to have known each of these women personally and for the privilege of calling them mentors—spending countless hours throughout the chapters of my career talking with them, learning from them, and strategizing with them to varying degrees to help navigate my professional pathway. Though they were very different, each woman was a deep thinker. A common thread to the success of all three, I believe, is that they worked tirelessly not for self-recognition, but because of their lived experiences, each felt a fierce urgency towards the need for building a more inclusive America and possessed a higher calling to serve, whether it was for the future of our children or the safety and security of our nation.

As I reflect on Women’s History Month this year, I feel invigorated by, but also indebted to the shoulders on which I stand. I find myself actively seeking ways to pay forward what was so freely given to me.  This month, I urge you to replay the chapters of your career in your mind’s eye with a focus on the women who have poured into your development as a leader in education. I trust those thoughts will reignite your passion as they have for me. As I redouble my commitment to shaping an educational environment rooted in excellence and equity for all our students, I know that, in doing so, I am inspiring the next Arlene Ackerman, Lillian Lowery and Marcelite Harris.

“Leaders are called to stand in that lonely place between the no longer and the not yet and intentionally make decisions that will bind, forge, move and create history.  We are not called to be popular; we are not called to be safe; we are not called to follow; we are the ones called to take risks; we are the ones called to change attitudes; to risk displeasure; we are the ones called to gamble our lives, for a better world.”—Mary Lou Anderson, Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame

Recently, I talked with Margaret (Marjy) Stagmeier, about her book: Blighted (2022) and efforts to transform a low-income apartment community in the Cleveland Avenue neighborhood of south Atlanta, GA. She is labeled as a Compassionate Capitalist by some in the media and a self-described champion of an affordable-housing education model. As part of her journey in the asset management and investment world, she passionately shared how the book by Matthew Desmond, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City (2016) significantly influenced her work to tackle Atlanta’s affordable housing crisis.

Blighted: a story of people, politics and an American housing miracle is a must-read book for anyone interested in the issues of urban blight, housing, and the role of private-public partnerships in transforming communities. As a managing partner at TriStar, a global commercial real estate investment and development company and founder of Star-C, a non-profit organization whose mission is to reduce resident transiency in affordable housing communities near low-performing schools, Marjy and her team transformed the blighted and aging Summerdale Apartments.

As part of the transformation, Star-C invested in community-based programs that provide supportive services through after-school study sessions, free summer camps, health clinics, gardens for fresh food and mentors for children in Summerdale Apartments. The programs, coupled with affordable housing, helped create a strong sense of community, improving the quality of life for children and residents.

The book is a fascinating account of transformation for a low-income apartment community redeveloped from chaos and crisis into a thriving community and how positive social change was made possible for the families in one of the city’s grittiest neighborhoods. The success of the Summerdale project is attributed to the resources from multiple partners and a holistic community development approach.

One of the most significant implications of this book for school system leaders is the interconnectedness between housing, neighborhoods, and schools. As evidenced in the book, affordable and stable housing is essential to children’s opportunities for educational success. When families are forced to move frequently due to rising rents or eviction, children’s education is disrupted. Moreover, children living in unstable housing may experience stress and trauma, which can negatively impact academic performance and mental health.

Marjy narrates aspects of her collaborative partnership with Dr. Anyee’ Payne, the former principal of Cleveland Avenue Elementary School (CAES) who she described as “the heroic principal.” I have visited CAES previously and can attest to Dr. Payne’s stellar leadership as an instructional leader, developer of human capital, and community collaborator. She and her team (with the support of community partners) did a remarkable job of improving educational outcomes while attending to the social and emotional well-being of their students.

In conclusion, Blighted is an inspiring book that shows how private-public partnerships can transform impoverished neighborhoods into thriving communities. It also highlights the critical connection between affordable and stable housing, neighborhood characteristics, and children’s educational succcess. School systems across the country can learn from the Summerdale project to work with non-profit organizations and other partners to provide stable and affordable housing for families in their respective communities. By doing so, they can create a brighter furture for the children they serve.

As we strive for greater equality, Black History Month provides a national opportunity to educate Americans on how the contributions of black people have shaped our country as we know it today. It is a time to highlight the intellect, ingenuity, feats, and firsts that define the eminence of Black History.

When I ponder Black History from the lens of an educator, names such as Thurgood Marshall and Oliver Brown come to mind. The image of six-year-old Ruby Bridges floods my mind’s eye. My thoughts harken to Marian Wright Edelman and her lifelong work for children’s rights as feverishly as they do to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and his enduring fight for civil rights. I think of the thousands of nameless, faceless heroes who took their very lives in their hands to teach black boys and girls to read and write.

The work of these education stalwarts cannot be disconnected from the education inequality that continues to exist in America. According to information provided by Equal Opportunity Schools, students of color and low-income students are consistently and systematically under-enrolled in the most academically intense high school courses. The vast majority of Advance Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs (99 percent of those in diverse high schools) do not yet provide equal access. More than three-quarters of a million students in U.S. high schools are qualified for but are missing from AP and IB classes. These students are disproportionately students of color and/or low-income students.

So even as Black History Month ushers in an opportunity to celebrate the courage, achievements, and milestones of African Americans, we cannot lose sight of the challenges still before us – not for a month, not for a day. We must shift our understanding of Black History from just 28 days a year to Black History 365. In doing so, we should support the efforts of modern-day education heroes and sheroes working every day to close the gap. In doing so, we are reminded that discrimination and bigotry are not limited to a single race. Instead, we must be committed to come together resiliently as Americans, regardless of our race or ethnicity, united against the common experiences of systemic racism.

“Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part.” – John Lewis

For the first time since January 2020, I had an opportunity to spend some quality time in New Orleans, LA with friends and colleagues from The Broad Center network. It was a rich professional learning experience engaging Broad alumni from a nationwide community of graduates from The Broad Academy (TBA), The Broad Residency Program (TBR), and The Broad Fellowship for Education Leaders (TBFEL).

Created with a $100 million gift from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, The Broad Center at Yale School of Management develops and supports transformational education leaders in urban K-12 public schools, conducts knowledge-sharing research opportunities on effective school system leadership, and informs the policy debate, all of which is devoted to strengthening public school systems to help students learn and thrive, particularly those from underserved communities.

As part of my post-doctorate studies and preparation for the superintendency, I completed the rigorous 10-month Broad Superintendents Academy (TBA, 2007). My experiences in the program and follow on support received had a profound impact on my readiness to serve as a school system leader at the district and state education agency levels in Massachusetts and beyond.

“The Broad Center at Yale School of Management will have a transformative impact on the lives of the millions of young people who rely upon the public education system for the high-quality, effective schooling that society owes them” — Kerwin Charles, Dean, Yale School of Management.

As we celebrate the national holiday, life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I’m reminded that it was the 18 year old Morehouse College senior who when describing the purpose of education said, we must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education. As a young man, Dr. King challenged both black and white in their pursuits of power and success by means of education.

Recently, I had an opportunity to participate in the 2023 Metropolitan Community College (MCC) Chancellor’s Scholarship Luncheon in Kansas City, MO, a 108 year old institution with a story of progress. The luncheon honored five MCC students, featured Donna Brazile (political strategist, author, professor, and news host) as the keynote speaker, and also recognized the 2023 Alvin Brooks Kansas Citian Inspiration Award Recipient. Brazile’s remarks in part, touched on education as her passport to success and paying it forward. Nationally, community colleges play a critical role in workforce development through academic programming and skills training to prepare students for jobs or transfer to four-year colleges.

I ended this week in Columbus, OH supporting the work of Columbus City Schools and their District Partnership Team (DPT) in furtherance of the Wallace Foundation Equity-Centered Pipeline Initiative Grant. The 5-year grant strives to advance the district’s own vision of equity, strategize on what equity-centered leaders need to know and be able to do. The DPT is comprised of interim superintendent, Dr. Angela Chapman and members of her leadership team, university partners from The Ohio State University and Ashland University, and representatives from the Ohio Department of Education, along with Wallace researchers. Ultimately, the findings of this work will lead to a series of independent research studies to generate useful insights for the field and a direct benefit to the district.

Additionally, while in Columbus we had an opportunity to spend some time visiting two schools: Northland High School, led by Dr. Jason Johnston and Ecole Kenwood French Immersion Elementary School, led by principal Emma Corbin. Both school leaders were veteran principals, relentlessly focused on improving teaching and learning, held high expectations for students and staff, leveraged professional learning for teachers, cultivated a wide range of school partnerships to provide rich learning opportunities for students, created a positive school culture, and were diligent in terms of self-evaluation and data analysis with clear strategies for continuous improvement.

Now more than ever, let us renew our commitment to the power of education so that as advocates, educators, or school system leaders we can ensure our schools and districts are ready, responsive, and resolute in meeting the unique needs of all learners.

Superintendent Eric Gordon with 1st grade students from Bolton PK-8 School at CMSD Headquarters

“Every ending is a beginning. We just don’t know it at the time” — Mitch Albom. Earlier this week I wrapped up some consultancy work with a national initiative funded with support from the Wallace Foundation. Ohio was one of eleven states participating in this initiative and one of the states I was fortunate to support.

The project in Ohio involved a network of school systems in Northeast, Ohio (Akron Public Schools, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Cleveland State University, East Cleveland City School District, Lorain City School District, Maple Heights City School District), their Urban League affiliate and community partners, along with representatives from the Ohio Department of Education. The network, known as the Ohio ESSA Leadership Learning Community (ELLC) team, convened for six years with the overarching goal of building the capacity of education leaders to implement supports and interventions to turn around schools most in need of improvement.

During the last six years, the Ohio ELLC team convened recurring meetings to engage in strategies to improve educational leadership practice, networking, participating in coordinated professional learning experiences including site visits to high performing public-school districts across the nation, and accessing the latest research findings to support Social and Emotional Learning and identifying evidence-based interventions in addressing the unique needs of high needs districts.

Our final meeting time together in Cleveland, OH gave the team a chance to reflect on and discuss key accomplishments, lessons learned, and next steps as the national ELLC initiative ends. A final report by Policy Studies Associates synthesizing and documenting the work of the Ohio ELLC team is forthcoming and will be shared more broadly as the lessons learned from this initiative can be applied universally to any learning community.

As part of this trip, I also got to say farewell to a good friend and a champion of the Ohio ELLC team’s work throughout the last six years, Eric Gordon, Superintendent of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD). CMSD hosted our final meeting and Eric has served admirably as the district’s Superintendent since 2011 (a remarkable accomplishment in and of itself). He previously announced he’s leaving CMSD of his own accord at the end of this school year.

Eric has received numerous awards and national recognition during his tenure, but one of the things he’s known for is spending time with students engaging in school activities across the community. While in Cleveland this week, we got to observe Eric enthusiastically read to a group of 1st graders and decorate the Christmas tree with students at CMSD Headquarters. I don’t know who had more fun, Eric or the students. Spending time with students and in schools is a great reminder of the importance of public education.

Happy holidays and best wishes to all for an enjoyable holiday break that hopefully provides a respite for educators and support staff alike to rest, relax, reflect, and recharge in preparation for a successful and safe second semester to the school year.