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Photo credit: Posse Foundation

If we are to realize the sweeping changes we wish to see with regards to equitable educational outcomes for all students, we must think boldly, innovatively, and reasonably.  Many well-meaning education supporters who offer intervention, support, or resources earnestly believe they are doing just that. But the truth is, many times we miss the mark.

The formula for hitting the bullseye is not complicated, and it was affirming to me as I read a recent article by Ron Claiborne entitled “I never would have dropped out if I’d had my posse with me.” The program featured in this article is brilliant and I will get into that shortly, but there was something else in this article that impressed me as much as the program itself. “That remark from a college drop-out inspired the Posse Foundation’s innovative program that has sent thousands of young people to college in supportive and multicultural groups of ten. More than 90 percent graduate.”

As education leaders, we sometimes fall victim to imposing our own ideas on schools and students based on what we think they need. This innovative, bold program was born of something different. It was spawned by a desire to meet students where they say they are. Or to put it more simply, by hearing student voices and truly listening to what they are saying.

Under the Posse Foundation (www.possefoundation.org), 820 young women and men—the freshman Class of 2026—will be attending 60 top-tier colleges and universities in the fall, as part of a peer group who will have gotten to know one another in training sessions, team-building exercises, and workshops since January. Fifty seven percent of this year’s Posse will be the first in their family to graduate College.

In the article (Second Acts | Meta Bulletin), Claiborne summarizes an interview he had with CEO Deborah Bial, the Posse Foundation founder. In response to a question along the lines of how she came up with this idea, Bial said she was working at a youth organization in downtown, in New York City, with all these great kids, running workshops after school at Curtis High School on Staten Island and the Manhattan Center for Science and Math in East Harlem. She noted that the kids were just super smart and super talented (but) a lot of them were going to college and dropping out.

That was more than 30 years ago. Since then, Posse scholars have earned their bachelor’s degrees at amazingly higher rates (90 percent) than the national average of a little over 60 percent of all students who graduate within six years of starting college, and they are well prepared and positioned for success.

Not only do the majority of Posse scholars successfully navigate college to graduation; most of them are actively engaged in the college experience as leaders taking on roles such as student body presidents, and founders of college clubs and organizations.

Today, the Posse Foundation is one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind nationally. Students are selected in December of their senior year of high school through a unique evaluation method based on demonstrated leadership. In January, they begin an eight-month pre-college training where they attend weekly after-school workshops. The foundation creates a four-year plan for each student, which includes mentoring, group meetings, coaching, advising, and even retreats (and alumni connections).

The success of these diverse students speaks to the power of community and working together with the nation’s top institutions of higher education. Through mentoring and full-tuition scholarships, Posse is building a powerful network of new leaders who are ready to make a difference.

Photo credit: Posse Foundation

According to the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, from 2012 to the present there have been 540 school shooting incidents nationwide that resulted in at least one person killed or wounded. We’ve sunken into a deep dark well when the answer to school shootings becomes a victim of political debate. The Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas continues to shake the nation and the ongoing debate over the availability of assault rifles continues to showcase the fragility of America’s democracy.

The nation had not yet fully grieved the loss of 10 innocent lives in the racially motivated marketplace shooting in Buffalo, New York when a second assault weapon wielding assailant tragically murdered 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas two days before summer vacation was set to begin.

The right and expectation to return home from the grocery store and to hug your children when they run through the door after school is not a partisan issue. It is a normal, run-of-the-mill expectation in most nations. But we’ve reached a time and place in America where schools and shopping markets become heinous crime scenes in the blink of an eye. Each day 12 children die from gun violence in America and another 32 are shot or injured (New England Journal of Medicine).

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy put into words the helplessness felt by many Americans over gun violence. “What are we doing?” he begged of his colleagues in congress. A Democrat, Murphy said he would “bend over backwards” to reach a gun rights compromise with Republicans that would lessen the likelihood of assault-weapon driven massacres from occurring. “I want to show this country that we care,” he said.

For the men and women entrusted to care for students every day, school safety is not a political issue. It is a matter of life and death, and their role as educators has never been more important. It was Maximilien Robespierre, a lawyer, statesman, and key figure in the French Revolution who said: “The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.”  So, amid the debate swirling around us as educators, despite the gripping fear school shootings fuel, educators persist.

They persist because they know the answer to the problem may be the student sitting before them today. They persist because they know intelligence must overtake ignorance.  They persist because they are teachers at heart. Thank God they do because the fragility of our democracy calls for strength. Strength to pull us out of the deep dark well that we have sunken into, the strength found every day in our schools, and in everyday people. Yet, educators alone cannot fix the problem of gun violence.

As a democratic society, it is in our national interest to demand a policy response from elected leaders (and policy makers) to put children and communities first and commit to actions that reduce gun violence in schools.

Arelis Guerrero, Senior Applications Engineer, TI, Mel McCoy, HRBP, TI, Rahland Gordon, Product Marketing Engineer, TI, and Betty Paugh-Ortiz, NCCEP VP of Programs and Partnerships

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time working in Akron, OH with a group of district superintendents and members of their respective leadership teams from northeast Ohio. The Ohio network is a part of the ESSA Leadership Learning Community (ELLC), a national project of the Wallace Foundation.  The network provides an opportunity for state teams to learn from one another in a shared learning environment focused on equity, leadership, and sustainable school improvement. This was the network’s first in-person meeting in two years due to the COVID pandemic.

We spent the day in Akron Public Schools hosted by Superintendent Christine Fowler-Mack and her outstanding team (including students and community pathway partners) learning about the districtwide implementation of College and Career Academies. The foundation of Akron’s College and Career Academies is small learning communities, thematic learning, and strong industry sector partnerships to help design and provide real world experiences for all learners. The district’s first graduating class of this initiative will be this school year (2021-22). Here’s a 3-minute video clip of the College & Career Academies of Akron Overview – YouTube.

At the heart of this initiative are workplace learning opportunities (e.g., job shadowing and internships) integrated with academic course work to leverage student interest and improve academic achievement, student attendance, and graduation rates. One of the highlights from our discussion of this transformational work was the district’s expansion to their vision of a “Portrait of a Graduate” to include a “Portrait of an Elementary Scholar” that focuses on readiness for middle school. Part of the day included a panel with a principal, teachers, and students; notably, the elementary students could see themselves in Elementary scholar vision and articulate its relevance to their lives.

The collaborative community approach in Akron around College and Career Academies has been galvanizing to help strengthen the talent pipeline; better prepare students for college, careers, lifelong learning, and leadership; and address educational equity. As a part of the district’s College and Career Academies work, Akron Public Schools is striving to become a demonstration site as part of their partnership with the Ford Next Generation Learning network.

I also traveled to Dallas, TX recently to work with the National Council for Community and Educational Partnerships (NCCEP) and Texas Instruments (TI). NCCEP is a national non-profit dedicated to building the capacity of communities by bringing together colleges and universities with K-12 schools, foundations, and corporations among other constituencies, so that underserved students have the opportunity, skills, and knowledge to successfully pursue education and training to achieve their career and life goals.

NCCEP serves as the umbrella organization to support a federally funded college access initiative known as the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP).  A part of NCCEP’s programming is the District Leadership Institute (DLI) that I co-facilitate, a 10-month cohort learning model to increase the capacity of GEAR UP practitioners, college access professionals, and district leaders. The NCCEP and TI partnership has been so meaningful on many levels over several years. A high point in the final DLI session for the 2021-22 Cohort was in learning about STEM careers at TI through the life experiences of three young aspiring engineers. All three panelists did an outstanding job in representing TI and in sharing their inspiring leadership journey.

“A mind that is stretched by new experiences can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

The beam of pride on the face of Leila Jackson as her mother began the first day of senate confirmation hearings, should be representative of the pride of a nation. The photo, which was published by The New York Times, quickly went viral.

Jackson’s mother Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed as the first Black woman Supreme Court justice this week, after a bipartisan group of senators voted on Monday to advance her nomination.

It is a moment in history that we should all take as much pride in as captured in the now iconic photo of Jackson’s proud daughter as she sat in the audience of the confirmation hearings. For me, that photo represents the powerful impact that is made when education and representation merge.

I read with interest an article that said Jackson’s counselor at Miami Palmetto Senior High School advised her against setting her sights too high as she applied for college. Perhaps it was the guidance of her parents, both public school teachers, that overrode the misguided advice of that school counselor. Perhaps Jackson’s own confidence and vision were the driving forces. More than likely, it was a combination of many things that drove Jackson to turn a deaf ear to those who did not share the belief she had in herself.

Had Jackson fallen victim to the poison of low expectations, she would not be where she is today. Two justices besides Jackson attended public high schools. But almost every sitting justice studied law at Harvard or Yale universities. That bar certainly would not have been lowered for the first black woman justice in the high court’s 233-year history.

And while Jackson’s undergraduate and law degree are both from Harvard University, her trajectory since leaving the university also contributed to the strong foundation upon which President Joe Biden based his nomination of her for the nation’s highest court.

Jackson served for eight and a half years on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and was confirmed to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2021. It has been said that her record as a judge “demonstrates a fair, impartial jurist with a clear commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of all people.”

Before her time as a federal judge, Jackson’s experience included service on the U.S. Sentencing Commission and in the District of Columbia’s Office of the Federal Public Defender, making her the first justice in more than 30 years with significant experience representing criminal defendants.

Said Brown: “I can only hope that my life and career, my love of this country and the Constitution, and my commitment to upholding the rule of law and the sacred principles upon which this great nation was founded will inspire future generations of Americans.”

The prideful look on Leila Jackson’s face is moving beyond words. And it indicates that her mother’s hope is already realized.

This week I had an opportunity to participate in the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) Legislative Conference in Washington, DC. CCSSO is a nonpartisan, nationwide nonprofit supporting the top education leader in every state and five U.S. territories. The Council’s core focus is on three broad priorities: Response and Recovery to include ongoing rapid response and assistance with recovery and improvement; Equity, Access, and Critical Infrastructure; and Modernizing the Education System including new education delivery models and state of the art accountability and reporting.

This was my first face-to-face participation at a moderate size educational convening since the pandemic begin in March 2020. This shared learning experience included small group discussions, workshops, state spotlight presentations from Missouri and Tennessee, an update on oversight of federal COVID relief funding and conditions for effective spending by states, and opportunities for state delegation meetings with their respective members of congress.

One of the unexpected highlights of the CCSSO convening was an inspirational elementary school choir performance from students at W.B. Patterson Elementary School in Washington, DC, whose rendition of Quincy Jones & Tevin Campbell’s “Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)” at the opening dinner tugged at the hearts of everyone in attendance.

A moderated conversation with U.S. Secretary of Education, Migual Cardona, talked about removing silos, looking at the pandemic as an opportunity to reset and help spearhead innovation in public education, and long-term solutions to loss instructional time challenges. Part of my consultancy work with CCSSO includes support for a State Support Recovery Network initiative involving eight state education agencies (including Oklahoma) and work with their Summer School Learning Network.

Speaking of summer learning, I ended my week moderating a Summer Planning Bootcamp webinar session, Investment of a Generation: Accessing and Leveraging Funding and Partnerships, hosted by the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA). NSLA is a national non-profit exclusively focused on closing the achievement gap through high-quality summer learning for all children and youth. NSLA and its broad coalition of supporters strives to move beyond the remedial nature of summer school programming to include enrichment and youth development opportunities that nurture and cultivate a child’s natural brilliance and curiosity.

Summer learning is a national response strategy to help address lost instructional time (i.e., learning loss or the COVID-19 slide) caused by the pandemic that requires strong partnerships with state education agencies, districts, and community organizations — “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.” Helen Keller.

As Black History Month ends this year, I am drawn to a quote by James Baldwin: “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.”

When we examine this quote through the lens of education, we can’t help but be confronted by the movement in many states throughout the country to favor patriotic education over one that is racially conscious. The movement that is afoot to oppose diverse education curriculums such as the New York Times The 1619 Project and ban books such as Maus, a graphic novel about the Holocaust, deeply aligns with the sentiment of Baldwin’s quote.

On its face, patriotic education seems innocuous and there’s certainly nothing wrong with patriotism, in and of itself. But some historians suggest it has become code for teachings that omit or minimize important parts of history, so as to not make others in our midst uncomfortable with the unpleasant parts of the nation’s history. It is said, schools are a microcosm of what we see in the world and the past lives in the present.

Education supporters have always borne the responsibility of speaking truth to power when that power is used as a tool that threatens truth and justice. Brown vs. the Board of Education; Ruby Bridges, Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost and their courageous acts to desegregate a New Orleans school; Jane Elliot and her blue eyed/brown eyed experiment, exemplify the various forms conscientious objection has taken over the years.

Our work continues today through the efforts of educators, parents, youth, and stakeholders at all levels working to develop and sustain culturally responsive educational frameworks. Culturally responsive leaders know and trust that embracing our history means understanding all of our history, the good, the bad, and the ugly; not to find fault or assign blame, but to truly learn from our mistakes and teach them so we don’t repeat them, to help make the world a better place for all of us.

The role of public education is essential to moving our nation forward with the development of systems and institutions that are just and equitable for all. Denying students, the full history of our nation’s past only fosters ignorance, which is “the most ferocious enemy justice can have.”

Being intentional in my reflections of the past year has been a healthy way to help me grow and prepare for the new year and beyond. My mantra is that everyday I want to be a better version of myself than I was the day before, in all things, personal and professional. Below are some of the reflection questions I’ve been pondering with answers. They are not intended to be all inclusive but an opportunity to share a snippet of my reflections as I think about the new year and plan ahead.

What is the most important lesson you learned this year?  Living the convictions of my faith and core values while striving to empower and inspire others, instead of telling them what to do, through leadership development (individuals and teams), mentoring, and coaching in the public education space.

What challenges did you overcome? Like many of you, I’ve been fighting the mental fatigue of COVID-19 and all its variants in the global pandemic while trying to stay safe. It’s natural to feel mentally weary or stressed at a time like this but also important to take the necessary precautions by prioritizing our physical health and safety along with our mental wellbeing.

What did you do for your career growth?  As a leader, I’ve continued to spend considerable time reading, networking, and virtually attending industry events to learn as much as possible about public-school education as a profession. However, my biggest growth accomplishment was achieving certification on the use of the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i 2.0) and EQ 360 assessments.

What are you most proud of this year?  Successfully managing an independent consulting practice as a nationally sought after thought leader that has sustained lasting client relationships by meeting the varied needs of school, district, and state education agency leaders, and national non-profit and philanthropic organizations. A key ingredient to our success has been through knowing our value, delivering on expectations, taking care of existing client relationships, and new network connections.

How did you live your core values? It starts with differentiating purpose from passion while making sure my core values like faith and family; teamwork, trust, and mutual respect; servant leadership and paying it forward; and excellence (not perfection) guide my decisions and actions and are a natural part of my authentic self.

How did you fail? Everyone fails. It’s a natural part of life. I once read (Dare to Succeed) that the goal is to “learn the lesson and forget the details.” In other words, don’t dwell on it and hopefully you won’t make the same mistakes twice. One area I’d like to improve upon is in certain aspects of interpersonal relationships (e.g., understanding what causes the struggle, extending grace, and not giving up on others prematurely in today’s divisive climate). It’s a work in progress and I’m committed to being better.

Who or what had the biggest impact on your life this year?  A professional colleague, protégé, and one of my best friends, Dr. John Barker, from Memphis, TN.  We share an affinity for improving public school systems, particularly in urban districts.  Our families are close, we embrace a growth mindset, and we share our faith. We’ve pushed each other’s thinking and learned from one another on the regular — “Iron sharpens Iron.”

What are you thankful for this year? Family, friendships, health, opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others and living my dream.

Here’s wishing all of you a happy and safe holiday season and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.” — Maya Angelou

Everyone knows that leadership requires vision, strong communication skills, acumen, and strategic thinking, but separating a good leader from an extraordinary one is a trait that is far less cerebral in nature. The adage “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade” has been tossed around so often, it’s almost cliché. But the allegory is reflective of an important personality trait shared by leaders who have reached and sustained some of the greatest levels of success.

I recently reread a leadership article published in the Harvard Business Review: Crucibles of Leadership (Bennis and Thomas, 2002), describing the lemonade out of lemons analogy as “crucibles.” Or rather, the trials and tests that cause a leader to “examine their values, question their most basic assumptions, and hone their judgment.” When viewed through a lens such as this, adversity can be transformational, triggering some leaders to emerge from their trials stronger with a more definitive purpose than ever before.

As public-school leaders committed to equity in education, we must expand our adaptive capacity. Certainly, we have no shortage of opportunities to practice the skills required to look at our adversities and challenges head-on and view them as catalysts for positive change. The article recognizes that these “crucibles” can take many forms including the severity of violence, illness, other traumatic circumstances, and even including moments of self-doubt, although not all crucible experiences are traumatic.

During the hardest of trials, as leaders, we must have the discipline and mindset to look inward and do more than cope with our circumstances. As we grow in our leadership roles, we must stay ready to learn from our difficult experiences without losing hope. We must set our minds on creative ways to make lemonade out of lemons.

One lasting takeaway for me from the article was a clear and compelling acknowledgement: “Everyone is tested by life, but only a few extract strength from their most trying circumstances. They’re the ones we call leaders.”

The first time I saw General Colin Powell standing at the side of President Ronald Reagan in his role as National Security Advisor at the White House, I felt as tall and proud as the four-star General looked.  I saw myself reflected in his example. It was profound to see that hard work and perseverance had paid off so remarkably for someone who looked like me, and it helped fuel my fire.

I became inspired by General Powell’s story as a soldier, diplomat, and statesman. I was inspired also by his ascent from humble beginnings as the son of immigrant Jamaican parents with a public education and degree from New York City College. Intuitively, I knew there was a lot I could learn from Colin Powell, if even from afar. Over the years, I would follow his career closely, remaining inspired by his leadership, which culminated with his trailblazing role as the first black Secretary of State.

As an Air Force veteran, I was impressed, of course, by General Powell’s military ascensions and as I studied him more, I learned his servant approach to leadership appeared foundational to his success.  It was a formula I wanted to model, and I was gripped when Colin Powell plainly laid out his leadership story in his 1995 memoir entitled My American Journey.

There is much we all can learn from General Powell’s leadership principles as we embark upon our work in the fight for educational equity and improved outcomes for all students. I attempt to embody Colin Powell’s 13 Rules for Success and Leadership daily.  Some days I do well and other days I fall short. I know, however, that as long as I keep reaching for those heights, my trajectory and my work is rooted in excellence.

As I read the words General Powell’s family has shared with the world since his death, I am reminded of Colin Powell the man. He was of strong character, integrity, and loyalty – if even to his detriment. When the Secretary of State found himself misled by bureaucratic rivals to the point where he would unknowingly falsely declare that weapons of mass destruction were held by Iraq and Saddam Hussein, for example, he continued to “go high” never uttering a disparaging word against his colleagues in government.

It takes a giant of a man to stand tall and proud under such circumstances and General Powell was that man. The character he displayed served up another lesson for me along my leadership journey. One of the greatest honors of my life was to meet him personally as we exchanged words in the Green Room of a Boston-based event. I shook his hand and stood next to him, as he did next to Reagan. In that moment, I felt as tall and proud as he looked on that day in 1987. My pride was rooted in all that he achieved and in my recognition of his standard of excellence so many years ago.

His death at the hands of COVID-19 is tragic. But I will remember Colin Powell for the unforgettable life he lived and the blueprint for excellence he leaves behind. Rest in Peace, Mr. Secretary. You blazed a trail, and your legacy will live forever as an inspiration to me and to those who come after us both.

The Wallace Foundation is a national foundation dedicated to supporting and sharing best practices to expand learning and enrichment opportunities for children. As further evidence of their continued commitment, they are doubling down with an estimated $102 million investment in a new initiative to develop principal pipelines for equity-centered leaders that supports eight large, high-needs districts. See ECPI launch announcement at: Equity Centered Principal Pipeline – Wallace Foundation.

Each district’s partnership team will receive grants totaling $8.24 million over a five-year period, (assuming they are successfully renewed each year) to advance its own vision of equity. The driving aim of the grant awards is to further the districts efforts to develop and support highly effective school leaders while addressing equity-centered practices that directly impacts student achievement. Through a series of independent research studies, the work of the eight districts is expected to generate useful insights for benefit to the field.

The eight district grantees were selected through a rigorous and competitive process and demonstrated evidence of strong support for the initiative from local stakeholders, university partners, and the relevant state education agency. The participating District Partnership Teams include:

• Baltimore City Public Schools, Maryland
  • With local partners, Morgan State University, Towson University, and the Maryland State Department of Education
• Columbus City, Ohio
  • With local partners, Ashland University, Ohio State University, and the Ohio Department of Education
• District of Columbia Public Schools, District of Columbia
  • With local partners, Howard University, George Washington University
• Fresno Unified School District, California
  • With local partners, San Diego State University, National University, and the California Department of Education
• Jefferson County School District, Kentucky
  • With local partners, Spalding University, University of Louisville, and the Kentucky Department of Education
• Portland Public Schools, Oregon
  • With local partners, Portland State University, Lewis and Clark College, and the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission
• San Antonio Independent School District, Texas
  • With local partners, University of Texas, Austin, University of Texas, San Antonio, and the Texas Education Agency
• Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, North Carolina
  • With local partners, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Appalachian State University, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction

As part of my independent consulting work over the past six years I’ve had the privilege to support the Wallace principal pipeline initiative working with various districts, state education agencies, and other partners to grow school leaders as agents of change in their respective communities. In this next phase of the Wallace work, I’m excited to be working with Columbus City Schools (the largest and most diverse district in Ohio) as we begin this exciting ECPI work.