Elephants

You can do anything you want, (as a school) but you just can’t do everything you want.”

Remember that scene from Dumbo? The one with all the pink elephants on parade? If not let me refresh. Lil’ Dumbo is having a nightmare similar to how school’s been lately. All these elephants see to be in the room. Or if you prefer the 300 lb. gorilla in the room.
They’re here in full force. These elements of disruption are plaguing school culture and each provide additional levels of aggravation.
ISSUES:

• Teacher Buy-in: The School Leadership Team met this past week and only one teacher showed up. The teacher showed because of her UFT involvement.
• Parent Association: They changed the name a couple of years ago from the PTA to the PA because there wasn’t much teacher attendance. Was it decided it would inspire teachers to get involved by changing the name?
• Contract Restrictions: Just because it doesn’t say it in the contract doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t devote some extra time to it. Do you think you’re doing all you can? Give a little more. You’re a teacher – act like one.
• Parent Buy-in: I’m at a loss. How do you get parents more involved with the education of their children?
• Student Buy-in: I’m at a loss. How do you involve students into the process to get them excited about learning?
• Establishing a name for the Henry Street School for International Studies to increase the number of 8th grade applicants.
• Many 8th graders are applying to other high schools. This creates an influx of 9th graders who have not been acclimated to the HSSIS “ways.”

NEEDS:

• Teachers who enforce all rules despite buy-in. If you haven’t heard this; “You’re the only one who makes me…” then you probably aren’t doing your job. When rules are ignored by members of a community it weakens the power and success of the community.
• Space/Rooms: We want outside organizations and small group counseling in the building but we can’t seem to find anywhere for them to meet with students.
• The Ladder of Referral. What ever happened to that? Do new staff members know about it? How can we expect rules to be followed when no one is respecting and processing consequences?
• Introduce the ‘Newbies.’ Can you believe that there are two staff members at the school who have still not been introduced?
• Embrace Diversity: Workshops for teachers who need help change student language. So many kids get away with forms of bias and discrimination. We need to battle this aggressively.

NEXT STEPS?

• Accountable Talk lessons school wide. Reviews 3-4 times a year across the board.
• Common language tools: “We don’t do that here. This isn’t your old school. How can I help you through this?”
• 37½ Minutes should be required school wide and monitored.
• Higher expectations for GTL’s. A GTL year/quarterly curriculum with step by step community building and norming protocols school wide.