HOS Highlights
October 7th, 2015
“We succeed only when students succeed. That is our goal. That is our passion. That is our work.” Nate Davis
What's new?
- Action Item: WE WANT YOU for the National Head of School Summit planning team! Sign up today. - We are looking for HOS volunteers to help plan this year's National Head of School Summit to be held January 11th - 15th 2016. We want to make this year's summit the best ever and want you to help us design the best experience for you and your colleagues. Please sign up by October 9th if you are interested in being part of this planning team. We will have Friday meetings on days that we do not have Leadership Academy in November and December to plan.
- Action Item: Please watch the Appreciative Inquiry video prior to Friday, October 9th Leadership Academy. Everyone needs to know What Appreciative Inquiry is and how to design Appreciative Inquiry questions.
- Please note: We are going to use your Leadership Mantra Poster for a cool project we are working on for the Leadership Summit in January. If you have not yet uploaded your mantra, please upload it here. If you would like directions for creating a poster, please watch this short video.
- Action Item: Think about the Leadership Standard you chose as your strength area. What are you currently doing in your school that helps you be a ________________________ leader (Strategic, Instructional, etc)? How can that be replicated? How would you chunk it into small, measurable actions another HOS could do to have the same experience in their school? Please find your name on the Titan Pad whiteboard and share your idea prior to sharing with your small group on Friday, October 9th. A button linking to your Titan Pad can be found halfway down this newsletter.
- Action Item: School Profile DUE: Tuesday, October 13th or ABSOLUTELY DUE: Friday, October 16th
– A copy of your 2015-2016 School Profile (If you have a completed profile)
• Please Label: School Profile_Year_School Name
– College Counselor/School Profile Point Of Contact
OR
– A copy of your 2015-2016 School Profile Spreadsheet (if you need a new profile)
• Please Label: School Profile_Year_School Name
– College Counselor/School Profile Point Of Contact
• Send to:
– Pat Keeney pkeeney@k12.com
The profile is a school’s one shot to provide a context that validates a student’s academic record and their ability to be successful in college. We look forwarding to working with you on this! For more information, scroll down to the school services section of the newsletter and check out this presentation.
Head of School in the Spotlight
Mark Christiano
School: WAVA
Joined K12: July 2011
Superpower: Trigonometric Proofs - a mostly useless super-power
Fun Fact: Anagrams for my name include "Shark Mortician" and "Sink to Armchair"
Advice to Leaders: "Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out."
-- Robert Collier
Have you ever been asked questions that we really negative? Question like: How are we going to fix this problem? What really drains your energy? What is your biggest regret? Appreciative inquiry (AI) is the flip side to that line of questioning. AI is the art and science of asking powerful and unconditional positive questions. This collaborative and highly participative process of inquiry increases the value of the organization by identifying what is working and giving it life, rather than trying to problem solve. This process is only limited by the speed of our imagination and innovation. We are going use the AI philosophy to design questions for our Leadership Academies.
The following video will help you understand more about AI:
Here are some sample appreciative inquiry questions that your team may want to discuss. These foundational questions will guide you as you build AI questions around your own leadership standard.
1. Figure out (“Discovery” Stage)
What is it about strategic leadership that energizes you?
What’s already working well? What would a strong Instructional Leader consider their super-powers?
Without being humble, please share a story of a time when you enjoyed some peak experience/performance that made you feel proud and had a particularly positive impact in either communication or community leadership?·
What one or two things do you wish more of in the area of organizational management?
2. Ideate (“Dream” Stage)
What’s the biggest dream for yourself these days as a communicator? If you couldn’t fail, what might you do then? What if anything were possible? How might Superman/Mahatma Gandhi/Your Middle School Teacher/Mother Theresa/Martin Luther King, Jr./Marie Curie/James Bond handle this?
Describe the future you want to move toward as far as strategically leading your team. Please use words, expressions, or images that capture your desired future. What are the forces shaping your own (working) life? You can pick any on Earth.
Imagine you’re in a helicopter right now hovering above yourself? You have the keep ability to see into the organizational systems you have in place. What systems are working well? How can your systems be improved?
Picture it’s 2030, and you are awarded the US News and World Reports Highest ranking school in the nation and students are busting down the doors to get into your program. What might families notice about the instructional leadership in your school? What part do you play in this story?
3. Transform (“Re-Design” Stage)
How would you redesign the communication protocol in your school to build a greater sense of community and belonging?
What would a dynamic HR team look, sound and feel like in your school? What can help you focus and energize that team’s ideas, actions, or behaviors?
Let’s say that you were to redesign organizational systems in your school? Who’s likely to back you up and make those systems work? What enablers can you puzzle out?
What wows people in the area of ____________________ Leadership?
4. Execute (“Delivery” Stage)
What exactly makes a system work?
Where do we go from here? How are you already living this leadership standard today?
What baby steps will you take right now/today/tomorrow/next week/next month to actually make it happen?
- How would you like me to hold you accountable?
HOS PD - What's on the Horizon?
Leadership Academy #2
Think about the Leadership Standard you chose as your strength area. What are you currently doing in your school that helps you be a ________________________ leader (Strategic, Instructional, etc)? How can that be replicated? How would you chunk it into small, measurable actions another HOS could do to have the same experience in their school? Please find your name on your team's Titan Pad whiteboard and share your idea prior to sharing with your small group on Friday, October 9th. The links to the Titan Pads are below.
Introducing your Leadership Subject Matter Experts
Kris Stewart- Strategic Leadership
What excites me about strategic leadership is the monitoring of the plan. To set a goal, meet to reflect, and tweak the plan as necessary and then watch the end result is so rewarding. It’s great to guide others into the excitement of creating and executing a great plan.
Perry Daniel- Strategic Leadership
Strategic leadership excites me because of the thought of executing a plan. As a child, I loved watching the A-Team. As an adult, I am motivated by the execution of a well-developed and communicated plan. Strategic leadership requires planning, a knowledge of the skills of team members, communication, and the willingness to assess along the way. In the words of Col. John ‘Hannibal’ Smith, “I love it when a plan comes together”.
Faith Shanholzer
What excites me about instructional leadership is the focus on student achievement. The ability a leader has to impact just one student through the coaching of teachers, planning, goal setting, and emphasizing good instruction is very powerful.
Pam Jonidis- Communication and Community
What excites me about communication and community leadership is the practice of achieving goals through meaningful communication and purposeful relationship-building. Meaningful communication and building relationships around a common purpose keeps leaders focused on the objectives and off distractions that interfere with reaching their goals.
Laurie Erdman-Human Resources
What excites me about human resources goes beyond hiring and firing to learning how to tap into the unique brilliance of each of our team members so we all live our mission. Human resources is where we can influence the magic of our days, the nature of our culture, and whether or not we have the right team driving toward and achieving the right goals.
Sheila Shiebler- Organizational Management
Leadership Academy Titan Pads
Amanda Conley,
Cassie Barton,
JD McMahan,
Josh Williams,
Katrina Abston,
Lynn Barr,
Mark Christiano,
Matt Arkin
Faith Shanholtzer,
Kelly Van Sande,
Kendall Schroeder,
Josh Williams,
Marcus Moore,
Nicholaus Sutherland,
Nicole Tiley,
Lynn Barr,
Sara Baker
Pam Jonidis,
Beth Lorigan,
Caroline McIntosh,
David Crook,
Ryan Clepper,
Stacey Hutchings,
Steven Hoff
Laurie Erdman,
Brandy Osborn,
Byron Ernest,
Elizabeth Roth,
JD McMahan
Joel Medley,
Theresa Gallagher
Scott Sides,
Sheryl Tatum
Sheila Sheibler,Cherry Daniel,
Jeffrey Bush,
Jessie Thoman,
John Huber,
Kelly Edginton,
JD McMahan
Monti Pittman,
Theresa Gallagher
Suzanne Sloane,
Theresa Gallagher,
Veronica Clemons
School Services/Department Updates
School Profile Announcement
It is an exciting time of year as your students apply to colleges. Having a well-crafted School Profile (which accompanies every college application) is one of the most important ways a school can support students in the college admissions process, and aid in building confidence among middle school parents that their student will have the same opportunities as their peers in other types of schools.
As some of you may know, School Profiles tell the story of your school by providing a holistic picture of your student’s HS program based on key school data. A solid School Profile reinforces the legitimacy and quality of your school (and, ideally, the entire K12 network) in the eyes of post-sec institutions that may be unfamiliar with our programs.
We’re here to help!
We want to ensure each School Profile is in good shape for this year and provide support to schools that may need to quickly prepare one. For each school, we are collecting the most current School Profile and identifying a College Counselor to partner with on any updates or support needs. We will also work with school contacts to identify long term needs in this area.
You will receive an email this week with the documentation and information that you need to update or create your school’s profile. Then…
ACTION REQUIRED
• DUE: Tuesday, October 13th or ABSOLUTELY DUE: Friday, October 16th
– A copy of your 2015-2016 School Profile (If you have a completed profile)
• Please Label: School Profile_Year_School Name
– College Counselor/School Profile Point Of Contact
OR
– A copy of your 2015-2016 School Profile Spreadsheet (if you need a new profile)
• Please Label: School Profile_Year_School Name
– College Counselor/School Profile Point Of Contact
• Send to:
– Pat Keeney pkeeney@k12.com
The profile is a school’s one shot to provide a context that validates a student’s academic record and their ability to be successful in college. We look forwarding to working with you on this!
OsK12ar Winners!
- Deb O'Neal from OHVA received the September OSk12AR for Positive Framing based on her work with 3rd Grade ELA students.
- From LAVCA, Noemi Rodriguez received the OSk12AR for Strategic Investment for her work with High School Spanish students.
Teacher Development Metrics
- Central: ISOK
- Northern: ISOH, ISMN
- Private: iCademy, GWUOHS
- Southern: TNVA
- Western: iQLA
- Central: OVCA (97%)
- Northern: CVCS (92%), ISMI (90%), MGLVA (91%), MEVA (96%)
- Private: Pansophic (98%)
- Southern: ARVA (92%), CASC (99%), GCA (93%), LAVCA (96%), VAVA (92%)
- Western: IDCCRA (94%) 100%
- Central: NMVA
- Northern: ISOH
- Private: GWUOHS
- Central: ISKS (92%)
- Northern: MGLVA (97%)
- Private: iCademy (95%)
- Southern: CASC (93%), TNVA (92%)
- Western: ORVA (95%)
October Operational Guidelines and Procedures Focus: Testing
As shared during the last HOS call in August, we announced a year-long review and professional development surrounding a new table of contents for the Operations Manual. This month’s focus is state testing. During the October 8th School Ops Call, a high level overview of critical documented items for testing will be covered including a school testing plan and school testing manual.
We have also set aside two dates this month for the schools to collaborate, review, and share their plans and manuals in regional breakout sessions entitled Ops Extension Meetings that will last for 30 minutes after the regularly scheduled Ops Call. The October 8th extension meeting will focus on the testing plan. The October 22nd extension meeting will focus on the school testing manual.
Aside from the focus this month, we will also show schools how to set-up the recommended SharePoint sub-site to house the Ops Manual/Operational Guidelines and Procedures as well as review what well written guidelines and procedures include.
Finally, we have also put together an FAQ document that reflects questions that have already arisen or potentially will in the near future. See attachment.
Cheers to You!
We need cheers. Please call out great things that are happening in your region.
Let's Celebrate! We would like to highlight your Cheers in the next HOS Highlights newsletter. Feel free to cheer for regional teams as well as your fellow HOS's. Please submit your cheers on the form below.
Leadership Academies and HOS meetings Dates
Leadership Academy #2
· October 9th
~October 23rd *HOS Call and Leadership Academy
· November 6th
~November 20th *HOS Call Only
~December 18th *HOS Call Only
~January 22nd *HOS Call Only
~February 12th *HOS Call Only
Leadership Academy #3
· February 26th
~March 11th *HOS Call and Leadership Academy
· March 25th
Leadership Academy #4
· April 15th
~April 29th **HOS Call and Leadership Academy
· May 13th
~May 27th *HOS Call Only
Leadership Academy #5
· June 10th
~ June 24th *HOS Call and Leadership Academy
· July 8th
~July 29th- *HOS Call Only
Reoccurring Information Below
The Leadership Academy Basics
- Weekly Leadership Academies begin at Noon EST every Friday afternoon and run for 90 minutes
- Here is the participant link.
- It is highly recommended that you participate in the weekly academies via BBC because the classes are going to be interactive. Your experience will not be as rich if you join via phone only
- Pertinent school services information that was typically presented during Friday HOS calls will be shared via regional calls, the weekly HOS newsletter, or monthly national HOS calls
- This newsletter will have all of the information you need for the upcoming training and will arrive in your inbox every Wednesday morning
iLead@K12/School Leadership Development & Support Team
2015/16 Leadership Academy Content and Focus
2015-2016 Leadership Standards and Practices
Leadership Academy #1- "Explore U": YOU are the focus of Leadership Academy #1 entitled, Explore "U". Throughout the first seven weeks we will focus on your strengths as indicated in the Myers-Briggs assessment most of you took in January, 2015. Throughout the cycle you will build upon your strengths and learn to leverage those strengths to minimize weaknesses.
Leadership Academy #2- "Build It and They Will Come": Your knowledge and expertise will be leveraged to build out content for one of the leadership strands. Each School leader chooses one standard to work with over the course of the 7 week cycle. The goal will be to codify your expertise within the leadership strand to build a complete leadership Academy cycle in your area chosen area.
Leadership Academies #3-5-: Once the content is built, you will choose one strand to focus on for the remaining cycles. Choice is built into the process and we would like you to choose two standards. We suggest you work with your RVP/DRVP to choose one leadership strand that you would like additional support in. The strands include: Strategic Leadership, Instructional Leadership, Community, Human Resources, and Organizational Management.
iLead@K12 Team
The iLEAD team leads the design, development, execution, and evaluation of national programs that build exceptional school leadership across K12’s network of managed schools. The team coordinates school, regional and national efforts to improve leadership practice and school outcomes.
Mike Kazek
Board and Partner Relations