Executive Director’s Exchange: DON’T TRY THIS ALONE!
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love this theme for our magazine, Collaborate: Don’t Try This Alone! That advice (warning?!) resonates with me as I reflect on my many years as an educator. From my first year as a third grade teacher to my current role as the OAESA Executive Director, I have learned that the synergy of collaboration almost always yields a better end result! On the flip side, I learned the hard way that things often got rough when I decided to go solo. Your colleagues share various ways to leverage the benefits of collaboration. One theme throughout the articles reflected Julie Lather’s quote: “What one person can do alone is multiplied exponentially when a group of people gather together to effectively tackle a question or problem.” The efficacy of the effort is broadened through collaboration. Naim Sanders believes that in the absence of collaboration, one is at a great risk of experiencing burnout and frustration. Sanders shares lessons learned from other professions’ experiences leveraging collaboration for improved outcomes. Dr. Mary Crabtree reflects on the supportive and sustaining role collaboration can play as we deal with the effects that trauma has on all those impacted. Laura Schnebelen writes about a comprehensive collaborative approach to social-emotional learning while Dr. Jim LaRiccia asks, “Whatever Happened to Kindergarten Being the Transition Year?” Several authors suggest that effective collaboration has a purpose, a problem to solve, or a solution to find. Meeting just to meet is, well, just a meeting. But meeting with a purpose can be transformative. Melinda Falconi’s dream of the Altogether Book Club was the direct result of her concern around several areas of literacy within her school. A collaborative solution to her concerns included home, school, community, and parent/child partnerships, and now the Altogether Book Club has been a success for six years!
between in and out of school care for our students. Our teachers and the Y teachers reinforced student learning, shared resources, had joint programs and events for students. I quickly learned that the Y teachers knew our Y students’ parents or caregivers better than many of us at school because they had the chance to daily interact at morning drop-off and evening pick up. We helped each other reinforce academic and behavior plans for students, which hopefully provided consistency for our kids. I am forever grateful for all that she taught me, as it profoundly impacted the rest of my career. Both Matt Bradley and Felecia Evans refer to the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Matt reflects on the value and necessity of having a wonderful, competent, and supportive office team. He analyzes their team’s success and strong culture through the framework of three factors: relationships, alignment, and shared responsibility. Read his article for practical ideas to make your own office team even stronger. Evans shares how their professional learning community is, in essence, their village. Read how they have restructured their building level teams into instructional level teams with a renewed focus on teacher leadership, teacher voice and teacher ownership. She provides concrete examples and guiding questions which may serve you as you work with the teams within your own school or district.
“Throughout my career I have learned that the synergy of collaboration almost always yields a better end result.”
Dr. Kimberly Cockley and Michael Sedlak write about their team’s collaborative approach to the transition between elementary school to middle school. I love how they started their improved transition planning by spending time in “deliberate conversations with students, families and staff.” How often we forget that important first step of listening because we are too busy jumping right into the doing. I really respect how Cockley and Sedlak honor the student voice. You may already have a great transition plan in place, but these two colleagues offer you some new ideas and events to think about. Another daily transition for many of our students is that between school care and afterschool care. How can we be proactive and have supportive systems for our students? Dr. Paul Young shares research and practical ideas for leveraging partnerships for student success between both spaces. My first principal job was in a large, brand new elementary school in the SouthWestern City School District. We had before and after school childcare provided by the YMCA in our building, and their amazing program director, Becky Ciminillo, schooled me in how collaboration should, and could, be
OAESA Board Member Katie Nowak’s article speaks to the collaborative nature of OAESA membership. OAESA’s mission is to intentionally connect, effectively develop, and passionately advocate. Katie shares many ways for you to maximize your membership to connect with colleagues, resources, and information.
One of my goals when I began as your Executive Director in 2008 was to lead OAESA to become even more member-led and driven by member needs. I believe we have done that and continue to strive towards that goal. And, we have done that by collaborating. I have the privilege of working with amazing servant leaders who are our board members, country representatives, district liaisons, and members. The board purposefully collapsed 18 discrete committees into 6 high-functioning service teams focused on serving our members. We have connected with generous corporate partners who fund many projects and events for our members. We have a terrific, competent, and fun staff who make me look good and bring my brainstorms and ideas to life. I meet monthly with Superintendent Paolo DeMaria, his staff, and other education association leaders. You see, I have learned that the synergy of collaboration almost always yields a better end result—and I hope you have learned the same!
Julie Davis, Ed.D. OAESA Executive Director fall 2019
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