INSIGHT
TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL
Plus - Meet TASA’s Inspiring Leaders pg.15
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TASA’s Breakaway Leadership program supports school leaders’ health and wellness
TARGET THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF EVERY STUDENT
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INSIGHT
Volume 37 No. 1
FEATURE ARTICLES & COLUMNS
TASA’s Breakaway Leadership program supports school 10 leaders’ health and wellness Meet TASA’s inspiring leaders
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Get to know TASA’s executive superintendents
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LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE Bringing the positives and negatives together, polarity management by Morris Lyon and Quintin Shepherd
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HIGHER EDUCATION Better by J. Kenneth Young and John Decman
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TSPRA VOICE Developing a shared vision of success with meaningful community connections by Daniel Escobar
30
TECH TAKE Cybersecurity: a school system issue more than a technology issue by Kari Rhame Murphy
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OFFICERS
Doug Williams, President, Sunnyvale ISD Gonzalo Salazar, President-Elect, Los Fresnos CISD
DEPARTMENTS
LaTonya Goffney, Vice President, Aldine ISD Brian T. Woods, Past President, Northside ISD
TASA Professional Learning Calendar
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President’s Message
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Executive Director’s View
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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Rene Gutierrez, Region 1, Brownsville ISD Sharon McKinney, Region 2, Port Aransas ISD Jo Ann Bludau, Region 3, Hallettsville ISD Martha Salazar-Zamora, Region 4, Tomball ISD Donny Lee, Region 5, Buna ISD Darol Hail, Region 6, New Waverly ISD
INSIGHT EDITORIAL STAFF Executive Director Deputy Executive Director, Member Engagement & Support Associate Executive Director, Internal Operations Director, Communications and Media Relations Design/Production Editorial Director
Chris Moran, Region 7, Whitehouse ISD Kevin Brown Charles Dupre Ann M. Halstead
Judd Marshall, Region 8, Mount Pleasant ISD Michael Kuhrt, Region 9, Wichita Falls ISD Kevin Worthy, Region 10, Royse City ISD Jeremy Thompson, Region 11, Ponder ISD George Kazanas, Region 12, Midway ISD
Amy Francisco Marco A. De La Cueva Dacia Rivers
INSIGHT is published quarterly by the Texas Association of School Administrators, 406 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas, 78701-2617. Subscription is included in TASA membership dues. © 2022 by TASA. All rights reserved.TASA members may reprint articles in limited quantities for in-house educational use. Articles in INSIGHT are expressions of the author or interviewee and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of TASA. Advertisements do not necessarily carry the endorsement of the Texas Association of School Administrators.
Steven Snell, Region 13, Liberty Hill ISD David Young, Region 14, Abilene ISD Joe Young, Region 15, Brownwood ISD Donna Hale, Region 16, Miami ISD Michelle McCord, Region 17, Frenship ISD Ariel Elliott, Region 18, Greenwood ISD Veronica Vijil, Region 19, Fabens ISD Michelle Carroll Smith, Region 20, Lytle ISD
AT-LARGE MEMBERS
Hafedh Azaiez, Round Rock ISD
About TASA
Gary Bates, Fort Sam Houston ISD
TASA’s mission is to promote, provide and develop leaders who create and sustain studentcentered schools and develop future-ready students.
Tory Hill, Channelview ISD
We envision innovative, future-focused leaders for every public school student. TASA values the strengths, contributions, and varying perspectives of all educational leaders. Our goal is to intentionally equip and support school districts and leaders as they foster a culture in which all students and adults are valued for their unique gifts, supported academically, socially, and emotionally, and empowered to reach their full potential.
Robert Bayard, Clear Creek ISD
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Keith Bryant, Legislative Jodi Duron, Member Engagement Tanya Larkin, Professional Learning Roosevelt Nivens, Advocacy
EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
LaTonya Goffney, Aldine ISD, Chair Roosevelt Nivens, Lamar CISD Stacey Edmonson, Sam Houston State University Jodi Duron, Elgin ISD Tanya Larkin, Region 16 ESC Keith Bryant, Lubbock-Cooper ISD
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INSIGHT
TASA Professional Learning Calendar For details on our professional development events, please refer to the TASA Daily e-newsletter, or call the TASA office at 512.477.6361 or 800.725.TASA (8272)
Date
Event
Location
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N2 Learning Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, Session 5 (Austin/San Antonio Cohort)
San Antonio
28
TASA Breakaway Leadership Learning & Accountability Check-in
Virtual
TASA Breakaway Leadership Learning & Accountability Check-in
Virtual
2
N2 Learning Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, Session 6 (Corpus Christi Cohort)
Corpus Christi
2
Aspiring Superintendents Virtual Summer Series, Session 1
Virtual
6
N2 Learning Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, Session 6 (Dallas Cohort)
McKinney
8
N2 Learning Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, Session 6 (Virtual Cohort)
Virtual
9
Aspiring Superintendents Virtual Summer Series, Session 1
Virtual
9-10
N2 Learning Principals’ Institute, Session 6
Houston
15
N2 Learning Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, Session 6 (Houston & Austin/San Antonio Cohorts)
15
TASA/TASB/TASBO Budget Cohort for District Leaders June Event
Irving
16
Aspiring Superintendents Virtual Summer Series, Session 1
Virtual
21
TASA Breakaway Leadership Closing Session & Celebration
Round Rock
21
Superintendent Mentoring Training
Round Rock
21-23
TASA txedFest Summer Conference
Round Rock
April
May 17
June
Cypress/San Antonio
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MAKING AN EVERYDAY IMPACT Through specialized schools; Head Start early childhood education; afterschool programs; school-based therapy services; and a scholastic art and writing awards program, HCDE makes a BIG impact on Harris County communities.
See the Impact at HCDE-TEXAS.ORG/IMPACT
INSPIRING LEADERS READY FOR ACTION
I
Doug Williams
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Public education will continue to prepare children to lead our world because of your commitment.
t was evening at a TASA conference and I was in the lobby of the host hotel visiting with some “experienced” school leaders. The conversation turned to retirements taking place across the state and the consensus of opinions was general concern about who would be ready to take those jobs and lead school districts forward. The pipeline appeared to be running dry. Ironically, this conversation was in 2006, not at this year’s Midwinter Conference. However, some of the same conversations were most certainly taking place across Austin this January. One of my points of emphasis as TASA president has been to travel across the state to meet with school leaders. My trips have been from Beaumont to San Angelo, from Brownsville to Amarillo and various destinations in between. I can attest that as was the case in 2006, the condition of public education in our state is not in dire straits. The young school leaders I have had the privilege of meeting and working with provide me with confidence that the next generation is prepared for the challenges ahead. That 2006 evening session provided motivation to me. I was a principal at that time, and I took the question of “who will step up” to heart. It was a call to action. Many of us who became superintendents around that time frame became believers of the guiding principles of Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas — a vision for transforming Texas public education. This declaration of independence for Texas education cast a vision for school leaders. What a journey it has been to move that vision forward into action. There is no question that challenges are ahead for public education. Assessment and accountability, funding, board unity, teacher shortages and outside political pressure are but a few of the issues. Daunting? Absolutely, but I am witness to school leaders who are ready to take the baton. Public education will continue to prepare children to lead our world because of your commitment. To accomplish that, I encourage you to incorporate the following precepts into your daily lives: Be on mission — The foundation of your work must revolve around your core belief that education matters. The great educator has a feeling of being called into this profession because they want to impact students and believe that they can make a difference in the lives of kids. Does your daily work reflect that? Be driven — I love the book “Drive” by Daniel Pink. His premise, which I completely agree with, is that being a part of a cause that is bigger than yourself creates purpose. In my opinion, there are few causes greater than education. Be an advocate — Too many false stories are posted about what is wrong in education. We must advocate by sharing the stories of what public education is actually accomplishing. We must advocate for good legislation that will continue to allow local school districts to provide great teaching and learning. President’s Message continues on page 8
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President’s Message continued from page 7
Be persistent — There will be days of crisis, days that you feel discouraged, days that the “other side” wins. The sun will rise the next morning, and we must as well. I have compared some of our work to pushing a boulder up a hill. Your progress may be slow, but if you quit pushing, the boulder will crush you on its way back down the hill. The work is hard, but the reward is great. Will you keep pushing? My year as TASA president has been rewarding. Highlights include being in McAllen to recognize the Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year and in Dallas for TASA|TASB when the Sunnyvale Fine Arts students challenged us to Rise. But the most important aspect has been the interaction with so many of you across our state. Thank you for the work you do every day in our districts and our state. Keep the faith and press on!
Doug Williams TASA President Superintendent, Sunnyvale ISD
Ideas, Insights, and Inspiration
September 23–25 San Antonio Henry B. González Convention Center
APRIL 1–MAY 1
Session Selector is open for session proposals to be submitted.
MAY 9–20
Session Selector is open for attendee voting.
RESOURCES
Want to write session titles and descriptions that pack rooms? Ready to submit your session proposal? Visit tasa.tasb.org for details.
PREPARE LIKE A PRIZE FIGHTER
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eing an educator has never been easy. Educators are called to serve, so they instinctively put the needs of others ahead of their own. They spend countless hours designing lessons, grading work, coaching individual children, completing endless paperwork, dealing with attentive and inattentive parents, and managing the pressures of a high stakes accountability culture that permeates our nation.
Kevin Brown
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S VIEW Exercise, sleep, nutrition, mindfulness, prayer and meditation, family life, stress management — all of these are critical to educators and educational leaders if they are to make the impact our young people deserve.
As a first-year teacher in 1991, I well remember feeling that every lesson, every moment, every action and interaction had to be perfect for my students — so perfect that I decided to sacrifice sleep so that I could prepare. About six weeks into my first year, I physically collapsed and was put on bed rest for four days by my doctor. My pace was simply not sustainable, and I had to change my expectations about what was possible. I came to realize, with notable lapses throughout my career, that if I really wanted to help my students, I also needed to take care of myself physically, emotionally and spiritually. Being an educator today is exponentially more difficult than in 1991. Back then, we didn’t have a global pandemic and all that comes with it; we didn’t have the extreme divisions in our society that have percolated into our local communities; we didn’t have social media, which is possibly the bane of human existence; and the accountability system was not nearly as high stakes as it is today. We didn’t have it easy back then, but little did we know it would ever get this hard. The sad fact is that taking care of yourself is more important now than ever. When I was a superintendent, I thought of my own health like that of a prize fighter who was preparing to enter the ring. Exercise, sleep, nutrition, mindfulness, prayer and meditation, family life, stress management — all of these are critical to educators and educational leaders if they are to make the impact our young people deserve. In this edition of INSIGHT, we highlight the first cohort of our Breakaway Leadership program, where nearly 100 leaders are separating themselves by modeling wellness as a critical aspect of leadership. We also highlight our new partnership with Wondr Health to provide a digital wellness program for everyone in your district. We are going to get through this incredibly challenging time, and a critical ingredient for leading through this time is for each of you to take care of yourself and prepare yourself like the prize fighters that you are.
Kevin Brown TASA Executive Director
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TASA’s Breakaway Leadership program supports school leaders’ health and wellness In January, nearly 100 Texas school leaders kicked off a transformational journey, participating in the first cohort of TASA’s new Breakaway Leadership program, which was created to help TASA members develop and improve all aspects of their well-being — mental, social-emotional, and physical — to enable them to be the best leaders they can be.
The idea for the program has its origins way back in 2009, when TASA Executive Director Kevin Brown and Deputy Executive Director Charles Dupre were both serving as superintendents, and they participated in TASA’s Life Institute program. The program planted the wellness seed in both of them, and when Dupre joined the TASA staff last fall, he and Brown got to work on creating the brand-new wellness program for members. “You can’t take care of those you lead and serve if you’re not taking care of yourself,” Dupre says. “In my last several years as superintendent, I was more effective as a leader and came to the table more fully present and fully engaged because I had learned to take care of all aspects of my well-being.” Over a six-month period, participants in the Breakaway Leadership program will participate in monthly sessions, mostly presented virtually and led by expert speakers focused on a variety of leadership wellness topics. Thus far, the group has heard from Scott McClelland, H-E-B president; Dr. Dana Labat, a clinical psychologist; physician Scott Conard; and Dr. Kevin Gilliland, also a clinical psychologist. Speakers address a variety of topics — some offer medical perspectives on wellness, while others touch on psychological or social-emotional issues, or practical leadership skills. Going forward, participants will split into smaller, self-selected accountability groups, in which they can communicate with others in the program to check in and encourage each other. “The goal is to help every public school leader in Texas be healthy and whole so that they can be the best leader for the school districts and the children they serve,” Dupre says. Pedro Galaviz, superintendent of Canutillo ISD, says his health drove him to join the Breakaway Leadership program. Galaviz lost his father to diabetes and watched his sister go through two open heart surgeries. When he was hospitalized last fall due to high blood pressure and later discovered he was prediabetic, it was a wakeup call. “When I was in the hospital, in that bed, I was like, ‘This isn’t where I want to be,’” he says. “The superintendency, a lot of times it’s the loneliest chair, and it doesn’t have to be lonely.” Pedro Galaviz
Galaviz says he found Dr. Conard’s discussions on metabolic syndrome and his “seven numbers” helpful and inspiring. Galaviz’s doctor recommended he lose 10 pounds to avoid becoming diabetic. So far, he’s lost 13 pounds since starting the program. Aside from the weight loss, Galaviz says he’s made other healthy changes thanks to the program, such as using calming breathing techniques. He now sits and breathes before a board meeting, reminding himself to stay mindful and present. He also realizes that his job doesn’t necessarily define him. It’s up to him to define the kind of person, husband and father he wants to be. “It doesn’t matter how much money you make or how many degrees you have. If you’re not healthy, you’re not going to lead healthfully,” he says. “And you’re not going to have healthy relationships.” Port Aransas ISD Superintendent Sharon McKinney also signed up for the first Breakaway Leadership cohort. She knows that once committed to something, she tends to stick with it. And she believes the program can help her become a better leader. “As superintendent of a small district, I tend to do everything and take Sharon McKinney care of everyone but myself,” McKinney says. “I felt like it would be helpful if I were doing something to make sure that I am healthy and ready to lead our district every day.” McKinney says she appreciates that much of the program can be done on her own schedule, via the Wondr Health partnership (see “Wondr Health: Supporting School Employee Wellness on page 13). She says the speakers are engaging and provide the right amount of content for busy administrators. “They appreciate the fact that we are busy people with a lot on our minds. And it’s not incredibly restrictive or prescriptive. It’s not counting every calorie or every second of exercise. It’s supporting good lifestyle habits that you can carry on with you long after you finish the actual program.” For McKinney, the greatest benefit of the program so far has been a reminder for her to stop and take some time for herself. “We tend to be selfless as leaders. We want to take care of everybody else.”
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“There’s a big piece about creating the ability to be present mentally,” he says. “Going through the process to be more reflective in my day-to-day activities helps keep me more on top of things.” Gesch says he appreciates the fellowship the program provides, as well as knowing that there’s a network of like-minded administrators from across the state who are sharing the experience with him. He also likes that the program isn’t based on a fad, but focused on making permanent lifestyle changes. Rory Gesch in May 2021
Gesch today
Rory Gesch, deputy superintendent of operations in Alvin ISD, is one of four administrators in his district participating in Breakaway Leadership, but his success so far might be one of the most easily measured. At 6’5” and a former offensive lineman, Gesch says he has weighed as much as 445 pounds during the last 10 years. With help from the program and Wondr Health, by February he had dropped below 400 pounds for the first time in 15 years, and currently he’s down to 375 pounds. “That’s allowed me to do a lot of things over the last few months, and to be more active and to be more present,” Gesch says. While the weight loss is a significant part of the potential benefits, Gesch stresses that dismissing the program as just a weight loss program is missing the mark.
In the past, Gesch says he hasn’t always taken the time to take care of himself, and it’s impeded his ability to serve. Once, he felt selfish focusing on his own needs, but hearing experts stress the importance of doing just that has changed his perspective. “It’s about giving yourself permission to take care of yourself,” he says. “You have to care for yourself professionally, but also on a personal level, so you can be there for others.” Gesch is quick to recommend the Breakaway Leadership program to other administrators. With his own team, he’s seen how the program means something different to each person involved. Participants can take the information and apply it to where they need it most in their own lives. “I encourage anybody with the opportunity to do so to give it a shot, because I think there’s something there for everyone,” he says. “And as educators, we give so much of ourselves. Through this I’ve found ways to improve my abilities to lead as well as to give back to others and make my community and my life better.”
Wondr Health: Supporting School Employee Wellness Participation in the Breakaway Leadership program includes a 52-week membership to Wondr Health. A TASA Corporate Partner, Wondr Health provides a program that supports physical and mental wellness through a convenient app loaded with scientifically backed videos, tips and more. Through the app, Wondr Health provides Breakaway Leadership participants weekly videos that focus on health-related skills in quick and easy-to-watch installments.
Charles Dupre speaks on the importance of wellness at TASA Midwinter.
Looking ahead, Dupre says TASA hopes to develop a phase two of the program, so that the leaders participating in the first cohort can continue their work after the first six months of the program. A second cohort of Breakaway Leadership is also planned for the 2022-23 school year. Watch for sign-up information in the TASA Daily e-newsletter and at tasanet.org. “Superintendents have always faced stress in their jobs, and it’s only increased over the last several years,” Dupre says. “Breakaway Leadership is about helping leaders be their best, because if the superintendent is taking their wellness and well-being seriously, then others in the organization will follow their lead.”
Rory Gesch of Alvin ISD says the Wondr Health app has given him tools and instructions that have supported his journey to better health in several ways. For instance, slowing down to savor his food at mealtimes not only supports his weight loss efforts, but helps him to pause and reflect during other activities, such as watching students perform or spending time with his family. Sharon McKinney of Port Aransas ISD has also found Wondr Health helpful and easy to use. “You can use as much or as little of it as you want,” she says. “And it’s mostly asynchronous.” Through TASA’s partnership, Texas school districts receive special pricing when they contract with Wondr Health. “Districts that add Wondr Health to their benefits plans will not only help their valued employees lead healthier, happier lives and better serve students, they will also potentially reduce health care costs, which have a real impact on districts’ financial bottom line and ability to allocate more resources into district classrooms,” says TASA’s Charles Dupre. To learn more, watch this short video: https://bit.ly/wondr-tasa
Find more information at https://go.wondrhealth.com/tasa. Interested in purchasing Wondr Health for your school employees? Contact Todd Whitthorne, Wondr Health Chief Inspiration Officer, at 972.841.6532 or twhitthorne@wondrhealth.com.
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THE POWER OF WONDR The perfect solution to help educators manage their physical and emotional health. What is Wondr? Wondr is a 100% digital weight loss program that will teach your employees clinically-proven skills through weekly master classes. They’ll learn how to eat their favorite foods and still lose weight, increase their energy, stress less, and so much more. Wondr is not a diet—it’s a program that works for everyone without points, plans, or calories to count. Wondr is purchased on a “per employee per month” fee schedule and can be funded through a variety of available district resources, including a self-insured insurance fund, general fund, or special revenue funds. Wondr can be paired with fully-insured or self-insured health plans.
Want to learn more? Watch our video or visit go.wondrhealth.com/tasa for more information on how Wondr can help educators lose weight, feel better, and live stronger.
Meet TASA’s Inspiring Leaders Now more than ever, Texas public school staff members are looking to leaders to inspire them in their day-to-day work as we all cope with an ever-changing educational landscape. TASA’s “Inspiring Leaders” tagline is not just a reminder of TASA’s commitment to leadership development — it describes our members themselves. In this and future issues of INSIGHT, you’ll meet some of those Inspiring Leaders, and it’s our hope that they will guide you and invigorate you in the work that you do. To nominate a leader for inclusion, email drivers@texasschoolbusiness.com.
Lori Blaylock Dr. Lori Blaylock has served as superintendent in Kaufman ISD, outside of Fort Worth, since 2012. Blaylock leads the district with a strong focus on students, a philosophy that inspires many of her colleagues, including Kaufman ISD School Board President Byron Gregg. “Dr. Blaylock inspires me for reasons that have nothing to do with offices held, blogs written and honors received, but because of her passion for student success,” Gregg says. “She is a collaborative leader who sets high expectations for the district. She is quick to give credit to others and lets the downside of leadership fall on her shoulders.” Gregg says that students are Blaylock’s number-one priority — each year, she writes congratulatory letters to every Kaufman student who had a success in UIL athletics, academics, 4-H and beyond. Gregg estimates that she writes 1,000 such letters every school year. Blaylock says she is most proud of teachers and administrators in her district for their refusal to give up on students so that students never give up on themselves. “In a district where 78% of students are from low-income homes, student success is not optional — it is a moral imperative,” Blaylock says. “Our teachers never stop generating creative solutions for challenging students.” Gregg says that as Kaufman ISD grows by leaps and bounds, Blaylock is on hand to adjust to the inevitable and ongoing change in the district. “That can be hard on people like me who grew up in small town Kaufman in the ‘60s,” Gregg says. “She challenges our thinking, confronts our fears and has forced this old dog to learn some new tricks. I am a better leader because of her. Our district is better because of her.” When the work gets challenging, Blaylock says she remembers a tour she once took in Italy, where she visited cathedrals that were constructed over the course of 100 or more years, meaning many of the laborers worked knowing they would never see the finished product. “I am a builder who makes personal and professional sacrifices for their school district as needed,” Blaylock says. “I am passionate about the children who I serve and dedicated to helping them achieve successful futures that I may never see. God is the only witness that matters.” Leading with humility is crucial to Blaylock. As superintendent, she hopes to step aside from center stage and shine the spotlight on others. She is focused on deepening working relationships and building professional networks through mentoring, which she says benefits everyone involved, herself included. “Since it is impossible to teach without learning, I find that mentoring others allows me to understand and embrace new perspectives so that I am a more effective leader.” 15 SPRING 2022
Michelle Cline Superintendent of Throckmorton Collegiate ISD, Dr. Michelle Cline has led the district since 2017. During her time in the district, Cline has worked to make the community’s hopes and dreams for the school district become reality. Five years ago, she gathered with community members to develop the ideal Throckmorton learner profile, and has since used that model as a guiding light for every move the district makes. Throckmorton Collegiate is a member of Collegiate Edu-Nation, and CEO Kim Alexander says Cline is an inspiration to other administrators in the program. “In only their third year in the network, the class of 2022 at Throckmorton Collegiate is on track to become the first schoolwide early college in the nation in which 100% of their graduating class earns an associate degree prior to receiving a high school diploma,” Alexander says. “Dr. Cline is a fierce leader and champion for all means all.” Fellow superintendent Todd Wilson, who serves in nearby Chillicothe ISD, says he believes Cline is a fearless agent of change in her district. “Every time I am working near her, this old superintendent gets inspired again,” he says. “Her fire and passion for her school is unwavering, and she is making big changes in a small town school. Those changes can and will change the lives of rural school graduates of Throckmorton ISD.” Cline spreads her inspiration to staff members in her district by sitting down each day to send an encouraging note, text message or email to recognize their achievements and efforts. “If I can help them see their worth and their value, especially in our organization, that keeps me going,” she says. “Also I am intentional about resetting myself every day, focusing on the positive by visiting students and classrooms — the entire reason I do what I do.” Because Throckmorton is a small district, Cline says she is fortunate to be able to know each student in the district and have daily interactions with them. Cline’s support and inspiration can be felt throughout the district. To her, mentoring others in her district is a must. “If I am not helping others develop their leadership then I have not done my job,” she says. “I know that I will not be around forever, so my priority is mentoring others just as I had the opportunity to be mentored by so many excellent leaders. Leaders must empower their staff in order to fully embrace the mission/vision/goals of the district and be invested.”
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Brenda Martinez With 18 years in education under her belt, Dr. Brenda Martinez currently serves as superintendent in Evant ISD, a position she’s held for nearly one year. As a leader, Martinez is focused on making sure everyone working in her district has the tools and support they need to be successful, according to colleague Claudia Canales, effective schools coordinator in Evant. “In my short experience as an administrator, I have learned a plethora of information from Dr. Martinez,” Canales says. “Her extensive experience and leadership style prove to be effective time and time again. She leads with great humility, and I believe that her integrity makes her a very valuable leader in today’s society.” In return, Martinez says staff members in Evant ISD are what make her most proud of the district. “Every staff member in EISD, regardless of position, wears multiple hats to ensure that the work gets done. Evant ISD staff have servant hearts.” In a job that can be stressful even in the best of times, Martinez says she focuses by remembering her own struggles in education and how they came to ignite her passion for learning. When Martinez was in high school, one of her teachers told her she wasn’t cut out for college. Initially delaying her entry into college, Martinez eventually dove into higher education and fell in love with learning. “I love education and its ability to be a life-changing force; it’s not about the zip code I grew up in,” she says. “I became an educator with the intent of preparing young minds for success beyond high school. I constantly tell myself to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do; that keeps me grounded.” Martinez says mentorship is crucial to being an inspiring leader. Through reading about great leaders, she has learned that many have had a mentor they can point to as someone who encouraged and inspired them. “Mentors are essential to our work. Administration or leadership in education can be a very lonely world. Having a mentor allows you to bounce ideas, think through difficult situations, have real talk, and provides a safe zone for simply venting and reflecting. Everyone needs a safe place to go; in educational leadership, a mentor can become that safe place.”
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Get to know TASA’s executive superintendents TASA recently unveiled its new executive superintendent program in an effort to support TASA members through networking and mentorship opportunities. The program combines the previous superintendent-in-residence and member services representative programs. Through the program, TASA members have access to 10 executive superintendents, each dedicated to serving administrators in two ESC regions. These executive superintendents serve as an extension of TASA staff and are on hand to support TASA members in a variety of ways, with an emphasis on helping new superintendents navigate the role. As seasoned administrators, these superintendents are able to listen and provide support based on their own experiences. In this and upcoming issues of INSIGHT, we will introduce you to the 10 executive superintendents. For a complete list of TASA’s executive superintendents and their contact information, visit tasanet.org. We continue this series with Amy Jacobs, TASA executive superintendent for regions 8 and 9.
A
my Jacobs always knew she wanted to be a teacher, and once she was a teacher, she knew she wanted to be an administrator. Her parents were teachers, and her own K-12 education experience was top-notch, with teachers who challenged her with innovative thinking and inspired a lifetime love of learning. Jacobs began teaching at Palestine Middle School in 1994, while also working on her master’s degree. She then moved to teaching kindergarten in Cayuga ISD, also in East Texas. She took some time off from the classroom after her first child was born, but still stayed in the mix, teaching dance and gymnastics classes when she could. Shortly thereafter, Jacobs moved to Marble Falls ISD and taught high school juniors. She had achieved her goal of teaching students at every level, though the timing wasn’t quite what she’d imagined.
“When I started in education, I knew I wanted to be an administrator, and my big plan was I was going to teach a year at every level, and then in year four, I was going to be an administrator,” she says. “I did what I thought I wanted to do, but it was a lot slower paced. Turns out, you need more than a year to get a handle on it.” With a goal of making a bigger impact, Jacobs moved into her first administrative role, serving as an assistant principal at a high school in Marble Falls ISD. From there, she became an associate principal, then director of secondary education, then director of curriculum, and finally assistant superintendent of instructional programs, all in Marble Falls. “While I was there, I had an interim superintendent who asked me, ‘Why aren’t you a superintendent?’” Jacobs says. “It opened my eyes to, OK, this might be something I want to do. I could impact at an even greater scale.”
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Jacobs applied for and was hired into the superintendent role in Coahoma ISD, holding the post from 2012 to 2019 before changing gears to lead a nonprofit education organization. She still leads the nonprofit, Hill Country Educational Leadership, which offers school programs and summer camps and is launching a teachertraining program.
“So many times in organizations, it’s always, ‘That’s the way it’s always been done, and we’re going to do the same thing over and over again, even if it’s not working.’ TASA, especially in recent years, really pushes the bar to say, how can we always be improving, and how can we offer more for students? It’s really inspiring.”
During her time in Coahoma, Jacobs became involved in TASA’s Future-Ready Superintendents Leadership Network, work which she says helped inspire her to begin her own nonprofit. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity for Jacobs to return to the classroom, and in 2020 she stepped up to lead a first grade classroom in Marble Falls that was in desperate need of a teacher. “It definitely gave me a unique perspective. I think we could all be better leaders if we took a turn in the classroom regularly,” she says. While running her nonprofit and continuing to serve her community as needed, Jacobs also works as TASA’s executive superintendent for regions 8 and 9. In her work for TASA, Jacobs says she serves as a champion and supporter of school districts and school district leaders. Her main goal is to keep administrators informed of the many ways TASA can support them. “We inform all of our leaders about what TASA offers and then connect them to the programs that best meet their needs,” she says. “The one I always refer superintendents back to is the Future-Ready Superintendents Leadership Network.” Since she began serving as an executive superintendent, Jacobs says she’s been inspired by how resilient district leaders are and how critical their leadership can be, especially in challenging times. “I love being in the company of future-ready, student-centered leaders, and TASA has done a wonderful job of not only providing opportunities for them to engage with one another, but to grow those qualities in leaders.” Jacobs believes TASA’s commitment to best serving students and its willingness to adapt and change make the organization a valuable resource to administrators.
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LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE Bringing the positives and negatives together, polarity management by Morris Lyon and Quintin Shepherd
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s leaders, how should we lead through the increasing polarization of our current educational landscape? Is there a way to turn the ship around? Not long ago, when it came to making an important decision, one could expect some of the community would not agree with the decision. Now though, it seems every decision comes with a growing and more vocal response to that decision. As we all have experienced, the polarization of so many issues has caused the community to bifurcate, and we find communities on opposite ends of the continuum.
It’s the educational leader’s responsibility to keep a regular check on culture and to keep the polarity balance through creating acceptance and positive change.
Social media allows for echo chambers for these groups, further entrenching beliefs. This continual pressure and constant stress on education leaders have many considering retirement or other careers. At this moment in time, we need leaders who are focused on what we are calling “constructive depolarization.” Put simply, we must first recognize polarity exists and then deliberately find a middle ground. In Merriam-Webster, polarization is defined as a division into sharply distinct opposites. While education has always faced clashing ideals such as centralized/decentralized systems, collegiality/ individuality, mandatory/discretionary, student-centered/adult-centered focus, or product cost/ quality, it’s not until recently that polarization has had an impact on educator retention. One of the ways we often inadvertently polarize communities (both internal and external) is through the use of surveys. Surveys essentially lay out a problem to be solved and then ask people to vote on the correct answer. The act of selecting has a way of galvanizing an opinion. Once groups are fully galvanized, the leader steps forth and tells everyone which group chose the correct answer and, by extension, which group did not. Surveys are a highly polarizing tool. Other tools can be depolarizing. Ultimately, however, the tool does not make the carpenter. The best saw in the world will not make up for a lousy carpenter. Our musings here are not about tools; they are about the leader. First, let us examine where polarity and contraposition originate on a conceptual level before moving to practical applications to depolarize. Freeman (2004) states that learning from and actively engaging the both/and polarity thinking and understanding the either/or logic will help with awareness and positively impact educational leaders and teams in stressful situations. Polarities are more complex than a common problem of practice. If one thinks of a problem in mathematics, there is a solution. There may be multiple ways to get to the solution, but there is a solution. This is known as a complicated problem or might be considered a technical problem. With respect to the organizational context, polarity is a way to manage an unsolvable problem. Complex problems are the opposite of complicated problems. Complex issues are inherently unknowable. What is the best way to teach kids during a pandemic is an example of a complex problem and one to which many communities around the country discovered immense incompatible and contradictory ideals. Conceptually, it is essential for the leader to recognize the difference between complicated and complex problems and then further recognize that the more complex
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the issue, the greater polarity will exist. Q has often been asked how do you know how complex a problem is, and the answer is relatively simple. Just imagine a room full of people and ask, “How much disagreement will there be?” The greater the disagreement, the higher the complexity. Let’s move forward with some tactics for finding common ground. In a publication by Johnson (1996), he describes a teambuilding workshop designed to polarize around performance as individuals or as a team. Johnson’s model split the individualism pole into two quadrants of benefits and challenges. Similarly, teamwork also created benefit/challenge quadrants. After the training, Johnson put all four quadrants together to facilitate a deeper understanding of polarizing ideas, which allowed the team to recognize and appreciate each side even though a solution may not have been created. Managing polarization cuts across several disciplines, not just education. Burns (1999) identifies polarity management principles in health care, allowing leaders to manage ambiguities and determine multiple directions for action. Hirshhorn (2001) identifies project management in the tech world as learning to create a win-win solution and an awareness to know when polarity has interrupted the workflow. Collins and Porras (2002) suggest it’s crucial not to get caught in the “Tyranny of the OR” but embrace the “Genius of the AND.” Other important organizational focal points to manage polarity include embracing a positive change, requiring significant stability, focusing on the culture, providing confident leadership, and accepting that sometimes to build, we must first tear back to the foundation. These organizational focal points are grounded in one common factor, the impact on our employees, because to build organizational synergy, we must focus on the individual. The effect of politicalization and polarization in education is resulting in many administrators choosing to either retire, move districts, or leave the profession entirely. The outcome of this could be disastrous if left unchecked, but this is only seeing the ball bounce for the first time. The ball will bounce a second, third and fourth time. The ramifications are profound and will impact every inch of a district from the boardroom to the classroom because research tells us that the governance team has an impact on student outcomes, but the largest influence for student success comes from the teacher (Abry et al., 2016, Bartoletti & Connelly, 2013, Dennie et al., 2019, Nairz-Wirth & Feldmann, 2017, Rice et al., 2000).
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Teacher retention is an already complex and challenging problem for every district in Texas, and the ongoing disruption in the top administrative spots has a universally net negative impact on the stability of the system. With massive system instability and over a large number of districts, we recognize a cascading effect on our ability to attract and retain teachers. This clarion call moment is to address the polarization found in many places. To retain teachers, confident leadership is needed. Resisting the temptation to fall into the polarity trap and having an awareness of the viewpoints helps the leader to feel more confident and more effective in supporting teachers. Confident leadership also supports a strong culture. The organization’s culture is an influential factor in teacher retention, and the constant culture check toward polarization is also vital. If school culture is caught in the polarity trap of moving from one pole to the other, for example from collegiality toward individuality or from a student-centered focus to an adult-centered focus, it could directly impact teacher retention. It’s the educational leader’s responsibility to keep a regular check on culture and to keep the polarity balance through creating acceptance and positive change. In some cases, positive change requires tearing down some habits or behaviors that aren’t producing positive results to build back new habits in a culture of staff ownership.The leader’s confident grasp of polarity management toward deepening staff learning and setting a theory of action toward depolarization could positively impact the school culture from compliance-based habits to new habits toward continuous improvement. Constructive depolarization is a leadership priority at this crucial juncture in education. In many ways, the public feels separated from the district and schools. Our job is to bring the public back to public education. As leaders, we must recognize that polarity will occur with any complex (unknowable) issue we face. To bring the public back, leaders must recognize that when navigating polarity, it is essential to have one foot in both camps to understand the norms and boundaries to better navigate the landscape. Morris talks about this as finding our way through the wilderness, which is apropos here. Walking any path with your eyes closed is dangerous. Far too many are stumbling around in the dark and bumping into stuff along the way. Some are even getting hurt in the process. We must open our eyes and map the terrain. n
Morris Lyon is the executive director of the Region 3 Education Service Center in Victoria. He has served as superintendent for 14 years at three school districts in Texas, and he is the former senior governance advisor at the Texas Education Agency. Dr. Quintin Shepherd is superintendent of Victoria ISD and works as adjunct professor at University of Houston-Victoria. He has served as a superintendent for the past 18 years in three states.
References Abry, T., Rimm-Kaufman, S., & Curby, T. (2016). Are all program elements created equal? Relations between specific social and emotional learning components and teacher–student classroom interaction quality. Prevention Science, 18(2), 193-203. Bartoletti, J., & Connelly, G. (2013) Leadership matters: What the research says about the importance of principal leadership. National Association of Secondary School Principals and National Association of Elementary School Principals. https://www.naesp.org/sites/default/ files/LeadershipMatters.pdf Burns, L. (1999). Polarity management: The key challenge for integrated health systems. Journal of Healthcare Management. 44(1), pp. 14-33. Collins, J.C. and Porras, J.I. (2002). Built to last: Successful habits of visionary companies. HarperCollins, New York, NY. Dennie, D., Acharya, P., Greer, D., & Bryant, C. (2019). The impact of teacher-student relationships and classroom engagement on student growth percentiles of 7th and 8th grade students. Psychology in the Schools, 56(5), 765-780. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uttyler.edu/10.1002/pits.22238 Freeman, P.D. (2004). Wrestling with both/and: A case study on the impacts of polarity thinking for a corporate leadership team. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of St Thomas, Minneapolis, MN. Hirschhorn, L. (2001). Manage polarities before they manage you. Research Technology Management, 44(5), pp. 12-16 Johnson, B. (1996). Polarity management: Identifying and managing unsolvable problems. HRD Press. Amherst, MA. Nairz-Wirth, E., & Feldmann, K. (2017). Teachers’ views on the impact of the teacher-student relationships on school dropout: a Bourdieusian analysis of misrecognition. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 25(1), 121-136. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uttyler/10.1080/14681366 .2016.1230881 Rice, D., Delagardelle, M.L., Buckton, M., Jons, C., Lueders, W., Vens, M.J., Joyce, B., Wolf, J., & Weathersby, J. (2000). The lighthouse inquiry: School board/superintendent team behaviors in school districts with extreme differences in student achievement. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1a17/5f1a9c65712a0de98ef80480668036b06be9.pdf?_ga=2.40299559.401498268.1574903128-2028656576.1574903128
Online Summer School 2022
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Students can explore new interests and build new skills With more than 100 different online courses to choose from, a Pearson online summer school solution can suit every student’s needs. Whether you have high school seniors needing math credits for graduation or parents seeking a summer enrichment activity for their kindergartner, our summer programs can help: ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢
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HIGHER EDUCATION “Better” by J. Kenneth Young and John Decman
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ince the latter half of the 20th century, educational policy and systems in the United States have been dedicated to doing education better; better than other countries, better for specific populations, and better measurable student performance than the previous year. To maintain this focus, we needed better systems to support doing better, measures to assess if we were doing better, and training to support the agenda of public education doing better. Some of the policies and ensuing systems that resulted were the rise of high-stakes standardized testing, leadership development of the scholar-practitioner who is skilled in data-driven decision-making, and educators who were dedicated to ongoing, quantifiable improvement in their instructional practices.
Most of us would agree that the emphasis on doing better has yielded some positive outcomes, specifically regarding the education of populations who have been marginalized and/or neglected in the past. It has also provided us systems for improving what we do as educators by emphasizing the use of data over feelings or intuition for decision-making and continual improvement. How could it not be a positive thing? It has been the philosophical worldview driving U.S. success for years, with competition in the marketplace being the primary lever that drives innovation and improvement, making things and life better. Some may recognize the not-so-subtle shades of neoliberalism that underlie the drive to do better (for more thorough and possibly entertaining discussions regarding neoliberalism and education, see D’Agnese, 2020; Lackéus, 2017; Olssen, 2009). For all the good it has done, neoliberalism has also set the stage for some of the most prolific challenges within the field of American public education. Neoliberalism functioned to open public education to all Americans after WWII. In its wake, the wave opened the doors for discussions of equality and success for all children, and the insistence of 100% percent graduation rates and other laudable goals. Combined with this approach is a capitalistic norm that drives our insistence on global comparisons in education, as well as ongoing efforts by some to privatize public education. The two create a confounded narrative that birthed political mores that define us as a nation at risk and fueled by our desire to assure that no child is left behind while we win the race to the top. It is what bids us to make sure all students succeed and are college, career or military ready. All this in the name of doing better for the purpose of being better. So dominant is this juxtaposed worldview that it is difficult to imagine any alternative to the existing narrative. To desire otherwise seems somewhat malevolent. Really, who doesn’t want all students to succeed? One must wonder, though, is doing better really helping us to be better? Has all this emphasis on doing better resulted in better people? A better society? A better us? Are we all truly living “our best life” because of all the effort and resources invested to insure that our educational systems are doing better? Even a cursory glance at the local paper or evening news would suggest the answer is a resounding, “NO.” A deep dive into various statistics for different measures of well-being would confirm what we all know: The kids are not alright. Not only are the kids not alright, but neither are their teachers or their school
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administrators. Both groups are leaving the field en masse because of, among other things, mounting pressures to do better at the expense of one’s well-being. Of course, these are all things we, as educational leaders, know all too well. Moreover, the communities in which the students, teachers and school leaders live are not alright either. Partisanship, threats of war, cancel culture, inflation, injustice, income gaps, gun violence, inequality and poverty are little more than a sampling of the various narratives that are designed to tell us that we clearly are not doing alright. A wonderful discussion in educational philosophy courses, when they existed, revolved around the primary function of the public school in its larger community. At its foundation, the question asked whether the public school was a product of the community around it or whether the public school possessed a responsibility to guide the community around it. Perhaps it’s time, as educational leaders, for us all to revisit this question. The answer, we posit, at its most personal level, will guide and direct our actions in the foreseeable future. If that answer accepts the personal and professional responsibilities of influencing the larger community, there are a few fundamental activities that need to be reintegrated into everything that we do. We believe our field desperately needs systems for being better in order to do better. This requires a moral framework from which to both define what is meant by being better, as well as the needed values for shaping the systems to support such an agenda in a culture dominated by calls for doing better. According to Alisdair MacIntyre, in his monumental work “After Virtue,” morals and values can only be comprehended through the communities from which they emerge. As such, in order to be better, it is up to the leaders and participants in our field to think critically about who we are, what it is we value, and the practices needed to communicate and sustain those values; that is, how we define being better and what do we need to do to be better. Most would concur that the act of learning is most important in our field and, as such, is an area in which we begin to critically reflect. At its core, very little has actually changed regarding learning or how to best facilitate activities that lead to learning. Similarly, very little has changed regarding the role development and developmental tasks play in learning. What has changed dramatically are the expected rates and depths for learning in an effort for students to do better, often resulting in less cognitive space for learning and more frustration for all involved.
What could happen, though, if we valued and emphasized the fundamentals of learning and applied practices we know, because of years of research and practice, are important to this act of learning? For example, what could happen if we allowed young children to play more as a way of learning through discovery, instead of less play for the sake of more formal instruction? If you remember anything from early childhood courses in your education, you know the possibilities. Conversely, we also know the consequences of removing play for more formal instruction. One might argue that consequences of expecting students to perform beyond developmental tasks are defining themselves as growing mental and emotional crises with our nation’s children and young adults. One system creates space to be better, the other is driven by false premises that earlier and faster is doing better. Although these examples are with early childhood, one can envision how similar critical reflections benefit all learners, regardless of age or developmental stage. A 1996 dissertation by David Hodgdon discussed the connection between critical thinking and imagination. Hodgdon discusses the relationship between the two and the importance of creative tension, conclusions, criticism and judgment in a social context. The link between critical thinking and imagination is important, as imagination is the seedbed for creativity, which is greatly needed to escape the entrapments of just doing better as currently defined. To be better in a system dedicated to doing better, we need leaders who can envision a purpose for education that is not exclusively tied to better economic outcomes as the overarching purpose. It’s a difficult thing to accomplish when it’s the air we breathe. It’s like asking a fish to imagine a world in which water was not the most important thing. Yet, this is exactly the kind of reenvisioning of education that can happen when leaders are committed to defining being better, and they create the space and commit the critical reflection to that end. In addition to thinking critically and imaginatively, we need truth telling. In our postmodern world, this is more difficult than it used to be, but it is nonetheless important. Within our field, we need to be better at speaking truths to ourselves, one another, and the external powers that shape our field. This requires an extraordinary amount of internal fortitude, as it is an extremely risky endeavor. There is risk of being wrong, risk of being excluded/canceled, risk of being misunderstood, and risk of being ridiculed. Yet, without it and those willing to participate in it as a practice, we perpetuate the mistakes of our
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past, denigrate the professionalism of our field, and subjugate our students and our future to the wheels of progress or other malevolent actors. Almost paradoxically, truth telling not only requires internal fortitude, but also humility. The act of telling the truth inherently carries an element of judgment and requires a mutually respected source of authority. Sources of authority are in scarce supply these days, so we must practice our truth telling with a level of humility that conveys sincerity and concern primarily for the other. To maintain fidelity to true concern of and for the other requires another important characteristic of truth telling: being honest with ourselves about who we are, what we value, and why we do what we do. It’s also owning what is ours to own in our current situation. It’s owning what is ours in the policies we war against. It’s admitting that some of the reasons why we can’t have nice things are the decisions we, as leaders, have made in who we’ve hired or elected, or how we’ve used resources entrusted to us. In being honest with ourselves, we can more clearly see how we can be better versions of ourselves; not just for ourselves, but for the sake of others. Critical thinking requires safe space, and this is where institutions of higher ed can become most effective in supporting the field. Educator preparation programs can participate in the process by not only being a safe space for critical reflection, but requiring it as part of its educational agenda. We can, and should be, a safe place where the proverbial mirror is held up, imagination is required, sources of authority are examined, and support is provided to unanxious expectations in regard to how we define “better.” This means that all educational leaders — superintendents, principals, directors and professors — need to apply the same principles in the formation of personal and professional morals and values for the work we do. For professors, this includes thinking critically about everything from the scope and sequence of our curricula, to assuring our primary work is about being better versions of ourselves and what we do, imagining ways to better form educators as people, and speaking truth to our administrations and policymakers whose values may be good for the bottom line of the university, but detrimental to the health of our field and the students served by it. We need to be joined intimately with the communities of practice we serve, so that we are as much transformed by them as we seek to transform them.
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We are grateful for the leadership of TASA and their commitment to leveraging their resources to facilitate foundational discussions that are alluded to in this thought piece. TASA leadership has intentionally engaged in creating space for voices in higher education and the leaders engaged in public education to come together and critically reflect on the needs within our field and our work with students, imaginatively consider alternatives to stem the tide of doing better at the cost of our collective being better, and finding ways to speak truth to the political powers and the crowds of constituents about what is most important in our work. The Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administration (TCPEA) has a continued commitment to partnering with TASA in their important work, as well as their intentional efforts to unite the educational leadership faculty in Texas to be a part of the conversation. Whereas this organization has a long history of supporting educational leaders and the faculty who prepare them for service, we are critically reflecting on what this should look like and how we, as an organization, can not only do better, but also be better. While there is much more that could be said and maybe should be said about our being better, space necessitates bringing this exercise in reflection and creativity to a close. If nothing else, we hope the thoughts spark ideas, discussions or fires in us to all be better versions of ourselves and create space for the people we serve to be the same. In doing so, maybe we can all do better, as a natural by-product of our being, for the sake of our children and the future of public education. n
J. Kenneth Young is president of the Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administration and program director of the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Lamar University. John Decman is executive director of the Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administration and professor of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
References d’Agnese, V. (2019) Dewy and possibility: Challenging Neoliberalism in education. Educational Theory, 69(6), 693-717. https://doi.org/10.1111/edth.12400 Hodgdon, D. G. “Critical thinking: A voyage of the imagination” (1996). Doctoral Dissertations. 1892. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/1892 Lackéus, M. (2017), Does entrepreneurial education trigger more or less neoliberalism in education”, Education + Training, 59(6), 635-650. https://doi. org/10.1108/ET-09-2016-0151 Olssen, M. (2009). Equality, social inclusion, and democracy: Neoliberalism, education, and the rise of a global common good. M. Simons, M. Olssen and M.A. Peters (eds.), Re-Reading Education Policies: A Handbook Studying the policy agenda of the 21 Century (pp. 433–457). Sense Publishers. MacIntyre, A. (1984) After virtue (2nd edition). University of Notre Dame Press.
2022 Is your school district home to the next Regional, Texas, National Teacher of the Year? All Texas public school districts and charters are invited to nominate two educators - one elementary and one secondary! District-nominated teachers of the year must complete the online application by June 2, 2022, to be considered for regional/state honors.
Get the details at tasanet.org/awards/texas-teacher-of-the-year
TSPRA VOICE Developing a shared vision of success with meaningful community connections by Daniel Escobar
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uper Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy once said, “The first step toward creating an improved future is developing the ability to envision it … Only vision allows us to transform dreams of greatness into the reality of achievement through human action.” Like a new coach taking over a team, his words align perfectly with the goal of a successful school district leadership transition. The first 100 days for a new superintendent should focus on developing a shared community vision of success.
Over the last two decades I have had the opportunity to work under and alongside many great educational leaders in Texas. From Central to North Texas and my hometown of El Paso, I have been blessed to work in four large districts spanning our great state. During this time, I experienced and helped support multiple leadership transitions. While none were without their challenges, the successful ones focused heavily on community engagement and team building. The ones that weren’t so successful help solidify the importance of putting people first to build buy-in and a strong foundation that can lead to sustained success. Following these principles and adapting them to one’s local community can help prove Coach Dungy right. Working together with the community to establish and pursue a unified vision for the future can lead to years of success. From day one, a new leader needs to hit the ground learning, studying the district’s strengths, needs, and challenges; reviewing data and assessing district services; and developing strategic actions to move the district forward. A great resource to get an overall objective viewpoint is a districtwide climate survey which ensures all stakeholders (including elementary students, secondary students, parents and employees) are given a voice to express their perceptions on the strengths and areas in need of improvement in the district. The superintendent and district should also go to great lengths to engage individuals from the entire school community to assess the current state of the school district and collaboratively build the district’s strategic direction, a shared vision inspiring all stakeholders to work together as a team to achieve new levels of success. During the first 100 days, the new superintendent should personally: Visit all district campuses multiple times (obviously this may vary depending on size of the system)
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Meet with principals, teachers, staff, parents and students
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Attend and participate in various school/district events and celebrations
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Meet with district leadership teams
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Meet with professional and auxiliary staff members
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Meet with internal auditors
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Meet with employee association leaders
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Meet with business and political leaders
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Meet with district advisory committees (students, parents, employees)
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Meet with district foundation board
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Meet with partners in education
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Meet with representatives of the faith-based community
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Meet with regional district leaders
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Host public open house meetings inviting community at-large
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Solicit feedback on district website with direct email link
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Maintain an open-door policy with entire school community
In addition to learning from members of the community, the superintendent should also focus on the collection and analysis of data to better understand the strengths and challenges of individual schools, students, and the district as a whole. From
Staff gather for learning and engagement in Socorro ISD.
attendance, discipline, safety, campus climate and academic achievement to how the district spends its money, the comprehensive review of data will reveal areas of strength as well as areas in need of additional support. A thorough analysis of the formal and informal data gathered should reveal a set of consistent priorities that represent the needs and wants of the community, which should be utilized in establishing the district’s strategic direction. By ensuring that every voice counts in setting, communicating, and pursuing a clear vision, the superintendent and district have a higher chance of attaining true buy-in and unifying the community on the path to “transform dreams of greatness into the reality of achievement through human action.” Easy enough, right? Unfortunately, the application of these principles isn’t always straight forward. All our situations are different. No two leaders are dealt the same hand, even within the same district. Especially in today’s world, there are too many variables, seemingly in constant flux, for one game plan to work for all. The transition period cannot be phoned in, or simply a task to check off. Each new leader must invest the time to genuinely get to know their district community. No assumptions or generalizations can be made. Stakeholders need to feel valued and listened to. If their new superintendent does not fully engage with them or has a position that he/she already knows what’s best for their community, they will have a hard time building lasting support.
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I will never forget the time many years ago when my superintendent sat in my office and shared that he and the board had agreed to end his contract, less than a year after being appointed. “I didn’t take the time to find out who built the fences around this place before I sought to move them,” he told me.
& s r yea ing! 0 6 unt co Texas School Public Relations Association TSPRA is a professional organization whose members are dedicated to improving public education in Texas by: PROMOTING effective public relations practices PROVIDING professional development for its members
This was a well-accomplished, veteran school leader. He had led successful districts and was a great educator. He simply got ahead of himself doing what he felt was best and operated as he had in his previous district, without first understanding the lay of the land. He hadn’t learned enough about the nuances of the district or built enough support before making changes. Not only is it important for new superintendents to be thoughtful and deliberate in their entry into a new system, the same is incumbent of the district’s executive leadership team preparing to receive and support the vision of their new leader. This spring my district will welcome a new superintendent, the third in my tenure here (fifth if you count interims). How simple it would be to dust off my plans and materials from the last time around and be done. However, 10 years have passed, and it wouldn’t be in our new leader’s nor our district’s best interest to simply paint her/him with the same brush as any of our exes.
IMPROVING communication between Texans and their public schools
Every new leader deserves their own light, their own brand that will help them share and build support for their vision of an improved future for their school community and its stakeholders.
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That will be our goal as we welcome our new leader. We will be open-minded and flexible and seek to learn more about the current state of our community alongside her/him. We will provide insight and historical context while being careful of bias and avoiding the pitfall of inserting ourselves into the equation.
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We will provide support and service and look forward to the continued growth and success of our great Socorro ISD school community. n
Daniel Escobar is chief communications officer of Socorro ISD. A member for 13 years, he is also TSPRA’s Far West Area vice president.
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TECH TAKE Cybersecurity: a school system issue more than a technology issue by Kari Rhame Murphy
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echnology is just as vital to the operations of K-12 education as air-conditioning to schools in Texas. In most cases, today’s air-conditioning systems cannot operate without technology. With increasing reliance on technology for all school system operations and the cyber climate in the world today, there are reasons to expect cyber incidents to plague schools placing students, staff, and families at significant risk. Cyber incidents can disrupt all services of a school system such as utilities, communication, finance, human resources and instruction. School leaders have lost jobs due to cybersecurity incidents. So, what do school system leaders need to know and do to prepare for cyber incidents?
The data In December of 2020, K-12 was identified as the most attacked public entity for ransomware in a report published by the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). A year later, Checkpoint Research reported that the education/research sector experienced an average of 1,605 weekly attacks, which is a 75% increase from 2020. The 2022 State of K-12 Cybersecurity report by K-12 Six (a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping protect K-12 public and private schools from cybersecurity threats), collected data that there were a reported 166 cyber incidents affecting 162 school districts across 38 states in 2021. In this publication, a cyber incident map shows a visualization of 1,331 publicly disclosed school cyber incidents since 2016. [https://k12six.org/map] These incidents included unauthorized disclosures, breaches, or hacks of personal data, ransomware attacks, phishing attacks that resulted in disclosure of personal data, denial of service attacks, and other cyber incidents resulting in school disruptions and unauthorized disclosures. Approximately 200 attacks occurred in Texas school systems; however, the true picture is much bleaker, as evidence indicates 10-20 times more cyber incidents in K-12 go undisclosed each year due to weak reporting requirements by state governments. Cyber incidents cost U.S. businesses, including schools more than $20 billion in 2021. The average downtime for an entity was 22 days, and the average cost for ransomware was $1.85 million. Of ransomware victims, 32% pay the ransom but only get back 65% of their data. In all instances, 83% involved sensitive data. In 2021, the ransomware paid by Texas school districts ranged from $50,000 to more than $500,000. Who is responsible for cyber incidents? Individuals or groups called “actors” both inside and outside school communities share the responsibility as defined: •
School employees and board members who inadvertently share personal information of students, themselves, and other staff due to a lack of training, district policies, and lax cybersecurity controls.
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•
Students who are “tech-savvy” may attempt to circumvent existing cybersecurity controls to disrupt and cause harm. Also, any student who lacks the education or adult guidance can unknowingly be the cause.
•
Online criminals based today primarily in Russia and China who steal personally identifiable information from school districts with weak cybersecurity controls seeking to steal and extort money from the district, its employees, families and vendors. Many of these “actors” are organized and can be members of cyber gangs such as Conti Ransomware, Sandworm and Gamaredon.
•
The most significant group responsible for breaches of student and employee data continue to be school district suppliers, vendors and other trusted nonprofit and government partners.
6.
Safeguard student, teacher and staff devices by restricting administrative access and applying endpoint protection for devices on and off premises.
7.
Protect identities of students, staff and their families by implementing multifactor authentication and complex passwords. To further protect their identities, require Data Privacy Agreements with all third-party vendors/suppliers who have access to student and/or employee data. For more information, check out the Texas Student Data Privacy (TxSDP) https://sdpc.a4l.org/view_alliance. php?state=TX
8.
Perform regular maintenance of all technologies by installing security updates in a timely manner, closing ports that are no longer needed, backing up critical systems using offline, immutable storage, and archive or delete sensitive data that is no longer needed for daily operations. Be intentional about safeguarding even IoT technologies such as security cameras, digital clocks, interactive whiteboards, document cameras, smart TVs and digital signage systems.
9.
Develop and implement an incident response plan that includes leadership from finance, communications, instruction, human resources and technology departments. Perform regular tabletop drills so leadership is ready to act. This should be no different than the physical safety drills schools perform now.
Recommendations for school leaders 1.
Develop a cybersecurity policy and name a cybersecurity coordinator. (CQB Legal and Local)
2.
Develop a cybersecurity plan as defined in Texas Education Code Section 11.175 adopting the National Institute for Standards & Technology (NIST) Cyber Security Framework or Texas Cybersecurity Framework.
3.
Provide an annual cybersecurity budget to implement education and tools to protect technologies. Paying upfront may diminish the cost of paying when an attack occurs.
4.
Provide education annually for all employees and students who access technologies in the system. (Texas Education Code Sec. 11.175) Conduct regular audits and tests to ensure employees are following procedures for reporting suspicious intrusions.
5.
Monitor and sanitize network traffic to and from the Internet, blocking access to known malicious websites, malicious office documents, and emailbased social engineering. Limit external access to Internet-facing services of sensitive data. Malicious actors work 24/7/365 so contracting with a third party to provide 24/7/365 monitoring and blocking malicious activity is very helpful.
10. Investigate and consider a cybersecurity insurance policy. Costs for such policies have skyrocketed due to the risks and potential threats. Providers will not even consider covering a school system without many of the above-named protections in place.
Resourceful organizations Personnel and school budgets are limited, and cybersecurity measures can be expensive. There are organizations that can assist with developing plans, providing guidance, educating staff and providing remediation/recovery. This list is not exhaustive and will continue to grow as more funding is allocated by the state and national governments in the war against cybercrime. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency https://www.cisa.gov/ Center for Internet Security https://www.cisecurity.org/
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continued from page 34 Consortium of School Networking https://www.cosn.org Federal Bureau of Investigation https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber Homeland Security https://www.dhs.gov/topics/cybersecurity Infragard https://www.infragard.org Multi State–Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) https://www.cisecurity.org/ms-isac Statewide Cybersecurity Services, Texas A & M https://it.tamus.edu/scs/ Texas Department of information Resources https://dir.texas.gov/information-security Texas Education Agency Information Security https://www.texasgateway.org/resource/cybersecurity-tips-and-tools Texas Educational Technology Leaders https://www.tetl.org Texas Information Sharing & Analysis Organization (TxISAO) https://dir.texas.gov/information-security/txisao Texas Student Data Privacy https://sdpc.a4l.org/view_alliance.php?state=TX. n
Dr. Kari Rhame Murphy is a certified educational technology leader serving as the chief technology officer for Deer Park ISD. She also currently holds the office of chair-elect for the Texas Educational Technology Leaders.
References Alsbury, T. L., & Gore, P. (2015). Improving school board effectiveness: A balanced governance approach. Cambridge, Mass. Harvard Education Press. Checkpoint (2022). “Checkpoint Research: Cyber Attacks Increased 50% Year After Year”. Available online at: https://blog.checkpoint.com/2022/01/10/ check-point-research-cyber-attacks-increased-50-year-over-year/ Collier, Kevin (September 10, 2021). “Hackers are leaking children’s data — and there’s little parents can do.” NBC News. Available online at: https://www. nbcnews.com/tech/security/hackers-are-leaking-childrens-data-s- little-parents-can-rcna1926 K12 SIX (2021). ‘Essential Protections’ series. Available online at https://www.k12six.org/protective-measures-series K12 SIX (2021). “K12 SIX Cybersecurity Standards”. Available online at: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e441b46adfb340b05008fe7/t/6130f51bc4b0241 c7104f885/1630598428183/K12+SIX+Cybersecurity+Standards+2021+2022.pdf K12 Six (2021). “K12 SIX Cybersecurity Standards: School District Self-Assessment”. Available online at: https://www.k12six.org/self-assessment Levin, Douglas A. (2022). “The State of K-12 Cybersecurity: Year in Review – 2022 Annual Report.” K12 Security Information Exchange (K12 SIX). Available online at: https://www.k12six.org/the-report Mardock, April (March 8, 2022). “Why Multifactor Authentication Should No Longer Be Optional in K–12.” Ed Tech Magazine. Available online at: https:// edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2022/03/why-multifactor-authentication-should-no-longer-be-optional-k-12 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). “Best Practices in Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management – Conference Materials: Cyber Supply Chain Best Practices.” Available online at: https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/media/Projects/Supply-Chain-Risk- Management/documents/briefings/Workshop-Brief-onCyber-Supply-Chain-Best-Practices.pdf; NIST. New, Brian and CBS 21 DFW (2021). “Has Your Kid’s Texas School District Been Hammered By Cyberattacks? I-Team Investigation.” Available online at: https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2021/08/16/dozens-texas-school-districts-hammered- yberattacks-ransomware/) Project Tomorrow (2021). “Creating a Common Culture of Action Around Cybersecurity.” Available online at: https://tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/Creating-aCommon-Culture-of-Action-Around-Cybersecurity.pdf. Schaffhauser, Dian (October 12, 2021). “The Changing Face of Cyber Insurance in K–12.” THE Journal. Available online at: https://thejournal.com/ articles/2021/10/12/the-changing-face-of-cyber-insurance-in-k12.aspx TASB (November, 2021). “School Cybersecurity: Texas Requirements”. Available online at: https://www.tasb.org/services/legal-services/tasb-school-lawesource/business/documents/school-cybersecurity-texas-requirements.pdf Toulas, Bill (January 22, 2022). “School District reports a 334% hike in cybersecurity insurance costs.” Bleeping Computer. Available online at: https://www. bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/school-district-reports-a-334- percent-hike-in-cybersecurity-insurance-costs/
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The Principals’ Institute (PI) is a year-long professional development series that provides a unique opportunity for principals to understand why transformation of public education is necessary. PI is designed to help principals develop the knowledge and skills required to be transformational leaders and to help build the capacity it takes to sustain transformation over time. The PI experience includes exposure to influential superintendents and speakers, such as Eric Sheninger, Rob Evans, George Couros, Dwight Carter, John Tanner, Jimmy Casas, and Joe Sanfelippo.
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