ACTIVATE

A leader's guide to people, practices, and processes, this book was our first @WaukeshaNorth1 leadership team read this school year.

Peter Drucker says, "people determine the capacity of an organization." That is why, as head learner at Waukesha North, I know the importance of leaders and their teams to spend time learning together to help build our collective capacity for change. As leaders, we are keepers of the vision. We must be steadfast in our constant and effective communication of North's overall purpose.

How many times have we heard and the research has shown, the number one factor that is the single most influential component of an effective school is the individual teachers within that school. North teachers, do you believe this?
This is one reason why it is so important to collect data about the relevant adult actions in pursuit of the vision. Are we collaborating on the creation of high-quality assessments? Are we truly operating as PLC's during morning PLC time? Are you operating as a data team? High-performing schools have data teams. Engaging in these adult behaviors with fidelity will honestly make or break you being the #1 factor in student achievement.

Success in any organization starts with a focus on self. Change will not occur unless people see the need to change. Does our student achievement data scream a sense of urgency to you?  Are you serious about success more than you are comfortable with a lack of it?  Do you take personal responsibility for student achievement? Engaged employees want their organization to succeed because they feel connected emotionally and socially to the mission, vision and purpose. Are you connected? If not, why not?

The single biggest gap seen in schools and districts is the lack of monitoring and feedback. Yet when these processes are put into place, leaders are questioned about this accountability. Really?

The tradition of our learning organizations are as deeply entrenched as you will find. Elmore says, "the existing institutional structure of public education does one thing very well: it creates a normative environment that values idiosyncratic, isolated, and individualistic learning at the expense of collective learning. The existing system does not value continuous learning as a collective good and does not make this learning the individual and social responsibility or every member of the system. Leaders must create environments in which individuals expect to have their personal ideas and practices subjected to the scrutiny of their colleagues. Privacy of practices produces isolation; isolation is the enemy of improvement."

Together, lets fight the enemy! Gut check Northstars!