No Excuses Leadership

Model: Commitment

Every school is different as it's made up of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of students with unique strengths and needs.  Some schools serve high poverty populations and earn incredible results, while others with zero poverty are stagnant in their work. And, vice versa. There are a reported 100,000 public schools in America and not a one of them is the same.  Therefore, it makes sense that the staff members from these schools should seek a differentiated approach in serving their populations.  Even still, there is one non-negotiable I believe every school should have: A deeply held commitment to achieving high expectations.

From the time I began as a principal, my first conversation with every new teacher I hired was the same.  I would meet with them in my office and say,
  
"I am so excited to have you on our team.  You are the very best we could find and I believe you have the potential to change the lives of the students and families you're about to serve.  You have my commitment that I will do everything I can to support you in order to achieve success with your students.  However, you must know this: If every single student doesn't meet or exceed standards by the end of this school year, you may not be asked back."

Now, I know what you're thinking.  Did Damen really mean that?  Did he really get rid of teachers if 100% of students didn't meet standards?  Well, if you can keep a secret, the answer is no.  You see, my words were not meant as a threat, but instead as a challenge.  They were a test of the new teacher's commitment.  I knew I had a winner when a teacher would respond with, "Well, that's a huge goal and it's a lot of pressure, but I promise I'll do everything I can to make it happen."  I also knew who wasn't the right fit if they said something like, "That's not fair!  What if my class has more second language speakers and kids of poverty placed in it? I don't think I can make that commitment."

Every day, we need to put our commitment to students to the test. First and foremost, we must model what it means to be committed by offering the kind of support to our colleagues that will make them successful.  Second, we have to be unafraid in setting high expectations for students and adults to live up to each day. 

TAKE ACTION

Is the naysayer among you always making excuses for why they can't be successful?  Think about the ways that you regularly reinforce your deep commitments to student learning in your conversations and your actions. Is your message and commitment so consistent that you'd paint it on the wall for others to see?

BE BOLD

As a brand new principal a dear friend of mine painted a pledge on the wall that every visitor was reminded of when they came into my office. It read:
We are committed to creating a school that knows no limits to the academic success of each student.
Fifteen years after it was painted, it's still there as a commitment for what we stand for as a network of schools.