The New High School @ Audenried

There is much to be thankful about this Thanksgiving holiday. Many of my students are understanding the impact a solid education will have on their future, parents know that as Audenried grows there is a place for their voice, and my support staff is coming together to support the social development of all students. These things may sound like small things to be thankful for but they are major things in developing a successful high school.

Whereas many pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fit together, there are still others that need to find their place. The challenges of being the person that has to see the big picture are great and many times the picture comes in and out of focus. The next piece of the puzzle that I see needs to be assembled is the role of the teacher. The role of the teacher in an urban school is something I have discussed in the past. It is an important topic, however, as it is teachers who have the ability to make or break an educational institution.
How do teachers make a difference in a school? The answer is that it is they who make all of the difference in a school. Whether a school is considered to be thriving or failing, teachers play a significant role in the outcome. The difference is how willing are the teachers to “sing”. I have a teacher who always says you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to make your students learn and achieve. In her case, she will sing to her students to get them to complete their assignments. She jokes that her singing is so off key that her students would rather do her work than to have to listen to her sing. That is the attitude that is required to make urban students successful – whatever it takes.

Many of my students have not experienced academic success, so they often mask what they don’t know with negative behaviors. Although they are smart, they are sometimes scared to take the risks that are necessary to succeed. They have often been exposed to low expectations for so long that they have barely had a chance to experience success. Then there is the special education trap –it is easier to send children to the island of special education than to differentiate in the regular classroom and to instill confidence in their own abilities.

Teachers enter the field of education for many different reasons. Sadly, many times they are the wrong reasons. A degree that will allow someone to teach does not necessarily mean that his or her heart is in it. How often do we find ourselves in jobs that do no suit our liking or personality but we stay for lack of anywhere else to turn. It is no different in teaching except that staying in a job that your heart is not into in this case affects many lives in a most profound way. Teaching is not as easy as some may initially think it will be. It is quite the opposite- it is one of the hardest jobs a person can choose especially in the urban classroom. These are the schools that require the most dedicated teachers and ones who are not disillusioned about what their students bring to classroom. Successful urban teachers must provide structure and consistency with resources and techniques that move and motivate students in the right direction- this is not an easy task. It requires a level of dedication that goes above and beyond. Successful urban teachers must expect much from their students but they also need to realize that often they have to give much first. Successful urban teachers must realize that trust is something many of their students do not have, so they must work hard to build close relationships; trust is not a given, it is something to be earned. Successful urban teachers realize that in order to gain the respect of their students, they must provide models of professionalism and respect to ensure that students know what respect looks and feel like. Respect is not something that many of our kids grow up understanding. Respect and trust are the foundation upon which the urban students move forward.

What the urban student does not need are teachers that consider urban schools holding places for future inmates or dumping grounds for those who could not get into a “better” school. Unfortunately, this type of teacher does exist and they are often detrimental to the students they encounter, for their deep-seated beliefs show in their instructional practices. Little thought in their planning, poor record keeping, little or no effort in developing strategies and resources that will meet the needs of their students is evident in their day to day practice. Frequently their appearance is less than professional and they are often absent, late, or practically knock the kids down when it is time to leave. Luckily, I don’t have many of these teachers but there are so many high schools in urban district that are full of teachers with this profile. For those that exist at Audenried, I will try to develop them into the teacher that is required to make my school successful. If they change, they can stay – my students needs are clear and obvious. Those that are having success, I will work even harder to keep– I realize they give a lot and the job is exhausting. But at the same time, I know that every victory they have with their students is very sweet.

I’m very honest with teachers at the hiring table because that is only fair. I realize that urban education is not for everyone. This is a tough job and it gets harder each year, as students’ needs increase and accountability requirements continue to grow. What urban schools require are teachers that are willing to sing and principals that are willing to lead the choir.

Today I needed to reread some of the blogs that I have written in the past. Even I need to ensure that I write with consistency and relevance. This school year has been so busy that contributing to my own blog has been a challenge – this is not my intention. As I re-visited some of my earlier posts, my feelings have not changed- if anything my feelings have intensified on many of the issues. The notion of wasting time is still a burring issue to me and looking at a school community that did not value time was something that I could no longer tolerate. This issue required immediate and intense action.

As I would walk the halls of my school I was discovering too many students cutting class, creating classroom disturbances, and engaging in acts of vandalism (defacing a school that is not even one year old). Whereas this is not the mentality of all, or even the majority, of students there were a significant amount of students that really treated this type of behavior as the norm and something that is acceptable.
As I looked at the faces of the students that are ready to move forward, I saw a quiet sadness. Some students even transferred out to schools that have a climate of learning.

It had to take immediate and swift action that would help this group of students to understand that this is a school- a place of learning, caring, and personal development. Unfortunately, I had to speak a language that this particular type of student clearly understands – out of school suspension and discipline transfers. On one hand, the fact that this had to be done at numbers that made my blood run cold was troubling to me but on the other hand, to allow students with brilliant minds to go undeveloped is more troubling. So, students caught in the hallway at any time without a valid pass and students creating classroom disturbances were suspended out of school immediately. Needless to say, my students began to get the message.

As angry parents accompanied their children to school for reinstatement conferences they were provided with a report of latenesses, class cuts, and discipline reports. This negative event had a positive impact on student behaviors and provided an opportunity to talk to parents that I don’t usually get to see. Through this I realized that parents do care and that all parents want better for their children but many just don’t know how to help them. As a result, I have formed relationships with parents that needed someone to show that schools care. One of the things that was very clear throughout these conferences was that many parents expressed negative interaction with schools in the past and they initially thought this would be another negative interaction. Parents were initially defensive and felt threatened as they believed the school’s only mission would be to get rid of their child. When parents realized that this interaction was designed instead to inform them that we are here to support and help their child to be prepared for the world that they will soon enter by what ever means necessary they began to feel comfortable and reacted differently. Many parents expressed relief and committed themselves to do whatever necessary on their end. When parents realized that the doors of the school are always open, no appointment necessary, and that my background is the same as many of my students and that the success of their child is critically important to me they became much more willing to participate. When parents are valued and respected they react in a valued and respected manner.

The climate in a school must be one of learning. The students that are there to learn deserve it. So, today as I walk the halls they are now empty because students are in class. Through the many conferences that have occurred, my students have gotten the message that this is about their future and that the pressure will not let up because their future is at stake and their success is the prize.

I once overheard I overheard my aunt tell my Nana, “The kids today have no souls, they need to get their spirits right to fix their minds.” At the time I had no idea what she meant, I just thought she didn’t like kids. I have a better idea now of what she was talking about.

Just the other day a story was covered on TV about a high school in California where sadly a young student was gang raped by several males during the hours of a school dance. The community is holding the school responsible for this incident. Then there was the local report of a student that was allegedly killed by her parents and the community held the school responsible for her death. This makes me think of my own situation, where recently a new student created a major disruption in the building that had the potential to change the focus of my students from academics to violence. My students, like those at many urban high schools, live in a world that is centered around one violent act after another. During school hours, I am held responsible to resolve these deep and persistent social issues while at the same time I am responsible for academic achievement- not an easy task when the deep and persistent social problems sometimes require your attention all day, every day.
These issues are real in all schools in America, especially in high schools. If you are an urban teacher or administrator these issues become even more exacerbated. The type of issues our students bring with them to school each day interfere with doing what we are trained to do– educate.

I often wonder if the issues we deal with on a daily basis are real to our leaders. Do our leaders understand that the type of young people we are dealing with bring a variety of deep rooted issues and problems that require the utmost in stability and consistency during the school day from kindergarten until graduation in order for them to be successful? Poorly thought out change brings chaos, not the type of stability and consistency they are so desperately in need of. I often wonder if our leaders understand that they need to deal with issues that affect humanity in addition to those that affect academics, since schools are accountable for all aspects of a student’s life and not just those that affect academics. I often wonder if they understand that we deal with students who have a tendency to drain schools of resources quickly, including time, human, and financial resources.

I have been in education long enough to know that the focus of schools has become so micro-focused on making adequate yearly progress that it has become more important than making individuals that have compassion, empathy, and a sense of humanity combined with academics. While districts across our nation are so focused on achieving AYP, we are leaving thousands of children behind. We are not helping our kids to interact with others, they have no sense of their role in the academic process, and many of our students live in a world that is so small it is difficult for them to see beyond a four block radius- a difficult concept for many educators and school leaders alike to comprehend.

How do we help our kids to help themselves? What can leaders do to support real problems in real schools that all schools, not just a chosen few, can achieve at proficient levels? I have my own vision of how this could be achieve, a vision that begins on the first day of a child’s education. The African proverb “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” is true. We already know that a child cannot raise a child, which is something that happens far too often in urban communities. This is one way in which we continue to spin the wheels of self-destruction. Education was not important to the parent when they were a child and the cycle often continues. Schools become the place you go from 8:00AM to 3:00PM to get out of the house and the real purpose of school becomes lost. School is not the focus in enough homes. So many children need positive mentors from the first day they enter school to help them learn to have the self-discipline and motivation to achieve independently. Providing strong and stable mentors should be the first course of action if children come first. Our kids require the same stable, consistent people to guide their lives from kindergarten through 12th grade . Looping should be required at the elementary level because it builds the type of strong, consistent, and stable relationships that so many children are lacking at home. The early years are critical to building a good academic foundation in our children. I strongly believe many more students would acquire the academic base, self-confidence, and self-discipline required for the challenges of secondary education if they had a strong and stable start during the primary years.

Our kids also need the type of experiences that expand their world and open their minds to things other than their daily microcosmic experiences and view of the world. Limited experiences lead to be very limited background knowledge, which we all know is so important to higher-level learning. At the secondary level many of our kids can read but what they cannot do is understand or create visual images in their minds because they have no frame of reference. They lack the experiences and background knowledge they need to build such a frame of reference.

Finally, there is propaganda – a message that must be given through every media possible on a consistent basis. Our kids are media drones; they live in a world that revolves around technology. Our media has the responsibility to bombard our youth with messages that would create positive outcomes for young lives. This is something that does not happen often with so much of the music they listen to and the media the see and hear focused on what is negative. Our kids can easily post and see a school fight on you tube, send threatening messages over facebook, and learn how to hack into their grades by entering the right key works on goggle. Those same platforms could be used to create positive images and send positive messages to our kids if they chose to do so.

From my perspective, dedicating not only academic but social resources to students from the first day of formal education would reduce the need for so much money being tossed out the window at the secondary level in what we call “interventions.” The question that needs to be asked is why do we need so many “interventions” at the secondary level? Pushing in “interventions” at the secondary level is the right political answer from our leadership’s perspective but the truth is they have very little affect on the academic outcomes of our students because this is the wrong path to AYP. Building strong children both socially and academically from day one would prevent the necessity to push-in “interventions” at a secondary level that so often serve as another cog in the wheel of chaos that is a distracter from the real mission of developing the whole person as a productive, compassionate, and well-educated individual.

Usually, the things that are important and meaningful are the things that there are too little of and these things are things we normally cannot touch.

Time is an intangible commodity that guides our every action. All we do has a measure of time. We wake up at a specific time and then try to go to bed at a certain time and everything we do in between is measured by time.

As the principal of a high school that is preparing students to enter the adult world, it is disturbing to me that so many of my students do not value this commodity. I clearly understand that when you are a teenager life appears to go on forever but what my students and many families are not realizing is that time is something that you can never get back and each moment spent awake needs to be used wisely. I’m tired of observing people wasting their time and then something becomes an emergency – usually do to poor time management. Am I expected to treat poor planning on the part of others as my emergency? Unfortunately, in our educational systems that is how thing work.

Each day I spend too much time addressing the needs of students that do not value or understand that their time is being wasted and that their lack of focus and caring about their future has a long-term impact. Too much teacher time is wasted with students that prefer to spend their time in non-productive ways. These same students then find themselves severely behind in the classroom. Far too often students blame teachers for giving assignments that are too difficult when it is they that choose to waste their time on off task activities and behaviors that are counter-productive to progress.

There is something wrong with a system that constantly requires any professional to invest huge blocks of valuable time into people that prefer to constantly waste time. So, how do we address this critical issue of wasting time? I’m not a proponent that every second of the day has to be focused on productivity. What I’m proposing is that as a society and school system we have to teach our students, at an early age, that time is something that one can never retrieve and that there is a time and place for everything. I think it is ironic that as an educational system we jump right into the pedagogy aspect of our profession. Do we assume that all students have developed enough soft-skills or life skills to learn? This assumption has caused failure in high numbers of children and results in wasting years of many individual lives. If we really want our students to be successful we must incorporate the impact that wasting time has on one’s life (effective time management) into the curriculum from an early age. Students need to be taught that when they cut class, do not study, argue over minor issues, come in late or not at all, sleep in class, and never even try to take a note or ask a question that they are wasting time, their time, which is something they can never get back. Time is a commodity to be valued. This should be the first lesson in the educational process and one that lasts for 12 consecutive school years. Young people, this is your time to take advantage of preparing yourself for your future. Don’t let your time slip away.

As my staff and I prepare to open our school for the second time, we are presented with new challenges. This is not new- life never comes without challenges. The nature of challenges that would face us this time, however, were unexpected but would give us some invaluable insight as we continue to learn to manage a new, urban, hybrid (comprehensive/CTE) high school.

With a brand new building that is finally fully opened came a flood of requests to use our facility. Many times these requests were last minute and were not requests at all but a mandate to use a building that we ourselves had not yet become familiar with. At the same time that we were trying to prepare the building for our own staff and students, an overabundance of district offices and personnel were crowding the building with up to 600 participants at a time, demanding the use of equipment and spaces that we had not yet mastered ourselves and many times were not working properly. Meeting the last minute demands on less than sufficient manpower and resources taught us that you can never be too prepared and to expect the unexpected. It also taught us to be flexible, set limits, and most especially to always be acutely aware that poor planning at a district level can have a direct and negative impact on school level operations unless your infrastructure is built strongly enough, in all aspects, to withstand others’ outside emergencies. Some of the planning styles that I have observed through this experience have made me think to plan differently at the school level because I have to do everything within my power to minimize the impact of outward emergencies on the educational programs for my students.

Overcoming the challenges of dealing with others’ poor planning while we were planning a school opening ourselves led me to think of the parallels I see on the part of many of our students and families. Too many times I see the effects of poor planning for high school education on the part of our families and students and the impact that has on not only the ill prepared but also for the students that are prepared and are here to take advantage of the opportunities that we have to offer. Poor planning on the part of others undoubtedly disrupts the instructional program for those who have come prepared. Every day I see students who are smart, healthy, and physically capable of taking advantage of the opportunities that are presented to them but oftentimes they have failed to prepare mentally and emotionally in a way that will help them meet the challenges of high school. Daily I see students who are capable of understanding complicated concepts and materials but who lack the self-discipline, focus, and work ethic that lead to success. I see students who come unprepared for class with no paper or pencils, who make the decision to buy candy and soda rather than supplies to take notes. Years of this type of behavior crescendo into an emergency that has the potential to affect the future of our workforce and productivity as a nation. This emergency has manifested itself in high schools in a manner that has created the necessity for instructional blocks that teach remedial concepts and skills that students in suburban school acquire in 4th & 5th grade instead of courses that prepare them for college. It pains me personally as an African-American public school graduate and as the Principal of an urban school to break up fights between students who are fighting over issues that only take them farther away from the goal of being educated. It pains me to see the numbers of kids that walk in late each day with no regard to the philosophy of “time is knowledge.” It is so sad to hear a students say two hours of study each night is too much after attending school all day and that all they want to do is have fun. I know the future that awaits students and communities with these attitudes and that future is very bleak, there is very little fun in what awaits them.

Whereas we cannot go back and prepare our students for that which they came to us unprepared what we can do is take stiff, direct, and persistent actions now to prepare them for what is to come. Yes, there is action to be taken on the part of families and students but there is school level action that must be taken as well. Our physical plant, instructional programming, and overall outcomes will only be as effective as our own level of preparedness at a school level. Having strong and consistent systems, approaches, and expectations in place at all times will help us withstand the chaos that can be so easily caused by both unprepared students and the lack of preparedness on the part of the larger systems that drive our daily practices at a school level.

So what can I do to lessen some of the emergencies that have the potential to inhibit the operations of my school – I can galvanize the parents, community, seek teachers that want to take on this challenge and reach into the souls of my students. Their future is the prize and at this moment the prize has the potential to slip away but not on my watch.

It’s hard to believe our first year has come to a close. As always, with each ending there is a new beginning and this week we began a tradition that hopefully will last through the generations of Audenried students to come. This week we closed our year with our first annual student/staff basketball game. Traditions are an important part of every school and should be a part of every child’s memory when they look back on their high school years. Traditions are what make our experiences real and permanent, a constant that is always there no matter what changes we see our school through over the years. Traditions are an important part of what will mold our growing Audenried family together for the years to come. Events such as student/staff basketball game brings students and teachers together in a way that helps us see the human side of one another and that is something that is good for all of us.

The game was the perfect ending for our first year together. Students and teachers alike enjoyed themselves while interacting with each other on a social level. Through this activity I believe that many students gained a new level of respect for their teachers as, for the first time all year, they saw teachers as people with talents, interests, and personalities that they do not always get to see in a classroom situation. The game gave students and teachers a chance to enjoy each other as people outside of the demands of the classroom. Students had an opportunity to demonstrate that they possessed skills that most of their teachers did not possess. Although not necessarily skilled at the game of basketball, their teachers tried and alongside them their students encouraged them to do their best. There was a lot of laughter and positive interactions and I even heard some teachers and students talking about next year’s game already. That game will be here before we even realize it.

I think what was most encouraging for me as the principal was the amount of students that were proud to have their faces painted with 2012, the year they will graduate. It is no secret that most kids who drop out of school drop out in the 9th grade and the statistics are more depressing in African-American high schools. This year we surpassed our goal in our effort to combat the silent epidemic. All said and done, 86% of our 9th graders have successfully been promoted to the 10th grade. Not to say the road to the 2012 graduation will be easy and that there will not be many obstacles to overcome along the way but with the current statistics, the feeling of hopefulness that was displayed by my students on Friday, and the determination of my teachers I believe we will meet our target and that 75% of the students that began this journey together will graduate together. That day, too, will be here before we know it. As we reach the close of one year and look towards the beginning of another, we end on a positive note both socially and academically.

Terry Pearsall-Hargett
Principal

A Blueprint for SuccessIn order to move a school forward, one has to have a solid vision that is focused on the long term success of it’s students. In large urban districts where both society in general and the upper leadership is seemingly in constant motion this can pose quite a challenge. It is important for professionals in the field of education to recognize that the constant in life is change. With constant change all around us it is important for administrators and teachers alike to learn to be flexible enough to adjust to and keep up with constant motion while at the same time staying focused & positive enough to keep moving in a direction that is conducive to the long term development of children. Although adults also need a certain level of security and sure footing to help develop children we must learn to meet the challenge of change and not let those constant changes affect our spirit in a way that negatively impacts our practice. With the world changing at a constant rate all around us, our reaction to constant change and motion is a critical part of how we teach our children to keep up with the demands that too quickly will impact them as they enter the world of work. Change, although a challenge, is also an excellent opportunity for growth.

On a personal note, this year has presented many opportunities for me to grow and fine tune my administrative skills even in the midst of constant change at the district level. Focusing on a few major tasks that have defined goals with targeted benchmarks of progress has helped our school not to get lost in the process of change. Throughout a year of growth for The New Audenried High School, as well as for my own administrative career, I have observed a few things that are critical to the development of healthy schools and healthy school systems.

Having a clear vision and talking about it frequently is paramount and something that I plan on doing much more next year. Determining and focusing on a few strong goals that support each other-connectivity- is an important factor in the overall success of an organization. Developing a solid plan with achievable steps and making every person from the newest student to the parent that rarely enters the building aware of our goals and the steps necessary to achieve them is an essential part of striving towards the type of growth we need as an organization in order for our children to be successful. The ability to communicate clearly to and inspire those who are responsible for making each step a reality is also an important part of the process. Looking at the budgets, trainings, and materials needed to reach our goals-logistics- is an essential part of the process. Examining our barometers for success -data- is an important part of the process. Seeking outside support that will contribute to our goals – outreach- is an important part of the process. Celebrating success, discussing obstacles, and refining approaches with teachers, experts, supporters, students, and parents is an important part of the process. A complex formula for success, really, but a necessary one if we are to achieve what we have set out to accomplish from the very beginning. Without this type of calculated process the people charged with making change happen can become easily disillusioned, confused, and very frustrated. Leaders can not make change happen by being micro-managers, tyrants, or disengaged about the realities that schools face on a daily basis. With this in mind, I have begun the process of growing our school through it’s second year. I’m excited about having my experts in content and strategies develop measures that will move our students both academically and socially- a blueprint for achievement. As we close the blueprints to a school that is now nearly physically complete, it is time to open the page to a new blueprint- a blueprint for our own success.

Terry Pearsall-Hargett
Principal

In my blog last week I spoke about teachers being the soul of a school- how teachers hold the power to make students perform to high standards or hardly perform at all. But what is the inspiration for the teacher, especially the urban teacher? The urban teacher and administrator have to face challenges that can be quite daunting while at the same time attempting to educate the urban learner. The urban learner often brings to the classroom challenges that are complex and can present themselves as inhibitors to delivering and receiving instruction. Many students have issues with attendance. We all know you cannot teach a child who is not present. When students do arrive at school they are frequently late, unprepared, have negative attitudes towards formal instruction, are frequent users of profanity, can be physically aggressive, and are often behind academically. So what should drive the urban teacher and administrator to work with children that require so much more for the educational process to occur? After all, our students are measured by the same standards as students that are ready to learn.

While some of us choose to take on the challenge of urban education, not every teacher always has a choice. Some of us wind up in urban high schools because we choose to do so, while others come because this is where they were sent. Either way, urban teachers are left on an uneven playing field, required to take on many roles beyond just “teacher.” We are often called upon to be a counselor, disciplinarian, parent, mentor, and nurse, just to name a few. Being an urban educator is a job that many find difficult to handle. The skills needed to reach children that many think are unreachable do not always come easily- they are developed over time and over a road that has many bumps and curves. In a society where 40% of teachers leave the profession within five years to begin with, what is it that inspires a teacher to stay in this type of challenging environment, whether it was their chosen path or one that they never expected to be taking? Some stay because they love a challenge. Others stay because they fall in love with the kids. For most of us who choose to stay, it is because we have reached the place where a job turns into a calling inspired by watching even a single child grow into a person who did not value education to one who teaches and inspires others. Just like students, even small successes for teachers can ignite the desire needed to continue on what often proves to be a difficult task.

As teachers and administrators, we could choose to work in schools where students come ready to learn and that do not present the challenges we face on a daily basis but we choose to stay here. It is far too easy to slip into despair and negativity because of our challenges and begin to blame students, communities, and parents but we must remember that we chose our place in this educational setting because of what exists within ourselves to help. The desire to extend ourselves and share our talents to help the urban student grow and learn should be in the forefront of our hearts and minds as we take on this challenge. Pride in a job well done is required to build cultures in schools that inspire kids. We should remain thankful that we possess the skills and opportunity to inspire, mold, and educate the students who sit in front of us each day.

Terry Pearsall-Hargett
Principal

Our students are finally beginning to make the connection that their future is connected to their past and, in their case, what they are doing today. Just as we expect our students to make those connections so must we, as educators, begin to make some important connections. It seems to be a common concern among urban administrators that oftentimes teachers fail to make the connection that their deep seated beliefs about themselves and their students and how they subsequently portray themselves through their practice has a profound impact on urban students’ overall development.
Teachers need to understand that they represent more than just content to their students. They are role models, mentors, and examples of what young people should strive to be like. I often wonder if urban teachers, in general, really understand the influence and power they have over the physiological, physical, social, emotional and academic development of their students and the effect their attitudes have on the culture of their schools. Teachers are the soul of a school. Teachers have the ability to create an environment of success by the way they portray themselves in every aspect. Administrators are responsible to set the tone, establish procedures, and provide supports but teachers are the people that students connect with, look up to, admire, and strive to please- not administrators.

Far too often urban schools are plagued with teachers that have low expectations of themselves, sometimes unconsciously. Unfortunately, this often leads to low expectations for students. It is a common phenomenon because it is the path of least resistance and the easy way out of taking responsibility for one’s own actions or lack of actions. This way of operating on an individual level opens the door to point the finger at the students, the community, and the administration as the cause of low achievement. The reality is many of the answers to the problems that I hear as complaints lie within my teachers attitudes and the messages that they send to their students. Their attitudes manifest themselves as practices and beliefs that extend to students and before one realizes it, it has become internalized as the culture of a school. It is important for administrators to be vigilant of the development of negative school culture and brave enough to address it. Far too often this problem goes unaddressed and the culture of urban schools becomes toxic for learning and nurturing developing minds. This is when principals must be bold enough to examine the schools’ leadership and staff and brave enough to make changes. If the leadership has a positive and optimistic view of themselves, they are more likely to project this image to other teachers and ultimately to the students. Teachers must take responsibility for many aspects of their students’ development (social, physiological, emotional) and not just content development.

I realize it can be an uncomfortable experience to reflect on our own attitudes, values and beliefs because they are the foundation of our practices. To look inward and examine the impact of our own personal and collective practices on a school is critical for the school to develop the healthy attitudes, habits, and positive environment that each of our students is worthy of. Administrators can influence, but not force, teacher beliefs about themselves and their students. Teachers must believe personally that each student is worthy of their best. It is only then that teachers extend themselves in ways that develop students’ social, emotional, physiological, and academic development- because they know this is what is right from within themselves, not because someone tried to force them. It is not easy to face our own biases, challenges, and shortcomings but this is the only way we can grow individually and collectively. Our students are merely an image of ourselves. What we give is often what we receive. A teacher can have all of the knowledge, skills, and pedagogy that contributes to good classroom practices but it is what comes for our heart is what influences our students’ perceptions of themselves, and their subsequent behavior, the most.

Terry Pearsall-Hargett
Principal

At the end of every experience lies the beginning of another. As we approach the end of the school year our students are not only in the midst of taking their last benchmark exam but are also taking their very first final as a high school student. Assessment, regardless of our personal feelings about it, is a part of life not only in the field of education but is a part of life in general. Regardless of the type of career path we or our students have chosen or choose in the future, there is sure to be ongoing assessment of our ability, our work ethic, and our overall performance. Assessment, although it can oftentimes feel overwhelmingly present in the school environment, is a part of life and how we approach this topic with our students has a long standing effect on how well they are able to be accountable for themselves as they move from a structured school environment to a work world that expects you to perform at a proficient level without the constant input of a supervisor. Positive experiences with structured school assessments have an impact on how well students learn to assess themselves and their own progress, identify their personal strengths and weaknesses, develop their internal drive and work ethic, and most importantly how their self-confidence develops as they prepare to enter the world of work.

When I think back to the beginning of the school year I remember that one of the first things I ever said to this group of students is that they can achieve and that their only option is success. Within weeks they were complaining that the expectations were too high, that nobody had ever expected this much from them, and that they had never had to reach this high. The root of self-doubt and lack of academic confidence does not lie in lack of ability; rather, it lies in absence of high standards. This is one of the most important lessons we all needed to learn this year. Experiencing growth and progress and tracking that progress in a way that is tangible gave our students the personal experience with achievement they needed to reach for what it rightfully theirs. Throughout this year many of them have experienced a new level of academic success that they have not experienced in the past. Not to say that there haven’t been times throughout the year that I had to ask myself whether I felt they were maturing at a rate that could produce academic achievement because there have been many times that they have done and said things that make you wonder whether or not they are really getting the message. But for each period of doubt there has been an equal amount of hope- the message is getting through. As they talked to me this week about their last benchmarks and their very first final exams they surprised me- they did not complain. Instead, there was a level of acceptance that truly revealed the amount of personal and academic growth that has taken place in this group of students over the course of a year. As they prepared for their very first final exams, a right of passage for all high school students, they questioned what they had really learned throughout the year, how effectively their teachers had prepared them, and what these tests were truly a measure of- as a measure of accountability not only for themselves personally but for their teachers as well. Through these conversations with students it was clear that they see the connection between their own achievement and the standards to which their school and teachers hold them. They clearly expressed that they felt most prepared to be evaluated by the teachers that had held them to the highest standards throughout the year. The sincerity with which they approached these exams and the level of self-reflection in the area of student achievement they expressed is a clear sign that the message is getting though. They now care enough about their own success to reflect upon it themselves. Self-reflection is a priceless gift that they will carry with them for life.

Assessment is here to stay. If anything, it is about to intensify as we look at the assessment schedule for school year 09-10. As we move this group of students forward and begin to shape the new 9th graders who are coming in it is time to take a lesson from our own students- it is a time for self-reflection. This year, as teachers, what did we do that worked? What didn’t? What can we do better to reach all of our students, even those who prove to present us with difficult situations? Accountability is on all levels. In this day and age, it is no longer good enough to say “I taught it but they didn’t get it.” Our students’ success on mandated assessments is a measure of our own success as a teacher whether we want it to be or not. The numbers are what the world sees and judges us upon. They are not only a reflection of our students’ successes and failures but a measure of how well we are able to reach all of them, not just the few. Assessment is an important part of our district and nation right now. We may not always like or agree with it but this is our reality. How we embrace and present our students with the process of formal assessment has an insurmountable impact on how they embrace and approach formal assessment. As the age of formal assessment in the school district intensifies, we must stay keenly focused on our approach to it. We must learn to embrace it positively ourselves first before we can expect our students to do the same. We must see it as a measure of our own success as well as our students’ and use the results of these assessments not as a punishment but as a starting point for more focused and effective teaching and learning. As teachers, we truly are accountable for holding our students to high standards, expecting the best from them, believing in them, and doing everything in our power to help them succeed.

Terry Pearsall-Hargett
Principal