Cultural Transformation (part 6 of 6): What's Next
Transforming the KCMSD into a district that works to provide educational achievement for all scholars isn't a fantasy that well wishing and positive thinking will make appear. But it is a reality that we have the collective power to create. To unleash that potency, we must first be aware of the current results and acknowledge our role in their creation: 1 in 4 KCMSD scholars is literate and numerate at grade level and we are responsible for having created that. Only when we fully own where we are (the current conversation & current results) can we then create where we want to be (the new conversation & new results).
As we accept responsibility for our district, the new conversation grows. Our scholar engagement, community engagement, faculty & administration, and governance cultures transform -- and along with them, new possibilities for each of our scholars emerge. Across the district, classroom by classroom, neighborhood meeting by neighborhood meeting, board meeting by board meeting, we hear the new conversation's urgent whisperings. As it grows louder, we see clearly "what's working", "what's not working/what's next" and hear the cultural transformation inherent in each.
You now have a choice: contribute to the dominant conversation by doing what you're already doing and, in so doing, ensure that we continue to create more of what we already have. Or commit to the creation of the new conversation -- the only path that leads to the transformation of our schools, our community and our region.
Labels: KCMSD, Transformation
Cultural Transformation (part 5 of 6): Governance
Finally, in the meetings and discussions of the school board, there are two competing conversations: "I am not to blame for what is not working in the district" and "We are fully responsible for everything that is working and not working in our district." One of these conversations inspires a sense of accountability for each and every one of our scholars and the other does not. One works to create a culture that is scholar-centered, achievement-focused, research-based and accountability-empowered and the other does not. These conversations reveal themselves in both the speaking and the actions of school board members. If we want something other than what we have now, we must begin to transform both.
One question, when explored without offering justifications or becoming defensive, that can begin to transform the conversation: to what extent do I see myself as the cause of the problem I'm committed to fixing? And after that: what promises am I willing to make to my peers? These questions, when pursued with the affirmation of their intent rather than the condemnation with which they can be interpreted, empower us to create the transformation we seek. Labels: KCMSD, Transformation
Cultural Transformation (part 4 of 6): Faculty & Administration
Within the faculty and administration discussions concerning the school district, there are two competing conversations: "I will teach those students that want to learn" and "We are responsible for the educational achievement of all of our scholars." One of these conversations generates a culture where anything is possible for our scholars and the other does not. One works to create a culture that is scholar-centered, achievement-focused, research-based and accountability-empowered and the other does not. These conversations reveal themselves in both the speaking and the actions of our faculty and administration. If we want something other than what we have now, we must begin to transform both.
One question, when explored without offering justifications or becoming defensive, that can begin to transform the conversation: how do I benefit from the KCMSD being the way it is now? And after that: what assumptions would I have to let go to create the learning environment my scholars need? These questions, when pursued as an access to opportunity rather than as an indictment of the past, create new openings for action and inspire us towards the transformation we seek. Labels: KCMSD, Transformation
Cultural Transformation (part 3 of 6): Community Engagement
Embedded in the community conversation about our school district, you can hear two competing conversations: "I see no hope for that district" and "We believe in what is possible for our district's scholars and we will act on that belief." One of these conversations leads to a culture of excellence for our scholars and one does not. One works to create a culture that is scholar-centered, achievement-focused, research-based and accountability-empowered and the other does not. These conversations reveal themselves in both the speaking and the actions of our community -- at work, at church, in our neighborhoods and in our homes. If we want something other than what we have now, we must begin to transform both.
One question, when explored without offering justifications or becoming defensive, can begin to transform the conversation: how have I contributed to us having the KCMSD we have now? And after that: what gifts do I have that I have not been using to support the scholars of the KCMSD? These questions, when seen through the spirit of restoration with which they're shared (rather than a spirit of retribution), empower us to assume ownership of our school district rather than endure the experience of being a victim of it.
One movement that seeks to inspire these very questions is rapidly gaining speed: BE 1!Labels: KCMSD, Transformation
Cultural Transformation (part 2 of 6): Scholar Engagement
National research describing what is required to bridge significant gaps that exist between subgroups of scholars point to similar conclusion with a key one being this: scholar engagement. Without a highly motivated learner, the entire process of education begins to breakdown. Our entire system of education must be transformed such that the lust for education inherent in all children is nurtured and encouraged. Scholars must tap into their motivation to engage and own their educational experience -- and as the adults in the system, we must reorganize our system of education to accommodate this need. The need for scholars to be highly engaged, highly motivated learners underscores the first of four cultural transformations necessary to turnaround our district. The culture of scholar engagement must transform from "I am not responsible for what happens in this building" to "We are engaged in this school and it is engaged in us." One group that has taken ownership of this transformation is the recently formed KCMSD Student Government. Honor their ownership in this way: when they call you, answer the call. We must always remember that whatever cultural norms our scholars have, they inherited from us. They are not the cause of what's not working in this district. We are. So whether or not our scholars create this cultural vision as their guide, all adults that live, work, worship or play within the boundaries of the KCMSD must create cultural transformations of our own. Labels: KCMSD, Transformation
Cultural Transformation (part 1 of 6): The Conversation
Listening to our scholars, our teachers, administrators, parents, union members, neighborhood leaders, community residents, businesswomen and men, civic leaders, titans of industry and more, you can hear the same thing: the precursors to wholesale cultural transformation. The cultural norms surrounding this district must be transformed to provide educational achievement for all scholars. That transformation is coming in four key sectors: scholar engagement, community engagement, faculty & administration, and governance. When the conversations guiding these four areas are transformed, we will be a district and a community that consistently provides our scholars with all that they deserve. As our school district returns to workability, so too will our local and regional economy. The fates of our communities and our entire region are inextricably interwoven with the fate of the Kansas City Missouri School District. We can choose to restore both.
To understand the culture of an institution, you need to listen to the conversations that describe it. As we transform the conversations, the behaviors and actions of the people within the district will be transformed as well. Over the next four posts, I'll share the conversations that can be heard surrounding scholar engagement, community engagement (our families, neighborhoods and civic leaders), administration & faculty (our curricular and instructional leaders) and governance (our elected board of education leaders that serve as the connectors between community engagement and faculty & administration). In the final post, I'll begin to discuss what's next for us as a community if our choice is to create a school district that works for all scholars. Labels: KCMSD, Transformation
What's Working: BE 1!
BE 1! -- Kansas City, Missouri School District's (KCMSD) grassroots, organizing effort to engage caring individuals in the lives of our scholars -- is predicated on two core beliefs: - Yes We Can! When we choose to stand together, we already have all of the resources, all of the talent, all of the energy required to restore this district and
- Yes They Can! Our scholars already have everything within themselves they need to succeed: the intellect, curiosity, ambition, discipline, desire, aspirations.
With these as core assumptions, restoring the KCMSD is less a matter of altering externalities and more a matter of choosing to be "the village." BE 1! will improve the educational achievement of our scholars AND transform the conversation, perception and reality of the KCMSD by ensuring that each of our 20,000 scholars are supported by at least 5 caring relationships -- 100,000 parents, teachers, mentors, advocates and tutors. To accomplish this, hundreds of volunteers across the region are hosting BE 1! meetings at their homes, places of work, places of worship, neighborhood meetings, SACs, PTAs and more. As Kansas Citians open their homes and their lives to a new conversation about what is possible for our scholars, our collective focus becomes less about adult issues and more about the scholars. In time, BE 1! envisions a community so personally invested in the affairs of our individual scholars that the distractions of the past become secondary. Our scholar's achievement becomes primary. If this vision of what is possible for our scholars, our district and our community speaks to you, join the movement today by visiting www.be1kc.org and contacting the BE 1! organizers to setup your BE 1! event at your home or organization: one@be1kc.org. Labels: KCMSD, What's Working
Why I Choose the KCMSD
I am the guardian of a 16yr old in the Kansas City, Missouri School District (KCMSD). A friend that knows me well understands my passion for public education. Despite this understanding, she still recently asked the all too familiar question, 'why is he in a KCMSD school?' Here are some facts: - I could send him to a private school
- I could send him to a charter school
- I could homeschool him (though we might kill each other)
- The KCMSD has challenges
- As a whole, the KCMSD is not doing well
- As a community, we deserve to be angry about this injustice
- Anger won't restore the KCMSD; engaged Kansas Citians will
- The KCMSD has several very good schools
- It is very possible to get a solid education from the KCMSD
- I am willing to do whatever is required to ensure that he gets a great education no matter which school -- public or otherwise -- that he attends
Given this lineup of realities, I choose to stand in solidarity with the multitude of families that have chosen the KCMSD for their children as well. Whether through the Afrikan-centered Campus, Lincoln Academy or the collection of strong academic institutions within the district, learning for deep understanding and high achievement occurs here every day. While some progress has been made, obviously, we have a long way to go. Better is still never good enough. It will require great effort to transform our district into an oasis of opportunity. But the same effort will be required to turn our neighborhoods into communities of choice. If we are strong enough to commit to one, then we would be wise to commit to both -- indeed, I do not believe either will occur apart from the other. To succinctly convey my perspective on this topic, I say this: - To those who have chosen to give up on public education: Though I have heard your pain and understand many of your concerns, I will not stand with you. Public education is the last hope for too many of our neighbors. I cannot see a way to divorce myself from them without allowing all else that I believe in to become estranged as well.
- To those who are thinking of giving up on public education: Hold hope. There is no end to what is possible when a community of people choose to BE 1! We must join the legion of sisters and brothers that are creating new possibilities for our schools. Collectively, we will find our way through this darkness. And the light we bring will shine brightly on all Kansas Citians.
- To those who choose to stand for a viable school district: I proudly stand with you.
Labels: KCMSD
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