Saturday, March 15, 2008

Schools that Change

In Schools that Change: Evidence-Based Improvement and Effective Change Leadership, Lew Smith describes schools with a commitment to change:

"In these schools, 'satisfaction is derived from professional work accomplished together and from the achievement of students' (Ogden & Germinaro, 1995, p.7). In these schools, the principal served as an instructional leader, making sure everyone understood the message that all students could achieve. Conversations about students, teaching, new ideas, and vision were encouraged and valued. The staff welcomed research findings and found great merit in professional development. Time was provided to ask the hard questions, research and reassess, and take risks. These collegial schools constantly raised the bar for all students and staff."


I wonder how many teachers can identify all of these qualities in their schools? I wonder how many students would say their schools fit this description?