Our school was in crisis six years ago. Due to school choice, a
changing demographics, enrollment decline and student
achievement dipping, Wiley was at a critical crossroads. The
perception of Wiley as being a negative, non-choice for a school
had permeated our community. As a school leader who served as
the face of the school, it was disheartening to receive negative
barbs.
I truly believed that Wiley’s best days were ahead of them. I had
to dig deeply into my core beliefs as a person, educator and lead
learner. Those beliefs had to be articulated to our staff on a daily
basis. I had to build relationships with our teachers and have
many crucial conversations. Also, I had to build better
communication with parents to garner support. Furthermore, I
had to reach out to our school district for support. All of this
communication had to be rooted in sincerity, professionalism, and
doing what is best for our kids.
When we received the green light
to implement STEAM, the move
was to start it on a small scale.
We piloted a program with our
Sixth Grade Level Teachers. A
strategic plan was written with
involvement from teachers,
administrators, school district
leaders, community members
and parents. Sixth Grade
Teachers were trained in
Problem-Based Learning and
this process unified them into an
“Innovator Grade Level House.”
Sharing the story is another important lesson on this STEAM
Journey. As a principal, it is important to champion and promote
the vision in action. I used Twitter as a main source to promote
creative things happening in our classrooms. I also encouraged
teachers to do the same. My Twitter Posting was a bit frenzied at
times, but I am passionate about being championing our school’s
story. Others take positive notice of this and the perception shifts
to a more positive one. Tweeting also gave me an excuse to be
more visible and supportive in the classroom.
Partnerships serve as the
foundation for any
organization. I do believe
in the old adage of “It
takes a village.” Just as
our teachers value
collaboration to build
student achievement, I
believe that the
surrounding community
has a responsibility to
share a positive impact
within our schools.
Community Partnerships
are rarely going to fall on
one’s doorstep. I have
found that in order to
make things happen one must simply reach out and ask. Our
team pounded the proverbial pavement to reach out to
community partners who would be willing to share and support
of vision of “Inspiring Innovative Minds.” We found amazingly
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