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Leading Mathematics in Urban Districts. Opportunities and Challenges. Cathy Seeley cseeley@mail.utexas.edu Charles A. Dana Center The University of Texas at Austin November 3, 2009. Communicating a Vision Using the Power of People Pacing Yourselves. Leadership. Communicating a Vision.
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Leading Mathematics in Urban Districts Opportunities and Challenges Cathy Seeley cseeley@mail.utexas.edu Charles A. Dana Center The University of Texas at Austin November 3, 2009
Communicating a Vision Using the Power of People Pacing Yourselves Leadership
All students doing meaningful mathematics using appropriate tools
Equity and access Engagement Important mathematics Resources Learning All students doing meaningful mathematics using appropriate tools
State and federal mandates Community issues How big? How many? Where the schools are in the process Resources available Customizing the Vision
Council of Chief State School Officers and National Governors Association National, state-led process (48 states + DC + terr.; voluntary implementation/consideration) College and career readiness ‘standards’ first, then K-12 ‘standards’ Ten standards (mathematical practice, number, quantity, expressions, equations, functions, modeling, shape, coordinates, probability, statistics) Common Core Standardscorestandards.org
Fewer, clearer, higher Evidence (includes sources of evidence…) Internationally benchmarked (informed by the content/rigor/organization of high-performing countries and states) Special populations Assessment (standards will lead to a system of high quality assessments) Curriculum (will continue to be local and state decision) 21st century skills Common Core Standardscorestandards.org
It’s not just your job. If/when you’re gone, who will be left? What will make it sustainable? Using the Power of People
Give them opportunities Arm them Support them Trust them Using leadership networks
Opportunities rarely present themselves in ideal circumstances. They probably aren’t going to retire or die any time soon, so you might as well find a way to work with them. One reason you probably are still an educator is because you care whether, what, and which students learn. Things I have learned about life as a leader and change facilitator…
Patience Perseverence Public Relations Staying the course
Don’t tell everything Focus on developing problem solving and thinking Talk with your students and listen to what they say Help students learn to reflect on their own and their fellow students’ work Encourage, nurture, support students What we ask of teachers…
Don’t tell everything Focus on developing problem solving and thinking Talk with your students and listen to what they say Help students learn to reflect on their own and their fellow students’ work Encourage, nurture, support students Can we do what do we ask of teachers?
Don’t tell everything Help teachers act from a professional knowledge base Talk with your students and listen to what they say Help students learn to reflect on their own and their fellow students’ work Encourage, nurture, support students Can we do what do we ask of teachers?
Don’t tell everything Help teachers act from a professional knowledge base Talk with your teachers and listen to what they say Help students learn to reflect on their own and their fellow students’ work Encourage, nurture, support students Can we do what do we ask of teachers?
Don’t tell everything Help teachers act from a professional knowledge base Talk with your teachers and listen to what they say Help teachers learn to reflect on their own and other teachers’ work Encourage, nurture, support students Can we do what do we ask of teachers?
Don’t tell everything Help teachers act from a professional knowledge base Talk with your teachers and listen to what they say Help teachers learn to reflect on their own and other teachers’ work Encourage, nurture, support teachers Can we do what do we ask of teachers?
What else do we ask of teachers that you can ask of yourself as a leader with teachers? Can we do what do we ask of teachers?
Not enough community support Not enough administrative support Not enough resources Not enough trained teachers Too much pressure about THE TEST Politics Challenges we (all) face…
For your school, district or region, identify a challenge (an obstacle) to improving mathematics teaching and learning. Choose one challenge from your table. What is something that you’re pretty sure won’t work to address that challenge? Issues and Challenges
Effective Leadership Efficient Leadership Getting Results Leading for Results
Actions/Interventions that are appropriate—what they need when they need it are personal take the long view are strategic Effective Leadership
Actions/Interventions that don’t waste time (yours or teachers’) waste energy (yours or teachers’) waste resources (yours or teachers’) Efficient Leadership
Doing a good intervention at the wrong time or with the wrong people is inefficient. Efficient Leadership
Investments vs. Expenses Efficient Leadership
Building relationships is always an investment. We need to spend the time to let things happen. Investments
Leadership to get what you want what your community demands what your teachers and students need Leadership for Results
Courage Personal Leadership Action What does it take from you?
Courage • Changing what you do is hard and scary. • Changing what you believe is harder and scarier. • Changing what others believe is even harder and scarier.
to seek out knowledge about what works to imagine what is possible to advocate high quality mathematics learning for every student to actively reach out beyond your classroom, institution, or school system Personal Leadership
Action • One thing you will do by Monday • One thing you will do long-term • Remember that it’s about more than things to do…
Helping teachers develop their personal leadership Being an effective change agent/facilitator Being … Your Leadership
Helping teachers develop their personal leadership Being an effective change agent/facilitator Being sensitive, perceptive, persistent, politically savvy, inspirational, visionary, hard-working, invisible, smart, trustworthy, selfless, respected, courageous, enthusiastic, committed, provocative, compassionate, patient, accepting, challenging, creative, tactful, versatile, professional, provoking, enabling, encouraging, resourceful, goal-focused, insightful, assertive, organized, pleasant, truthful, strategic, effective, efficient … Your Leadership
You can make it happen… You’re a leader.
E-mail (for a link to a pdf of the slides):cseeley@mail.utexas.edu Cathy’s new book (May 2009): Faster Isn’t Smarter--Messages About Math, Teaching, and Learning in the 21st Century(a resource for teachers, families, leaders, and policy makers) National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) http://nctm.org Check out my websites: http://cathyseeley.comhttp://csinburkinafaso.com
Telling the truth Personal Vision Personal Mastery Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline, 1994
Telling the truth Personal Vision: What’s important to you? What do you care about? What drives you, motivates you? What are you passionate about? Why do you put up with all that stuf? Personal Mastery
