In the time of COVID – Developing the vaccine, and much more.
From isolation to partnerships. See Addenda A & B.
“I just might have a problem that you'll understand - we all need somebody to lean on.” [i]
Perhaps there is almost as much dialogue going on between school districts, also hidden from view. Much sharing of good ideas, in-depth conversations exploring the problems they share, honest confessions about what is not going well—and a reaching out for possible answers. Perhaps this is especially true in the metro area, where 12 districts are practically neighbors, where the discussions can easily take place (in normal times) in person – over coffee, lunch, a drink. Where the same realities that transcend public education in and around Denver—poverty, immigration, racism, housing and homelessness, health and nutrition—are felt by all.
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… the most astonishing thing about trees is how social they are. The trees in a forest care for each other, sometimes going so far as to nourish the stump of a felled tree for centuries after it was cut down by feeding it sugars and other nutrients, and so keeping it alive. The reason trees share food and communicate is that they need each other… it’s not surprising that isolated trees have far shorter lives than those living connected together in forests. From the Foreword to The Hidden Life of Trees, by Timothy Flannery |
Not Invented Here (NIH)
"When NIH hinders the reception of knowledge, negative consequences are likely to occur."[ii]
What I see are districts acting much
like little fiefdoms, walled cities, each determined to meet common challenges in
their own unique way. Why? Because No one knows our context. We can’t
simply adopt what might be working across town – because that is not who we
are! In short, to borrow a term from the business community, NIH.
The more favorable interpretation
of this is that we are a local control state. Our Governor, our legislature, and
our State Board of Education lack the power available in many other states to
enforce “guidelines.” OK, let this be a strength; let each district be a
“laboratory for education reform.”
Am I my brother’s keeper?
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From Dr. Jose Abrego’s application to be superintendent:
“As the
new superintendent I will outline the steps that the district must follow to
achieve success… Individuals will not have a choice on whether to follow the
plan or to teach in their own manner. A scientific framework will be
successful only if implemented correctly. Therefore, principals will have to
monitor their staff for compliance … “[iii]
FROM AV #150 - Adams 14 School District - YEAR 5 on CLOCK, New SuperiNtEndent, July 19, 2016 |
Districts go to school – with each
other
We need to believe: We are in this together, we desperately need to talk with
and learn from each other. It is one way to reduce the number of missteps
we are making. Two heads—12 heads—are better than one.
A member of the State Board might wonder if any of these districts and schools actually communicate with each other. Adams 14, Aurora, Denver, Westminster – each has come before the state board explaining how, this time, they will get it right, they will bring about the transformation of their low-performing schools, promising every strategy is “evidence-based” and “consistent with the research.” Logical, when their strategies often clash? “Mapleton offers schools that are small-by-design with different education models”[iv]; Aurora will close a small school because “the economics of it, even at full capacity, are below sustainability for our traditional financial model.”[v] District 27J moves to a four-day week; meanwhile, a few miles south, in Denver, a number of schools use their greater autonomy to add time to the school week.[vi] Can both “sides” be right? Are we listening to and learning from—or talking past—one another?
The main principle behind these
mixed messages? Our situation is “unique.” We must do our own thing.
Collaboration in smaller rural
districts – relevant for large urban districts too?
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… four decades ago, scientists
noticed something on the African savannah. The giraffes there were feeding on
umbrella thorn acacias, and the trees did not like this one bit. It took the
acacias mere minutes to start pumping toxic substances into their leaves to
rid themselves of the large herbivores. The giraffes got the message and
moved on… The reason for this behavior is
astonishing. The acacia trees that
were being eaten gave off a warning gas (specifically, ethylene) that
signaled to neighboring trees of the same species that a crisis was at hand.
Right away, all the forewarned trees also pumped toxins into their leaves to
prepare themselves.” From “The Language of
Trees” - The Hidden Life of Trees |
At the “State of Reopening Education in the State of Colorado,” [vii] a video conference hosted by the Colorado Education Initiative and the Colorado Children’s Campaign last fall, we heard Bree Jones, Superintendent of La Veta (enrollment 206) and George Welsh, Superintendent of Cañon City School District (enrollment 3,275), speak with pride of their work with other districts.
I recently featured some of the work of the Student-Centered Accountability Program, which has rallied several rural districts to a common cause.[viii] Hardly neighbors. It is over 250 miles from Bree Jones in La Veta, not far from New Mexico, to the Buffalo school district, just south of Wyoming. Ditto the distance from Buena Vista to Holyoke, and from Monte Vista to Huxtan. And yet these six districts, and another eight, have created a strong network.
Superintendent Jones spoke of the power of her district’s new “partners” located all across the state. Superintendent Welsh spoke of expanded ties with two other districts there in Fremont County.
A question for 12 metro area districts: Is more of
this possible here? Are we all really so “unique”?
Bree Jones, Superintendent, La Veta School
District RE-2
(Bold mine)
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“But why are trees such social beings? Why do they share food
with their own species and sometimes even go so far as to nourish their
competitors? The reasons are the same as for human communities: there are
advantages to working together. A tree is not a forest. On its own, a tree
cannot establish a consistent local climate. It is at the mercy of wind and
weather. But together, many trees create an ecosystem that moderates extremes
of heat and cold, stores a great deal of water, and generates a great deal of
humidity. To get to this point, the community must remain intact no matter
what. If every tree were looking
out only for itself, then quite a few of them would never reach old age…”
From “Friendships” - The
Hidden Life of Trees |
“The
power of that network in rural schools – I think it’s probably powerful
everywhere - but in rural
districts it’s very powerful for sharing learning and not making the same
mistakes as our partner school systems. And we’re getting better faster as a result of that collaboration. I
think it is one of the most exciting things that’s happening in my school
system.”
George Welsh, Superintendent, Canon City RE-1 School District
"I've seen more collaboration among system leaders than I've ever seen in my career, and by God I hope that continues as we go forward no matter what it looks like."
Welsh then spoke of the collaboration
underway among three Fremont County districts:
Cotopaxi Consolidated RE-3, Fremont RE-2, and Canon
City Schools.
“Our three districts started to
ask each other: why can’t we
deconstruct some of the barriers between the school districts and open up the best opportunities we offer
to kids in our own district to kids in all the other districts.
“We’re trying to create a Fremont County collaborative which means any class I can offer (in one
district) that earns college credit or industry certification is available to
students in the other two districts as well. It can be the best of both worlds.”
“If every tree were looking out …” Or, if every district is looking out only
for itself… What if, instead, our 12 metro area districts imagine they
share one ecosystem – and look out for one another?
Addendum A
Collaboration - Key to developing the vaccine
for COVID-10
“Strength in numbers”
“In recent
weeks, doctors, researchers, engineers and scientists from all fields of
knowledge around the world have worked together tirelessly to confront the
coronavirus outbreak with an unprecedented spirit of collaboration.
“There is
strength in numbers. We learn more, and faster, together – and the pandemic is underscoring the critical role of
international collaboration on the frontiers of science and technology.”
Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General,
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, “COVID-19: Collaboration is the engine of global
science- Especially for Developing Countries,” World Economic Forum,
May 15, 2000. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/global-science-collaboration-open-source-covid-19/
“Inside the unprecedented collaboration to create the
COVID-19 vaccine”
“As the United States sees record COVID-19
cases, deaths and hospitalizations, a pair of vaccines went to the FDA for
emergency approval after unprecedented collective efforts by doctors,
scientists, government and pharmaceutical companies.
Molly Hunter, Sunday TODAY, NBC, Dec. 6, 2000 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PQfli83Pmo
“COVID-19 vaccine: Scientists credit collaboration, prior research for speedy development”
“In less than a year, a COVID-19 vaccine is
ready to go. For a process that typically takes several years, the speed of the
vaccine is unprecedented.
“‘It's
unprecedented in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, with
industry, with manufacturers, with government,’ said Dr. Gregory Huhn,
vaccination coordinator for Cook County Health.”
Addendum B
Covid – cooperation and connections
(Bold mine)
From Time, “This is What the Future Looks Like,” by
Jamie Ducharme, Feb. 15, 2021.
“Part of coexisting
with COVID-19 may mean recognizing the need for cooperation, whether
it’s getting vaccinated to contribute to herd immunity; wearing a mask to
prevent spreading the virus; consenting to regular testing or contact tracing
to help with monitoring; or adhering to the guidelines set out by local health
authorities if an outbreak emerges.”
**
From The Economist, “Global lessons from the
pandemic,” by Sir Keir Starmer, Winter 2021
“One lesson for all
countries, regardless of how they performed individually, is the need for better
global co-operation…. In 2021 countries must get around the table—showing
leadership, speed and preparedness—and take coordinated action on health and
the economy. We can defeat this pandemic and build a better future, but we
can only do it together.”
**
David Byrne, former member of Talking Heads, The Wall
Street Journal, “Connect and Connect and Connect,” March 28-29, 2000.
“I ask myself, is there something we can learn from this, something that
will allow us to better weather the next crisis, some different way of being
that might make us stronger?...
“In its own terrible way, the virus is showing us … how intricately
we are connected. It’s revealing the man ways our lives intersect almost
without our noticing. It’s also showing us just how tenuous our existence becomes
when we try to abandon those connections and distance ourselves from one
another…
“For many of us, our belief in the value of the collective good has
eroded in recent decades. But in an emergency, beliefs can change. Here is
an opportunity to see that we really are all connected—and adjust our behavior
accordingly.”
**
Dr. Jamil Zaki, professor at Stanford University “Habits
of Kindness That Will Endure – Disasters remind us that we depend on
each other,” The Wall Street Journal, March 28-29, 2020.
In contrast to
hurricanes, earthquakes, and even terrorist attacks that “take place in just
seconds,” Jamil Zaki writes, “the Covid-19 catastrophe will stretch out for
much longer, and the sustained struggle ahead presents an opportunity to
reboot our culture and turn this interconnected moment into a habit.”
“This crisis offers a chance to build a new normal… Months, years and
decades from now, the effects of the pandemic will linger in the form of
economic strain and long-term health problems. We will continue to need each
other more than before. We must continue to help each other more, too.”
Addendum C
In writing this
newsletter, I was reminded of, or learned about, several organizations and
efforts, now in place—or coming
soon, where we see collaboration between districts.
COMING SOON!
1. “The Colorado Education Initiative is launching the Rural
Superintendent Academy (RSA) in partnership with George Welsh, a 24-year
veteran superintendent with extensive experience in rural settings, and the
Boettcher Foundation.” https://www.coloradoedinitiative.org/projects/rural-superintendent-academy/
2. My thanks to Hi Howard, Executive/Program Director of Front
Range BOCES:
The Front Range BOCES has been
“asked to help launch and facilitate a cross-district community of
practice focused on learning and sharing specific innovations and practices
they are discovering that work, move the needle etc. and deeper challenges they
have when those needles aren't moving. The participants will be leaders in the
curriculum and instruction divisions.”
3. Recovery Summer for Colorado kids – Colorado Education Initiative. See “Advancing Summer Opportunities to Stem Pre-K – 5 Learning Loss and Accelerate High School Engagement” - https://www.coloradoedinitiative.org/summer-recovery-coalition/
[COMMENT: CEI’s
website lists over 50 partners supporting this work! How great!!!]
IN PLACE
4. My thanks to Judith Martinez for pointing out a number of RISE grants that feature partnerships between and/or across districts.[ix] A few examples:
- St. Vrain Valley
Schools: $2.8
million for the development of a full-time summer literacy program for
kindergarten through fifth graders at schools with lower performance in
the Cheraw, Estes Park, Las Animas, Montezuma-Cortez, and Sheridan school
districts.
- Academy 360 Charter
School: $595,700
for 11 charter schools in the Denver metro area to extend the school year
to address learning loss for high-needs students.
·
Elizabeth School District: $555,909
for a partnership between Big Sandy, Calhan, Elbert, and the
Colorado Education Initiative to develop intentional career pathways in
cybersecurity, construction, and agriculture.
- Adams State
University: $2.6
million to create a robust program across all 14 San Luis Valley School
Districts, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of San Luis Valley.
The goal is to prepare San Luis Valley students to meet rapidly changing
industry demands that fuel the region’s economic growth and vitality.
5. My thanks to the
co-chairs/facilitators of DASSC, Dr. Ewert and Dr. Fiedler, for this
information:
“The
Denver Area School Superintendent Council – “DASSC
consists of 23 superintendents from the metro area... from Fort Collins
and Greeley down to Douglas County and Elizabeth.” From Dr. Brian Ewert, superintendent,
Littleton School District.
Other groups include the
Northern Superintendents and the Pikes Peak Superintendents; (also] Eastern
Plains and Western Slope superintendents [that often] “form their groups around their local BOCES - [e.g.] the East Central BOCES
in Limon.” From Dr. Chris Fiedler, superintendent, District 27J.
[i]
Lyrics from “Lean on Me,” by
Bill Withers (1972) - https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billwithers/leanonme.html
[ii]
NIH –That quote comes from Opening the Black
Box of "Not-Invented-Here": Attitudes, Decision Biases, and
Behavioral Consequences by David Antons and Frank T. Piller of
RWTH Aachen University. Taken from this article,
“Does Your Organization Have the Not Invented Here
Syndrome?” by Oana-Maria Pop, March 26, 2015 - https://blog.hypeinnovation.com/the-not-invented-here-syndrome
This reference to NIH appeared in Time magazine recently: “… there’s not a lot of good information sharing. There’s a lot of not-invented here syndrome, where people won’t consider a good idea if they didn’t come up with it.” Anat Shenker-Osario – Time, “How We Came Close, The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the Election,” By Molly Ball, Feb. 15, 2021.
[iv] “Mapleton offers schools that are small-by-design with
different education models, including Expeditionary Learning (EL),
International Baccalaureate, STEM, University Partnership, Big Picture, Young
Adult, and online, to name a few.” https://www.mapleton.us./Page/1287
Of 18 schools
in Mapleton, 10 enroll roughly 500 students at the most, and of those 5 enroll fewer
than 300 students.
Enrollment –
fall 2000.
Global
Intermediate Middle School - 292
Mapleton
Early College High School - 270
Global
Leadership Academy (9-12) - 269
Global
Primary Academy - 269
Big Picture
College and Career Academy (9-12) -113
NOTE:
Mapleton is hardly alone.
Westminster
Public Schools - 6 elementary schools
enroll under 300 students
Jefferson
County School District - over 30 schools
enroll under 300 students
[v] “The two elementary schools recommended to close this year, Lyn Knoll and Aurora Century, have among the fewest students in the district. Century is at less than half its capacity, with about 230 students. Lyn Knoll is designed as a small school and is at capacity with fewer than 250 students.
“‘Lyn Knoll is a very small school and the
economics of it, even at full capacity, are below sustainability for our traditional
financial model,’ (Superintendent Rico) Munn said.” https://co.chalkbeat.org/2020/11/20/21587845/aurora-proposes-permanent-school-closures-blueprint-plans-shifting-enrollment
Enrollment - fall 2000 (CDE data- 2020-2021
Pupil Membership https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/pupilcurrent)
Lyn Knoll Elementary – 274
Century Elementry – 254
[vi] KIPP Schools – “By providing outstanding educators, an extended school day and year, our KIPP Through College program, and a strong culture of achievement, KIPP Colorado is helping all students build the skills needed to make it not only to, but through, college and toward a life of choice and opportunity.” https://kippcolorado.org/about/
Grant
Beacon Middle School – “At the heart of our new approach is an extended school day
that added five hours each week. We are using that time to offer
enrichment programming, advanced classes, student leadership development and
interventions. We also increased time in some of our core subjects.” (Bold
mine)
[vii]
“State
of Reopening Education in the State of Colorado,” video
event hosted by the Colorado Education Initiative and the Colorado Children’s
Campaign, Nov. 13, 2020, https://vimeo.com/479128702.
[viii]
AV #223 - Accountability: Besides PSAT/SAT, how else can high schools
measure their performance? - https://anotherviewphj.blogspot.com/
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