I almost didn’t write a post today. I had given myself a free pass, of sorts, when I wrote my last post two weeks ago, ending with, “As summer is quickly coming to an end, and with our oldest son’s wedding in less than a week… I will take a planned break from writing. I look forward to returning to this space after the dust has settled.”
There are lots of reasons I almost took the free pass, including time needed to gear up for the upcoming school year, read emails, prepare a PD session, complete last-minute house chores that didn’t get done this summer, and breathe before the school routine returns. Additionally, as I’ve written before, maintaining this blog can be a chore depending on my mindset. It’s a commitment that takes time and thought, and can sometimes – often times – feel daunting.
Jon Gordon’s daily inspiration from August 14 got my fingers tapping, though. It would be easy to skip one more week, but I know the benefits of writing: 1) better processing of learning 2) a sense of accomplishment 3) a step toward meeting my goals with this blog.
The week ahead brings five full days of professional development in FMCSD, after ending last week with two full days of professional development. Seven days of prep before the students come – Wow. How can we not be better, professionally, than we were two weeks ago???
The two days of professional development with Solution Tree last week could result in several blogposts of their own. Instead, I will attempt to succinctly summarize the two days of learning. In short: Find your “North Star” and work to contribute to building a strong system to reach that North Star.
Solution Tree consultants Brandon Jones and Jason Andrews both talked about identifying your North Star: “What is it that lights our path and guides our path along the way?” When we know the “Why” of our system it keeps us on track even during difficult times, and it supports us in avoiding “stopping places” or “dangerous detours.”
As I listened in on different FMCSD team conversations related to their North Star, I heard a range of ideas, including “Retirement” – YIKES! and “High levels of learning for all students” – WHEW! With such a wide gap of North Stars, and with plenty of varying North Stars in between, it became evident that our district needs to clearly identify and communicate the FMCSD North Star.
If our North Star is in alignment with or identical to our mission: “… to ensure all students learn the academic and life skills necessary for personal success and responsible living,” then it would make sense that each team and individual within the district align their North Star with that mission.
As we were reminded over those two days with Solution Tree, a mission means nothing without action. And action is best taken within a robust system that has a clear purpose.
Educators continue to take action, working incredibly hard for their students, but can unknowingly get caught in the trap of not recognizing the need for change and discomfort in the name of growth. The other trap we can fall into is waiting for others to lead the charge and confront dissent. Solution Tree consultant Luis Cruz reminded us that we all need to be transformational leaders and to lean into the idea of mutual accountability.
Traditional school systems were designed to address the learning needs of some, not all, and promoted teaching in isolation. The journey to ensuring high levels of learning for all within a robust and collaborative system is long. As Jason Andrews reminded us: “There are no shortcuts on this journey.” The work along the journey is not easy. As Luis Cruz reminded us: “Struggle is expected when the system wasn’t designed for doing this work.”
So as we gear up for the 2025-2026 school year with some tough work and a long journey in front of us, may we keep the following in mind:
