Jan Berry, Nick Broussard Panel Presentation at SPU 11/19/04
To Dos Based on the Presentation
Jan Berry
1. "36 years, 12 years superintendent Central Kitsap (4), Issaquah (8). Started high school journalism, district curriculum (english hs curriculum coordinator), Ass Sup. Business and Operations, Ass Sup Instruction and Curriculum, Deputy Peoria AR, most experience in 12,000-16,000 student districts"
2. "focus primarily on instruction and the challenges of the standards movement. Pulled to political, financial side. CK failed 3 levies. (Contract w/ America, anti-tax time) Cut 10 million dollars from district budget. Internal and external politics....out of that state and national superintendent of the year. 1996. Allowed me to learn across the country and enabled me to put my own world into perspective. Out of that experience, Issaquah was 12,000 students. Going into the right place is an important part of the superintendency. I thought it was a good match...growing rapidly. Bond failed and I was back in the same spin. We thought we would have to go to year long multi-tracking. It took three times to pass the bond. Community building day and night."
3. 2002 Teacher Strike. Managing the district since that time has been quite a challenge. "Reentry Plan" after the Strike. You know that most superintendents leave after a strike or are asked to leave.
Vision for Improving Student Learning
4. Michael Fullan is the closest to right on in our profession. His advise for change is solid and makes sense. Most of the leadership I have had has been based on Fulan. The Meaning of Education Change You will never get there if you lead by compliance. Most of what we do just becomes part of the problem. AYP is becoming part of the problem.
Students and parents and educators working together for increased capacity. Learning organizations have to move beyond the status quo. No one more important for change than the principal or blocking change. As superintendents we need to engage our principals in capacity building. They need to respect you. Moving with you will produce the results.
5. Capacity building is making meaning together...with parents, with high school students.
6. Issaquah coming to grips with changing diversity and we can’t coast. Work of Tomlinson and “differentiation”. Can be terrifying. We have several schools that moved into tiered lessons. We are at about 14% diversity. We see the demographics changing.
7. Look for a good match like a principal does. Arizona. Headhunter. Curious thing. Geography was there and then I started asking all of those questions. Sup to lead or Sup to control??????????? Does the Board want to lead? Networking, primary research.
8. A good Search Consultant will help you work this out. At time of Issaquah, he said this is why I think this is a good fit and less of a fit over this. I learned to trust the Search Consultant. I agree to be who you are.
9. Network. Really a wonderful professional community. Marvelous colleagues.
10. yesterday a 10th grade girl shadowed me...she choose me because interested in a political career
11. tolerance for abiguity compared to be a principal....everything in district changing, unclear
12. We are teaching each other to work with data. We really didn’t. Inform decisions for the real kids. Exciting LID Day, district-wide Putting the Face on the Data. First time, looked at real kids by name. Video taped central office guidance. Teaching ourselves to use data. I sat with two elementary schools as they went through the video guidance. Looked at real guidance and real kids. Predict if they would be at standard by 4th grade....absolutely thrilling what people could do with data in the right situation. At times, underestimating kids and other times overoptimistic. Continuous Progress Improvement at each school. (huge paradym shift in our district...moved from what staff was doing to what students are doing)
13. Leading with your ego then you are going the wrong place. Age and experience if you are there for the right reasons. Reentry plan sitting out within 6 weeks and talking closely. What is wrong and what will set it right. How are we going to make it right together. That allowed me to develop an action agenda. That forced me to a conclusion that hard working staff members were the wrong people to lead going forward. Can these people lead and I had to make changes. Thoughtful, right reasons, without ego on the basis of many listening points and synthesized. To not be running around. Have to be listening and make meaning out of what you hear.
14. I used to talk balance but I don’t live in balance now. I used to listen to people talk about how they achieve balance and I don’t see it in similar positions. Passionate, committeed. Four children grown. Didn’t do while my children were little. It is a time of life that I can live in a hard working, passionate way. I make that choice. I realize there are certain things that I need to do. I find time to exercise. Husband retired District Administrator and great man.
15. My Boards have cared about me as a person. The difference between work and play goes back and forth.
Nick Broussard
1. “recently hired Edmonds SD, before 10 years at Tumwater and before that Bulington Edison, Director Secondary, 4 years Ass. Principal. SU, PLU. Ephrada. 21st year in education.
2. Personal reflections. I was 35 years old and had just finished the doc. Program. If you are a principal then I don’t recommend going straight to the superintendency. It is not the same. Learn at the district office. There will be a Search Consultant. Typically don’t contact the School Board members. I don’t think that you have to have a laser like vision for that district. Growing kids, liked Tumwater. I was ready the last year and gave myself a 2 year window. Wanted a good district and didn’t want to start again. Edmonds was the only district that I applied for other than Tumwater. This is my strongest point of this job dance. I don’t think you should contort yourself to try to match their vision. I think that you should show who you are. If there is a good fit then you can be who you are.
It is a relationship that you are talking about. You will learn about the Board. I didn’t know whether I wanted to be Edmonds until I heard their tone about why they ran for the Board. All professionals and wanted to give back. I like the five Board members. I don’t think there is a perfect district or a perfect school. Districts in challenging situations need good leaders too.
3. Search Consultants are not necessarily good. Some try to put together their pool. Keep your feet on the ground. They can be very helpful. Edmonds hired a facilatator who ran the process and involved stakeholders. Clean process.
4. the best foundation for the next job is the job you are doing now. Strong recommendations.
5. I haven’t felt stress. This is the one I enjoy the most. I like to drive the car. Cool some and warm others. It is really wonderful. What a wonderful way to make a postive difference for kids. It is our turn now. If a challenge then be glad that you can do the work. At end of the most frustrating day you know you are fighting the good fight.
Missed levy by 14 votes and so frustrated....wasn’t our district. Thought about it. Feelings and thoughts and my kids got up and they were thinking about breakfast that day. We couldn’t throw in the towel. I pulled the people back together and we came together.
David Steele really painful year or two but stayed with it. Who is going to do it if not us.
6. I didn’t set out to to be a superintendent. Like to get things done. Don’t let others detract you from doing the right thing that You want to do. Fire, policeman or superintendent....we need good, strong people. They are tough jobs but we are doing the right fight. Same as why I want to be a teacher.
7. Identify gaps. Good work. Careful as a leder...not monlithic with change. Elementary teachers crying before conference while others need to be motivated. Differentiate message and behavior. Calming some and challenging others. If lose love then get so much push back then can’t align the curriculum. They will be in different places. Some at the cutting edge and others at the b category. Others looking at their watch and hanging out. Need leaders to be moving forward. If every form went away then would we be doing the same things in our clssroom. In the absence of the WASL or.....Student achievement should be number 1. In some systems adult behavior becomes the focus. As a superintendent have to keep eye on the North Star. Adjust your behavior to meet the audience.
We have an initative because of a committee and I got to ask if it reflected student learning. $200,000. What are we going to stop doing to pay for this.
8. I prefer a flat organization. Annual open agenda meetings. At least once a year I will meet with every Parent Group and every Staff....advertised through newsletters and they can ask any question...I learn what the issues are. Gets rid of the unasked questions. Anyone can ask the superintendent. Available and transparent. Others below learn to do the same thing.
9. Ass. Superintendent and a principal fighting over a bathroom in a portable. I ended up disagreeing with the ass. Sup. And I told him that he could change the decision or I can change it. He came back and said that it was my pride. Never personal for me. “What is best for student learning.” I have never played politics based on who they are. I stay on point and always decide based on what matters. Legislators will get the unedited version from me. If you chase shadows and mirrors then what do you stand for.
10. Be more intested in doing what is right then being right. Earlier in my career I cared more about being right. When you can get to the point that the work is more important....Board member change lunches and she called me when I was the Superintendent. What is the line? This didn’t make sense. What are you wiling to take a stand on. Not just whose wind is in the sales.
11. Fortune to work with wonderful Board members. Planned day of action and pretty conservative Board. Month before the action, if teachers decide then I expect you to run school. I said thank you and 2 weeks later I sent out my notes and looked at safety and said that I wouldn’t run school that day. Board said that I was very clear and I was wrong and you made the right decision. We hired the right person. I didn’t know what would happen. I had been in the job for a few years and I explained in my notes. One board member and I was accountable to the whole board. Board members need good information and they really don’t want your job. They are so glad that they have a professional to handle the hard issues. You don’t have to agree all of the time. That is healthy. Set them free. Don’t have to have a chorus line. When time to agree, make the best decision and if wrong then change.
12. Balance, Family 4, Seasons....balance looks different for different people. Look out after a week. Family 4...hired at Tumwater. I was pretty honest “I will work hard...I will block out 4 hours for my family every day...meetings at night then I will block out 4 hours for my kids and family. I stay in better shape, happier, make better decisions and delegate better.
Seasons like levy/bond or issues...sometime feel like swallowed alive and just in it. Season. Suck it up and head into the wind for the short time...go right back to Family 4 and balance. If get into patterns over months and years then will really affect your family, health. Life beyond work and helps with passion and efficacy. The job that you are in you have already been tested. Draw your lines. Can’t get pure separation and I am going to live my life embedded into my work. I am involved with my family and my wife. I am a good dad and husband and you will probably get a better superintendent.
- pictures of d/f students and predict what will happen to them
- Open Agenda Parent Meeting....and Open Agenda Staff Meeting
- Family 4
Jan Berry
1. "36 years, 12 years superintendent Central Kitsap (4), Issaquah (8). Started high school journalism, district curriculum (english hs curriculum coordinator), Ass Sup. Business and Operations, Ass Sup Instruction and Curriculum, Deputy Peoria AR, most experience in 12,000-16,000 student districts"
2. "focus primarily on instruction and the challenges of the standards movement. Pulled to political, financial side. CK failed 3 levies. (Contract w/ America, anti-tax time) Cut 10 million dollars from district budget. Internal and external politics....out of that state and national superintendent of the year. 1996. Allowed me to learn across the country and enabled me to put my own world into perspective. Out of that experience, Issaquah was 12,000 students. Going into the right place is an important part of the superintendency. I thought it was a good match...growing rapidly. Bond failed and I was back in the same spin. We thought we would have to go to year long multi-tracking. It took three times to pass the bond. Community building day and night."
3. 2002 Teacher Strike. Managing the district since that time has been quite a challenge. "Reentry Plan" after the Strike. You know that most superintendents leave after a strike or are asked to leave.
Vision for Improving Student Learning
4. Michael Fullan is the closest to right on in our profession. His advise for change is solid and makes sense. Most of the leadership I have had has been based on Fulan. The Meaning of Education Change You will never get there if you lead by compliance. Most of what we do just becomes part of the problem. AYP is becoming part of the problem.
Students and parents and educators working together for increased capacity. Learning organizations have to move beyond the status quo. No one more important for change than the principal or blocking change. As superintendents we need to engage our principals in capacity building. They need to respect you. Moving with you will produce the results.
5. Capacity building is making meaning together...with parents, with high school students.
6. Issaquah coming to grips with changing diversity and we can’t coast. Work of Tomlinson and “differentiation”. Can be terrifying. We have several schools that moved into tiered lessons. We are at about 14% diversity. We see the demographics changing.
7. Look for a good match like a principal does. Arizona. Headhunter. Curious thing. Geography was there and then I started asking all of those questions. Sup to lead or Sup to control??????????? Does the Board want to lead? Networking, primary research.
8. A good Search Consultant will help you work this out. At time of Issaquah, he said this is why I think this is a good fit and less of a fit over this. I learned to trust the Search Consultant. I agree to be who you are.
9. Network. Really a wonderful professional community. Marvelous colleagues.
10. yesterday a 10th grade girl shadowed me...she choose me because interested in a political career
11. tolerance for abiguity compared to be a principal....everything in district changing, unclear
12. We are teaching each other to work with data. We really didn’t. Inform decisions for the real kids. Exciting LID Day, district-wide Putting the Face on the Data. First time, looked at real kids by name. Video taped central office guidance. Teaching ourselves to use data. I sat with two elementary schools as they went through the video guidance. Looked at real guidance and real kids. Predict if they would be at standard by 4th grade....absolutely thrilling what people could do with data in the right situation. At times, underestimating kids and other times overoptimistic. Continuous Progress Improvement at each school. (huge paradym shift in our district...moved from what staff was doing to what students are doing)
13. Leading with your ego then you are going the wrong place. Age and experience if you are there for the right reasons. Reentry plan sitting out within 6 weeks and talking closely. What is wrong and what will set it right. How are we going to make it right together. That allowed me to develop an action agenda. That forced me to a conclusion that hard working staff members were the wrong people to lead going forward. Can these people lead and I had to make changes. Thoughtful, right reasons, without ego on the basis of many listening points and synthesized. To not be running around. Have to be listening and make meaning out of what you hear.
14. I used to talk balance but I don’t live in balance now. I used to listen to people talk about how they achieve balance and I don’t see it in similar positions. Passionate, committeed. Four children grown. Didn’t do while my children were little. It is a time of life that I can live in a hard working, passionate way. I make that choice. I realize there are certain things that I need to do. I find time to exercise. Husband retired District Administrator and great man.
15. My Boards have cared about me as a person. The difference between work and play goes back and forth.
Nick Broussard
1. “recently hired Edmonds SD, before 10 years at Tumwater and before that Bulington Edison, Director Secondary, 4 years Ass. Principal. SU, PLU. Ephrada. 21st year in education.
2. Personal reflections. I was 35 years old and had just finished the doc. Program. If you are a principal then I don’t recommend going straight to the superintendency. It is not the same. Learn at the district office. There will be a Search Consultant. Typically don’t contact the School Board members. I don’t think that you have to have a laser like vision for that district. Growing kids, liked Tumwater. I was ready the last year and gave myself a 2 year window. Wanted a good district and didn’t want to start again. Edmonds was the only district that I applied for other than Tumwater. This is my strongest point of this job dance. I don’t think you should contort yourself to try to match their vision. I think that you should show who you are. If there is a good fit then you can be who you are.
It is a relationship that you are talking about. You will learn about the Board. I didn’t know whether I wanted to be Edmonds until I heard their tone about why they ran for the Board. All professionals and wanted to give back. I like the five Board members. I don’t think there is a perfect district or a perfect school. Districts in challenging situations need good leaders too.
3. Search Consultants are not necessarily good. Some try to put together their pool. Keep your feet on the ground. They can be very helpful. Edmonds hired a facilatator who ran the process and involved stakeholders. Clean process.
4. the best foundation for the next job is the job you are doing now. Strong recommendations.
5. I haven’t felt stress. This is the one I enjoy the most. I like to drive the car. Cool some and warm others. It is really wonderful. What a wonderful way to make a postive difference for kids. It is our turn now. If a challenge then be glad that you can do the work. At end of the most frustrating day you know you are fighting the good fight.
Missed levy by 14 votes and so frustrated....wasn’t our district. Thought about it. Feelings and thoughts and my kids got up and they were thinking about breakfast that day. We couldn’t throw in the towel. I pulled the people back together and we came together.
David Steele really painful year or two but stayed with it. Who is going to do it if not us.
6. I didn’t set out to to be a superintendent. Like to get things done. Don’t let others detract you from doing the right thing that You want to do. Fire, policeman or superintendent....we need good, strong people. They are tough jobs but we are doing the right fight. Same as why I want to be a teacher.
7. Identify gaps. Good work. Careful as a leder...not monlithic with change. Elementary teachers crying before conference while others need to be motivated. Differentiate message and behavior. Calming some and challenging others. If lose love then get so much push back then can’t align the curriculum. They will be in different places. Some at the cutting edge and others at the b category. Others looking at their watch and hanging out. Need leaders to be moving forward. If every form went away then would we be doing the same things in our clssroom. In the absence of the WASL or.....Student achievement should be number 1. In some systems adult behavior becomes the focus. As a superintendent have to keep eye on the North Star. Adjust your behavior to meet the audience.
We have an initative because of a committee and I got to ask if it reflected student learning. $200,000. What are we going to stop doing to pay for this.
8. I prefer a flat organization. Annual open agenda meetings. At least once a year I will meet with every Parent Group and every Staff....advertised through newsletters and they can ask any question...I learn what the issues are. Gets rid of the unasked questions. Anyone can ask the superintendent. Available and transparent. Others below learn to do the same thing.
9. Ass. Superintendent and a principal fighting over a bathroom in a portable. I ended up disagreeing with the ass. Sup. And I told him that he could change the decision or I can change it. He came back and said that it was my pride. Never personal for me. “What is best for student learning.” I have never played politics based on who they are. I stay on point and always decide based on what matters. Legislators will get the unedited version from me. If you chase shadows and mirrors then what do you stand for.
10. Be more intested in doing what is right then being right. Earlier in my career I cared more about being right. When you can get to the point that the work is more important....Board member change lunches and she called me when I was the Superintendent. What is the line? This didn’t make sense. What are you wiling to take a stand on. Not just whose wind is in the sales.
11. Fortune to work with wonderful Board members. Planned day of action and pretty conservative Board. Month before the action, if teachers decide then I expect you to run school. I said thank you and 2 weeks later I sent out my notes and looked at safety and said that I wouldn’t run school that day. Board said that I was very clear and I was wrong and you made the right decision. We hired the right person. I didn’t know what would happen. I had been in the job for a few years and I explained in my notes. One board member and I was accountable to the whole board. Board members need good information and they really don’t want your job. They are so glad that they have a professional to handle the hard issues. You don’t have to agree all of the time. That is healthy. Set them free. Don’t have to have a chorus line. When time to agree, make the best decision and if wrong then change.
12. Balance, Family 4, Seasons....balance looks different for different people. Look out after a week. Family 4...hired at Tumwater. I was pretty honest “I will work hard...I will block out 4 hours for my family every day...meetings at night then I will block out 4 hours for my kids and family. I stay in better shape, happier, make better decisions and delegate better.
Seasons like levy/bond or issues...sometime feel like swallowed alive and just in it. Season. Suck it up and head into the wind for the short time...go right back to Family 4 and balance. If get into patterns over months and years then will really affect your family, health. Life beyond work and helps with passion and efficacy. The job that you are in you have already been tested. Draw your lines. Can’t get pure separation and I am going to live my life embedded into my work. I am involved with my family and my wife. I am a good dad and husband and you will probably get a better superintendent.
posted by Mike at 8:20 AM
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