Author Archives: tregoed

Wait, wait! You ARE in the right place!

You navigated to this blog because you’re interested in all things educational… and look what you found! A title that looks as if it should be in a Zagat review or a Food TV commercial!

But—seriously…hang with me for a moment or two in order to see the peculiar but appropriate synergy between “diffusion cuisine” (my term) and the business of all schools and districts—whether they are urban, rural, suburban, large, small or anywhere in between.

Before getting into the meat of the blog (pardon the intentional pun!), let me introduce myself.

I am you.

Whether you are a teacher or an administrator—whether you are new to the profession or a seasoned veteran, I have walked in your shoes…and faced the same challenges and heartaches, as well as triumphs and smiles that you do.

Carving out a career in public education that stretched from teaching seventh grade English grammar to escorting reluctant high school juniors and seniors through the delights of The Scarlet Letter to creating and administering a public alternative education high school, teaching has been my primary life choice and preeminent vocation. Blending my public school experience with years as an adjunct college instructor has allowed me to work directly with kids who ranged in age from per-pubescent to young adult. Working in an urban school district acquainted me with all matters close to the hearts of teachers and central office staff: budgets, parents, state regulations, grievances, press relations, etc.

So, now that you know a little about where I come from, it is my hope that my blog contributions will sound authentic to you because they ARE authentic; they are, I hope, representations of decades of thoughtful experience.

“Diffusion Cuisine”… what IS that????

Currently, restaurants all across the country are showering patrons with versions of “fusion cuisine”… the careful and deliberate blending of two disparate but somehow connected culinary visions into one new taste sensation—a new taste that, one hopes, carries with it the best of both its contributors but none of any negative characteristics of either.

Now, that concept is not only easy to understand but easy to enjoy, right? Asian Fusion, Tex-Mex… all of these attest to the fact that fusion works!

Think, then, for a moment, about the definition of “fusion cuisine” as well as the goal of the chefs striving to prepare it… finding a way to tease and please the jaded palates of patrons by honoring significant contributions of separate but connected contributors.

Isn’t that really what all of us in education do every day… but… BACKWARDS….. in a fashion similar to the way Ginger Rodgers danced backwards (and in high heels!) while following Fred Astaire’s lead?

We walk, march, strut or crawl into classrooms, lunchrooms, and boardrooms across the country with one “end game” in mind: bringing the best and most exciting product to our constituencies despite their differences in origin, orientation and philosophy or final goals.

While our intention is admirable, we often are overwhelmed by the simple difficulties of figuring out how to blend the dissonant voices, ratchet down the strident overtones, and blend the battling agenda.

While we are aiming for “fusion”, it is my contention that we need to concentrate on “diffusion”! In other words, accomplish our final goal may best be achieved by moving toward it… backwards!

As classroom leaders, as district leaders and as educational leaders, we need to be visionaries who foresee the potential difficulties inherent in most situations facing us. We need to be able to maximize the positive attributes our constituencies bring to the conversation while, simultaneously, minimizing the potential difficulties.

In other words, we must be ever vigilant for “diffusion” strategies! Whether difficult school-based situations involve parents and teachers, administrators and staff or boards and labor negotiators, the seminal truth is that nearly all of us believe- really- that each of us wants only what is best for his special audience—whether that audience is one child, one school or one district. To want anything other than that would be the final and ultimate horror – too unspeakable to be seriously contemplated.

I am certain that everyone reading this has developed some “diffusion strategies” that help advance their work … and I am inviting you to share them with me and– with all of our readers– by responding to this blog.

And, since good teaching is always built upon good modeling (insert smile here!), I would like to share a few of my favorite “diffusion strategies” with you… and, believe me, they are offered in no particular order!

1.)    Set It Aside For Twelve Hours!

Whether you are dealing with a student’s request, an angry parent or an enthusiastic reporter, if at all possible, allow a cooling off period to sit between the request for your attention and your response to it. My belief is that almost anyone can be held at bay if told, politely and immediately, that an answer will be forthcoming within a set number of hours… following your research, reflection and thoughtful deliberation.

2.)    Ask The Hard Question!

I have always tried to ask whoever was sitting across the desk from me in any challenging situation one hard question: “How would you like to see this resolved?”

Not only have people seemed to feel that their position was being heard and being honored, but I also got a really helpful glimpse into how their mind was working… and the answer to that question often was something I used during my “set it aside time” as I tried to honestly diffuse the situation and find an honorable solution.

3.)     End With A Smile

No matter how hard or how acrimonious the initial conversation might have been, ending the interchange with a warm smile and a positive statement that I hoped we could work together to find a solution always seemed to lessen the tensions of the final moments in a meeting

So—no matter what your position is within the educational spectrum, try adding some “diffusion cuisine” to the menu of problem solving techniques you currently use… my bet is that you will discover an affinity for your “new” approach… maybe you’ll even order Tex-Mex for take out tonight instead of your usual pizza!

Bon Appétit!

Find more to whet your appetite at www.tregoed.org

Looking to implement the common core?  Is your district going to a BYOT plan?  Facing Severe Budget Cuts?  Plans for implementing solutions to these common issues in school districts can be very complex as you move from the district level to the building level where the implementation will take place.  How do you pass the baton from the district office to implement your plans with conviction and care?

Combat Initiative Fatigue
We know that educators at every level are facing “initiative-fatigue” – the number of new initiatives and reform measures continues to sky rocket, while successful implementation remains a rarity.  How can you assure that the implementation of your plan will go smoothly and get the results that you are after?

Success Factors
Working with many school districts throughout the nation, we have found that successful implementation does not just happen when a good decision is made.  Strategic planning for implementation is as important as the time spent on choosing the path to go.  Districts that work hard to ensure that decisions are implemented properly share the same strategies and cultural characteristics.  

1.     The district has made an investment in selecting leaders with high capacity and continues to develop that capacity throughout the district.  Experience is no long the valuable teacher it once was. With rapid change experience can only take you so far.  
2.    It is understood that the collective power of the full staff is needed to improve student achievement.  Leadership is respected and developed at all levels – from student to superintendent.  
3.    Using common problem solving vocabulary and strategies throughout those levels helps make all stakeholders better understand the process that was used to determine the new path.  Decision-making processes need to be transparent to all – board members, parents, students, teachers and administrators to develop a climate of trust and cooperation.
4.     Transparent and logical conclusions reached using data and clear strategies should be used to develop a true commitment to implementation and solutions.  When faced with data and concise criteria, key stakeholders are more apt to lay the groundwork for successful implementation at their level.  
5.    Fostering the ability to anticipate potential problems and potential opportunities is a great way to increase success and minimize failure.  Anticipating the power and pitfall of your decisions is crucial to All staff members should be encouraged to share their point of view before implementation is attempted so that plans can be made for

When given the right tools and support, people are capable of great things.  Laying the groundwork for and building a collaborative workplace can be hard work, but the results are demonstrable and enduring.  Building capacity in school districts can be taught.

We can help!
TregoEd, experts in helping leaders make and implement great decisions, has developed new one day sessions that will allow leaders time to practice implementing their renowned strategic problem solving processes on applications that are relevant today.  
•    Implementing the common core-Preparing for change
•    Making and Recommending Tough Budget Decisions
•    Addressing Conflict Complexity and Difficult Conversations in Special Ed.
For further information about how you can build the capacity of your staff, visit our website at www.tregoed.org
Join our TregoEd Leader’s Network to form a private discussion group with your staff or join in on forum discussions, ask questions, share challenges and solutions with your colleagues.

It is budget time again!  This is the time of year when many school districts are faced with decisions based on what they perceive as having least impact in the classroom.  I can’t help but think that cuts that are seemingly “outside the classroom” still have a significant impact in the classroom.  Professional development is one of those areas that is often cut without understanding the true impact that it has on reaching our goals for student achievement.

As we call on teachers to develop new curriculum and activities that will address higher level thinking and the goals of career and college readiness emphasized in the common core, it seems that professional learning and leadership skills should became more important in the scheme of things rather than treated as “fluff in the budget.” Increasing the capacity of school leaders using proven processes such as those developed by TregoED, can help districts make better budget, staffing and scheduling decisions.  These tough decisions all can have a direct impact on the learning that will occur in the classroom.

Just as children learn when we go beyond delivering content and allow students time to “play with” the content through applications and collaborations, good professional development allows time for leaders to practice applying the processes and working together as a team.  TregoEd has developed three new one-day sessions that will do just that; focus learning and applications on topics that are relevant today and allow leaders time to work on: Implementing the Common Core-Preparing for change, Making and Recommending Tough Budget Decisions, or Addressing Conflict Complexity and Difficult Conversations in Special Ed.

Click here for more information about these workshops.

School and district leaders often face tough choices that have no clear-cut solutions. Education leaders must figure out how to: do more with less funding, turn around low-performing schools, implement multiple initiatives, and raise student achievement. How these and other challenges are addressed can have a significant impact on students, teachers, and the community. But as difficult as it can be to make good decisions, the success or failure of a decision is often determined by the quality of its implementation.

Through a proven combination of high-quality skill development, targeted consulting, and structured support, TregoED prepares school and district leaders to confidently face their biggest challenges.  It is our hope that this network will provide a place for school and district leaders to discuss challenges, share solutions and leverage opportunities.

Start a group for your cadre, invite your colleagues, ask questions or begin a discussion, lend your professional expertise, and share your successes!