Dare to Lead. Dare to Learn.

The student achievement gap widens due to the vast knowledge gap of educators.

There are key principles that leaders must possess and promote in order to create a culture that will help close the achievement gap and make students thrive:

🗝Keep a teachable spirit.

🗝Never rely on the same or limited source to acquire information.

🗝Make sure to read science and not pseudo science.

🗝Never become comfortable in what you know, especially if the knowledge is rooted in science.

🗝Always ask questions and reflect. [One of my favorite questions is: “Why am I doing (or not doing) _________?” ]

🗝Search for solutions beyond the walls of your district, county, state and/or country. Networking is important.

Leaders need to accept the fact they cannot know everything.

All educational leaders have heard cries from parents, advocates, scientists, and some teachers to use science to teach reading (structured literacy). Few have taken their pleas seriously. Most leaders have failed take any action. Instead they justify the reasons for their dismal scores. My findings indicate that change does NOT happen for one or more of the following reasons, leaders:

(1) do not know the right questions to ask;

(2) rely on reading specialists because they erroneously believe that they know the science, but in reality they do not and only regurgitate a curriculum salesman‘s pitch;

(3) have their own agenda and their hearts are self-serving and not about serving the stakeholders of the district; or

4) are more concerned about being right than doing right.

How can you tell a leaders heart?

School boards need to make sure they have the right leader at the helm. This is a difficult task as some know how to play the game or posses charisma. Surveys are often pointless because (for various reasons) people are fearful of being honest.

Don’t listen to what leaders say. Watch them. Watch how they interact with others. Watch how they spend their time and money (shows their priorities). Watch to see if they value their teachers. Watch how they treat parents. Watch how they make decisions. Watch how they respond to being questioned. Watch how they lead...are they there to serve or to be served? I have worked under some the very best leaders and the very worst. I have seen it all. If you take time to observe, a pattern of behavior will become apparent.

Let’s be real. Leaders cannot know everything. However, it is IMPERATIVE that they understand this truth, have the humility to admit this, have the insight to ask the right questions and wisdom to know who are the right people to ask.

It is okay to be wrong. It is NOT okay to refuse to learn what is right.

I will never forget when Dr. Fischer (Harvard University, 2008) shared with our cohort that everything he ‘learned about the brain in the 1960s had been proven wrong.’ He did not seem the least bit bothered. It is just a fact of life, especially in the world of science. As technology becomes more advanced, we learn more about the inner workings of our bodies and brains.

Unfortunately, we live in an age inundated information; some misleading and erroneous, others filled with nuggets of insight and life-changing knowledge. It takes an intentional effort for educators to understand the science of reading, dyslexia science, and the science of learning. It can be exhausting, but it is a necessity to be effective in the classroom and insure that all children can read. It does get easier.

▪️Make a plan.

▪️Immerse yourself into learning everything you can about the science of reading and dyslexia science. The more you learn, the easier it is to spot fake news.

▪️Set a daily goal to spend _x_ minutes each day to read, watch, or listen to content.

▪️Decide what you will do to make your school, district, or community better for all children. Then do it.

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Just do it! Little Things make Big Differences.

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Be a contributor, not a consumer. #DareToChallengeTheStatusQuo