FNO+Plus

This wiki page will provide supplemental reading/viewing related to the text, Failure Is Not An Option.
Blankstein makes reference to "**resources**" throughout FNO. You may find some of them interesting or even useful. This link will take you to that portion of the [|Hope Foundation] web site that will connect you with those resources.

In Ch. 10, **Principle # 6**, Blankstein discusses his views on school leadership. Blankstein promotes shared leadership. I believe school leadership requires a more nuanced understanding of leadership. Thus, I am linking some articles that supplement his discussion. The first article is from the Harvard Business Review and is written by [|Daniel Goldman]. He believes research advises leaders to develop a variety of leadership approaches. He presents research supporting four of six leadership styles. The second article, [|A Practical Look At School Leadership], posits that the "core of a principal's job is diagnosis..." This study contends schools require various kinds of leadership stemming from the diagnosis. Finally, here is an article by Rick Hess, who holds a much different view than Blankstein about strong leadership. Hess believes many educational leaders are too timid and restrict their leadership within "[|Cages of Their Own Design]".

Here a [|teacher leader] blogs about how he developed as a leader.

This document contains information about concepts of **teacher leadership** from a variety of researchers.

This is the document that I used on the overhead when sharing my thoughts on the implementation of Blankstein's 5th principle.

Blankstien's **5th principle** for high achieving schools deals with the partnership between school, parents, and community. The [|Joyce Foundation] has recently published an interactive document to educate parents and community members about what to look for in a good teacher. Blankstein recommends schools use the PTA's National Standards to review their progress toward implementation of Principle # 5. Here are two links to those standards. First an[|overview] and then a checklist for all six [|PTO Standards].

Education Week publishes collections of its articles and commentaries that focus on a given topic. This "Spotlight" features[| parent involvement] and will serve as an additional resource for **Principle # 5**.

ASCD has had **data** as the theme in its[| Feb. 2003] and [|Jan. 2009] issues of Educational Leadership. There are articles of interest in both issues although some require membership. Blankstein's **4th principle**, Data-Based Decision Making for Continuous Improvement, as described in FNO, Ch. 8, can be supplemented by these issues of ASCD's journal. The National Staff Development Council also had **data** as the theme in its journal (JSD), [|Fall, 2008]. The Phi Delta Kappan Journal, [|May, 2009], is another source of articles on collecting and using **data** as a tool for continuous improvement.

[|Achieve] is a coalition of business and state-level policy makers. It has been and continues to be very influential in affecting change in public school curriculum. As ed leaders, we need to be knowledgeable of Achieve's agenda. For example, Achieve promotes standards-based curriculum. 38 states, including Michigan, have committed to adopt the new Common Curriculum for math & language arts. Next on Achieve's agenda is the creation of Common Assessments for the Common Curriculum. These Common Assessments will have implications for Blankstein's **4th principle**, Data-Based Decision Making.

The October, 2010, issue of ASCD's Education Leadership has as its theme, [|Interventions That Work], which certainly relates to Blankstein's **second principle** for high achieving schools. This link will allow you to access some articles in the journal but others require you to sign in as a member. I highly recommend that you [|join] the Association for Curriculum & Supervision.

In **chapter 3**, Blankstein addresses **leading change** in schools and discusses various "routes to failure". He seems to support an approach that emphasizes building ownership, gaining buy-in, and bringing staff along gradually. Another viewpoint is presented in this recent article in the conservative journal, Education Next, by [|Rick Hess], "The Buy In Tar Pit". What do you believe about leading change?

In **chapter 3**, Blankstein discusses the importance of intrinsic motivation that lead to **successful change** of behavior. Author, Daniel Pink, shares his findings on human motivation detailed in his most rent book, Drive. His previous book, A Whole New Mind, has found a large readership among educators. Pink is speaking here at a TED conference.

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[|TED] is a wonderful, free, on line resource containing hundreds of 15 - 20 minutes presentations on a vast array of topics.

In **chapter 4**, Blankstein discusses "Relational Trust As Foundation for the Learning Community". There is a good deal of research and experience that supports the importance of relationship building as an essential ingredient for successful leadership, and social trust as essential for organizational effectiveness. Respected researchers, Tony Bryk & Barb Schneider, spent four years studying over 400 Chicago elementary schools in an effort to identify just what relational trust looks like in practice. This 2003 article in ASCD's Education leadership journal, "[|Trust in Schools]: A Core Resource for School Reform" summarizes their findings and is worth reading.

Blankstein believes PLC's are the path to improved student learning. He acknowledges that many schools struggle to implement not only the structure but more so the culture for PLC's. Here is a Sept. 14, 2010, [|newspaper article] about a high school having success implementing a PLC model.


 * Mission Statements -** Here is another take on mission statements from an item in the [|Harvard Business Review]. It may lead to a slogan rather than an actual mission statement as defined by Blankstein in FNO.