Elliot: We must write an Op Ed piece for the New York Times.
Cathie: You have been promising to do that for as long as I have known you!
Elliot: I know, I know, but THIS TIME it will happen.
Cathie: This time... what is your subject?
Elliot: School Leadership
Cathie: Pray tell what do you know about school leadership??
Elliot: As the great Yogi Berra once said: "You can observe a lot by just watching." And I have been watching some really good school leaders lately.
Cathie: Well spoken, Mr. Yogi.
Elliot: Thank you... or are you being sarcastic? In any case, here is the argument:
· Most schools are not moving the needle now – student achievement is not rising
· There ARE ways to move the needle and improve student achievement
· But those ways require the expenditure of money
· Most schools say they don’t have new money for new initiatives... so no new initiatives can be initiated.
· All schools DO have old money; they just need to repurpose and rebudget – (1) stop buying stuff that really doesn’t move the needle, (2) put off buying stuff that may well be important to another year, etc.
· Administrators must make hard decisions; stop spending as they have in the past to provide the money for the new initiative.
Cathie: but schools are loathe to break with the past..
Elliot: ... and anger whoever was benefitting from that particular expenditure.
Cathie: It takes a strong leader to make the hard decisions and take the heat.
Elliot: Strong leadership at the building and district levels is needed now if schools are going to adopt new...
Cathie: ... and successful ...
Elliot: .. instructional programs that move the needle and improve student achievement.
Cathie: You were thinking about not buying textbooks, I bet.
Elliot: Zinger! SPOT ON!
Cathie: And you were thinking of 1:1 programs too, I bet.
Elliot: Two for Two.
Cathie: You are pretty transparent.
Elliot: ME? One trick pony Soloway – nah!
Cathie: Yah.
Elliot: <smiles enigmatically>
Cathie: <smiles knowingly>
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