Changing School Culture: Our “Stand Up” Story David Simpson - @davidsimpson512 Judy Bouley - @JClarkBouley Central Woodlands #MEMSPA2014 http:/ /goo.gl/pLcvJz
Central Woodlands: Who We Are
Today’ s Targets See the difference between a program and a culture Have ideas to take directly back to your school
The History of our Story Middle School CW’ s Culture New Principal
Stand Alone Initiatives CAB School of Character PBIS Energy Bus
What happens when things get busy?
Program vs. Culture Embedded Organized Common Easy to Language implement All encompassing Data Retrieval Slow to change Looks good on Will be there paper even when school Easy to discard gets hectic
Program vs. Culture 45 Think Time 146 Think referrals Time referrals 6 days of 17 days of suspension suspension Very few Parent Concerns/ Parent Phone Norming of Calls/Bully Parents (Parent Concerns Volunteer at MS)
Culture “A school’ s culture has more influence on life and learning in the schoolhouse than the president of the country, the state department of education, the superintendent, the school board, or even the principal, teachers, and parents can ever have. ” -Roland Barth
-Peter Drucker
Quick Wins Corporate Executive Board - 5400 new leaders Most successful
Quick Wins - Most of highest rated leaders had managed to secure a “quick win”—a new and visible contribution to the success of the business made early in their tenure. - Those who had achieved a quick win scored on average nearly 20% higher than those who hadn’ t. A quick win is a crucial form of reassurance to team members deciding whether to place confidence in their new manager; - https:/ /hbr.org/2009/01/the-quick-wins-paradox
Quick Wins to Snowball Opening Assembly Lunchroom 6th Grade Town Hall Meetings (paradigm shift) Created a “Common Language”
The Snowball Begins… Teachers embedded vocabulary of “Stand Up” on their own Autumn Olive Writing Prompts Social Studies
Organic Did not push right away (new Principal) Allowed for opportunities for staff to see “Stand Up” in action
Staff Noticed Lunchroom Behavior Hallway behavior Think Time Referrals Student Reporting Veteran’ s Day Assembly - 2013 This was the “tipping point”
4 days after Veteran’ s Day Assembly
How we knew we were changing culture We saw it in our Students!!! Yearbook Design Contest Students emailing Google Slides Students coming to office to “Stand Up” for other students We see it in their writing
Stand Up - Unscripted
Wearing a CW Stand Up shirt out in Public… PRICElESS
After our MLK Presentation - A Student Perspective on the connection between MLK and Stand UP
Thanksgiving Stand Up Challenge
Staff Dancing Away
My role as Principal Frontload Stand UP 1/2 of our students are new every year Everything at CW is tied back into Stand Up The message is visible Support Stand Up ideas
Intentionality as a Leader Every Newsletter has space for Stand UP Tweet about it Blog about it Use the language every time I meet with students Monthly town hall Stand Up meetings
Intentionality as a Leader Connect it to every assembly (Veteran’ s Day, Magazine fundraiser) Get PTO involved Find funds for Staff T-Shirts and school signage Empower staff (everyone) to run with it
Newsletters….
Website
Blog
Veteran’ s Day “Throughout our history, our Veterans have “Stood Up for our country. ” They have spoken out against those who threatened the freedoms we hold dear. Throughout our history…our veterans have stood with each other through battle and adversity so that we may be free. ”
Ideas to Use! Feel free to make our ideas your own at your school!
Simple 2 minutes in class!!!
Peace Pole and End of Year
Interactive Bulletin Boards
In the Bathrooms!
Pledge Assembly
Stand Up Everywhere
The Bottom Line… What is important to your building? What are you struggling with? What do you want to hang your hat on?
The Bottom Line GO ALL IN! Enlist Support (great opportunity to get parents involved) Make it your OWN! CREATE A COMMON LANGUAGE!!!!
Thank you! David Simpson dsimpson@fhps.net 616-493-8790 @davidsimpson512 Judy Bouley jbouley@fhps.net 616-493-8790 @JClarkBouley
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