ANNOUNCEMENT

The Board of Directors of Inspiring Educators is pleased to announce that Sara Katz has been named the new Executive Director of the organization, effective January 1, 2022. Sara succeeds Belle Linda Halpern, Founder and acting Executive Director, who will assume her role as Board Chair following this transition. Thank you to Belle for serving as acting Executive Director for the past sixteen months, carrying this organization and this work through an unprecedented time in education.

Sara brings a wealth of experience in the education and nonprofit sectors to her work with IE, along with passions for educator wellbeing and educational equity. She quickly became an asset to this organization from the moment she began working with us over two years ago. Her experience in education, both as an educator and a nonprofit school partner, has proven invaluable in enabling IE to engage most effectively with our clients in the field. Sara has already been instrumental in our organization’s pandemic response, strategic planning, and programmatic and business development.

Sara has an unwavering commitment to ensuring that the future of work in education is both sustainable and joyful, and we are thrilled to welcome her into this new leadership role.

Uniting to Fight Against Anti-AAPI Hate

“Consciousness is power. Consciousness is education and knowledge. Consciousness is becoming aware. Tomorrow’s world is yours to build.”

— Yuri Kochiyama

We at Inspiring Educators stand in solidarity with our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities. We are appalled by the recent targeted attacks by another emboldened gunman and we mourn the loss of eight people, six of whom were Asian American women. We are heartsick for the families of the victims, as well as the Asian American community and in particular, Asian American women.

These events in Atlanta are an unspeakable tragedy motivated by hate, prejudice, and Anti-AAPI sentiment.

Taken from the Stop AAPI Hate press release: “This latest attack will only exacerbate the fear and pain that the Asian American community continues to endure. There has been a documented pattern of recent attacks against our community, as we have received nearly 3,800 reports of hate incidents across the country since March 2020. Not enough has been done to protect Asian Americans from heightened levels of hate, discrimination and violence. Concrete action must be taken now. Anything else is unacceptable.”

While the history of racism against Asian American communities exists deep within the fabric of our country, we recognize that Anti-AAPI violence and rhetoric has skyrocketed since the start of this pandemic. While these acts of hate have recently been amplified, they are not new.

Our community stands united against racism. And striving for an anti-racist world means working tirelessly to end all forms of structural racism aimed at Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color.

At Inspiring Educators, we hold inclusion at the core of our work and we honor the identities of all those in our community and beyond. We are committed to continuing our own work to understand and fight against systemic racism, understanding the nuanced, insidious ways in which different communities are harmed by the status quo.

As an organization, we will continue to embody our values by supporting leaders seeking to disrupt racial tension and discrimination in their own communities, and to help them strengthen their emotional intelligence, which we see as a necessary precursor to driving equity.

We are committed to protecting and uplifting AAPI individuals in our community, and we implore you to do the same.

In Community,

Belle Linda Halpern and the Inspiring Educators Family

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Building A Culture of Empathy

The mission to transform student outcomes is so big that educational leaders can lose sight of a critical part of the process – leaders can best support students by showing respect and love to the adults who actively engage with students every day. We care so much about the social-emotional wellbeing of our students, but sometimes we unwittingly ignore the wellbeing of our teachers. Leaders can use empathy to empower teachers and staff, imagining what it must feel like to be sitting on the other side of the desk (or computer screen). 

At the heart of great leadership is empathy. For leaders, empathy is the bedrock of treating teachers with respect. Just as you expect your team to demonstrate respect, you must illustrate that they too are worthy of honor and your attention, and are irreplaceable players in the pursuit of your mission.

I’ve worked with leaders who are so goal-oriented that they end up goal-obsessed. When you are too narrowly focused on your mission – whether it be test scores or student behavior – you may leave your staff feeling diminished despite their essential contributions. 

Take Marvin as an example: Marvin is a leader and founder of a school in its third year. He used his limited time carefully, knowing exactly what he had to accomplish each day and focusing directly on that. One day, his Assistant Principal expressed that she was tired of hearing teachers complain about wanting to quit because they felt insignificant and taken for granted. Too often, I hear of teachers feeling that they are taken for granted.

Marvin was confused by this feedback from his AP, insisting that he was cordial with his staff. In response, his colleague offered an example:

“Your mother has been sick for a month, and I can tell that you really appreciate when others ask how she is doing. Well, you know my son recently left school because of his grades. I’ve been expressing my worry about him in our meetings, but not once have you asked me how he’s doing or how I’m doing. Why is that?” 

Marvin felt embarrassed by this question. He could have responded that her problems weren’t related to work, but he knew, in a sense, that would be saying “I don’t care about you,” and that’s not at all how he felt. He had previously considered personal check-ins as hand-holding and thought only newer teachers needed it, but he now realized it was much more than that. It was a key part of leading people at all levels. “If I don’t treat people as humans, they are going to lose heart.” Here are some tips I offered to Marvin to help him begin leading with empathy and compassion:

Leading in Crisis: Creating Emotional Safety

When times of crisis arise, leaders often have limited time to get their thoughts together. In those moments of urgency, you have to be able to rely on your values and your mission to anchor yourself and your team–and, you need a plan. This past Spring, when the country was ablaze with protests following George Floyd’s murder, many leaders felt the pressing need to address their communities. Julene Robinson, Executive Director of the region for IDEA Public Schools Tampa Bay, practiced exemplary leadership communication during a team building workshop in June. From the remarks Julene gave her team, we have broken down the three most important things your team needs to hear from you.

She began the meeting by speaking to the weight of the situation:

“As we enter another work week during this pandemic, please know I am very aware of and sensitive to the battles our Black co-workers, families, sons, daughters, students, and neighbors have had to endure the past seven days. On top of working from home during a global pandemic, the community is experiencing a range of emotions in response to the killing of a Black man, again by police, combined with a long history and series of actions reinforcing that their lives are somehow less than that of their non-Black counterparts.”

1. Honor the difficulty of the present challenge and name your shared experiences. Julene practiced this step beautifully by being upfront about the challenge at hand, and then sharing a piece of her own life that was affected. Don’t be afraid to use terms like grief anxiety, and trauma to describe the situation and your own feelings. It is important to acknowledge that this issue is and will continue to be exhausting, so hearing the leader be authentic about current challenges builds trust and connection. As COVID-19 continues to impact our communities and classrooms, we encourage you to be open and share honestly, as Julene did. ex) "I know everyone is deeply concerned, and rightly so, about their children’s safety and the wellbeing of the country.”

Then by sharing her own experience, she modeled great vulnerability and authenticity:

“As a wife and mother of a proud Black man and daughter, and as a leader and educator serving Black and Brown communities throughout my almost 30-year career, I would like to publicly check-in with you. In my own home, the range of emotions have included anger, fear, distrust, inner turmoil, sadness, and mourning.”

2. Give permission to feel the emotions of the moment by modeling vulnerability. When a crisis hits, the leader can never avoid or back down. Lean into the fact that your community is relying on you to be the model, and use that opportunity to show your team that vulnerability is essential and welcome. Just the relief of getting permission to really feel during painful situations can be powerful. Feeling vulnerable is incredibly difficult, but for the leader to show up with personal vulnerability gives permission and encourages others to feel vulnerable, and feel safe doing so. We all recover differently, and safety looks different for everyone, so modeling openness in your own unique way as the leader will tell others that they are safe to do the same. ex) Julene shared the anxiety and sadness she is experiencing in her home and how it is directly impacting her family.

Finally, she verbalized her dedication to the team through the sentiment of hope:

“Please know I see you. I hear you. I respect you. I am proud to be with you here today. I am proud of the incredible and diverse talent of our team. IDEA Tampa Bay is committed to building a better, a more just, today and tomorrow for all.”

3. Bring people back to safety and positive/hopeful emotional states. Once your team is comfortable being open and authentic about their feelings and you have recognized the challenges of the present, you also need to ensure that there is safety and hope ahead. When people have open emotional wounds, it gets harder to connect to their sense of mission and do the important work for students. You, as the leader, must form the narrative and demonstrate a mood of confidence. Julene connected people to each other and to the mission that is their common purpose and gave her team a reason to feel stronger, supported, and hopeful. To help your team come back to a feeling of safety, give them a positive state to connect to–for example, remind them of a challenge from the past that you have surmounted together. Another way to help people feel safe is to open the opportunity for everyone’s voices to be heard. ex) Virtual Town Halls, or weekly staff calls, allow people to ask questions, hear updates, voice concerns, and offer ideas–this gives all team members the chance to be a collaborative part of the restoration process.

During times of crisis, when you honor the challenge and pain, model vulnerability, and offer a future of hope, your action as a leader keeps your team connected to each other and to you, and enables them to return to their important mission for the next generation.

Shifting How We Listen: A Critical Tool for Relationship-Building

“I’m glad I understand that while language is a gift, listening is a responsibility.”

— Nikki Giovanni

In my work helping principals to communicate with staff and families during times of crisis, I begin by focusing on building thriving relationships with staff. I have found that many principals have gotten to where they are in leadership because they are systems thinkers and excellent problem solvers–(many great principals are the ESTJ Myers-Briggs personality type, a.k.a “The Executive”). However, when leading your school community through turbulent times, it is important to differentiate between listening for problem solving and listening for relationship building. 

I have observed many principals using listening for one primary purpose: problem solving. As they listen, their minds focus on finding, defining, and analyzing the speaker’s problem in order to help solve it.

Here’s the trouble: problem-solving alone does not develop strong relationships when the listener is only solution-oriented. Identifying effective solutions is what most leaders do well, but the key is to understand why you are listening. Don’t get me wrong-– the world needs problem-solvers, and I applaud leaders with this strong skill-set.

Yet, in order to build meaningful relationships, it is essential to listen as a fellow human being and colleague, and temporarily power down problem-solving mode.

As a leader you can use your listening as a way to earn teachers’ trust and to more holistically understand who they are and their motives. Instead of jumping to problem solve, here are ways to leverage an instance of a teacher or staff member coming to you as an opportunity to deepen the relationship and build trust. 

Before helping your team member strategize or find a solution, consider:

1. Listening for Strengths: If a teacher comes to you sharing how they had confronted another teacher, who is a good performer but interpersonally acts arrogant and aggressive, instead of jumping in to help them strategize to resolve the conflict, you can first say: “I can really see the courage it took for you to take a stand and express how you felt about their actions.”

2. Listening for Values: If you are talking to a leader who is revamping curriculum initiatives, instead of immediately starting to solve the problem of underrepresentation in history books, you can say: “I really hear that you value telling the truth about marginalized people’s histories, and including role models for all students!"

3. Listening for Personal Emotional Connection: When the colleague above from (Listening for Strengths) is sharing their problem, it is important to be authentic and acknowledge their feelings of frustration or uncertainty. You might say: “This situation sounds really frustrating/tough/upsetting.” When the leader from the above example (Listening for Values) is sharing their new idea, rather than finding what’s wrong with it or talking about implementation challenges immediately, you can say: “That’s so exciting – I love when you share your creativity”

Leaders and teachers are working so hard amidst global, national, and local trauma. But, the most tangible issues you can address as a leader are interpersonal, and start with providing empathetic support!

Breathe In Strength, Breathe Out Fear: Managing Stress Through Breathing

In the months since the COVID-19 pandemic flipped our (already ailing) public school system upside down, I’ve noticed an especially relevant parallel between the experience of educators and school leaders and my own experience as a performer: Frequent feelings of fear, stress, and anxiety.

As a performer in New York in my 20s and 30s, I was incredibly passionate about performing and lifting up my audiences, but my relationship with fear often sabotaged my ability to perform as best I could. I spent years researching the right rituals to quell the stress, fear and anxiety that would flood my body before taking the stage.  Of course, I understand that a performer’s experience of stage fright is not the same as the traumas of 2020. That said, the same chemicals are produced in the brain that hinder our ability to think clearly, so we can address the fear using similar techniques.

Since March, my conversations with school leaders have often returned to the topic of fear and stress. With the slew of pressure-filled situations in schools this fall, you have less time to think, less time to prepare, and less time to recover between meetings. The seemingly impossible trick is to be able to respond–not react–in the midst of it all. 

In all my years of coaching, offering breathing techniques is the practice that’s had the biggest impact on the most people in the shortest period of time. I recently worked with a principal, we’ll call her Patricia, who is in her first year of leading at a new school in Texas. Patricia has been swamped by all the planning needed to open her school, and in a recent coaching session, we noticed how she was breathing up into her chest and shoulders. We discussed that breathing purposefully into the belly can inhibit the initial panic response to stress by actually telling the brain to stop sending in adrenaline. 

Try it now, as you read. Consciously take four or five slow, deep breaths in the belly. Notice the sense of calm it gives you. 

The best way to learn is through practice, so I gave Patty a few steps to follow: 

Step 1. Practice a belly breathing routine: I asked her to practice breathing in her belly while lying down, right before she went to sleep at night and just after she woke up in the morning. She was surprised to find that by practicing when she was most relaxed, the diaphragmatic breathing became automatic in less than 2 weeks.

Step 2. Put the breathing to work, at work: Next, Patty started employing these techniques at her desk. She practiced noticing when she started to get stressed–she stopped what she was doing and took two or three belly breaths, each followed by a sigh of relief. She also consciously let her body relax, particularly her jaw and shoulders.

Step 3. Breathe in strength, breathe out fear: Then, Patty prepared to lead her next virtual team meeting: The most important time to practice, the real test of the belly breath, is when you lead a big group or talk to frustrated parents–any time you’re “on the spot.” Before starting the call, she practiced the belly breathing and let her mouth form a gentle smile with each exhale.

After applying these techniques, she reported, “Wow, I did not realize breathing differently could have such an effect. Not only did my attitude shift, but I felt the atmosphere in the virtual room change and people loosened up! After we all took these deep breaths, we were able to get work done and be present for each other in a very rough time.”

Why I Do What I Do: Reconnecting with Your Personal Mission

“The melody starts when you synchronize your mission, vision, passion, compassion and action together.”

— Amit Ray

Yesterday, I felt weighed down by the turmoil and sadness in our world and in my own life. One of my responses was to let myself feel the fear and let myself cry. Another was to lean on the important figures in my life who give me strength–I thought of my grandmother Ida and her unconditional love and kindness. I thought about my mom Phyllis: her idealism and tenacity to believe we can make a difference, and her pioneering an integrated Montessori school in Newark, NJ in 1963.

It is easy to get caught up in the hectic scramble of new challenges that continue to present themselves this year. In order to be our best selves, both as human beings and educators, it is important to reconnect with touchstones- the people and stories that give us inner resourcefulness and resilience, that help us remember why we are serving students and staff: the “why I do what I do.” 

Your personal mission, as well as your school’s mission statement will guide you through new challenges and highlight what is most important right now. Students and staff have inevitably faced instability in their past, and this extended period of uncontrollable uncertainty, grief, loss, trauma of both COVID-19 and exacerbated racism can be re-traumatizing. During all of the turbulence in the world and in the US, recentering on your personal mission and purpose is necessary to stay strong for yourself, your team, and your students.

1. Reconnect to your own WHY, understand it and lean on it – Ask yourself these questions: Who inspires me, and what is it about them that moves me? Was there an educator/coach or a social justice role model who made a difference for me? What are 3 values I learned from these people? How can I recall those stories during the day when I need courage?

2. Practice how to effectively communicate your WHY – Is there a story of a time when your values crystallized in your past, or you were inspired by a student, staff member or community member that overcame obstacles? Tell a story to your staff of an early experience that connected you to social justice and education.

3. Help staff reconnect with their mission and WHY – In 1-on-1’s, refer back to the school values to help staff see and name how their actions are both reflecting and furthering the school mission. Ask staff about their own mission as educators, and about moments when they felt that mission was fulfilled. Start staff meetings with team members sharing inspiring stories that illustrate their vision for student success.

Leaning Into Your Humanity: Imperatives for School Leaders in Fall 2020

“While we are all thinking about how children and teens will respond to this stressful situation, they tend to react based on the actions of the adults around them.... Educators and school personnel have an opportunity to positively impact students, but only if they take care of themselves first.”

— RTI International

Right now, educators across the country are beginning a year of unknowns, managing unprecedented risks for themselves, their colleagues, their students, and families. This Fall, it is essential for school leaders to support teachers and staff members to feel heard, seen and recognized as human beings as they navigate these challenges. Humanity and emotional intelligence are both sorely needed right now from leadership amidst the challenges of transitioning to and moderating virtual learning. During this Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA) moment in time, our team will be sharing concrete and critical ways for leaders to meet the needs of their communities and cultivate positive staff culture.

The stress and uncertainty we are all experiencing these days is unprecedented. We cannot underestimate the complexity of our challenges nor the need for empathy-based practices to help our teams find their courage and fortitude. We must support staff by ensuring their social and emotional wellbeing. School leaders can emphasize individual relationships with staff members to promote emotional safety. Strong, trusting relationships are essential for giving educators the confidence and support system to step out of their comfort zones, take risks, and grow to handle new challenges.

1. Have one-on-one video, phone, or outside check-ins with all direct team members
2. Ask how each individual is doing, listen and empathize
3. Be willing to share first. Demonstrate personal vulnerability to give others permission to share
4. During check-ins, name an appreciation about the person and a strength in their work

This year, our team will continue sharing simple practices to support school leaders to best serve their teams and enhance the educational experiences of students and families.

To learn more about Inspiring Educators & keep the conversation going, follow us on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

Cultivating Courage and Resilience Through Self-Care

“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”

— Maya Angelou

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One major challenge in Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA) times is managing the adrenaline rush that results from a threat or trigger of stress. This evolutionary response to stress is extremely useful, even life-saving, when humans face danger. However, our stress response is not adapted to address the immense, prolonged stress and trauma we are all experiencing right now. If we are not proactive in responding to a trigger of stress, adrenaline gets poured into the body, produces anxiety and we are unable to access our clear thinking.

It is nearly impossible to be fully present and empathetic when we are anxious. Fear and anxiety can prohibit us from accessing our courage, fortitude, and resilience in moments when we need it most–but it doesn’t have to. 

Given the extraordinary demands on teachers (always, but especially right now), leaders cannot expect educators to find the time to take care of themselves. In fact, leaders likely aren’t making time for their own self-care, either. There’s too much to do! We’re programmed to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our students, but if we don’t integrate practices of radical self-care, then we are hindering our ability to meet that goal. 

Given the extraordinary demands on teachers (always, but especially right now), leaders cannot expect educators to find the time to take care of themselves. In fact, leaders likely aren’t making time for their own self-care, either. There’s too much to do! We’re programmed to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our students, but if we don’t integrate practices of radical self-care, then we are hindering our ability to meet that goal. 

Leaders need to weave self-care into the fabric of their everyday practices for them to have a lasting impact. There are lots of things you can do with your team in short bursts. Here are some examples:

• Model taking phone meetings while on a walk, or suggest taking one-on-one meetings outside when there isn’t a need to take notes.

• Prioritize five mindful minutes at the start of staff meetings:

– Take deep belly breaths, noticing changes in heart rate. 

– Stand up and stretch. Establish your presence in your body to release stress.

– Share a joke to shift the collective energy from a reactive state and into laughter.

• Invite teachers to share their favorite self-care practices (cooking, hiking, setting boundaries, sleeping, spending time with family), providing space for others to really celebrate and support their colleagues (clap, cheer, give feedback). Do this on a consistent and regular basis.

These mini exercises are not intended to downplay the trauma and stress. Instead, we can use them to ease anxiety and cope with the long-term stressors that we are not evolutionarily built to address. In addition, it’s important to provide spaces for folks to share their honest feelings and experiences so they can feel supported to do their best thinking. 

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This year is not just about what leaders can do for their staff or what teachers can do for students— it’s about what we can all do for ourselves. By fostering work environments that are emotionally safe, satisfying, and joyful for adults, leaders in turn cultivate a positive school climate that can effectively meet the academic and social-emotional needs of students. 

IE and Authentic Leadership

Here at IE, we are often asked where we stand on the debate between charter and district schools (and, occasionally on ‘new models’ of schools, private and parochial schools, as well). While we enjoy working with a range of schools (and organizations that support them) our answer to the question is pretty consistent – we are agnostic on the debate itself, but hold firm to a simple maxim; that great schools – regardless of their formal affiliation – require great leaders, and that great leadership can be developed.

Our approach to how to grow leadership has a number of research-based pillars, and I wanted to explore one of them here – authenticity .

In a July, 2016 article in the Harvard Business Review, The Truth About Authentic Leaders, HBS faculty member William George asserts that contemporary organizations require “a new kind of leader, whose character is the ingredient that matters most—more than characteristics or style.” George challenges older models of leadership, including the “great man theory” and competency-based leadership models. “Previous generations of (leaders) spent more time trying to “market” themselves as leaders, rather than undertaking the transformative work that leadership development requires.”

“Rather than trying to redefine what it means to be authentic, research and leadership development programs should focus on how leaders develop their authenticity.” In response to the question of the ‘how’ and what this sort of ‘transformative work that develops authenticity in leaders’ looks like, George (after conducting in-depth interviews with 172 authentic leaders) elaborates on a few points:

Explore their life stories and their crucibles in order to understand who they are.

• Engage in reflection and introspective practices by … step(ping) back from the 24/7 world, turn off all electronics, and reflect on what is most important to them.
• Seeking honest feedback from colleagues, friends, and subordinates about themselves and their leadership.
• Understand their leadership purpose so they can align people around a common purpose.
• Become skilled at tailoring their style to their audiences, imperatives of the situation, and readiness of their teammates to accept different approaches.

We love Professor George and his ideas – mostly because they are sound and well constructed (as found in his books like Discover Your True North and Authentic Leadership). We also love Professor George because his list of ‘’recommended steps people undertake to develop a deeper understanding of themselves in order to become authentic leaders’ reads like the Inspiring Educators’ catalog of program offerings – Telling Your Story in Leadership, Presence of a School Leader- Relationship Building, (the having) of Challenging Conversations, Finding Your Passionate Purpose, Roles of a School Leader, and more.

At I.E., we take the core of Professor George’s idea, “The essence of authentic leadership is emotional intelligence, or EQ, as articulated by Daniel Goleman.”, and help school leaders with what we call ‘E.Q. in action’, accelerating the process of their growth as a complement to the technical and managerial elements of their professional development they have received / are receiving.

We are thrilled with the response we have been receiving – especially form those relatively early in their ‘career arc’ – it reinforces the belief we subscribe to that the way to help schools change for the better is to try a different approach to growing school leaders.

Another HBS faculty member Lakshmi Ramarajan notes, the process of learning, growing, and developing an integrated self is a process of construction and meaning–making. As leaders explore their life stories and crucibles, and process their experiences, they develop deeper understanding of themselves and feel increasingly comfortable being authentic. IE’s vision is a world in which horizons for every child – regardless of their zip code – are limitless, and we believe that schools (whatever their formal structure) can further us in that vision. A key ingredient is inspired leadership, the kind that authentic leaders can provide.

We provide those leaders with the tools to transform their schools as they, the leaders themselves, are transformed.

For more information about IE, please visit our "Program Offerings"

The Inspiring Educator Difference

From Thomas Piketty (Capital in the Twenty-First Century) to ‘No Child Left Behind’, there exists a broad consensus that schools can play a critical role in addressing the pressing social issues of our day – from income inequality, narrowing the opportunity gap, and even easing the racial tensions that often divide us.  Yet, the challenges confrontingAmerica education seem chronic and the promise of what it can do to help realize our common vision remains distant despite massive investments. Research and common sense remind us that great schools need great leadership – leadership that will enlist others in a common pursuit of excellence for all students. Studies as a recent Wallace Foundation study, as well as numerous analyses of data on student achievement all highlight excellent leadership at the individual school level as a key and underutilized lever for student success.

Why Now?
The education reform movement has blossomed in recent years as a response to the crisis in public education.  Amongst the key direction the movement recently has taken is investment in school leadership, and these efforts have steadily focused on ‘tactical’ leadership – essentially how to better manage the schools in America and those who work in them.  Tactical leadership’s complement - adaptive leadership – provides a practical leadership framework that helps individuals and organizations adapt and thrive in challenging environments.  Adaptive leaders learn and are able to both individually and collectively take on the gradual but meaningful process of change.  Those with developed adaptive leadership skills not only discover the capacity to integrate their work with their tactical leadership training, they find that these new approaches  accelerate tactical leadership development.  The net result? Creating a more positive school climate and ultimately, improved student outcomes.

Why Us?
The programs of Inspiring Educators have demonstrated that they can raise the capacity of all sorts of school leaders, especially those in underserved communities. Inspiring Educators provides world-class leadership development in small groups using experiential theater-based exercises and intensive individualized coaching. Our clients have indicated that our programs can re-invigorate schools around mission and lead to greater cohesion, retention of staff, and overall improved school climate which leads to student success. Our approach builds the capacity of leaders, both individually and collectively, to take on the gradual but meaningful process of change, with a focus on growing individual authenticity and team effectiveness.

At Inspiring Educators, we envision schools across the country led by educators whose deep commitments and passion for realizing the vision and mission of their schools is effectively articulated and integrated through the daily life of their schools.  We see schools transformed by leaders who have tapped their authentic capacity to touch the lives of those around them by engaging, persuading and inspiring their staffs, students and communities and thus accelerating the pace and impact of educational change in America.

Big Schools, Small Schools and Common Threads of Leadership

What do school leaders in New York City have in common with staff of a 67-student no tuition parochial school in New Bedford, MA?

Visiting two different programs

Fall, 2016

Late this past summer, I had the opportunity to visit some of the programs we run here at Inspiring Educators.  The visits provide me with a great opportunity to meet the participants, the decision makers, check in with our facilitators, and overall get a sense of how the programs are running and how they are being received.  I often arrive just before a particular program, see if there’s any way I can be of help setting things up and / or address any last-minute details, and then often sit in on the very beginning of a session,  sharing a reflection or two about I.E.

Overall, it’s a great way for me to stay connected with our work, ideally keeping the quality of our programs -  and the satisfaction of our partners - high, and observing where we may have opportunities to improve.

But there is another aspect of these visits that I’ve come to recognize – that I get to observe and understand the work of our clients / partners much, much better by being at their sites, listening to the school professionals, and largely operating as a ‘fly on the wall’ while the teams begin their work together.

For example, at the start of the school year, I was present for programs of both one of our largest clients – New York City Public Schools – and  one of our smallest clients – Our Sisters School in New Bedford, MA.  One could say these two schools / schools systems couldn’t have been more different.  Yet, I’m left with the sense of how much they are alike.  Let me explain…..

Our training for the New York City Public Schools was for a new cohort of ‘mentor principals’;  successful New York City Public School principals who each will work with a number of new incoming principals for the Department of Education.  Some will retain their current principal duties, and others will have them deferred for a year.  The group I visited was the first of three cohorts with which we will worked, and together, this entire group of about 25 master principals is charged with helping coach and mentor close to 250 new principals.  Thus, the reach of these mentor principals is enormous.

We were graciously housed in the offices of the New York City Department of Human Resources, on the 41st floor of World Trade Center Tower Number 4, with stunning views of the East River.  I was delighted to find that these principals were quick, talked rapid fire, laughed a lot, and were surprisingly energetic – many after twenty-plus years in the New York City public school system.

Our Sisters’ School is a parochial school, located in the unused wing of the local synagogue (the only one left from six).  OSS educates 67 middle-school girls, whose families must qualify for assistance under federal guidelines.  In essence, if they can afford to pay any tuition, they can’t be accepted.  The school gets no government funding of any kind, and every bit of its annual budget (around $1 million) must be fundraised.  All told, including support staff, there are around 17 employees at OSS.  There’s not really a gym, or a cafeteria, or an assembly hall. 

We worked with most of their (staff which included their principal) on ‘Telling Your Story in Leadership’,.  It was a warm day, the windows were opened, and the lights were off to keep the room cooler.  When we went around to introduce the program and ourselves, the staff (a number of whom I had met in the time prior to the program) seemed expectant, if reserved.  Yet – to a person – they were surprisingly energetic about their work with adolescent girls from minority families (most were Portuguese), under some remarkably challenging circumstances.

It was this common thread that impressed me – the energy and the optimism demonstrated by these two groups of school professionals in widely different settings, but yet with common challenges.  Both trainings were designed to give these staff the tools they need in order to be more effective in their work, and to help them engage and ultimately persuade others.  What I hadn’t anticipated is how ready both groups were for the work, how engaged they took to the work, and ultimately, how inspiring they were – at least to me – by their obvious commitments.

All this in light of a flurry of comment as the school year is staring on the support given education.  For example, “The seven-year-old economic recovery has not been kind to the American public education system. In May 2008, as the Great Recession was just beginning, U.S. school departments employed 8.4 million teachers and other workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This past May, they employed just 8.2 million — despite public-school enrollments that the Department of Education estimated have risen by more than 1 million students during the same period. ….

The staff cuts reflect a broader pullback in education funding in recent years. ……. Per-student spending fell 2.4 percent after adjusting for inflation.”,  reported a recent analysis.

 The attitudes of these educators in New York and New Bedford – two remarkably different settings reflect the ongoing commitment of educators in spite of the soft support for their work.  It speaks to the depth of their commitment, to their drive, passion and determination to make a real difference in the lives of young people.  And their quick entry into the work of Inspiring Educators demonstrates their personal capacity to be lifelong learners, operating with a ‘growth mindset.

 Inspiring Educators,  is proud to work with partners such as New York City Public Schools, Our Sisters’ School and dozens of others of all sizes around the country, helping their leaders and educators become more authentic and more effective in their work.  We share common beliefs about the importance of leadership in schools and how that can help close the opportunity gap.  What I learn form visits such as these is that we’re not simply in the business of Inspiring Educators;  in the process we get to meet a whole lot of inspiring educators.