RadicallyTransformingLives

Ensuring Equality in Outcome for EVERY Child - A Call to Action! “We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need in order to do this. Whether we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.” Ron Edmonds I believe the quote above with every fiber of my being. I have watched the impossible become possible. I have watched the kids whom no one believed could learn: learn, succeed, and accomplish great things. I have watched teachers and principals transform the non-transformable over and over again, replacing nihilism with hopefulness. Why is it then that so many of our schools, nationally, continue to fail? Do we have a different definition of “successfully teach?” Or does the truth lie in the reality that we, as adults in this nation, haven’t reached a level of moral conviction to actually be interested in the success of each young person ...

Sunday morning, May 18, 1980. Why was it snowing when I woke? As a 6 th grader I remember being confused and immediately scared as the ash fell in the grass surrounding my childhood home, covering it like a blanket of snow. My school year ended that day. Our class, week-long trip to Cispus didn’t happen, but I did begin to learn about how life events shape what we know, learn and remember. January 28, 1986 I arrived at school early. Jazz Ensemble started at 6:45am. I’m sure we had an amazing rehearsal. 11:39EDT (8:39am Chehalis, WA time) we gathered in the library at W.F. West High School to watch the space shuttle blast into space. I recall our teachers being excited because “one of them,” a teacher, Christa McAuliffe, was flying on this mission. We watched and cried together, when 73 seconds into flight, the Challenger exploded ending the lives of all seven astronauts on board and changing the trajectory of space travel and our instruction for the foreseeable future. I reme...

Thank you for the invitation to share my thoughts with Senator Murray for Ms. DeVos. As a point of reference, this is my 26 th year as a public school administrator/teacher. I have served students in Washington, Oregon and Nevada. I have served as a music teacher, Middle School Assistant Principal, High School Assistant Principal, Director of Alternative School, High School Principal, Director of Educational Non-Profit, Assistant State Superintendent (supporting WA under-performing schools—285 schools holding 250,000 kids) and currently Superintendent in the Lyle School District. I have six children. 2 have graduated from public schools and 4 are still enrolled in WA public schools. I have served as a Union President for school administrators in Nevada and am currently the President Elect for the Washington Association of School Administrators for ESD 112. Thoughts on Ms. DeVos: There are a myriad of data points about her absolute lack of qualifications to serve as our nati...

The Difference Reflective verse by Andrew E. Kelly-12.29.16 “Two roads diverged in yellow wood” It is a yellow wood table. Her grease-stricken hair as she pushes past me in the awkward silence. Stained khaki jacket, too big, stiff with filth. She pours her coffee-perhaps the only pure drink all day. Pure? Creamer, Sugar, Stir Away Rustling four-day-old Christmas cookies ready for the trash. Crumbs everywhere, stares from around the room, Judgement, condemnation from those ill-equipped to judge. Each of us carrying our own demons that we shine and display like cherished possessions, Though we wish they could be cast in the deepest seas. My heart hurts for her. I don’t know her name. She doesn’t speak, neither do I… But I think and wonder— How did I get so lucky? Who caught the arrow destined for me? Where is my stained khaki jacket? My warm dinner and warmer bath seem so unfair, so unjust. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— Took the one ...

I remember with  vivid clarity how I felt on the morning of 9/11/01 as I worked to serve the Clover Park High School Community and we struggled to understand the terrorists who attacked our nation that morning. I remember seeing the images of the planes striking the Twin Towers and trying to understand...who were the terrorists? What would/could we do? What would be different? I remember visiting classrooms that day, mostly filled with kids whose parents served in our Army and Air Force and wondering how their lives would change? How many of their parents would be deployed in response? How many moms and dads of the kids I loved would lose their lives in response to the acts that rocked the United States? Terrorists, as they were defined on that day were al-Qaeda. The world engaged and Americans rallied to make our country safe and "bring justice" for those who perished that day. I've tried to grow my mind and understand more, the world around me since then...I wo...

Leadership matters. Leadership matters in all sorts of ways. Leaders give us hope. Leaders help us have the courage to make challenging choices and decisions. Leaders are selfless. Leaders promote others, care, have empathy and don't belittle those who are different than themselves. Leaders acknowledge their success only in relationship to the overall growth and improvement of those who they lead. As a school and district leader for the past 22 years I have worked diligently to try and improve the school communities that I've served. The goal has always been to work in collaboration with all stakeholders for better outcomes for kids, families and communities. Through each of these roles some degree of success and progress has been experienced. I've never believed for even a moment that "I" held the key, magic potion, or silver bullet. Leadership matters and what I know to be true about the leaders that I've watched in my lifetime succeed in serving their r...

Hopefulness is our "middle name!" As the new K-12 Superintendent/Principal in the Lyle School District in Washington State, every day brings a new "first." Wednesday, July 29th was the first time that I was lucky enough to meet with my entire elementary staff.....all six teachers and 5 para-educators who are committed to making a difference for the kids in our community. This year is exciting!  We have some HUGE buckets we're working to fill on behalf of our kids! We're developing a standards based report card so that parents know how their kids are doing in relationship to the appropriate grade level standards. We're implementing a new, K-6 English/Language Arts Curriculum to ensure alignment to the standards.  http://mhreadingwonders.com/ We're continuing with our work to implement Eureka Math (Engage NY)  http://greatminds.net/maps/math/home so that our Lyle kids can compete with mathematicians anywhere! We're transforming ...