July 23rd-Ray McNulty-Day 1

Ray McNulty- Day 1: Change in Action

website: leadered.com

1. Opening thoughts
-Gary Larson cartoon “Look who’s excited to see you back from being declawed”
*we go to workshops, and then come back to school, and the life is sucked out by the people that don’t want to change. We have to change with dignity, so we can make it stick
*only the educators are going to change things in education—not people from the outside---it takes those on the inside
*fundamental changes must occur in the next 5-6 years.
*must create a model for change
*Rhoad Island school district-1 teacher takes kids 9th-12th---100% graduation rate. Go to school 3 days/week, 2 days/week spent at workplace.
*the primary aim of education is not to enable students to do well in schools, but to help them do well in the lives they lead outside of school.’
*future is about taking what you know and using it with what you don’t know to figure something out—applying it to the unknown. It’s not about the content---it’s about teaching them the skills for the unknown that is out there.
*we educate our children for the unknown
*study on high performing teachers….asked kids who the best teachers were, then the staff who the best teachers were, then the administrators who the best teachers were—found the people and went in and studied them. The main characteristic was that they teach less than their peers. They said the toughest part of their job was knowing when they needed to intervene, or when they needed to stay back and let issues resolve themselves….giving kids the chance to figure things out on their own. They let their kids struggle enough to learn and become independent!
*there are many kids who don’t score well on achievement tests, but are incredibly bright


Learning should have its roots in…
1) meaning, not just memory
2) engagement, not simply transmission
3) inquiry, not only compliance
4) exploration, not just acquisition
5) personalization, not simply uniformity
a. education isn’t about averages—it’s about making learning real and applicable
b. it doesn’t matter how your school does…now it’s about individual students
c. life, college, work ready kids
6)collaboration, not only competition
7) trust, not fear

*have a voluntary attendance day and see how many kids show up! Probably few. If we want kids in school, we need to motivate them!!!

Out of every 100 9th graders in the US, only 65 will graduate, 39 will enter college, 15 will actually graduate from college

It’s not the educators that aren’t working, it’s the system that is not working. We are working really hard, but we are not getting the results we want.

Rankings in US (1999): reading 15th, Math 19th, Science 14th , out of the 32 countries that we compete with. So we dumped money into these areas, and in (2003) Reading score was 20th, Math 24th, Science 19th

Educators need to become the agents of change.

Clayton Christensen—kids in other countries go to school, because they want a way out—they want more and are motivated! Kids in the US go because they have to—and only want what they ‘deserve’ to get---it’s an expectation, not a privilege. NO internal motivation. Our kids sit back on cruise control and ask, what more will you do for me?

TOP 4 reasons people don’t want to change:
1. Afraid of losing something of value. (I did this unit, and don’t want to lose it)
2. Miss understanding of the reason for change. People don’t understand the long-term effects of it.
3. Belief that the change doesn’t make sense for the organization.
4. Low tolerance for change.

2. 4 major challenges

1) Globalization
-9/11 changed the world
-11/9 had a more profound effect (Berlin Wall down in 1969)
-tax returns are being completed overseas
-it has allowed us to work anywhere in the world (work to worker)
-80% of MRIs are read in India, as it is all digitized
-McDonald’s has a few drive throughs with call center to get order-one call center will handle two stores
-Oil –US consumes ¼ of the world’s oil
-Savings rate –in India people save about 25% of salary, Japan 28%, Korea 30%, China 50%, US -4% (yes…a negative!)

2) Demographics
40is the new 30
50=40
54-beginning of 2nd half of life
WOOFS-well off older folks

3) Values/beliefs
Be incrementally smart about making changes in strategies and ideas.
Larger Context 1901-1924-The G.I. (war for peace people)-risk takers
1925-1942 Silent (didn’t do much…get kids to H.S.)
1943-1960 Boomers (anti-everything!! Kids with authority)
1961-1981 Gen X (led the technology generation)--they raised themselves on whatever kinds of electronic innovations they could find
1982- present- Millennials--group of kids who care about the world, very caring generation. Problem is that they have Gen X parents—helicopter parents---they hover and protect—they want to know what is going on in school, etc. Millennials are incredibly scheduled! Always on the go!!! They have been given a LOT! They think they are perfect.

Every generation flipflops. The millennial generation is very different from us, and we are trying to understand them.

4) Technology
1) processing speed
2) communication
3) size (computers getting smaller, etc.)
4) information and hardware

SPOT technology—(new technology) spot personal object technology

3. Leadership skills for ALL in the 21st Century
4. 21st Century Challenge
We are already here! It’s happening already!

5. Generation Gap and Learning
It’s about learning, and moving ahead. It’s not about us….it’s about the kids. Motivation is the key to success in learning.

The internet has created the greatest generation gap since the advent of rock and roll.

Don’t call things a 'pilot' program, or a new ‘version’. Just make a decision to change and do it. Let the people in your organization know you are moving in a new direction. Then ask for how you can make it better, etc. Launch it with people who WANT to do it and be a part of it. You can’t always please everyone. They’ll learn to expect change…and anticipate it.

Parents need to be brought in to the conversation of changing:
1) what does the future look like?
2) What do you want for your kids?
3) What will the school look like in 2025?

A system must have:
1) coherence
2) adaptability—being able to change
3) scalability
4) fidelity
(this is disruptive innovation—making things innovative)


6. Traits of Top Performers
7. Key Strategies for sustainable change
8. Learning from the field
9. Closing advice



Attend to the BIG THREE changes:
1) Literacy
can our kids read manuals, internet articles, etc.
2) Numeracy
mathability you need to do certain things, jobs—our current math requirements are well-beyond what they will need as lifelong workers. Should teach finances courses, etc to prepare them for the real world
3) Well-being of the learner
this is the biggest, or most important


Focus on attacking common cause problems, not special cause problems. Ex: If there is a snow storm, and the busses are going to be late, you have a special cause problem. But if reading scores are down one year after another, focus on attacking common cause problems. Only attack one at a time!


Ask your students, after you teach a lesson:

If you were me, how would you teach this??? Go home and think about it tonight and come back tomorrow.