Education Commissioner Dwight Jones
Meets with CSDC Board

On February 23, 2010 members of the CSDC Board met with the Colorado Commissioner of Education, Dwight Jones.  Our purpose was to:

• Relay the mission, vision, and work of CSDC and its connection to NSDC.
• Understand the challenges the Commissioner faces with the work of education in Colorado.
• Identify possible crossovers or connections in our work with the potential for partnership.

The Commissioner talked about his vision for the work of CDE, Forward Thinking, and his belief that the work is about support and service to the schools in Colorado.  He emphasized that it is important to “allow ourselves to be smarter tomorrow than we are today.”  Flexibility is a significant tenet in his work.  And it is imperative that teachers’ voices are heard.  They are critical in the planning process.   In addition Commissioner Jones stressed the importance of internal capacity in organizations and his focus on building that internal capacity at CDE. 

He shared his thoughts about the challenges Colorado faces with limited funding, and identified areas of need for CDE.  Some of those areas include the following:

• Assistance in getting information about the new standards out to teachers, schools, and districts across the state.
• Support with the area of teacher effectiveness and teacher preparation programs.
• Expertise in professional development for schools needing improvement.

The Commissioner also shared information about the Race to the Top grant application.  Colorado will know sometime in March if it is one of three states to be invited to defend its application in round one or if it will be considered in round two.    He encouraged CSDC to look for connections in the Race to the Top grant application.

As a result of today’s dialogue, we were invited to have additional conversations with the Commissioner and his staff about the crossover work that we might share.  We are also hopeful that the Leadership Forum originally scheduled for February 23rd can be rescheduled sometime during the 2010-2011 school year. 

To access pertinent information and answers to some of your questions about Colorado education go to . www.schoolview.org.

---

“Now that I’ve heard Rob share information from his new book, Conscious Leadership, I’m anxious to purchase a copy,” commented one conference participant. Rob Bocchino facilitated an excellent day of learning with expertise, enthusiasm and energy. He provided time for delivering content, processing the information and networking with educators from around the state.

Three important things that Rob shared, based on the work and research for his new book, include the following:

1. A developmental framework that included three specific attributes of “conscious leaders”:
   • Leaders are decision-makers.
   • Leaders are distinction-makers. They see “differences that make a difference”.
   • Leaders practice precision of language.
2. A protocol called The Gameboard of Change.
3. The concepts of trust, being trustworthy, and trusting in community and how the three are interrelated. Some participant comments about the day of learning include …
   • I learned some new ideas for leading a difficult team. Thank you!
   • This material was very relevant to my work.
   • I appreciate Rob’s energy.
   • I plan to use The Gameboard of Change.
   • I plan to practice the use of more precise language.
   • I relearned the importance of trust, trusting, and trustworthiness.

Rob Bocchino’s website is www.heartofchange.com Thanks to all the participants who were able to attend the conference. We look forward to seeing you at future CSDC events.

View slide show.

---

LEARNING SCHOOLS BRING NSDC’S DEFINITION TO LIFE

Peter Senge writes that learning organizations are places “where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together” (2006, p. 3). In this issue of JSD, you’ll read about learning schools. In these schools and systems, core elements of NSDC’s definition of professional learning come to life. As you read through the issue, starting with Stephanie Hirsh’s introduction to the definition (p. 10), you’ll see the connection between the concept of a learning organization and the high-quality professional development we hope to see in all schools and districts.

At St. Johnsbury School in Vermont (p. 40), teachers used formative assessments and they saw their roles shift; they formed learning communities and benefited from the support this structure gave them. Not only are new patterns of thinking nurtured in this environment, but those teachers are continually learning how to learn together. In Kentucky, the leaders of an initiative to raise the reading levels of struggling high schoolers outlined the results they wanted to see first. They expanded their capacity based on the results they wanted (p. 32). Looking back at Senge’s explanation of a learning organization to the word “aspiration” — that’s a word you won’t see in NSDC’s definition. The word has a loftier, more esoteric sound to it than what you’d put in federal legislation. Aspiration doesn’t feel sufficiently results-oriented or standards-based.

Yet aspiration underlies all the work we do in professional learning — it’s the force that drives us. Senge details what it means: “There are two fundamental sources of energy that can motivate organizations: fear and aspiration. The power of fear underlies negative visions. The power of aspiration drives positive visions. Fear can produce extraordinary changes in short periods, but aspiration endures as a continuing source of learning and growth” (2006, p. 209).

You’re hearing aspiration when educators speak of risk, of trust, of trying again. We see the role of aspiration when educators demand more accountability measures, not fewer, and when they engage in reflective dialogue to push themselves harder. As Hirsh explains, “The new definition of professional development is a moral imperative” — one that can address the inequities that deny some students opportunities for academic success (p. 11). Aspiration is a part of each learning school. Look for it in every article in this issue.

JSD goes bimonthly: We’re pleased to announce that JSD will come to you six times per year, beginning with the next issue. We know that members will benefit from expanded opportunities to read and write for NSDC. See the inside back cover for upcoming themes and consider submitting an article for publication.