uring my leadership training at the College of Saint Rose I took a class with Jim Butterworth (my mentor) called Critical Issues. Jim was a voracious reader, an assistant commissioner for the New York State Education Department, former superintendent, and an amazing professor. All of those combined with a 2 ½ hour class led to some of the best educational discussions I've ever had.
Every week we were required to read chapters from various books (i.e. Fullan, Senge, Hargreaves, Reeves and Greenleaf), and numerous stories from Education Week's print copy. It opened up our world from the classroom we were teaching in, or the school we were leading. The class brought together building leaders, teachers, school psychologists and social workers from urban, suburban and rural settings who were all trying to finish their degree in leadership.
I took the class 10 years ago, but never forgot about the importance of discussing issues, even if they were difficult and the people in the room held differing opinions. As educators we should always be able to debate our profession. The problem we have, as does anything that involves politics, is that we cannot seem to move forward together. There are state and national leaders so consumed with being right that they cannot, and will not, budge.
Hopefully, all of that will change this year. After the past few years of increased accountability, budget cuts, arguments and infighting, 2014 will be a different year for all of us...and I hope for the positive. In education there are some very large issues that we have to contend with, and they are not all about accountability and mandates.
