Help us take the next step as we build a Guiding Coalition

When we returned for the 2015-16 school year, we reviewed the progress we made as a District and discussed the need to intensify our focus on improving student learning. Over the summer we worked to identify frameworks, create structures, and make collective commitments focused on improving student achievement. These frameworks and structures will include teachers working collaboratively in teams to engage in work which will contribute to increased student learning.

Part of the work we engaged in has included implementing key practices (writing and using common assessments, planning curriculum, making decisions based on data, use of pacing guides, etc.). As we review our data, we are seeing growth from first quarter benchmark to second quarter benchmark. Our next steps will include training on how to increase our use of data to progress monitor students to identify those who need additional support and then intervene in a timely and appropriate manner. This critical next step will help us see more progress in the area of student learning. 

The development and implementation of a Guiding Coalition will help us with this next step and some of the additional work we need to do. Kotter and DuFour describe a Guiding Coalition as:

• An alliance of key members of an organization who are specifically charged to lead a change process through predictable turmoil;
• Members of the alliance should have shared goals and high levels of trust;
• But the principal must be the champion for the belief and its most vocal supporter.

The three keys to building a Guiding Coalition are:

1. Choose the right people: People with strong position power, broad experience, high credibility, and real leadership skill.
2. "Grow" the Coalition strategically — Diversity of views and voices.
3. Work as a team, not just a collection of individuals.  Do the real work together, share a vision and commitment.

The first steps toward developing and implementing a Guiding Coalition include sending teachers from each school to the Professional Learning Communities Summit being held here in Phoenix. 

We are asking for your support to provide this opportunity to a large number of our teachers by working with your principals to cover classrooms and other duties during those two and a half days.  As a token of our appreciation for your support, individuals who pitch in to make this happen will receive the gift of time the afternoon of Wednesday, Feb 3.  Your site administrators will share the details. 

We know everyone is working hard and appreciate the time and effort you dedicate to improving the academic achievement of all students. We know this is not easy work, but as I shared earlier, we are seeing growth.  Our students can and will continue to accelerate their learning and we will see this growth intensify as we continue to refine our Professional Learning Communities’ framework. 

Please see your site administrator or feel free to contact me if you have questions regarding this message.

Sincerely,

Joe Quintana